Quarterfinals Begin for Best of SEC Contest (VOTE)
Round two of our bracket to find the best SEC team of the past 25 years had its first real upset when the 2003 Ole Miss Rebels advanced past 2002 Georgia. Outside of that, the bracket has been chalk as we enter the quarterfinals. This round introduces the top four seeds, which include three undefeated national championship teams and the the 'Fun 'N Gun' Gators from 1996.
Voting for the quarterfinals will run until Thursday so cast as many votes as you'd like until then. Let's size up these matchups:
(1) 2009 Alabama vs (8) 2012 Texas A&M
2009 Alabama - Some will argue that this Alabama team wasn't even its best under Nick Saban, but the Crimson Tide went undefeated for the first time in 17 years with what Sagarin rated as the toughest schedule in football that season. The biggest wins came against #1 Florida in the SEC Championship, a 37-21 over #2 Texas in the BCS Championship and a season-opening win over #7 Virginia Tech.
That team produced the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner in Mark Ingram, a Butkus and Jack Lambert Award winner in Rolando McClain, and six players on All-American teams. The Alabama defense led the nation in ppg allowed (11.0) and rushing yards per game (28.2) and was 2nd in total yards allowed (241.7).
2012 Texas A&M – In their inaugural season in the Southeastern Conference, the Texas A&M Aggies made a splash and then some. At media days, some questioned if the Aggies could win 6 games in the first season, but that was before Kevin Sumlin pulled an ace out from his sleeve in Johnny Manziel, and the rest, as they say, is history. Manziel would go on to have the best season in conference history dazzling spectators with his ability to improvise and make plays out of nothing, then frustrate opposing defenses by taking off downfield on a whim. Over 5000 yards of total offense and 47 touchdowns later, Manziel moved into icon status and Texas A&M as a legitimate player in the Southeastern Conference.
Highlighted by wins against Alabama and Oklahoma, the Aggies finished 11-2 in their first season. However, if the Texas A&M defense could have played better than 58th, perhaps they sneak past Florida and LSU and achieve the impossible in their first season in college football’s toughest conference.
(4) 1996 Florida vs (5) 2003 LSU
1996 Florida - Considered one of the early offensive guru’s the 1996 Florida Gators are the pride and joy of Steve Spurrier’s resume. Danny Wuerffel-one of the most decorated quarterbacks in college football history (Heisman, Maxwell, Camp, O’Brien, and Unitas) spearheaded the attack along with future first round receivers Ike Hillard and Reidel Anthony as the Gators scored over 40 points in 10 of 13 games in 1996.
Undefeated within the conference, the Gators only slipup came in the final regular season game of the season against instate rival Florida State. After falling behind 17-0 in the 1st quarter, the Gators responded to close the game 21-7, but still fell short in the end by a final of 24-21. Regardless of the defeat, the Gators would still proceed to the Southeastern Conference championship game where they defeated Alabama, before finally beating the top ranked Seminoles of Florida State 52-50 in the Sugar Bowl to earn the national championship.
2003 LSU - Our first national champion to make an appearance in this bracket, fans of the purple and gold might have expected a higher ranking for LSU. This team had seven players selected in the 2004 NFL Draft and were led by the all-star staff of Nick Saban (head coach), Jimbo Fisher (offensive coordinator), and Will Muschamp (defensive coordinator). The lone blemish for this squad came at home to Florida by a 19-7 score.
The BCS computers propelled the Tigers into the national championship game after an impressive 34-13 win over #5 Georgia in the SECCG. LSU claimed the conferences 2nd BCS championship with a 21-14 victory over Oklahoma in the Louisiana Superdome.
(2) 2010 Auburn vs (7) 2011 Arkansas
2010 Auburn - This team should simply be known as the team that Cam Newton built. The team leader in passing, rushing, and scoring for the Tigers in 2010, Newton assembled one of the most remarkable seasons in college football history as he seemingly willed the Tigers to an undefeated season and the national championship.
In close contests with Mississippi State, LSU and LSU, it was Newton who was the deciding factor (the Tigers also barely squeaked by Kentucky). The close contests in 2010 were less about Newton’s play and more about the lackluster play of the Tigers’ defense. Nick Fairley headlined the show on the defensive line, however, Auburn still ranked 60th in the country.
2011 Arkansas - If not for historically unlucky timing, this Razorbacks team might have been a national champion. Arkansas finished 11-2 in 2011 with its only two losses coming on the road to the two teams that played in the BCS NCG. They just so happened to also be in the same division.
Despite the unfortunate timing, Arkansas still beat four opponents ranked in the top 15, including a 29-16 win over Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl. The eleven-win season was only the program’s third in 119 seasons of football, and final ranking of #5 was the highest since 1977.
(3) 1998 Tennessee vs (11) 2003 Ole Miss
1998 Tennessee - Preseason ranked #10, the Volunteers had to find an identity in the post-Peyton Manning era in Knoxville. But this team had talent all over the field to help ease the adjustment period under Tee Martin. With the running back tandem of Travis Henry, Travis Stephens, and Jamal Lewis paired with Peerless Price and Cedric Wilson on the outside, offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe had all kinds of weapons at his disposal. But the defense might have been even better behind All-American linebacker Al Wilson. Only six teams scored over 14 points against Tennessee in 2008 during a schedule that included four top 10 teams.
The Vols made it through two huge hurdles to begin the season by beating Donovan McNabb's Syracuse team 34-33 and then snapping a five-game losing streak to rival Florida with a 20-17 OT win in Neyland Stadium. After rolling through the remainder of the scheduled, Tennessee claimed the first BCS championship with a 23-16 win over Florida State at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
2003 Ole Miss - This might have been the best Rebel squad since the John Vaught era in Oxford. Behind senior quarterback Eli Manning, the Rebels rolled to a 10-3 season that included wins over three ranked opponents – #24 Florida, #20 Arkansas, and #21 Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. Ole Miss shutout in-state rival Mississippi State 31-0 in the Egg Bowl and ended the year ranked #13 in the AP Poll and #14 in the Coaches Poll.
Manning’s final year at Ole Miss ended 3,600 yards passing with 29 TD and 10 INT. The SEC named him the offensive player of the year, while he also won the Maxwell Award for national player of the year.
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