Biggest game since...?

[Creek Walker]

I'm having a Facebook debate with someone over where Saturday's game vs. UF ranks in terms of importance. I saw it's the most important UT game in 7 seasons. They say it isn't even the biggest game this season. Here's my thinking on where this ranks since the 2007 SECCG.

2008 - Season was doomed from the start. After losing 2 of 3 to start the season (including a blowout vs. UF) no one had much hope for the rest of the season.
2009 - The UGA and USCe wins were great, but the program wasn't beaten down to the point it is now. I daresay all of us on this forum at least halfway expected to win those.
2010 - LSU was a big game, but Tennessee wasn't given a great chance of winning. No one expected Tennessee to hang with any of the other big name teams on the schedule, either.
2011 - No one expected Tennessee to hang with the big teams on the schedule.
2012 - The UF game was huge. It was a chance for Dooley to prove the program had turned a corner. Given the fact that we were in the Top 25 and Gameday was in town, I put it on par with this year's game. But, even then, many had convinced themselves that Dooley wasn't the man for the job.
2013 - No one expected Tennessee to hang with the big teams...the win over USCe was a nice surprise.

I said before the start of the season that the two biggest games on the schedule were Utah State and Florida...Utah State because an upset win by the Aggies would say things about this program/staff that none of us would want to admit and make a bowl game a near impossibility, and Florida because an upset win by the Vols would prove what many of us already think about the program/staff and serve as a catalyst for UT's return to big-boy football in the SEC. Now that it's here, I still think it's easily the biggest game of the season, and I can't remember the last time there was a feeling like this one surrounding a single game (not even the '12 game vs. UF). Look at the list of visitors (recruits, football alumni, etc.) who are scheduled to be at Saturday's game and that says plenty. Nosebleed seats are going for a minimum of $170 on StubHub. Me, personally, I can't remember the last time I was this jacked about a football game. Probably I'd have to go back a long time to when football was a lot more important in my life than it is now.

What say you?

[PirateVOL]

I'm having a Facebook debate with someone over where Saturday's game vs. UF ranks in terms of importance. I saw it's the most important UT game in 7 seasons. They say it isn't even the biggest game this season. Here's my thinking on where this ranks since the 2007 SECCG.

2008 - Season was doomed from the start. After losing 2 of 3 to start the season (including a blowout vs. UF) no one had much hope for the rest of the season.
2009 - The UGA and USCe wins were great, but the program wasn't beaten down to the point it is now. I daresay all of us on this forum at least halfway expected to win those.
2010 - LSU was a big game, but Tennessee wasn't given a great chance of winning. No one expected Tennessee to hang with any of the other big name teams on the schedule, either.
2011 - No one expected Tennessee to hang with the big teams on the schedule.
2012 - The UF game was huge. It was a chance for Dooley to prove the program had turned a corner. Given the fact that we were in the Top 25 and Gameday was in town, I put it on par with this year's game. But, even then, many had convinced themselves that Dooley wasn't the man for the job.
2013 - No one expected Tennessee to hang with the big teams...the win over USCe was a nice surprise.

I said before the start of the season that the two biggest games on the schedule were Utah State and Florida...Utah State because an upset win by the Aggies would say things about this program/staff that none of us would want to admit and make a bowl game a near impossibility, and Florida because an upset win by the Vols would prove what many of us already think about the program/staff and serve as a catalyst for UT's return to big-boy football in the SEC. Now that it's here, I still think it's easily the biggest game of the season, and I can't remember the last time there was a feeling like this one surrounding a single game (not even the '12 game vs. UF). Look at the list of visitors (recruits, football alumni, etc.) who are scheduled to be at Saturday's game and that says plenty. Nosebleed seats are going for a minimum of $170 on StubHub. Me, personally, I can't remember the last time I was this jacked about a football game. Probably I'd have to go back a long time to when football was a lot more important in my life than it is now.

What say you?

I go back to Brent's column yesterday and my subsequent comment.  This IS a big game.  For the first time in a long time I expect to win against a non bottom feeder SEC team.  In my mind possibly the biggest since the 4 OT game against KY to get to the SECC

[VinnieVOL]

Probably I'd have to go back a long time to when football was a lot more important in my life than it is now.

This.  I'd have to go back to when losing ruined my following week.  I can't remember a specific game that I was this pumped about, either.  And it's a combination of a lot of things.  Our program is riding a wave of momentum for those who follow recruiting and all that.  Butch is a STAR in recruiting circles, and so is the staff.  Surely, there's been a lot of losing over the past decade and losing to Florida has sometimes even been a foregone conclusion.  And even I compared this game to 2012 but the more I think about it, I know it's different.  That team had no substance, and no heart.  That's not debatable with this team.

We (well, most of us) know what the Florida game represents, psychologically.  I don't care if this game is a peripheral game to the country.  This has been the hurdle during the modern era of TN football.  I feel like a win will be the most cleansing thing I can imagine for the program.

The stage is certainly set.  Perfect fall weather, hundreds of VFLs, hundreds of recruits.  This could be the game we all point to that really makes all of our wishful thinking about the program become a reality.

