On August 26, 2009 the Bubba N Earl team established an elite pool for the top one percent of its readers. Its purpose was to provide a place to demonstrate the lost art of college football picks and to insure that the handful of men & women who participated were the best college football fans in the world. They succeeded. Today, many people call it just a college football pool. The readers call it: The 2nd Annual Bubba N Earl Pick'Em
So don't screw around with me. Y'all are a hell of an instinctive bunch of readers, maybe too good. I'd like to bust your butts but I can't. I got another problem here, I gotta have more people from this blog SIGN UP! I gotta do something here, I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I wanna send you up against the best. Every week you'll be competing against other hardcore SEC football fans. Just remember gentlemen, there are no points for second place...well, sort of. If you win enough points, you will be able to compete for the Top Gu...I mean BNE Trophy (actual trophy may vary). But just remember, if you screw up just this much, you'll be watching football with a bunch of rejects over at Florida State! So don't forget tosign up!
Disclaimer: This list and subsequent blog posts were formed to create conversation between SEC fans about teams that were very close to having championship seasons. Looking at the teams listed and thinking about the teams that were left off further proves the depth of the SEC and the focus needed to win week in and week out. Teams were chosen and ranked based on significant wins/losses, star power and old school opinion (because we're opinionated SEC fans).
BNE's best teams to not win the SEC title (post-1992): #1 1993 Auburn Tigers
AP Preseason: Unranked
Final AP Ranking: #4 Final Coaches Ranking: Unranked (probation) - The AP Poll ranked teams on probation, but the Coaches Poll did not.
Record: 11-0 (8-0)* - Unable to play for the SEC Championship, unable to play in the postseason, unable to play on television
Losses: None
Wins vs. Ranked Opponents: #4 Florida 38-35 #11 Alabama 22-14
Star Power: QB Stan White, RB James Bostic, RB Stephen Davis, FB Tony Richardson, WR Frank Sanders, OT Wayne Gandy, OT Willie Anderson, DE Willie Whitehead, DT Gary Walker, LB Mike Pelton, CB Chris Shelling, S Brian Robinson, P Terry Daniel (yes, a punter)
Why Ahead of '95 Tennessee? Won 'em all. Had a knack for knocking off unbeaten Florida teams ('93 and '94) during Florida's run of four consecutive SEC championships (1993-1996).
Bubba says: Easily the team that had the most suprising season on our list, 1993 Auburn had everything go their way with the exception of NCAA probation. It is only the second team on our list to defeat both squads that played in the SEC Championship game, and unlike the other (#9 - 1997 Florida), these Tigers had no blemishes against their record.
If you're Auburn, how do you know Alabama is your main rival? You go undefeated, beat the Tide head to head, and the boys from Tuscaloosa still get a straight up shot at the Sugar Bowl. Seriously, Auburn had a tremedous run through 1993 and 1994 and you can't go against a team that won all of the games it played that season. I still don't get the Stan White thing, he wasn't very good.
Many of Auburn's big plays during this era came from its DB's. Of course, this play wasn't seen live on television because Auburn has a history of cheating. "Giving chase is Weurffel, won't catch him..."
Earl says: Stan White left Auburn as its all-time leading passer, throwing for more yards than 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan. Yeah, it was 1971, but Sullivan threw alot to WR Terry Beasley for the 1970s. Now that we've settled that...
After his successful 11-year run at Auburn, Pat Dye had left the program under a cloud of pending sanctions after accusations of payments to players by a former Auburn player. The cloud of sanctions led to disappointing seasons in 1991 and 1992. And then the NCAA dropped the hammer. Probation for 1993 and 1994. No postseason play for either years, no television for 1993 and the loss of scholarships.
Enter Tater Tot, head coach at tiny Samford in Birmingham. Terry Bowden retained Wayne Hall, who served as defensive coordinator under Dye. And he hired former Auburn offensive lineman Rodney Garner to be his primary recruiter, who would later serve the same role at Tennessee and Georgia. Terry's brother, Tommy Bowden, served as offensive coordinator.
