The gap between UT and Bama.....

#1
MWAVolfan

MWAVolfan

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#1
Its been since 2015 that Tennessee had a legit shot at beating Bama. Before that you have to go back to Kiffin and the Mount Cody game. And while it's been well over a decade since we last beat them, the gulf between the two teams in terms of talent and potential has widened to the biggest I think I have ever seen it. When Tennessee has a statistically insignificant chance of winning the matchup, you wonder why even risk your starters getting hurt?

That's not the question I wanted to ask though. I became a Vols fan when I moved to Tennessee in 1990. To the older Vols fans, was there ever a time prior to this current post-Fulmer stretch where it was completely hopeless and futile to consider Tennessee winning against Bama?
 
#3
#3
MWAVolfan said:
Its been since 2015 that Tennessee had a legit shot at beating Bama. Before that you have to go back to Kiffin and the Mount Cody game. And while it's been well over a decade since we last beat them, the gulf between the two teams in terms of talent and potential has widened to the biggest I think I have ever seen it. When Tennessee has a statistically insignificant chance of winning the matchup, you wonder why even risk your starters getting hurt.

That's not the question I wanted to ask though. I became a Vols fan when I moved to Tennessee in 1990. To the older Vols fans, was there ever a time prior to this current post-Fulmer stretch where it was completely hopeless and futile to consider Tennessee winning against Bama?
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Per ESPN FPI, we have a 2.6% chance of winning. That's roughly one in forty. Insignicant? Yes, but it's about like hitting a one-outer on the river in Texas Hold Em, which does happen. ;)
 
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#5
#5
Tennessee almost pulled it off in 2009, but before the game no one thought they had a shot in that one either. It would be like what South Carolina did last Saturday

The only games where people thought they had a punchers chance during this time period was 2015 and 2016.

The streak started with an Alabama upset in 2007 as well. Or, at least I assume Tennessee was favored
 
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#7
#7
Not saying it'll happen Saturday but Kiffin had a chance to win in his lone season. Having said that, just hope to keep the O on the field and not so many 3 and outs like last year.
 
#9
#9
MWAVolfan said:
Its been since 2015 that Tennessee had a legit shot at beating Bama. Before that you have to go back to Kiffin and the Mount Cody game. And while it's been well over a decade since we last beat them, the gulf between the two teams in terms of talent and potential has widened to the biggest I think I have ever seen it. When Tennessee has a statistically insignificant chance of winning the matchup, you wonder why even risk your starters getting hurt?

That's not the question I wanted to ask though. I became a Vols fan when I moved to Tennessee in 1990. To the older Vols fans, was there ever a time prior to this current post-Fulmer stretch where it was completely hopeless and futile to consider Tennessee winning against Bama?
Click to expand...

When Majors took over they had beaten us for many years with Bear, then we beat them for many years with Majors/Fulmer. Not much back and forth in this rivalry in the last 30 years, streaky.
 
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#10
#10
MWAVolfan said:
Its been since 2015 that Tennessee had a legit shot at beating Bama. Before that you have to go back to Kiffin and the Mount Cody game. And while it's been well over a decade since we last beat them, the gulf between the two teams in terms of talent and potential has widened to the biggest I think I have ever seen it. When Tennessee has a statistically insignificant chance of winning the matchup, you wonder why even risk your starters getting hurt?

That's not the question I wanted to ask though. I became a Vols fan when I moved to Tennessee in 1990. To the older Vols fans, was there ever a time prior to this current post-Fulmer stretch where it was completely hopeless and futile to consider Tennessee winning against Bama?
Click to expand...
1982!! Look it up, Glorious Day!!
 
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#12
#12
PulaskiVolFan said:
1982!! Look it up, Glorious Day!!
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I was an 11 year old kid, and my folks chose that day to go to the World's Fair one last time before they shut it down a couple weeks later. The game was over by late afternoon and there were still students on Cumberland yelling "Go to hell, Bama!" over and over hours later after the sun went down.
 