If others don't feel that way and it's just another SEC game to them, fine.  I couldn't care less.  But if you're not extra amped for this game, I would say to you I'm glad you found your way out of your 20 year exile because I don't know where you've been the past two decades.

[HerbTarlekVol]

This.  I'd have to go back to when losing ruined my following week.  I can't remember a specific game that I was this pumped about, either.  And it's a combination of a lot of things.  Our program is riding a wave of momentum for those who follow recruiting and all that.  Butch is a STAR in recruiting circles, and so is the staff.  Surely, there's been a lot of losing over the past decade and losing to Florida has sometimes even been a foregone conclusion.  And even I compared this game to 2012 but the more I think about it, I know it's different.  That team had no substance, and no heart.  That's no debatable with this team.

We (well, most of us) know what the Florida game represents, psychologically.  I don't care if this game is a peripheral game to the country.  This has been the hurdle during the modern era of TN football.  I feel like a win will be the most cleansing thing I can imagine for the program.

The stage is certainly set.  Perfect fall weather, hundreds of VFLs, hundreds of recruits.  This could be the game we all point to that really makes all of our wishful thinking about the program become a reality.

If others don't feel that way and it's just another SEC game, fine.  I couldn't care less.  But if you're not extra amped for this game, I would say to you I'm glad you found your way out of your 20 year exile because I don't know where you've been the past two decades.

You get it, Vinnie.  In the end football is still just a game.  We love it, we are passionate about it, but it is still just a game.

That said, I can honestly say that for the first time in a long, long time I am confident that UT has a chance to actually beat the slimy Crocs and if they don't I won't be happy. 

[TheRealOrange]

...last week.   

[murfvol]

Murfvol is wildly pumping the brakes, remembering how fired up he was in 2012. Admittedly, that team was under different (no?) leadership. I expect us to win, but I don't want to be so high, I'm horribly depressed by a loss. I think we're on the right path regardless of the outcome, but I fear a catastrophic meltdown if the outcome is not favorable. For that matter, I'm not sure how the masses would take a 1 point win.

As a friend says, "life is about managing expectations."

[LouisVOL]

1.  It's Florida
2.  The team needs a win to validate momentum.
3.  The coaches need a win to validate momentum.
4.  Vols fans need a win to validate momentum and peek at the sunlight.
5.  IT'S FLORIDA.

[BanditVol]

Biggest game of the season .... no question.  Biggest since???? is harder to answer.  In the buildup I had higher expectations for Florida 2008....they just got horribly wrong.  There might be a handful of games that I thought were big....heck I thought there was a lot on the line for vandy last year.

But in terms of being a big game and optimistic...Biggest since 2008 no question.

[BanditVol]

As for the psychological aspect I deliberately don't give Florida special status anymore.  That whole thing was created in the peyton years and it was relevant then. I think vol fans almost have an inferiority complex with Florida and we should not.

I do think it's a big rivalry game second only to bammer and completely agree that a win will cleanse some bad mojo...but I am tired of Tennessee fans saying "we seem to lose to Florida no matter what".

That kind of thinking should be squashed.

[Black Diamond Vol]

As for the psychological aspect I deliberately don't give Florida special status anymore.  That whole thing was created in the peyton years and it was relevant then. I think vol fans almost have an inferiority complex with Florida and we should not.

I do think it's a big rivalry game second only to bammer and completely agree that a win will cleanse some bad mojo...but I am tired of Tennessee fans saying "we seem to lose to Florida no matter what".

That kind of thinking should be squashed.

Yeah.  I think in the 90's they were "in our heads".  But with this current 9 game streak, it's not a mental thing.  They've just had the better team, every single year.  Maybe we didn't think so in the days leading up to a couple of those games, but the rest of the season bore it out.  And maybe we're wrong to think we're better this time- but I doubt it.

[Black Diamond Vol]

Yeah.  I think in the 90's they were "in our heads".  But with this current 9 game streak, it's not a mental thing.  They've just had the better team, every single year.  Maybe we didn't think so in the days leading up to a couple of those games, but the rest of the season bore it out.  And maybe we're wrong to think we're better this time- but I doubt it.

And before anyone brings up last year, two points:

1. Most of UF's injuries happened during and after our game.  The team that we played was far stronger than the one that lost to Georgia Southern.

2. The Peterman experiment.  It was by far Butch's biggest misstep at UT so far.  Who knows how that game turns out if Worley starts?  I daresay that last year's team wouldn't have beaten a single FBS opponent with Peterman under center- let alone UF in Gainesville.

[crockettman]

This is the first Fla game not played in September since 2001 because of the terror attacks and we all know how that game turned out..I always said that I wished we played them a lil later in the season..Well here it is! Is still UF and we are still UT..Muschamp's job may have one foot in the grave by the end of the day today.. Go Vols! Vols win 27-23  

[volsboy]

The way this season is going it's hard to tell. This could be a team we are supposed to beat this year. We'll see how the season plays out. Just don't know what to think about UF's overtime game with UK. Is UF that bad or is UK lights out improved. Who knows? UF's win over UK could be considered an upset after the season plays out.