UT-Martin????

#1
tennesseekilt

tennesseekilt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2009
Messages
229
Likes
561
#1
Is anyone else frustrated that we are even playing this team? It doesn't count toward being bowl-eligible (correct me if I'm wrong here). It will provide less competition than an Orange & White game. Other than an artificial stat booster, it won't do much, if anything, to help our players get experience.

Was Arky St. or Western KY not available? Why are we playing a Division II team?? Is there no alternative? At least the Western KY win last year gave us a win toward being bowl-eligible!

I can't wait for football season to start, but this first matchup is pathetic.
 
#2
#2
they are D-1aa (or FCS if you prefer) and it should still count toward a bowl game. Pretty sure you get an exemption to use every few years
 
#3
#3
I may be wrong, but I think you can count one win per year against a FCS level team toward being bowl eligible.
 
#4
#4
First, you are wrong.

I believe it does count towards bowl eligibility.

One Division 1aa team does.

Also we are going to have a ton of new players and youngsters playing for the first time.

Does make some sense.
 
#5
#5
You get to count a win against one opponent from the championship sudivision, but no more.

Our team this year has one of the most brutal schedules ever. It's ranked in the top five in the country. We are weak and rebuilding. Are you really complaining about an easy game to start? Especially when breaking in a new qb, four new linemen, etc.

tennesseekilt said:
Is anyone else frustrated that we are even playing this team? It doesn't count toward being bowl-eligible (correct me if I'm wrong here). It will provide less competition than an Orange & White game. Other than an artificial stat booster, it won't do much, if anything, to help our players get experience.

Was Arky St. or Western KY not available? Why are we playing a Division II team?? Is there no alternative? At least the Western KY win last year gave us a win toward being bowl-eligible!

I can't wait for football season to start, but this first matchup is pathetic.
Click to expand...
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#6
#6
plus, we're keeping the game $$'s in our family. I think its a brilliant move. Why give money to WKY?
 
#8
#8
I was a bit off. From the NCAA:

30.9.2.2 Exception—Football Championship Subdivision Opponent. [FBS] Each year, a Football
Bowl Subdivision institution may count one victory against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent
toward the six-win minimum, provided the opponent has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum
number of grants-in-aid per year in football over a rolling two-year period. (Adopted: 10/28/97 effective 8/1/98,
Revised: 4/28/05, 12/15/06)
30.9.2.2.1 Waiver. [FBS] The Football Issues Committee may approve a waiver of the 90 percent requirement
to permit a Football Bowl Subdivision institution to count a victory against a Football Championship
Subdivision opponent toward meeting the six-victory requirement when a unique or catastrophic
situation affects the Football Championship Subdivision institution’s ability to average 90 percent of the
permissible maximum number of football grants-in-aid per year over a rolling two-year period. (Adopted:
8/11/98, Revised: 4/28/05, 12/15/06)
Click to expand...
 
#9
#9
utvolpj said:
they are D-1aa (or FCS if you prefer) and it should still count toward a bowl game. Pretty sure you get an exemption to use every few years
Click to expand...

Good to know - makes me feel a bit better about it. It would still be nice to see a game against a lower level D1 opponent like a, you know, Wyoming or UCLA. Oh... :banghead2:

Maybe UT-Martin isn't such a bad idea, but still not really looking forward to that particular 'matchup'. I've always liked that we play solid non-conference teams, even though we have gotten burned some lately.
 
#10
#10
grace2u said:
plus, we're keeping the game $$'s in our family. I think its a brilliant move. Why give money to WKY?
Click to expand...

Because WKY is actually D-I and who cares if it stays in the "family"? UT football should fund UT football, no redistribution

Vercingetorix said:
I think it sucks that we're playing a I-AA team. First one in at least 20 years.
Click to expand...

100% agreed
 
#11
#11
tennesseekilt said:
Is anyone else frustrated that we are even playing this team? It doesn't count toward being bowl-eligible (correct me if I'm wrong here). It will provide less competition than an Orange & White game. Other than an artificial stat booster, it won't do much, if anything, to help our players get experience.

Was Arky St. or Western KY not available? Why are we playing a Division II team?? Is there no alternative? At least the Western KY win last year gave us a win toward being bowl-eligible!

