College World Series: Five things that were happening on Rocky Top during Vols’ last trip
![OMAHA, NE - JUNE 25: A sign welcomes fans to the Florida Gators and the Texas Longhorns Game 1 of the championship series of the 59th College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium on June 25, 2005 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) OMAHA, NE - JUNE 25: A sign welcomes fans to the Florida Gators and the Texas Longhorns Game 1 of the championship series of the 59th College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium on June 25, 2005 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/dfc102089d57b03434af79070a14b325d60b5d53219868f4546baa64001da595.jpg)
2. Football was in the midst of many winning streaks.
It’s crazy to think about right now, but when the Vols last played a College World Series game, Tennessee football was still somewhat in its prime as a program. That was evidenced by winning streaks that seem crazy right now.
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UT had won two straight over both the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide, the first time since 1940 they had a two-game winning streak over both and the only time ever they had beaten both programs in back to back seasons. They had also won three of the last four over Florida and nine of the last 10 over Alabama, seemingly owning both series at that moment.
Of course, Nick Saban had just left the LSU Tigers for the Miami Dolphins and wouldn’t arrive back in Alabama for two years, and Urban Meyer was just about to take over Florida. That was going to change things pretty quickly.
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Rocky Top also owned two of the four the longest winning streak in college football at the time, having won 20 straight over the Kentucky Wildcats and 22 straight over the Vanderbilt Commodores. Oh, and the Vols were in the midst of 16 straight seasons of having made a bowl game, 15 of which they finished in the top 25. All this leads to our next point.