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College World Series: Five things that were happening on Rocky Top during Vols’ last trip

By Caleb Calhoun

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) /
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Tennessee’s coach Phil Fulmer and the rest of Tennessee’s sideline pile onto the field after James Wilhoit’s game-winning field goal kick against Florida at Neyland Stadium. 9/18/20040918utfla16 Ja2119
Tennessee’s coach Phil Fulmer and the rest of Tennessee’s sideline pile onto the field after James Wilhoit’s game-winning field goal kick against Florida at Neyland Stadium. 9/18/20040918utfla16 Ja2119 /

1. Football morale was at an all-time high.

We just mentioned the streaks the last time the Tennessee Vols made the College World Series. Well, much like that baseball program, the football program provided tons of reasons for optimism going into the 2005 season.

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UT had just come off a 10-3 season in which it won the SEC East despite having the youngest team in the league and having to use three different quarterbacks due to injuries. There was every reason in the world to believe that they were going to once again compete for national championships in 2005 with all but one player coming back.

We already mentioned all of those winning streaks related to the program, but standing out among them was Phillip Fulmer. At the time, he was the dean of SEC coaches and still the winningest coach in college football. Steve Spurrier about to join the South Carolina Gamecocks didn’t phase anybody in Vol Nation.

Because of all this, the Vols started the year ranked No. 3. However, it all went downhill after that, as UT stumbled to missing its first bowl game in 17 years and losing to the Vanderbilt Commodores for the first time in 23 years, ending two streaks we mentioned above. Oh, and Florida began an 11-year winning streak over the Vols in 2005.

Next. Vol football's 25 best single-game performances. dark

Simply put, everything turned downhill for the football program after UT’s last College World Series trip. The Alabama Crimson Tide were also about to win 15 of 16 against UT, including 14 straight beginning in 2007. Maybe Tony Vitello getting the baseball program back there was the way to break the curse.

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