Questions from a Millennial?

#78
#78
zeppelin128 said:
Millennial here also. After checking our wiki, this blew my mind:

We lost nine games in five seasons (1994-1998), won two SEC Championships, and a BCS National Championship.

Peyton's freshman season was four losses. Not counting that, we had five losses in four years. That is insane. What a time to be a fan.
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It was!
 
#82
#82
Hairy Vols said:
It being the off season we all obviously have a lot more time to think. I often find myself in the off-season looking reasons of optimism regardless of the state of the program.

Today while thinking I came across an interesting thought. Being as young as I am I didn't get to enjoy the 1998 Championship as much as some of you did. Which is what brought me to the question I'm about to ask. (Note this has no relation to the upcoming season, rather just a question of curiosity)

What was the mental state of the program and the fans going in to the 1998 season?

What were fans opinion of Fulmer, Manning's last game, and just what the next season held? Were there already National Championship talks at hand or was Manning's departure and inability to win a National Championship, for some, a sign of the decline to come?

Figure this would spark some fun conversation and reminiscence of the "Good Ol' Days".

Thank for those who reply. :)
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I have the Athlon mag from before that season right in front of me. It seems like they are mixed and a bit non-committal in their eval of us. They had Florida #3 in nation pre-season ... but still had us picked at #11, with LSU in between at 7.

The O returned 8 starters, and we were expected us to run a more balanced offense, throwing less and running J. Lewis more (he had 1365 the prior season). Our projected starting QB, Martin was 6 of 12 passing the prior season, for 87 yds, 1 Td and 1 Int. Neither of his backups had ever taken a snap in a game.

The D only returned 5 starters and Athlon noted that as a significant concern. DL guys Ellis and Ratliff were coming back from injuries, and it was uncertain if they would be available at all.
 
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#83
#83
volfanbill said:
I like how you conveniently forget Butch gets an extra game to get ten wins from. As stated a billion+ times on here, ten wins isn't what it used to be
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In today’s SEC, it is pretty darn good. Not what we are shooting for, but it will/should get you in the SEC Championship game.
 
#85
#85
So many awesome replies! Thank you everyone!!!

My next question tho I didn't see much clarification. Was everyone happy with Fulmer? Or did they feel like he could never get us to that next step?

I imagine pretty positive vibes consider the state of the Lady Vols Basketball program, lol. Tho if I'm correct our Men's team at that time wasn't very good??
 
#86
#86
Hairy Vols said:
So many awesome replies! Thank you everyone!!!

My next question tho I didn't see much clarification. Was everyone happy with Fulmer? Or did they feel like he could never get us to that next step?

I imagine pretty positive vibes consider the state of the Lady Vols Basketball program, lol. Tho if I'm correct our Men's team at that time wasn't very good??
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Witch Doctor say Fulmer was on fire the first 10 or so seasons and from about 2002 on...well got complacent.
Pat was hitting her stride and the men's team well..not so much. there was plenty of talk about replacing TBA with a smaller arena because it was 10-12k and Pat was drawing a few more than that for bigger games.

Fulmers first few years...everyone believed because he had a fire..if you youtube interviews when he first had the job till the last few years....noticeable.

BNL
 
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#90
#90
zeppelin128 said:
Millennial here also. After checking our wiki, this blew my mind:

We lost nine games in five seasons (1994-1998), won two SEC Championships, and a BCS National Championship.

Peyton's freshman season was four losses. Not counting that, we had five losses in four years. That is insane. What a time to be a fan.
Click to expand...
The 5 seasons that I was a student at U.T., from 1967 through 1971 football seasons, we lost 6 regular season games in 5 years. I believe that we only lost one home game, and it was by one point to Auburn.
 
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#91
#91
1972 Grad said:
The 5 seasons that I was a student at U.T., from 1967 through 1971 football seasons, we lost 6 regular season games in 5 years. I believe that we only lost one home game, and it was by one point to Auburn.
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Great stretch. Good friend of mine had an uncle that was playing there during that run.
 
