Things that you would change about the game if you could.

[ClockworkOrange]

Great post. Came here to post #1...you covered that and more.

Thanks, KB! Lots of good common sense thoughts in this thread, and it makes you wonder why some of these haven't been instituted.

I think the review that killed instant replay for me was the Vandy game years back where the football was under a pile of humanity and it was impossible to tell exactly where it should have been spotted on a critical 4th down. Yet they overturned the call on the field, which of course went against us and ended up costing us the game, without being able to see one shred of evidence, let alone indisputable evidence.

After that instant replay was pretty much dead to me since I realized it was still going to be subject to human error, bias, and "making things up as you go." Might as well be jobbed in real time and move on with the game!

 

[VOLinAL]

I think you may have missed the original idea. The refs still make all the calls. The fans will have 10 seconds to vote Yes/no after replay. The fans understand the game well enough to determine holding/targeting/offensive or defensive PI and personal fouls. These are all the calls that the refs use on a weekly basis to give us the same result as you feel we’ll get with the fans. So what have we lost if it were tried? Nothing. All the fans are doing is confirming the call was fair.

So in this idea, what qualifies a fan to confirm a call? What if they are 10 years old? Not everyone knows what a proper holding call is. All cable/sat/streaming services are delayed so one person may be voting 20 seconds after the call while another votes 5 seconds after. Im not bashing your idea I just dont think it would work at all.

 

[1vol8]

So in this idea, what qualifies a fan to confirm a call? What if they are 10 years old? Not everyone knows what a proper holding call is. All cable/sat/streaming services are delayed so one person may be voting 20 seconds after the call while another votes 5 seconds after. Im not bashing your idea I just dont think it would work at all.

You may be right. It may not work. However if they were serious about implementing it they would tweak it to make it as fair as possible. Like no one inside the stadium. No one inside the cities that either team represents. Maybe knowing they would be using such a system in the upcoming season they would have an app built for the voters insuring users are over 18-21. Idk. All I know is these refs grew up watching football. Football fans select a team to pull for and these refs are no different. It’s safe to assume that SEC refs are from the southern states so therefore safe to assume they grew up a fan of an SEC school. I just think a mass majority rules vote would be less biased than just 7 refs. Not saying it WOULD work. I’m just saying with the right adjustments it COULD work.

In the meantime I’d like to see swinging tackles eliminated where defenders are forced to let go before their body weight lands on the backside of a runners legs. That kind of tackle is just as if not more dangerous than a horse collar.

 

[1vol8]

So in this idea, what qualifies a fan to confirm a call? What if they are 10 years old? Not everyone knows what a proper holding call is. All cable/sat/streaming services are delayed so one person may be voting 20 seconds after the call while another votes 5 seconds after. Im not bashing your idea I just dont think it would work at all.

Btw..... really good point.

 

[JOEY'S ALL VOL !!!]

Reduce the width of the goal post from its present width of 18'6" to 17' and award 4pts instead of 3 pts for any made field goal of 55 yds or longer.

 

[VOLinAL]

Someone said it before but ill tag on. Offensive fumbles through the opposing end zone should result in the ball being placed on the one yard line or spot of the fumble. Ridiculous that its a turnover and touchback.

Targeting rule should be tweaked if not eliminated. You could possibly implement flagrants like basketball if they have to keep targeting in the game. No defensive player should be called for targeting for making a tackle where the offensive player lowered their shoulder/helmet.

 

[lukeneyland]

1. Eliminate National Championship Game/tournament. Have a final Poll first week in December, declare a national champ, then go play the bowl games and have a good time.

2. Eliminate overtime games. A tie score at end of regulations remains a tie!

You would have enjoyed the hell outta football pre late 1960s

 

[lukeneyland]

Someone said it before but ill tag on. Offensive fumbles through the opposing end zone should result in the ball being placed on the one yard line or spot of the fumble. Ridiculous that its a turnover and touchback.

Targeting rule should be tweaked if not eliminated. You could possibly implement flagrants like basketball if they have to keep targeting in the game. No defensive player should be called for targeting for making a tackle where the offensive player lowered their shoulder/helmet.