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#13
#13
99gator said:
Tennessee almost pulled it off in 2009, but before the game no one thought they had a shot in that one either. It would be like what South Carolina did last Saturday

The only games where people thought they had a punchers chance during this time period was 2015 and 2016.

The streak started with an Alabama upset in 2007 as well. Or, at least I assume Tennessee was favored
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Yes, we were favored, though I don't remember by how much. That game was right after the textbook scandal that forced them to suspend several players for that game. Saban called for an onside kick (successfully) to start the game and they just steamrolled us from there.
 
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#14
#14
ArmchairQB said:
I was an 11 year old kid, and my folks chose that day to go to the World's Fair one last time before they shut it down a couple weeks later. The game was over by late afternoon and there were still students on Cumberland yelling "Go to hell, Bama!" over and over hours later after the sun went down.
Click to expand...
I was 13 and remember it well. My dad's friends brought a big section of the goalposts back from Pulaski and had them cut up and put on plaques. Johnnie Jones became one of my favorite players that day. I also got to see my favorite team The Steelers play in a World's Fair preseason game that same year.
 
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#15
#15
You could drive a Nimitz class carrier through the talent gap...and our current recruiting rank of 28th for 2020 ain't gonna help.
 
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#16
#16
MWAVolfan said:
Its been since 2015 that Tennessee had a legit shot at beating Bama. Before that you have to go back to Kiffin and the Mount Cody game. And while it's been well over a decade since we last beat them, the gulf between the two teams in terms of talent and potential has widened to the biggest I think I have ever seen it. When Tennessee has a statistically insignificant chance of winning the matchup, you wonder why even risk your starters getting hurt?

That's not the question I wanted to ask though. I became a Vols fan when I moved to Tennessee in 1990. To the older Vols fans, was there ever a time prior to this current post-Fulmer stretch where it was completely hopeless and futile to consider Tennessee winning against Bama?
Click to expand...
The entire series has been one streak after another for 40 years. I barely remember the tail end of Alabama's 11 game steak that ended in 1982 which was a extremely improbable win.
 
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#17
#17
both have had streaks going back decades...they're just the one that's up now...latest streaks...TN...'95-01, 7 win streak...Bama...07-18, 12 win streak...Bama 55 wins...TN 38...7 ties...this would be a very nice time to stop the streak...:D

GO BIG ORANGE...BEAT BAMA!
 
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#21
#21
MWAVolfan said:
Its been since 2015 that Tennessee had a legit shot at beating Bama. Before that you have to go back to Kiffin and the Mount Cody game. And while it's been well over a decade since we last beat them, the gulf between the two teams in terms of talent and potential has widened to the biggest I think I have ever seen it. When Tennessee has a statistically insignificant chance of winning the matchup, you wonder why even risk your starters getting hurt?

That's not the question I wanted to ask though. I became a Vols fan when I moved to Tennessee in 1990. To the older Vols fans, was there ever a time prior to this current post-Fulmer stretch where it was completely hopeless and futile to consider Tennessee winning against Bama?
Click to expand...

GAST probably had same or lesser chance of beating Tennessee (despite the points spread). If they can pull it off, we can too. Unlikely : Yes but crazier things have happened. If few breaks our way & few bad plays from them also if Brain Maurer finds Johnny Manziel somewhere inside him ..who knows ..
 
#22
#22
Well... All I can say is...uh. Stuff happens.

iu
 
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#24
#24
FLVOL_79 said:
You could drive a Nimitz class carrier through the talent gap...and our current recruiting rank of 28th for 2020 ain't gonna help.
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I think more importantly, is the depth or lack thereof. We have talent in many places, we don’t have depth in many. If any. Not saying we match them with talent but we would stand a punchers chance if we had depth.
 
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#25
#25
illvol said:
I think more importantly, is the depth or lack thereof. We have talent in many places, we don’t have depth in many. If any. Not saying we match them with talent but we would stand a punchers chance if we had depth.
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When was the last time we actually had depth? The Fulmer era? Seems to be a consistent problem.
 
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