2001 Tennessee 34 Florida 32 (Vols Drain the Swamp)

Yeah, looking back, if Kelley Washington doesn't have the game of the century against LSU a month or so before Travis Stephens has the game of the century against Florida, that stacked 2001 team goes 9-4.

Scratch that, 9-3 because we never get to the SEC Championship. I guess if you read the tea leaves the 2002 season shouldn't have been that surprising.

 

Randy Sanders, 3rd and Chavis, and lazy Phil tells you all you need to know about the downfall of UT football.

 

Honestly when you look at some of the luck we had in 2004 and 2007 it's kinda hard to believe it lasted as long as it did.

 

We can "what if" the '98 team into the Citrus Bowl and "what if" some of our worst teams into the SEC championship.

 

The 2005 team in particular can be what iffed into pretty much every game on the schedule just with "if only we had avoided [insert interception or special teams gaffe]." Maybe still lost to Georgia, but that's it.

 

True, but the issues with that team had been around for awhile. Special teams hadn't been super in a good while. Ainge wasn't consistent in 2004 and was awful the entire preseason. We knew Rick Clausen had severe arm limitations. It's like we just magically expected our special teams to be ok and for Ainge to suddenly "get it".

Anyway, what I mean is that all those "ifs" weren't freak accidents or anything. They were almost inevitable - not that you necessarily implied otherwise.