The most heartbreaking Tennessee Football loss according to you?

Easily. This was the beginning of the end of the truly powerful teams. The very next year UT lost more homes games than they had in 20 years. That never stopped. IMO this was the best team UT ever fielded. The sad thing is, I don't think any other team in the nation could handle that team outside the SEC. Miami would have gotten dismantled by the front four. They relied on Portis and a freshman Gore to carry that team. They would have hit a brick wall vs UT. They were almost a lock for the title had they won that game. They thumped LSU earlier in the year and were overlooking them. UT should have out talented them, but just couldn't best good talent with great coaching.

Not to be argumentative but that Miami team was absolutely loaded and probably could have beaten some NFL teams.

Don’t forget that the week before the Florida game, Florida had played Florida State and the (supposedly) injured the Fla RB knee.
LSU playing the back up RB and QB running mainly draws shows just how inept Chavis was!

Still, would like to have seen us against anyone in another NC game!
 
Not to be argumentative but that Miami team was absolutely loaded and probably could have beaten some NFL teams.

Don’t forget that the week before the Florida game, Florida had played Florida State and the (supposedly) injured the Fla RB knee.
LSU playing the back up RB and QB running mainly draws shows just how inept Chavis was!

Still, would like to have seen us against anyone in another NC game!
No college team could ever beat an NFL team. Not even close.
 
The 2015 Florida loss was the worst for me. I was listening to the end on the radio and Tim Priest started to say "Good!" on that final field goal. That loss sucked so hard.
 
Easily 2001 SEC CG. To go from the euphoria of the FL game the week before and just one game from playing for a NC, that was definitely the most heart breaking.

But I completely agree @McDad about the GA State game.
There is no “hate” button.

In retrospect, it didn’t feel like Fulmer’s teams were ever the same after that game.
 
Listen to this..I've been a vol fan my whole life..growing up in the armpit of the midwest..they don't care much for sec football..SO i dont really get to talk football with others unless its big ten related...SO after years of talking about it I finally decided to go to a game..I bought the wife and I a hotel downtown..saw all the sights..Took volnations advice on things to do... everything was great..and then the game...My first game ever..finally get to sing rocky top with all of you..enjoy it with my wife..life couldnt get better....It was the Georgia st game two years ago..my wife and I divorced 4 months later... screw you georgia st
 
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Mine: 2000 Florida @ Tennessee. The Jabar Gaffney no catch.
My list of those in my lifetime (due to the fact we should've won and lost/tied in heartbreak fashion or DID win every game only to have it taken from us)
1980 UGA - Had the game won three times and fumbled on 5 yard line when a FG would win it, and gave UGA their only NC in 70 years
1983 Virginia - UVA was about to drop football as a sport and upset us at homecoming
1983 Ole Miss - Upset loss kept us from Cotton Bowl showdown with Texas and top 10 ranking
1984 Army - blew a late lead
1984 UK - Questionable call late and clock ran out as we were driving for win
1987 Boston College - ended any NC chance
1988 Bama - 0-5 team played their @ss off and almost pulled it off
1990 Bama - ridiculous Majors coached game and blocked FG cost us tie
1990 Notre Dame - we almost come back and beat them, cost us NC chance
1992 Arky/SC/Bama - Three games Majors cost us all with funky endings, we should've won blown a NC chance and a 3 game SEC east lead
1994 Bama - Almost upset top ranked team with Peyton at QB
1995 Florida - Peyton and co dominated Florida at Swamp till Chavis/bad ref call on Kent/RB turnovers doomed us
1996 Memphis - BS call and just trying to grind it out cost us game
1999 Florida - got down and almost pulled off comeback in Swamp
1999 Arkansas - late TD cost us NC game appearance
2000 Florida - cost us SEC title on BS call
2000 LSU - came back from 24-6 in 4th to force OT but lost
2001 UGA - 3rd and Chavis cost us again
2001 LSU - The most heartbreaking and program damaging loss in the modern era, kept us from NC game
2003 Auburn - Another hard fought road comeback by Clausen came up short at end
2004 Notre Dame - Stupid Randy Sanders call for Hail Mary hurt Ainge, lost game, cost us season
2004 Auburn - UT outplayed Auburn, had two TDs called back
2005 Bama - Abortion of a game, lost as our fumbler fumbled again
2005 Vandy - 3rd and Chavis again
2006 Florida - 3rd and Chavis and terrible ref call cost us SEC and possible NC titles
2006 LSU - See the above post, same damn thing
2007 LSU - Led late again vs NC and had a legit shot to win
2008 UCLA/Auburn - lost two winnable games at end, beginning of the end for Fulmer
2009 UCLA/Bama - lost easily winnable UCLA game and played #1 to the end, came up short
2010 LSU/UNC - both games we basically won and then lost (1 due to Miles confusing our defense out of stupidity, 1 due to an obscure and incorrect ruling by refs)
2012 UGA/MSU/SC/Mizzou - Great offense kept us in games as underdogs, almost pulled off all four but lost due to lack of defense at end
2013 UGA - played our butts off, should've won but for fumble into endzone
2013 Vandy - terrible spot cost us game we should've won going away
2014 Florida - had that game won and coaching cost us
2015 Okla/Florida/Arky/Bama - Butch coaching cost us four games we should've won and NC appearance
2016 Texas A&M - heartbreaking comeback came up short in OT due to Dobbs missing a wide open Kamara and no defense
2016 Vandy - blowing that game with Sugar Bowl on line was inexcusable
2017 Florida - Hail Mary BS
2017 SC - Beginning of JG's true legacy game
2019 Ga State - Not heartbreaking just stupid
2019 BYU - more heartbreaking because they played good enough to win except for 1 defensive breakdown against decent BYU team
 
