UT Bowl expectaions

by Volorado on Oct 19, 2006 3:13 PM EDT

I thought of this earlier today and wondered, could UT play in the national championship game like Nebraska in 2001 against Miami? Nebraska lost once, didn't play in the Big 12 champioship because they lost to Colorado. But then CU lost the Big 12 championship, Tennessee lost to LSU in the SEC championship, and no one from the ACC or Pac-10 had a case. I can totally see this happening again only because the BCS is so messed up. Your thoughts...

Poll

What Bowl will Tennessee play in?

National Championship

4 votes

BCS At-Large Birth

36 votes

Capital One

20 votes

Cotton

11 votes

Other

21 votes

92 votes | Poll has closed

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There are to many teams

hovering at 0 or 1 losses for UT to get in the title game. It would have to be a perfect storm. UT's remaining schedule really isn't that tough considering Bama will end up with at least 4 losses (and I am a Bama fan), LSU will have at least 2 losses, as will Arkansas. I think it will be the winner of Ohio St. vs. Michigan and the winner of USC vs. Cal as much as I hate to say that.

Got 12? Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Oct 19, 2006 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

It COULD happen this way

CAL could and probably will win out and face the OSU/MICHIGAN loser in the ROSE bowl

ARKANSAS loses to TENNESSEE but still wins the SEC West and beats UF in the SEC Championship Game and goes to the SUGAR BOWL

FLORIDA gets the Florida Bowl preference and goes to the CAPITOL ONE (Citrus) to face WISCONSIN

AUBURN gets a BCS at large bid going to the ORANGE to face CLEMSON

LSU gets the COTTON vs TEXAS A&M or NEBRASKA

ONE LOSS TENNESSEE goes to the OUTBACK to face IOWA

the OSU/MICHIGAN winner faces WVU or TEXAS in the NC game

ND faces ARKANSAS or FLORIDA in the SUGAR
IF FLORIDA beats ARKANSAS in the SEC Championship theres a chance TENNESSEE gets the Capitol One bid but it's a small chance since the deal for the SEC Championship loser to go may be made in advance.

USC faces BOISE STATE in the FIESTA

so a ONE LOSS TENNESSEE gets a 4 tier bowl while CALIFORNIA (ranked higher by the BullCS computers gets the ROSE BOWL.

Tennessee gets beat by IOWA in the OUTBACK because of the letdown from a one loss by one point season being "rewarded" by a 4th tier bowl game

AUBURN in the ORANGE
FLORIDA or
ARKANSAS in the Sugar and Capitol One
TENNESSE 4th best bowl in the SEC

There's a chance that AUBURN or FLORIDA could make the NC game based on the BullCS rankings
they both have better chances at BullCS games then TENNESSEE even if TENNESSEE wins out
The computers are mainly to blame for this problem

by BullCS on Oct 24, 2006 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Or it can happen like this...

Tennessee wins out (11-1).

Florida loses to UGA, then wins rest of games (10-2). Tennessee wins East.

Arkansas loses to Tennessee, but wins the rest and wins West.

Tennessee wins SEC Champ.

Louisville loses to Rutgers, but beats WVU.

Texas loses to A&M, or the Big 12 Champ.

USC loses to Cal, who wins out.

The cake teams we played (Marshall, Memphis) actually win some games.

Air Force, at home, upsets ND.

Tennessee plays OSU/Mich. winner in Glendale.

I know it's a stretch, but it could happen, let's just pray it does.

***Rockytop Tennessee***

by Volorado on Oct 25, 2006 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Perfect storm?

Just wondering, Jimmy, were you aware that Fulmer referred to last season as the "perfect storm?"

You're right, of course. The NC is out of reach, even if we win out. If somebody from the SEC gets in, it will likely be the SEC Champion, and I just don't see Florida losing another game. Hoping, but not seeing.

My optimistic vote is for a BCS at-large. The Sugar?

By the way, Jimmy, I'll be bacheloring this weekend and will get to see the Titans play for once. Is Young starting this weekend?

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 19, 2006 6:10 PM EDT reply actions

The Titans

are actually on a bye this week but VY will be starting every game for the rest of the season (and his life for that matter).

I did not know that The Big Pumpkin called last season the perfect storm. I promise that was not meant to be a shot.

Got 12?

Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Oct 20, 2006 8:39 AM EDT reply actions

I didn't think it was a shot . . .

