This is, well, something I suppose.
Tennessee came into Week 13’s season finale against Vanderbilt still searching for a head coach while carrying the baggage of a 4-7 record. As they exit into the offseason, a 42-24 loss to the Commodores -- fourth UT loss to Vandy in six years, incidentally -- leaves the Volunteers with its eighth loss of the season.
Those eight losses represent the most in a single season for a storied program that played its first football game way back in 1891. The previous high of seven had been accomplished six times, the first in 1977 and most recently in 2013. In fact, five of the six seven-loss seasons came in a six-year stretch from 2008-13 -- Phillip Fulmer (2008), Derek Dooley (2010-12) and Butch Jones (2013).
What it means, thanks to the esteemed Wes Rucker‘s tweeted reminder, is it leaves Ohio State as the only football program in the country that hasn’t had a season in which it’s lost eight or more games. The Buckeyes’ single-season record for losses still stands at seven, set in the 2011 season that sandwiched the Urban Meyer/Jim Tressel reigns in Columbus.
OSU has also only had four six-loss years in 128 seasons -- 1943, 1947, 1988, 1999.
It Vanderbilt beats Tennessee, it’ll be the first time the Commodores have beaten the Vols four times in six seasons since 1928.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) November 25, 2017
The SEC didn’t exist then.
Vols also trying to avoid first 8-loss season in program history. Only Tennessee and Ohio State haven’t done that.