Our most heartbreaking loss without a doubt was David Cutcliffe. He was the offensive brain and disciplinarian of the program, and both of those areas started a slow decline when he left for the Ole Miss HC job. Most painful loss in the history of UT football IMO.
Amen!
 
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Oregon 2013...
I was there, And I couldn't believe how ill prepared we were.
No team is EVER supposed to beat Tennessee the way they got beaten that day.
it was 59-7 midway through the 3rd Quarter...

They could have beat Tennessee 80-7.
 
Not to be argumentative but that Miami team was absolutely loaded and probably could have beaten some NFL teams.

Don’t forget that the week before the Florida game, Florida had played Florida State and the (supposedly) injured the Fla RB knee.
LSU playing the back up RB and QB running mainly draws shows just how inept Chavis was!

Still, would like to have seen us against anyone in another NC game!
They were loaded in all the wrong spots vs UT. They weren't unbeatable at all. A strong front four was their Achilles heel. They were nearly bested by two teams with huge talent gaps because of a strong 4 man rush. Tennessee had the best 4 man rush in the nation. I do believe Tennessee would have punished that Miami team.
 
2010 LSU
I remember being in a rush to get somewhere afterwards so I watched the “end.” Turned off the TV. Then I remember checking my phone later that night to see that we had actually lost.
 
1977 Ole Miss 43 Tn 14 in Memphis. I was a freshman at ole miss but only because I was stupid enough to follow my high school sweetheart down there. Anyway, I had a class with 3 old miss players and I bet each one 10 bucks that Tn. would beat them. That Monday I had to pay up . It was my entire eating money for the week. I was the very definition of a starving student lol .
 
That freaking georgia state embarrassment may not be the most heartbreaking, but it broke my heart because I knew we were in a hopeless situation and I felt like we had simply been spinning our wheels for 12 years.

Not only is that the lowest of the low, what is more infuriating was the devil may care attitude of a few of the players. Had someone forced them those few to tear off their uniforms in front of the entire stadium, it might have felt a little better. Absolutely no way to justify this one.
 
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2001 LSU in the SECC. Honorable mention goes to 2000 Florida, which was the first loss I ever saw in person. I was like 30-0 up to that point.
 
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Not to be argumentative but that Miami team was absolutely loaded and probably could have beaten some NFL teams.

Don’t forget that the week before the Florida game, Florida had played Florida State and the (supposedly) injured the Fla RB knee.
LSU playing the back up RB and QB running mainly draws shows just how inept Chavis was!

Still, would like to have seen us against anyone in another NC game!
That Miami team was loaded but would have gotten drubbed by any NFL team
 
2005 Season. Specifically the Vanderbilt game. To me, that’s when the downfall began with it only getting worse the last 16 years. It’s going to take awhile for us to get back where we once were. I’m thankful for the clean slate we have been given, just hope others give it a chance.
 
2005 Season. Specifically the Vanderbilt game. To me, that’s when the downfall began with it only getting worse the last 16 years. It’s going to take awhile for us to get back where we once were. I’m thankful for the clean slate we have been given, just hope others give it a chance.
Mine was a couple of years later. While the seed of doubt was planted with me in that 2005 season, I still held out hope.

The worse loss for me was to Wyoming after that dismal 2008 season. That's when I knew beyond the shadow of doubt that Fulmer was gone and I knew deep down that our AD had zero plan for a replacement.
 
Mine was a couple of years later. While the seed of doubt was planted with me in that 2005 season, I still held out hope.

The worse loss for me was to Wyoming after that dismal 2008 season. That's when I knew beyond the shadow of doubt that Fulmer was gone and I knew deep down that our AD had zero plan for a replacement.
He had a plan
 
He had a plan
Looking back, guess you're right. He did have a plan in Kidding, which I still think was a solid hire. Problem with the plan, like most plans, is it didn't account for what happens when something goes wrong.

I think it was Sugar Ray Leonard (not exactly sure) that said every plan is great until you take that first punch to the face.

Hamilton's downfall is he had nothing after Kiffin bolted.
 
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