I still Remember that fumble through the endzone against bama in 05. I was 10 and that was my first introduction to that ridiculous rule

 

[dcm3w]

Idk if that was a sarcastic “lol” or not but I’m dead serious. Biased refs destroy at least one game a week at every level.

So what happens when you have biased fans...

 

[dcm3w]

No. What if the injury is legit like getting the wind knocked out for one or two plays. Happens all the time.

Then they can sit out a series. Too many flops nowadays and injuries are apart of the game so if anything it would protect those players

 

[WilliamTucker]

I wish they moved the kickoff back and they had more returns, that’s exciting to me, I get tired of the touchbacks.

 

[JOEY'S ALL VOL !!!]

I still Remember that fumble through the endzone against bama in 05. I was 10 and that was my first introduction to that ridiculous rule

Corey Anderson wasn't it ?

 

[AM64]

Make holding a holding penalty. I don't care if it's inside, outside, upside down, by the collar, by the jersey or whatever. If the lineman has the defender in any kind of grip, it's holding. I'm tired of basketball type scores because defenders can't get to the QB any more.

 

[AM64]

Eliminate “away” unis and let Bama and the Vols battle it out in Crimson vs Orange every year

Yep, B&W TVs are relics.

 

[ATLVols]

1. eliminate the ejection for targeting until the 2nd offense....
2. change the rules for the clock back to what it used to be....sick of TV trying to dictate the game...i.e., the clock stops on out of bounds plays, and incomplete passes....
3. shorten play clock to 35 seconds....
4. institute a 2 minute warning
5. make PI a spot foul
6. a player is not ruled down until he is touched--like the NFL....


Just off the top of my head

I’m good with most of these, but I’m glad we have replay.

1) Ditch instant replay. Cramps the game, they still get it wrong too often, still subject to bias, and they don't follow their own rules (indisputable evidence, anyone?).

2) Ditch the targeting rule and instead institute a rule that all tackles must involve an attempt to wrap up with 2 hands.

3) If you can't get 2) then make targeting work both ways -- the offensive player can be flagged if he lowers his head and initiates contact (Should be yet another "Tennessee rule" because we have been flagged for it so often when it should have been called on the offense).

4) If you can't get 1), then add pass interference and holding to review-able plays.

5) Clock starts ticking the minute a play is reviewed. If no decision can be reached within 60 seconds, the play call stands. No more of these 5+ minute reviews.

I’m good with most of these, but I like instant replay. Tennessee lost to Florida in the early 2000’s at home after Florida “caught” a winning TD. The WR completely dropped it, but the back judge signaled TD. We lost in a heartbreaker. Plays like that need replay.

 

[bamawriter]

I still Remember that fumble through the endzone against bama in 05. I was 10 and that was my first introduction to that ridiculous rule

That play was awesome. Roman Harper with a picture perfect hat on the rock.

 

[MemphisVol77]

Lose the rule where the other team gets awarded the football if someone fumbles out of the end zone. It makes zero sense to me that anywhere else you fumble and it goes out of bounds you get the ball where it went out or at the spot of the fumble. But if you fumble through the end zone it’s automatically the other teams ball. I’ll never understand it.

That’s the worst rule in history

It's terrible because it's inconsistent. Fumble out of bounds at any other part of the field and the ball is returned to the offense.

Either do away with the touchback or be consistent when fumbling out of bounds the length of the field. It's the offense's job to hold onto the ball. If the sideline can make a tackle the sideline should be able to recover a fumble.

Team that touches the ball last on a fumble out of bounds loses the ball. If a player swats it or a player tries to recover a loose ball while his body is out of bounds, it goes to the other team. Last to touch it would prevent players from swatting the ball out of bounds.

As it is now the rules for fumbling out of bounds protect the offense for all 100yrds of field and reward the defense in the end zone.

 

[norrislakevol]

Corey Anderson wasn't it ?

And then Pig Howard a few years later against Georgia.

 

[bamawriter]

It's terrible because it's inconsistent. Fumble out of bounds at any other part of the field and the ball is returned to the offense.