The only team on this list to begin the season unranked in the AP poll announced its presence in October with a surprising win over unbeaten Florida. Of course, nobody saw it because Auburn couldn't play on television. In a theme of many Auburn and Alabama teams from the late '80s and early '90s, the '93 Auburn team just got better with each week. Still filled with players that would have long careers in the NFL like Stephen Davis, Tony Richardson, Frank Sanders, Wayne Gandy, Willie Anderson, Willie Whitehead and Gary Walker, Auburn had the starting 22 to compete in the SEC. It just needed a change of attitude and it got one in 1993. It started to believe after defeating Florida and it played its own "bowl" game against defending national champion Alabama, in which QB Patrick Nix entered the game for an injured Stan White with Auburn trailing 14-5, and led the Tigers to a 22-14 comeback win.
In the long run though, I don't know if going 11-0 in his first season was a good thing for Terry Bowden. He would go on to run off 20 straight victories to start his career at Auburn, including a win at #1 Florida in 1994. But something began to slip in 1995 as Bowden's ego grew. Not a good combination with Auburn's infamously cancerous boosters. Bowden also had a falling out with DC Wayne Hall (although he hired renowned DC Brother Oliver to replace Hall) and recruiter Rodney Garner left for Tennessee.
Going undefeated only to have it mean nothing. An Auburn tradition.
Overtimes it took Georgia to defeat Auburn in 1996. This was the first overtime game in SEC history and Georgia won by a final score of 56 - 49. Georgia needed this miraculous play just to get to overtime.
This guy's website said he was hired to write this song for OSU's pre-game video. For all of you headed to Stillwater, be prepared to hear this prior to the game:
Former Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey was was fired by the Kansas City Chiefsas their offensive coordinator. You must be doing pretty bad to get fired during the preseason, when guys like Curtis Painter and SamkonGado are stars. I guess the Chiefs finally realized that Chan's inability to utilize Calvin Johnson while at Georgia Tech was not a fluke and that the man has no business running an offense.
Disclaimer: This list and subsequent blog posts were formed to create conversation between SEC fans about teams that were very close to having championship seasons. Looking at the teams listed and thinking about the teams that were left off further proves the depth of the SEC and the focus needed to win week in and week out. Teams were chosen and ranked based on significant wins/losses, star power and old school opinion (because we're opinionated SEC fans).
BNE's best teams to not win the SEC title (post-1992): #2 1995 Tennessee Volunteers
AP Preseason #8
Final AP Ranking: #3 Final Coaches Ranking: #2
Record: 11-1 (7-1)
Losses: @ #4 Florida 62-37 (UT ranked #8)
Wins vs. Ranked Opponents: @ #18 Arkansas 49-31 @ #11 Alabama 41-14 (Birmingham) Citrus Bowl: #4 Ohio State 20-14
Star Power: QB Peyton Manning, RB Jay Graham, WR Marcus Nash, WR Joey Kent, DE Leonard Little, DT Bill Duff, CB Terry Fair, S Tori Noel, K Jeff Hall
Why Ahead of '94 Alabama? Tennessee had the star power in 1995, but more importantly had the knack for the big play to put the opponent away. That big play knack would continue for the Vols throughout the mid-'90s, although playing second fiddle to Florida the entire time. Other than '07 Georgia, this '95 version of the Vols was the only team on this list to finish as high as #2 in either the AP or Coaches final poll, thanks to Nebraska's absolute thrashing of Florida in the national championship game.