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#92
#92
82_VOL_83 said:
Doesn't fit your agenda.
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Seeing as the agenda is 92-99 teams, yea, it kinda goes nowhere. But since you want to be an a**hat, Butch had no business losing four this year, and honestly shouldn't have lost four last year, so I'll fit it into my agenda. Just for you
 
#94
#94
volfanbill said:
Seeing as the agenda is 92-99 teams, yea, it kinda goes nowhere. But since you want to be an a**hat, Butch had no business losing four this year, and honestly shouldn't have lost four last year, so I'll fit it into my agenda. Just for you
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So you inject the typical "fahr Butch" statement into a discussion about the Fulmer years, I call you on it, and I'm the asshat? I think not. You don't need to fit anything into your agenda, it is already well known.
 
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#95
#95
82_VOL_83 said:
So you inject the typical "fahr Butch" statement into a discussion about the Fulmer years, I call you on it, and I'm the asshat? I think not. You don't need to fit anything into your agenda, it is already well known.
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Read a little deeper. I didn't insert it. I argued against the sunshine pumper that brought it up. Or was it you?
 
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#96
#96
A lot of times magical seasons happen when you do not expect it, less pressure plus games aren't won on paper. that team had something to prove but also remember they had some close calls. i wonder where wed be if they hadn't won the natty in '98
 
#97
#97
TennesseeRugby said:
A lot of times magical seasons happen when you do not expect it, less pressure plus games aren't won on paper. that team had something to prove but also remember they had some close calls. i wonder where wed be if they hadn't won the natty in '98
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Close calls happen most every year for the eventual NC. Very few anailate every opponent and never need that fortunate bounce or call to win a game or 2.

Manning was an icon that many couldn't get over from the sense that if you couldn't win it with him, how do you do it without him.
*Keeping in mind he did win the SEC before he left.

But UT had to be better in other areas to complete the ultimate goal and that fell together in 98 where it didn't with Manning and even in other years past him.

I still believe to this day that 3 of Fulmers best 4 teams didn't have Manning on the roster.
 
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#98
#98
volfanbill said:
even in the Jones era, the extra game is typically a win. We still only play 8 conference games, so you can have fun with that belief if you want. We both know making that extra game a loss isn't likely in either era based on opponents. Jones is losing the games that Fulmer managed to win. Bottom line.
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The extra game is a win? Did you miss the Oklahoma games and the Oregon game? High likelihood that Fulmer's teams would've lost most, if not all, of those games.

Bottom line? Fulmer never produced any inexplicable losses with a far superior team? Memphis is the easy one.

The bottom line is that Fulmer only produced somewhat better results in his first 3+/- years, although he had a far superior roster.

His record in his 3rd year as HC was the same as CBJ's, though it could've been better or worse with an extra game to play. He didn't win the SEC East or the SEC until his 6th year.

The point is that Fulmer was one of the best coaches we've ever had and CBJ has not under-performed on expectations as a whole, doing so while completely rebuilding the program from the lowest point in it's history.

I don't know if CBJ will continue to produce ascending results or if he will ever win more than he has. I do believe that arguing he is garbage and can't get the job done when all the facts show that he is getting the job done to this point is ridiculous, irresponsible, and somewhat immature.
 
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#99
#99
Hairy Vols said:
So many awesome replies! Thank you everyone!!!

My next question tho I didn't see much clarification. Was everyone happy with Fulmer? Or did they feel like he could never get us to that next step?

I imagine pretty positive vibes consider the state of the Lady Vols Basketball program, lol. Tho if I'm correct our Men's team at that time wasn't very good??
Click to expand...

Some will say they were happy but when it was happening it was never enough. There was always the game that he should have won and lost that cost Tennessee either the SEC or the NC.

Florida and Memphis in 1996. Florida and the blowout by Nebraska in 1997. The blowout by Florida in Gainsville in 1995. Georgia and LSU in 2001. Florida and Arkansas in 1999. Except for 1998, there was always a game ... and he struggled with Florida / Spurrier owned him which Tennessee fans hated.
 
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