. . . but an observation. Just thought it was funny.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 20, 2006 9:01 AM EDT reply actions

Does nobody see

the Capital One, the Outback, or some other bowl?

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 20, 2006 9:02 AM EDT reply actions

Volorado...

Very interesting...I thought I actually invented the term "Volorado" four years ago when I lived in Boulder. I designed t-shirts and everything.

Just a correction...CU actually won the Big XII in 2001. They beat Texas in the champ. game, then lost to Oregon in the Fiesta.

And to say no one else had a case is wrong. Oregon had a great case to be in that BCS Championship game at the Rose Bowl. They had one loss, just like Nebraska. Silly computers.

The Outback needs to be in the poll. It is more likely than the Cotton, b/c the Outback prefers East teams, and the Cotton prefers West teams.

But I honestly see the Vols running the table, but not playing in the SECC game, making it into the BCS as an at-large, and if they win there, finishing #2 in the country.

One loss puts the Vols in the Outback in Tampa, probably against Wisconsin or Iowa. Any team that loses the SEC Champ. game will not get a BCS at-large bid, because 1) it's never happened, and 2) that team will have at least two losses, which will not be good enough for any at-large besides Notre Dame. The loser of the SEC champ. game will probably head to the Cap One Bowl, unless that team has 3 losses, in which case a 2-loss UT will make it to Orlando. Add in the fact that Auburn played in Orlando last year, and they might be a less attractive choice for the Cap One, assuming they're in position for that bid.

But I'm honestly thinking 11-1 and a BCS at-large. What a turnaround.

If Tennessee ever needs a bump in the polls at the end of the season, we'll never get it unless someone else loses, because no pollster will ever give the Vols credit for beating Vandy and Kentucky. This is also why it is unlikely a UT player will ever win the Heisman. Great numbers against those teams don't count.

by spiritofthehill on Oct 20, 2006 9:53 AM EDT reply actions

I agree with downthefield...

...11-1 and a BCS bowl look very doable right now. Although another loss is completely possible, Tennessee tends to find a way to break your heart like that.

I actually thought of this scenario before the UF/AU game: Tennessee's best chance at the national championship might have been for Florida to keep winning, but then lose to a 2-loss team in the SECCG. UT might have jumped the gators as the best 1-loss team (assuming a 1-loss team makes it to the BCS championship).

But all that puts too much emphasis on what other teams are doing, I'd rather concentrate on seeing the Vols continue this run they're on right now.

Go Vols!

by CornFromAJar on Oct 20, 2006 3:57 PM EDT reply actions

Absolutely . . .

. . . must keep winning first.

But that's one of the great things about college football. If the Vols are doing fairly well, then at this time of year, I really start to get more interested in the games for the teams ahead of the Vols in the polls.

Go Vols, and all of the opponents of 1-10!

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 20, 2006 4:42 PM EDT reply actions

hopeful..

This Tennessee team has the look and feel of the 98 team and I can't help but think that we're about to pull another magical season.

I like Volorado's stretch predictions, mainly because it's really close to mine. Here's what I think(hope) happens to the teams ahead of us.

Gators lose to UGA
Arkansas loses to UT and LSU
Auburn wins SEC West
UT just has to win out (big?), especially against Gamecocks, Hogs, LSU and Auburn in the SEC Championship
OSU/Michigan winner will probably in the NC
USC loses to Cal, ND loses to either USC or AirForce (coz they can't stop the run) and we should go ahead of Cal based on Strength of Sched.
Rutgers, WVU, Lousville kill each other in a threesome
Longhorns still got TexasTech, A&M rivalry game and Big12 Championship

I'm ready with my checkmarks to clear the list above.

What do you think?

by houstonvol on Oct 26, 2006 10:38 AM EDT reply actions

cfn.scout.com

In their latest Bowl Projections (also on foxsports.com) they have UT playing OU in the Cotton Bowl. Now, I know I got corrected a lot for putting the Cotton Bowl in the poll I posted rather than Outback, but after seeing UT in the Cotton Bowl 2 years ago (UT crushed TAMU and thus started the Rick Clausen/Erik Ainge QB controversy), I think a UT-OU game would be great, especially since my dad is a die hard Sooner fan. Needless to say, I am very excited about this possibility as I know my dad and I would make a road trip to Dallas for that game.

***Rockytop Tennessee***

by Volorado on Nov 7, 2006 12:05 PM EST reply actions