Vol Villains Quarterfinals: Danny Wuerffel vs. Charles Woodson
Round One: Wuerffel def. Tebow 58-42%; Woodson def. Greene 76-24%
For Vol fans, the 1996 and 1997 Heisman Trophy winners are the two most villainous players in the modern era. Though they hurt the Vols in two very different ways, Peyton Manning is the common link: Wuerffel was the only quarterback to outplay Manning head-to-head, and did it twice in 1995 and 1996. Then Woodson took the highest individual honor that rightly belonged to our hero in 1997...in part because the media and the voters got bored with the clean cut QB from the SEC storyline after Wuerffel.
Some percentage of the angst with Wuerffel gets deflected back on Spurrier. Some percentage of the angst with Woodson gets deflected back on ESPN. And though Woodson never played against the Vols, his longevity in the NFL - especially in comparison to Wuerffel - has helped keep him fresh in our minds. So does the second weekend of every December.
I'm not sure which one was worse: Woodson's brash demeanor, suitable for a player trying to overcompensate for his inability to affect the outcome of a football game the way the leading passer in SEC history could...or Wuerffel's quiet way, turning to the heavens in prayer with every touchdown pass and making me wonder if we could possibly be serving different gods.
Wuerffel was so good against the Vols he forced you to respect him even if you didn't want to. And because Woodson never got the opportunity to actually go against the Vols, it remains nearly impossible for Tennessee fans to respect him. Which one makes the better villain?
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That's weird
I didn’t even notice – definitely wasn’t intentional
by Will Shelton on May 24, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
I didn't realize that, either
Sorry about that.
by Joel Hollingsworth on May 24, 2011 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Woodson is on a roll
like a fat kid going down a hill
Formerly 'snail. You get used to it after a while.
Seriously?
a player trying to overcompensate for his inability to affect the outcome of a football game the way the leading passer in SEC history could.</em.
Yeah, that’s right….Woodson actually dominated in UM’s biggest games, while Manning never could quite get it done against Florida.
"Dominated?"
Really?
Official MCM Hater!
A picture of Jake Locker in a Titan jersey?
"My iPod background now. Replaced the girlfriend. She won't be mad."
A CB/punt returner cannot dominate anything
Manning threw for 353 and 3 TDs against Florida. Not his fault the Vols gave up 43.3 per game against the Gators during his time here.
by Will Shelton on May 25, 2011 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
also, on the subject of big games
what about the 1995 Alabama game? He also won an SEC title and beat a top five Ohio State team.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 25, 2011 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Is there a bracket anywhere?
Official MCM Hater!
A picture of Jake Locker in a Titan jersey?
"My iPod background now. Replaced the girlfriend. She won't be mad."
Sure!....you'll just have to draw the lines yourself...
Spurrier/Miles
Meyer/Saban
Wuerffel/Tebow
Woodson/Greene
Calipari/Pitino
Auriemma/Stallings
Orgeron/Clawson
Kiffin/Taurasi
by Will Shelton on May 25, 2011 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions
final four has to be
Spurrier/Woodson
Auriemma/Kiffin
Not bad. All worthy choices.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 25, 2011 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Spurrier is a clear favorite in his matchup
The Auriemma/Kiffin will be very interesting.
BTW, was there seeding in this tournament?
sort of
we grouped them into regions – coaches, players, basketball, ex-coaches (plus Taurasi) – and did seed them from there. And we considered Spurrier and Kiffin the top two seeds, so we separated those two in the top and bottom.
by Will Shelton on May 25, 2011 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions

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