Either do away with the touchback or be consistent when fumbling out of bounds the length of the field. It's the offense's job to hold onto the ball. If the sideline can make a tackle the sideline should be able to recover a fumble.

Team that touches the ball last on a fumble out of bounds loses the ball. If a player swats it or a player tries to recover a loose ball while his body is out of bounds, it goes to the other team. Last to touch it would prevent players from swatting the ball out of bounds.

As it is now the rules for fumbling out of bounds protect the offense for all 100yrds of field and reward the defense in the end zone.

You won't like this answer, but the rule is in place because any play that ends with a dead ball in the endzone results in a change of possession. Yes, it's inconsistent with the sideline from goal line to goal line. But it's completely consistent with every other play that ends in the endzone.

 

[AM64]

I would make offensive pass interference a spot foul / turnover.

Also, no more face mask. I think that would cut down on the targeting.

I'd keep the face mask and penalty. However, since it's considered dangerous for the ball carrier, then when the runner stiff arms a defender either by grabbing or shoving the face mask, that should also be a penalty. As far as I can tell, both offensive and defensive players are made of the same basic materials, so the "what's good for the goose ..." analogy should go both ways as far as injury considerations. Either both are penalties or neither is a penalty.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

Then they can sit out a series. Too many flops nowadays and injuries are apart of the game so if anything it would protect those players

I disagree. You can have the wind knocked out of you slightly and need just a play or two to recover. You do not need to sit out a whole series expecially if it a time consuming drive. You hoping for a rule change that is flawed and will never happen.

 

[VOLinAL]

I still Remember that fumble through the endzone against bama in 05. I was 10 and that was my first introduction to that ridiculous rule

I as well remember. Cant recall the score without looking but feel like it was 6-3 Bama.

 

[Memvol44]

My first post ever on this board. As for me, I've been a lurker for a long time. I pretty much dumped all boards when Tennessee dumped Bruce Pearl. It didn't help matters when the Kiffin/Dooley/Jones fiascos were going on. I go all the way back to the old Gridscape days. Those were good times. Hopefully we get back to that very soon. My question is, not be to controversial, "What would you do to change the game if you had the power to do so?". It is the off season and we do have a lot of time to fill so have at it guys and gals. What would you change?

For me, I would do two things.

1) Ban all synthetic noise makers by all teams. What I mean are things like 'Smokey's Howl', Vandys fog horn, Etc. This adds nothing to the game and is just an annoyance and a reason to not want to go to the game. I mean if you can't have fans make the noise, then why are they going to the game in the first place? It adds absolutely nothing in my opinion.

2) There is a trend that I noticed a few years back that I think started in the big 12 conference. It drives me nuts. It's a technique used by the bands where they hold a loud, obnoxious note between every freaking play all the way up till the opposing offense is lined on the ball. I think it's bush league stuff (big 12). It makes it hard to interact and enjoy the game with others around while watching the game and you can't hear the announcer. It doesn't seem to bother the teams very much but it sure drives me crazy. It unfortunately seems to be getting worse. I noticed a couple of years ago that one bush league SEC team to our south (paint themselves black and red, act like barking dogs, biggest bunch of Saturday tranny's I have ever seen, never,ever live up to their potential, etc.) has adopted this crap. If I could, I would have a rule that bands can play after 1st downs, big plays, touchdowns, end of quarters, before and after the game. That's enough. Any other time the band should cheer like any other fan. I remember the Olympics many years ago when they had to ban the Vuvuzela. They were banned here in college football as well. So why should the band get to use their horns as noise makers? Imagine 100,000 trumpets being blown at once, non-stop, for an entire game! Unbearable.

So. Those are the two things that (IMO) make college football less fun and are just bad for the game. What do you think?

Vuvuzela

I think running backs are allowed to use hands to the face without being called... way too much..stiff arms to the facemask.

 

[JOEY'S ALL VOL !!!]

And then Pig Howard a few years later against Georgia.

Yep. About 2 inches from the pylon.

 

[Skullbone]

Targeting rule needs to be a 15 yard penalty with no ejections. Ever. That is all.