2015 Notre Dame and 2014 VT aren't bad games by any stretch. But I do see your point. More than anything, I don't understand why UT and OU want another home-and-home so soon after completing one. It's not like Clemson and Auburn, who have a history.
Va Tech was/is an conference ACC game. Notre Dame.....meh.
But bottom line for me, there's no reason for Tennessee to be scheduling Oklahoma or any other similar national power for an OOC game. Schedule 3 patsies and 1 middling Power 5 team imo. At least until we show we can at least win a crap SEC East division.