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Comparing the 2001 schedule to 2016
Posted on 4/11/16 at 12:46 pm
Posted on 4/11/16 at 12:46 pm
Lots of parallels between these 2 years. Young, hungry first year HCs in Athens that came as decorated coordinators from another power school used to winning titles. Pretty much brand new staff. Uncertainty at QB. We can break down comparisons position for position later if yall want but here I wanted to look at the schedules. Obviously we dont' know how each team in '16 will be bc it hasn't happened yet but I'll take a reasonable guess. This is just guesswork in comparing but figured I'd give it a shot.
EAST
Florida- 2001. That team was incredibly good and finished ranked in the top 10. They are likely head and shoulders better than 2016 UF.
Tennessee- 2001. Team was 30 minutes away from playing for a national title. 2016 should be pretty good but not like 01 was. Also get them at home compared to knoxville.
SC- Hard to tell but I'd give the nod to 01. That team finished 9-3 and ranked 13th. This team is probably more talented (just due to better recruiting) but has a new staff and question marks at QB as well. We play in columbia this year, but SC in 01 was our first SEC game early in the year so we really didn't have a lot of time to find our legs.
UK- 2016. They went 2-9 in 2001 and we got them at home. Thy aren't world beaters but should be tougher in 16 in lex than they were here in 01.
Vandy- Who knows. They went 2-9 in 2001 and we played in nashville, this year in athens. They're probably better this year than 01 but it's still vandy.
WEST
Ole Miss- 2016. They went 7-4 in 2001 and we beat them pretty good in oxford. This year's version is also in oxford but this team looks to be quite a few notches better than 2001.
Auburn- Who knows. Both games at home. 2001 went 7-5 while this year's team could probably go anywhere from 6-6 to 9-3. Call this a tossup.
tech
2001. That team went 8-5 and finished ranked and we played in atlanta. This year's game is at home and has a lesser team coached by CPJ, but the wildcard here will be our staff's first test against CPJ and that offense. A handful had to coach against GSU while at bama so that should help some. Overall I'd give the nod to 01's game being tougher.
So of the 8 teams we play this year that we also played in 01, I'd guess that 4 were noticeably tougher in 01, 3 tougher this year, and 1 tossup.
I'd say our roster top to bottom is more stocked now than it was heading into 01, so that bodes well I'd think.
EAST
Florida- 2001. That team was incredibly good and finished ranked in the top 10. They are likely head and shoulders better than 2016 UF.
Tennessee- 2001. Team was 30 minutes away from playing for a national title. 2016 should be pretty good but not like 01 was. Also get them at home compared to knoxville.
SC- Hard to tell but I'd give the nod to 01. That team finished 9-3 and ranked 13th. This team is probably more talented (just due to better recruiting) but has a new staff and question marks at QB as well. We play in columbia this year, but SC in 01 was our first SEC game early in the year so we really didn't have a lot of time to find our legs.
UK- 2016. They went 2-9 in 2001 and we got them at home. Thy aren't world beaters but should be tougher in 16 in lex than they were here in 01.
Vandy- Who knows. They went 2-9 in 2001 and we played in nashville, this year in athens. They're probably better this year than 01 but it's still vandy.
WEST
Ole Miss- 2016. They went 7-4 in 2001 and we beat them pretty good in oxford. This year's version is also in oxford but this team looks to be quite a few notches better than 2001.
Auburn- Who knows. Both games at home. 2001 went 7-5 while this year's team could probably go anywhere from 6-6 to 9-3. Call this a tossup.
tech
2001. That team went 8-5 and finished ranked and we played in atlanta. This year's game is at home and has a lesser team coached by CPJ, but the wildcard here will be our staff's first test against CPJ and that offense. A handful had to coach against GSU while at bama so that should help some. Overall I'd give the nod to 01's game being tougher.
So of the 8 teams we play this year that we also played in 01, I'd guess that 4 were noticeably tougher in 01, 3 tougher this year, and 1 tossup.
I'd say our roster top to bottom is more stocked now than it was heading into 01, so that bodes well I'd think.
3
Posted on 4/11/16 at 1:01 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
A handful had to coach against GSU while at bama so that should help some.
Southern scored more offensive points than anyone else did against Bama that year and Bama was stacked. I think that was the only game they let someone rush for over 100 yards that year and that kid went for 150 or something. I think Kirby has improved with option offenses since then buy that game worries me.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 1:11 pm to SneakyWaff1es
Just looked, it was 2011. Game was sandwiched between a road trip to starkville and a road trip to auburn. I'm sure they didn't put a TON of prep work in compared to if the circumstances were different. This year, we have ULL at home the week prior to tech. I'm sure the coaches will be more than prepared, but it's always tough facing something like that the first time.
First time we saw it in 08 we did not handle it well. In 2010 grantham's first year we won but not til the very end and gave up over 400 yards rushing. Pruitt's first year in 14 we gave up 399 yards rushing in a loss.
First time we saw it in 08 we did not handle it well. In 2010 grantham's first year we won but not til the very end and gave up over 400 yards rushing. Pruitt's first year in 14 we gave up 399 yards rushing in a loss.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 1:14 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
say our roster top to bottom is more stocked now than it was heading into 01, so that bodes well I'd think.
Not so sure bout that.Our '01 team was loaded with future NFL talent:Charles Grant,Witherspoon,Jermain Phillips,Tim Wansley,Jon Sullivan,Pollack,Tony Gilbert,
Boss Bailey,Robert Geathers,J Stinchcomg,McMichael,R Brown,Musa,David Green,Sean Jones,George Foster and probably missing a couple.