BulldawgJosh (childhood Tennessee fan and resident Bama hater) says: The '95 UT season was absolutely epic. After the mixed bag '94 season that saw Peyton become the starting quarterback for the Vols, there was some high feelings for '95. There was concern having lost "Little Man" James Stewart to the NFL, but Jay Graham filled that role by running for his best season at UT (he would later gain a considerable case of fumbleidis near endzones). When Tennessee lost to Florida, it at first seemed as if things were going to fall off. This was the third year in row Tennessee had lost to Florida, and a repetitive feeling was beginning to emerge (they wouldn't beat Florida until the overtime win in '98 that paved the way for the national title).
Everything about this season would change against Bama. Bama had won 9 in a row over UT, and you knew Bear Bryant was smiling in hell (yes, hell). There wasn't an overwhelming confidence about going down to Birmingham given that streak. However, Tennessee would march into the furnace town and light up Bama 41-14 in one of the most spectacular victories in school history, decimating every elephant they could find in the stadium. This win over Bama made every Vol fan believe again.
This first pass of the Bama game was so thrilling because it was the exact opposite of what you always expected from Tennessee. The second Joey Kent scored that touchdown, you knew Tennessee was going to win, it didn't matter what Bama did (it was very similar to '07 Georgia/Florida and The Celebration).
Beating Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl that year topped off this great '95 season. While some were disappointed at not being able to make it to the Sugar Bowl, there's nothing like stuffing a Heisman Trophy winner to make him go out a loser. Suck it, Eddie George.
Bubba says: This Tennessee team was really good. It should have lost to UGA in Knoxville. Robert Edwards has the frail feet of a weak ballet dancer.
Manning to Kent on the first play vs. Bama. Uncle Ron Franklin with the call. We miss Uncle Ron in the SEC.
Earl says: 1995 was John Chavis' first as Tennessee's defensive coordinator. In the second game of the season, both Georgia and Tennessee were discovering just how good of a running back Robert Edwards was before he got injured, and Tennessee escaped 30-27. Chavis was quickly put on the hot seat in UT's next game after allowing 62 points to Florida in the Swamp, a game in which Tennessee led 30-14. But, 14 years later we know that he was one of the most respected defensive coordinators in Tennessee's history. The '95 Tennessee team would bounce back from the Florida loss to win every game left on its schedule behind the star power of Peyton Manning and making big plays at the right time.
The biggest play of Tennessee's season came on the first play from scrimmage against Alabama in Birmingham. Peyton Manning hit Joey Kent for 80 yards and a touchdown to lead 7-0. Tennessee never looked back, winning 41-14. It was the first time Tennessee had defeated Alabama in 10 years and Manning directed the band's playing of Rocky Top in the post game.
Ranked #5 in the country, Tennesse took down #4 Ohio State and Heisman winner Eddie George in the Citrus Bowl. As talented as Tennesee was, Ohio State was probably more talented with George, OT Orlando Pace, WR Terry Glenn, LB Mike Vrabel and CB Shawn Springs, all long-time NFL players.
It was the second consecutive year that Ohio State lost the Citrus Bowl to an SEC team from this list, and three of the past four years (in 1992 to Georgia, 1994 to Alabama, and 1995 to Tennessee).
This story broke over the weekend on Michigan football. I'm sure that it's tough as a player to go through a coaching transition, especially if you believe the coach you sign with is going to be there through your entire college career (although you had to know Lloyd was going to retire soon). But change happens.
After a 3-9 opening season, there has been some backlash from Michigan players on Rich Rodriguez. Of course, we don't know exactly what's going on in Ann Arbor, but the complaints from these players seem a little over the top.
Look, I recognize the need for awareness if a workout becomes too stressful. But what the hell would Bo Schembechler say!?!
As Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins said a few years ago, "It's Division I football!...Go play intramurals brother..."
Well folks, we're now 3 days away from the first game of the college football season. This Thursday we'll see the Cocks of South Carolina of take on the Wolfpack of NC State. If you haven't already registered, please take a moment and visit our friends at funofficepools.com and sign up for the 2nd Annual Bubba N Earl Pick'Em.
Don't forget, your picks are due before the first game on Thursday!
