I had been thinking all week about how, if Fulmer had only won one of the two SEC championship games, he'd probably still be our coach (or about to be fired/coaxed into retirement now instead of a few years back). The first of course, was in 2001, where a win would've put us in the national championship game. The second in 2007, a year before he was fired. More than likely he survives 2008 if we had been defending SEC champs. Just now I was reading a recap of the Dooley era on RockyTopTalk, and got to the part on the LSU game in 2010. If Dooley had won THAT game, Tennessee probably doesn't lay an egg the next week at Georgia, and might go on to an 8-5 or 9-4 season. Maybe the Vols build on that in 2011, maybe not, but such a season probably would've bought him another year. I guess the moral of the story is, you HAVE to beat LSU. Funny how they're not even huge rivals yet they've had a HUGE impact on our program.
I can't see any way we'd have beaten UGA in 2010. They played like crap against them in 2011, too. They were just a lot better.
Just looked it up. Georgia finished that season 6-7 themselves, and were on a four game losing streak when they whipped us.
I my have been late to the party, but the Georgia game in 2011 was the game that convinced me Dooley sucked ass.
I was in the same boat. I had my doubts prior, but was willing to give him a chance. I'd had enough after that garbage.
It's really amazing how many coaches "almost" did something. On the other end, you guys did have a little bit of luck in 98.
On the flip side there's Gene Chizik, an unproven coach who DID win the close ones in 2010 (that Auburn team edged Miss St, Clemson, Carolina, Kentucky, LSU, Bama, and Oregon), won the big prize, and even it didn't help him. Sometimes it's more than just W's and L's. Most everyone knew that Chizik caught lightning in a bottle with the Malzahn hire and the Cam, ummm... "acquisition". Dooley's own incompetence was so glaring this season that I'm not sure an extra win or two from 2010 (LSU and/or UNC, maybe) could have staved off his dismissal this season.
That's true, but it was earned. The program won 10 games or more 9 times in 16 years and never won less than 8. They finished in the top 5 four times, in the top 10 eight times, and the top 15 13 times. They kept putting championship contenders on the field and eventually, the breaks went the right way. I don't think that's really the moral, although it is an interesting write-up. Take a look at the historical, embarrassing losing streaks we have against Bama, and Florida, and Auburn. LSU has had a good program recently, and they have beaten us in some key games, but every good program has been beating us in key games. The moral of the story is that if you play good football and win, you don't really have to look for the straw that broke the camel's back.
Fair enough. Certainly if any of the previous coaches had owned Bama and Florida over that stretch they'd probably still be here. Just struck me as odd how often LSU games could've been the turning point in the program's last ten years or so.