I'd say we might be younger and we do have close to a full roster but there's a differnce in the front line talent.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 1:16 pm to RD Dawg
quote:
Our '01 team was loaded with future NFL talent
true, but this one is too.
Also many of the names you mentioned didn't bloom until after the 01 season so it wasn't really relevant to that season. Pollack is a prime example, he was a converted FB turned seldom used DT in 01.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 1:26 pm to WG_Dawg
True,but look at the guys that contrubited... a bunch of talent.Grant,Wansley,Witherspoon,Tony Gilbert,
Jermain Philips,Boss,Sullivan,Fred Gibson,David Green,Jon Stichcomb and McMichael.
Terrence Edawrds was also a talented guy but don't think he made it to the NFL.
Jermain Philips,Boss,Sullivan,Fred Gibson,David Green,Jon Stichcomb and McMichael.
Terrence Edawrds was also a talented guy but don't think he made it to the NFL.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:34 pm to WG_Dawg
You can make a case that in 2001, Tennessee and Florida both had their best teams in school history. Those two were just loaded that year. Maybe UF was better in 2008, and maybe Tennessee was in 1998, but those two teams were better than anyone we'll see this year by a mile.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 3:56 pm to VADawg
Yep,UT had 3 guys taken in the top 15 of the draft and had 10 total drafted I believe.
Probably would have given that Miami team a pretty good game...better than Nebraska
Probably would have given that Miami team a pretty good game...better than Nebraska
Posted on 4/11/16 at 5:08 pm to RD Dawg
quote:
Our '01 team was loaded with future NFL talent
Yours truly was on that team as well. Played with CC, T Ed and Freddy G at WR. Certainly was a fun team.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 5:42 pm to RD Dawg
quote:
Probably would have given that Miami team a pretty good game...better than Nebraska
Tenn and Florida probably could have hung with a focused Miami team for just over a half that year. 2001 Miami was the best team I've ever seen. The talent level on that roster was staggering. That Rose Bowl against Nebraska was over in about 8 minutes.
2001 Tennessee was the best team Richt ever beat.
ETA: 2001 Miami had 17 eventual first round draft picks on their roster. Jesus Christ.
This post was edited on 4/11/16 at 5:46 pm
Posted on 4/11/16 at 5:49 pm to VADawg
quote:
2001 Tennessee was the best team Richt ever beat.
that's actually a really good topic that could use its own thread. They probably would get the nod though if I had to guess.
Downfalls on that team's resume include a loss at home to an 8-4 UGA with a new coach and FR quarterback, and a loss to LSU with a backup QB in the biggest game of the year. Top to bottom, that team was stacked, but they sure lost 2 head scratchers that season that they probably shouldnt' have lost.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 5:52 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
that's actually a really good topic that could use its own thread. They probably would get the nod though if I had to guess
2001 Tennessee, 2005 LSU, 2012 Florida would probably be the top 3. I'm sure I'm missing one somewhere (2006 Auburn had a good record but I never really considered them in the same level as those three).
2001 Tennessee/Florida was arguably the best game in SEC history from start to finish considering they were probably the second and third best teams in the country, how well played it was from start to finish, and the ending. Those were two ridiculously loaded teams.
This post was edited on 4/11/16 at 5:54 pm
Posted on 4/11/16 at 5:58 pm to VADawg
Yeah I considered 06 AU as well. We may not remember them as being good becuase we had our way with them but they got as high as #2 that season, ended up beating a #2 ranked and eventual national champ florida, and if they had beaten us it's possible that they're playing for a NC berth against UF in the SECCG.
But yeah the others you mentioned are up there. 2004 LSU was pretty good, aside from the beatdown we administered their 2 other losses that year were by 1 to national champ auburn and by 5 in the bowl game on a freak hail mary. 09 Tech would have made a case if not for their collapse down the stretch.
they don't belong at the top of the list, but I think 02 alabama is pretty underrated, maybe due to their postseason ban. Their 3 losses were to us by 2, @#2 Oklahoma by 10, and by 10 to auburn. 14 Clemson was solid other than us beating them down, other losses were in OT to #1 FSU and a head scratcher to tech.
But yeah the others you mentioned are up there. 2004 LSU was pretty good, aside from the beatdown we administered their 2 other losses that year were by 1 to national champ auburn and by 5 in the bowl game on a freak hail mary. 09 Tech would have made a case if not for their collapse down the stretch.
they don't belong at the top of the list, but I think 02 alabama is pretty underrated, maybe due to their postseason ban. Their 3 losses were to us by 2, @#2 Oklahoma by 10, and by 10 to auburn. 14 Clemson was solid other than us beating them down, other losses were in OT to #1 FSU and a head scratcher to tech.
This post was edited on 4/11/16 at 6:00 pm
Posted on 4/11/16 at 6:05 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
they don't belong at the top of the list, but I think 02 alabama is pretty underrated, maybe due to their postseason ban
That was a very good team. If they weren't banned, they would have been really tough to beat again in Atlanta.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 6:07 pm to VADawg
yeah people look over the fact we would have played them again in atlanta if not for their ban. Would have been MUCH tougher test than a mediocre arkansas. With that said, the way we started playing beginning halftime of the Auburn game on through the end of the year...I don't think it would have mattered who we played. We weren't losing that day.
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