Well, the regular season has come to a close for my beloved Volunteers. Needless to say, it was a tough one, but we knew it would be as soon as That Last Guy ditched in the middle of the night (and worse, at the end of recruiting season). Aside from a highly entertaining year, he also provided us with a few good memories, and hey, we’re going bowling! Anyway, looking back at my UT fandom, I’ve decided to write out my favorite memories.
The Qualifications
- Memory must be after I started at UT: I love Peyton Manning as much, if not more, than the next guy, and the 1998 National Championship season was an awesome ride, but my love really begins when I enrolled at UT in 2001.
- Athletic competition: Obviously. I’m not going to bore you with details of how cool my History of Rock class was, or how awesome it was to study dinosaurs for a semester. At least not on this list.
The List
- LSU at Tennessee, 2001: This was my freshman year of college. I had been living at the dorms for less than three weeks when some crazy bastards decided it would be a good idea to hijack planes and fly them into buildings in New York and Washington D.C. The next game, Florida, was postponed to the end of the regular season. Football would not return for nearly two weeks, and when it did, we had two undefeated, Top 15 teams facing off for a night game at Neyland Stadium. The atmosphere was electric, and more than one person in the stands had tears in their eyes after the “Star Spangled Banner.” In addition, it was a tense, hard fought game, with UT ultimate prevailing. LSU would get the best of us later in the season, costing us our last real shot at a national title under Fulmer, and of course, costing us the first of two SEC championships. However, no one can take away that night, it was something else.
- Bruce Ball Arrives, 2005: There was really no specific game to point to here. When he was first hired, I remember thinking, “Great, another coach from a mid-major school,” and boy was I proven wrong. In the fall of 2005, the Vols football team went into the season ranked #3 in the nation, and ended it by completing their first losing season in 17 years. Over winter break, the Vols won on the road, at #7 Texas, which turned some heads, but many of us just saw it as a bit of an anomaly. However, this team just kept winning games, taking the same 5 starters that went 5-11 in conference to a 12-4 record, with two wins over eventual National Champions, Florida. In his first five seasons, Pearl has taken UT to three Sweet 16 appearances, and the school’s first Elite 8 appearance last year. You can say whatever you want to about him as a person, but the man can coach.
- Beating Florida, 2001: As previously mentioned, the Florida game, normally scheduled for middle September was postponed to the end of the season. Vol fans had bemoaned for years that this game was far too early in our schedule (as Fulmer’s best work usually happened at the end of the season, though this could be as a result of drawing Vandy and Kentucky to end the season), and here was our chance to prove it. Both teams were ranked in the Top 4, and the dorms were going NUTS with every big hit and every big play. We won in Gainesville for the first time in nearly 30 years, and secured a trip to the SEC Championship Game the next week.
- Outback Bowl, 2008: I love bowl games. Unfortunately, my post season record as a fan (when I was in attendance) was 0-4. This game had heightened circumstances, seeing as a significant portion of my family, both parents included, had attended The University of Wisconsin, our opponent. As a birthday present, my dad bought tickets for my friend and I to go. As his own practical joke, he must have thought it funny to get tickets in the middle of the UW section. All the same, me and my buddy Rhett cheered and sang “Rocky Top” as loudly as possible. We won, and I had the family bragging rights.
- 6-6, 2010: I always hate it when a list puts a recent event really high. Well, I guess sometimes I have to make an exception. Last weekend, Tennessee continued their 26-game winning streak over Kentucky to become bowl eligible. This is a small miracle considering we were 2-6 a month ago. Now I can officially say that I’m looking forward to seeing what Coach Dooley can do. Our freshman QB, Tyler Bray, has blown us away with his ability, and I think this team could be a threat to compete for the SEC in a couple of years. It’s nice to be trending up!