I can't wait for football season to start, but this first matchup is pathetic.
Click to expand...

It's not always about "us".
 
#13
#13
Good warm-up game. Help build some confidence in the team heading into the UF and Oregon games.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#14
#14
We'll look great against them and be excited for a week until reality gives us a roundhouse kick to the face over the following two weeks...
 
#15
#15
I am a recent grad from UTM but it doesn't take an alum to see that there's going to be an enormous talent gap between our first and second games of the year. It'll be good for our new kids to see the game in full speed, and like grace2u said, better to keep it in the family. I don't think they'll do this again for a long time though.
 
#16
#16
I'm sure this is how Michigan fans felt a few years ago when they played Appalacian state, that is untill they got there butts handed to them. Being a young team we need to take this game serious and use it as a tool to build on for the rest of the year.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#18
#18
I can't imagine that UT-Martin will be any worse than Western Kentucky was. Western Kentucky should go back to the FCS, where it belongs. Based on what I saw last fall, I'm not even sure they belong back there.

UT-M will be the first 1-AA/FCS team to play Tennessee since The Citadel in 1983. As I recall, that game was also a replacement for a 1-A opponent that cancelled on us. The Citadel was probably the worst team to come to Knoxville until WKU last year.

If we're going to play a horrible team, I'd just as soon they give the money to UT-Martin as opposed to giving it to Western Kentucky.

jortfreeTN said:
I'm sure this is how Michigan fans felt a few years ago when they played Appalacian state, that is untill they got there butts handed to them. Being a young team we need to take this game serious and use it as a tool to build on for the rest of the year.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...
Appalachian State is way, way above UT-M. If Michigan didn't take Appalachian seriously, then they got exactly what they had coming to them. That Appy team could have beaten any one of about 50 FBS teams on a typical day.

Remember when Auburn wussed out of playing Florida State and replaced them with Appalachian? They would have gotten beaten if the SEC refs hadn't saved them, and Appalachian in 1999 was nothing like what they were from 2005-07.
 
Last edited:
#19
#19
If i remember correctly,something happened to our original opener and they needed to fill the spot quickly, and with most teams having a full schedule they looked to D1aa and decided if they were going to play a team in that division, it might as well be part of the UT system. They didn't intend on this happening and i don't think they intend on it happening again for a long time.
 
#20
#20
jortfreeTN said:
I'm sure this is how Michigan fans felt a few years ago when they played Appalacian state, that is untill they got there butts handed to them. Being a young team we need to take this game serious and use it as a tool to build on for the rest of the year.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

except ASU was a 2-time defending champ of FCS (and won their 3rd in a row that year). UTM struggles to stay .500
 
#21
#21
It was basically floated around that UTM was selected based on budget considerations for both schools. They are reportedly taking less money than most D1 schools would take, that is just a rumor I heard when this game was announced. With 12 game schedules, last minute fill-in games for D1 opponents will get harder. Sometimes, you gotta take the best you can get, maybe we should have scheduled UT-Chatty instead so BJ could return:eek:lol:
 
#22
#22
tennesseekilt said:
Is anyone else frustrated that we are even playing this team? It doesn't count toward being bowl-eligible (correct me if I'm wrong here). It will provide less competition than an Orange & White game. Other than an artificial stat booster, it won't do much, if anything, to help our players get experience.

Was Arky St. or Western KY not available? Why are we playing a Division II team?? Is there no alternative? At least the Western KY win last year gave us a win toward being bowl-eligible!

I can't wait for football season to start, but this first matchup is pathetic.
Click to expand...

No. I personally think it is about time that UT joined everyone else in doing this. UF, UGA, Bama, LSU, Aub, USC, etc ALL play FCS schools almost every year.

It does a couple of things. It helps you stay healthier by giving your 1st string a game off. It also helps you get some game experience for your young players.

As someone mentioned I believe, you can count one FCS win every year.
 
#24
#24
Florida has played these sorry teams for years. Central, southwest, northeast, south southwest florida. Look where they are now. Maybe our scheduling has been too tough.
 
#25
#25
Every other team in the SEC does this as well. We're also playing Oregon, so that helps to balance things out. In a year where wins are likely going to be few and far between, a sure win to open the season is a good thing in my eyes.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top