9. Duke
The main reason seeing Tennessee take on Duke is appealing is because of one man: David Cutcliffe.
Cutcliffe is arguably the most beloved assistant coach/coordinator in Tennessee history. He was on the Vols’ offensive coaching staff from 1983-98 and was most notably the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for most of the 1990s. Cutcliffe came back in 2006 to be the Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and stayed until after the 2007 season before taking the head coach position at Duke.
And Cutcliffe has been nothing short of great at Duke.
While Cutcliffe’s overall record is just 48-53 at Duke, he has guided the Blue Devils to three consecutive winning seasons, including a 10-4 record in 2013. It was the first time Duke had ever had a 10-win football season, and he’s led the Blue Devils to four straight bowl games. Duke had just eight bowl appearances as a school from 1938-2011.
Most Vol fans have pulled for Cutcliffe to have success over at Duke, but if the Vols were to play him and the Blue Devils, it would be a bittersweet experience for the Big Orange faithful. Cutcliffe has always been a fan favorite and always will, but taking on a Duke team with him at the helm would be an interesting matchup. The two schools haven’t played since 2003, and the Vols currently have a three-game winning streak over Duke.
