10Vol85
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According to another story I read, he also discussed renaming the divisions. Reportedly, he said "If [the divisions] are not geographic, we are not going to have geographic names." I just don't see why that would be a problem for a soon-to-be 14 team conference that calls itself the Big Ten.
One last? point: Perhaps, Wade and Thomas could share one spot (half a face to each). The collective back-to-back run of Wade and Thomas was on par with the Bryant era: 5 NCs, 81% (v. 82% for Bryant) wins in 23? (v. 25) years.
I'm a fan of history but unfortunately most fans aren't (as you can see by your number of responses). I appreciate your respect for Neyland. He is underappreciated even at Tennessee (but then most people just count total wins). Neylands record matches or exceeds Bryant's in everything except longetivity and density of championships. As you pointed out, he could've coached many more games but for his service to our country. As to the density of championships, he was coaching against the likes of McGugin, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, and Vaught. Still, in addition to having not been beaten by Bryant, he had winning records against every one of those great coaches.
I would go all the way back. I consider the SIAA as SEC v.1 and the Southern as SEC v.2. The core SEC teams dominated those conferences. The better teams SECeded from the SIAA to form the Southern and then SECeded again from the Southern to form the SEC. McGugin and Wade (if you remove the year limit) and Thomas are the other 3 that deserve mention IMO.
You'll have to hope Oklahoma St. isn't sucked into the SEC by then, lest his OSU record brings his conference percentage down ;)
Unless I misundersand your criteria, Frank Thomas should also make the first cut.
"As you know by now, the Commodores’ win in the Music City Bowl secured the program its best season since way back in 1915."
I'm not sure where this information comes from but it's way off. The 1922 Southern Conference champs were 8-0-1. I think we can safely say they had a better season. Most wins - yes. Best team - not by a long shot. 17 Vandy teams since 1915 (most in the 20 years or so immediately thereafter) have had a better winning percentage. 30 teams since then had less losses (4 teams undefeated (though 2 were in the war years), 5 with one loss, 9 with 2 losses and 12 with 3 losses).
"Already, some are saying WKU will win football games but lose its soul by hiring Petrino. (Actually, I think a few ministers out there might point out that the soul in better shape is the one that offers forgiveness to someone else’s.)"
Please understand that just because I wouldn't entrust someone with particular responsibilities because of past failures, that doesn't mean I wouldn't forgive them.
@TigerinMO Tennessee's played the same 4 as MO. FL also gets FSU. Apparently the author of that article didn't do any schedule checking.
Arkansas (3-5) with Tulsa, at S. Carolina, at Miss. State, LSU is a bowl contender yet Tennessee (3-5) with Troy, Missouri, at Vanderbilt, Kentucky is not? Extremely poor logic. They're both bowl contending. Unless there's something I'm missing, I assume they each would need to get to 6-6 to make a bowl. With those schedules, it's more likely for TN to go 3-1 or better in their remaining games than Arkansas. If you want to argue that TN could lose out in the SEC and finish in the "basement", sure they can. But your standard is stated as "what we believe each squad’s ceiling to be". I assume that means you believe it's highly unlikely they'll do better than 2-2. While I could see it happening, I certainly wouldn't consider it highly unlikely and particulary when compared to Arkansas' chances.
Yeah, but being the best of 4 is more satisfying than being the best of 2 and there'll be less squawking.
I'm not sure I get the logic of the Georgia, Florida, SC order. FL beat SC by a lot. SC beat GA by a lot. GA beat FL by a little. Seems to me that should favor Florida. Coincidentally, that's the way the computers have Florida on top despite not factoring point spread. The humans have Georgia highest.
@John at MrSEC @CowbellCruiser
I actually think people are undervaluing Ole Miss. They are still seen largely as a basement team that has risen only because of others' descendancy. I may be wrong but I think Miss will give Georgia all they want. I believe Arkansas has been playing better as of late but that was masked by an Ole Miss team that is better than they are giiven credit for by most. Time will tell.
Petrino as the cure for the worst defense in Tennessee history? Yeah, right. I don't think even his offense could keep up with the yards TN's defense is giving up.. Not to mention a little baggage. If Hart's that stupid, he should've been fired yesterday.
Here's another way to look at turnovers. If you look at only games where teams have an equal number of turnovers, you can calculate the average number of yards per point (14.5 in SEC v. SEC games so far this year). Then, you compare games with unequal turnovers and look at the difference in average yards/point. From that, you can calculate what the average turnover costs in yards (82) or points (6).
When offenses are credited for yards or defenses for yards not allowed, turnovers are not normally considered though they should be. Consider Tennessee's pass game v. Alabama's in SEC on SEC games:
SEC #7) AL 218 ypg, 0 interceptions/game
#8) TN 213 ypg, 2 interceptions/game
If you deduct the average yards per turnover:
#2) AL: 218 ypg
#12) TN: 49 ypg
Contrast rush yards:
#1) AL 236, 1 fumbles*/game (*not sure if these are all fumbles on rushing plays)
#2) TN 206, 0.5 fumbles*/game
If you deduct the average yards per turnover:
#1) TN 165 yds/game
#2) AL 155
BTW, did you know that Tennessee leads the SEC in yards/rush in SEC v. SEC games:
#1) TN: 5.7
#2) AL: 5.5
If your sources are correct, I would want both Dooley and Hart gone - Dooley for making the offer (unless there's some other very good reason that we couldn't know about) and Hart for not accepting it and then putting the program in further peril by pulling the stuff with the assistants.
I was just listening to Billy Joel. I wonder if Coach Dooley has a pair of "pair of pink sidewinders"?
The general started with a pretty good team and lost only 2 ( Vandy and Alabama) in his first seven years. How many undefeated teams has Spurrier had?
By the way, no offense but Dooley is not near top 4. Total wins isn't the only metric for greatness.
Neyland not only has the best winning percentage, but had a winning record against each of Bryant, Thomas, Wade, Mcgugin, and Vaught who make up the best of the rest in career winning percentage save Meyer. I think you disrespect Neyland a bit. I'll grant that you can at least make the argument for Bryant on longetivity of success - not the others. Also, Bryant's rate of success (winning pct. & champs) at Alabama is similar to that of Wallace and Thomas (81 pct. & 5 champs in 23 years), Stallings (if you don't count the sanctions) and Saban). Who matches Neyland's success at TN?