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2001 #4 Tennessee vs. #2 Florida

Posted on 7/23/17 at 7:41 pm
Posted by RollTide1987
Augusta, GA
Member since Nov 2009
64885 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 7:41 pm
The peak of Volunteer football in the 2000s. In one of the greatest SEC games ever played, the Vols came into the Swamp and upset the Gators by a score of 34-32. If not for 9/11, this game more than likely doesn't end up the way it did. Instead of being played in September, the game was postponed to December 1.

After this game I think everyone thought it was a foregone conclusion that Tennessee would blow out LSU in the SEC Championship Game and go on to represent the SEC in the Rose Bowl against top-ranked Miami.

How wrong we were.

Full Game - YouTube Link

Posted by Devil_doge
DFW
Member since Sep 2016
2499 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 7:42 pm to
Excellent piece of nostalgia
Posted by nvasil1
Hellinois
Member since Oct 2009
15848 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 7:48 pm to
Great game. Travis Stephens was a monster that day.
Posted by TT9
Global warming
Member since Sep 2008
82952 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 7:48 pm to
quote:

The peak of Volunteer football in the 2000s
they'll never be back.
Posted by Prof
Member since Jun 2013
42604 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 7:49 pm to
Great game. But gotdam screw the backup QB curse. UK broke a 30 year streak by playing a fricking WR and QB.

Thank goodness it looks like we might have finally put that to bed *knocks on wood.* As for the 01 SECCG the impact is a bit overblown in terms of tDecline. It's more coincidental than causal, imo as things were starting to slide at that point (I really think CPF and Chavis thought they could coast on talent alone). No doubt we should've won it but the '01 team had a feel to it that despite the talent was quite right.
Posted by Serraneaux
South of 30a
Member since Mar 2014
19547 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 7:54 pm to
Skullfricked Florida as 17 pt dogs lol
Posted by House_of Cards
Pascagoula, MS
Member since Dec 2013
3927 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 8:21 pm to
What happened in the next game UT played?
Posted by VADawg
Wherever
Member since Nov 2011
44621 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 8:24 pm to
That was a great, great football game. There was just a shitload of talent on that field and everyone was playing at a high level.
Posted by Prof
Member since Jun 2013
42604 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 8:27 pm to
quote:

What happened in the next game UT played?



Might surprise you to learn but the UF-UT was considered the SECCG in 01 and for most of that decade. LSU's win was a shock tho. However, when you think you're attending your coronation it can go to your head.

Kelly Washington was also on that team (set records galore that year) but he marked the beginning of the end for Fulmer. Total lockerroom cancer.
Posted by SpartyGator
Detroit Lions fan
Member since Oct 2011
75313 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 8:35 pm to
Stallworth was on that team too. Loaded with talent on both teams.
Posted by Serraneaux
South of 30a
Member since Mar 2014
19547 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 8:45 pm to
oh sorry we didn't get up for lowly lswho one week after s huge win
Posted by Prof
Member since Jun 2013
42604 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 8:47 pm to
quote:

Stallworth was on that team too. Loaded with talent on both teams.



No one on tRant likes hearing it much but had playoffs been in existence back then both UT and UF would've been there constantly and met for the title. (I've said it a thousand times but early 90s we'd have both gotten our tails kicked by Nebraska but after that the it would've been absurd how often we'd have met for a rematch). If CFB fans hate the SEC now they'd have really hated us then.

As for the SECCG LSU team they had more talent than they are given credit for too. I know everyone cites the regular season UT win vs LSU but it takes some damn fine play, discipline and talent to shrug that off and win against an opponent that beat you. And Fulmer's teams were always a slow starters when it came to the season. Oh well...

LSU played one helluva game.
This post was edited on 7/23/17 at 8:51 pm
Posted by JETigER
LSU 2011 National Champions
Member since Dec 2003
7081 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 10:35 pm to
Lots of games like this are missed my other fan bases that have home games. Such as a number of LSU fans would have missed watching this game.
Posted by finchmeister08
Member since Mar 2011
35559 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 11:24 pm to
I still believe that if we had played when we were originally schedule to, we would've won.
Posted by SCLibertarian
Conway, South Carolina
Member since Aug 2013
35913 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 11:26 pm to
I didn't think UT had a shot in the Swamp, but what a game they had. As much as people dog UT on here, this conference would benefit from having a game this important in the Eastern division year in and year out like they did in the late 1990's and early 2000's.
Posted by TOSOV
Member since Jan 2016
8922 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 11:37 pm to
Facing uf as the first conf game of the season always hurt UT.

Man I remember hightailing it out of g-ville after that game. Ha. Fun times.
Posted by Oklahomey
Bucksnort, TN
Member since Mar 2013
4972 posts
Posted on 7/23/17 at 11:56 pm to
2001 was an odd year for college football as a whole, outside of Miami.

Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska were all national championship contenders late in November.

Maryland and Illinois had outside opportunities to make BCS title noise.

Tennessee and Florida were the class of the SEC, and were easily top 5 teams late in the year.

Defense as a whole was strong across the country.

Based on the BCS, if there was a 4 team playoff, it would have been:

1. Miami vs. 4. Oregon
2. Nebraska vs. 3. Colorado (again)

Based on that top 4...WOW!

Oklahoma lost final regular season game to Oklahoma State, eliminating OU from CCG with a shot at repeat BCS title berth.

Colorado throttles Nebraska then upset Texas in CCG; otherwise Texas would have played for BCS title.

Tennessee/Florida was an elimination game, and shockingly, LSU spoils the event more en route to an SEC title.

Oregon looked to be the obvious choice to play Miami for the title, oh but how effed up the BCS was that year.

2-loss Colorado was a mere .05 points behind a Nebraska team they just crushed two weeks prior. That was NU's only loss.

2-loss Colorado remained ahead of 1-loss teams in Oregon, Maryland, Illinois.

2001 is up there with 2007 as the two most chaotic BCS seasons.

Posted by boXerrumble
Member since Sep 2011
52279 posts
Posted on 7/24/17 at 12:12 am to
Lost in this game was that UF lost Earnest Graham on a dirty play the week before by Darnell Dockett in the FSU game.
This post was edited on 7/24/17 at 12:13 am
Posted by TexasTiger08
Member since Oct 2006
25503 posts
Posted on 7/24/17 at 1:35 am to
Colorado avenging a 41-7 loss to Texas was a great nightcap to the Tennessee win.

The Buffs were crushed by Texas earlier in the season, then run out to a huge lead in Texas Stadium at the Big 12 Title game. Chris Simms is benched and Major Applewhite almost leads a comeback for the ages to send UT to Pasadena.
Posted by RollTide1987
Augusta, GA
Member since Nov 2009
64885 posts
Posted on 7/24/17 at 1:55 am to
quote:

No one on tRant likes hearing it much but had playoffs been in existence back then both UT and UF would've been there constantly and met for the title.


That's because it's not exactly true. From 1995-2001, Tennessee and Florida finished with the following regular season records:

1995 - TEN: 10-1 FLA: 11-0
1996 - TEN: 9-2 FLA: 10-1
1997 - TEN: 10-1 FLA: 9-2
1998 - TEN: 11-0 FLA: 9-2
1999 - TEN: 9-2 FLA: 9-2
2000 - TEN: 8-3 FLA: 9-2
2001 - TEN: 10-1 FLA: 9-2

The only time those two teams even remotely have a chance of meeting in a college football playoff is 1995.
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