What’s happened since Tennessee last won a bowl?
Tennessee hasn’t won a bowl game since Jan. 1, 2008. During that span, Tennessee has had four different coaches and a 39-47 record in seven seasons.
Much has changed since the Vols 2008 Outback Bowl victory against Wisconsin, including the landscape of college football. Here’s a few things that have happened since Tennessee’s last bowl win.
SEC
- No more BCS- The NCAA unveiled the College Football Playoff in 2014, which meant the discontinuation of the BCS. Unlike the BCS’ inaugural season, the Vols will not participate in the national championship game during the newly implemented playoff series.
- Conference Realignment- The NCAA saw a shakeup in 2012 with several major programs switching conferences. The SEC gained Missouri and Texas A&M, who have proven to be successful since the move.
- 18 SEC Coaching changes- Tennessee wasn’t the only SEC team to make coaching changes since 2008. The SEC saw 18 coaching transactions since January 2008, including Florida’s recent hire of Jim McElwain.
- Alabama dynasty- The Crimson Tide has dominated during the Vols bowl drought. Alabama won its first national championship of the Nick Saban era in 2009 and added two more in 2011 and 2012.
- Losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt- Tennessee has enjoyed a history of dominance against SEC East rivals Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The Wildcats snapped their 26-year losing streak to the Vols in 2011. The Commodores won back-to-back games against Tennessee for the first time since 1926.
- End of the streak- The SEC won seven consecutive national championships, which began one year before the Vols’ last win. But the streak ended as Auburn fell 34-31 to Florida State.
- Kiffin fiasco- Tennessee hired Lane Kiffin to replace Phillip Fulmer in December 2008. The Vols went 7-5 in his first season, which also turned out to be his last. Kiffin accepted the head coaching position at USC 13 months later, becoming the biggest pariah in Knoxville.
- Dooley fiasco- If Kiffin’s tenure was considered a disappointment, then Derek Dooley’s was a tragedy. Dooley won less games in each of his three seasons in Knoxville and was winless in games when he trailed at halftime. Vince’s son went 15-21 at Tennessee before finding a job as the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver coach.
Notable events since Tennessee’s last bowl win
- Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States of America in 2009
- Tiger Woods won his last major, U.S. Open, in 2008; caught in adultery scandal in 2009
- Michael Jackson passed away
- The iPad
- Justin Bieber’s career
- Brett Favre retired multiple times
- Original Yankee Stadium closed; new Yankee Stadium opened next door
- Michael Phelps dominated 2008 and 2012 Olympics
- Kanye West released “808s and Heartbreak,” “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” “Watch The Throne” and “Yeezus.”
- Osama Bin Landen captured, eliminated by Seal Team 6
- Royal Wedding (Jay Z and Beyonce’)
- LeBron James leaves, returns to Cleveland
- Degrassi’s Aubrey Graham becomes Drake
- Saturday Down South launched