Last time each SEC Team Finished in the Top 10?

Sep 25, 2020, 10:02 AM

I did this yesterday for the ACC and it turned into a pretty interesting exercise so I figured I'd do the same for the SEC today and see how they stack up.

Alabama
2019
#8
HC: Nick Saban

Arkansas
2011
#5
HC: Bobby Petrino

Auburn
2013
#2
HC: Gus Malzahn

Florida
2019
#6 AP, #7 Coaches
HC: Dan Mullen

Georgia
2019
#4
HC: Kirby Smart

Kentucky
1977
#6
HC: Fran Curci

The 2018 team actually finished 10-3 and #11 in the Coaches, #12 in the AP. Who remembers that?

LSU
2019
#1
HC: Ed Orgeron

Mississippi St
1940
#9
HC: Allyn McKeen

Dan Mullen's 2014 team that debuted in the CFB Playoff Rankings at #1 finished 10-3 and #11 in the AP, #12 in the Coaches. Jackie Sherrill's 1999 team that beat Clemson in the Peach Bowl went 10-2 and finished #12 in the Coaches, #13 in the AP.

Mizzou
2013
#5
HC: Gary Pinkel

Ole Miss
2015
#9 Coaches, #10 AP
HC: Hugh Freeze

For the record, David Cutcliffe's 2003 team with Eli Manning went 10-3 and finished #13 AP, #14 coaches. Their previous top 10 finish before 2015 was way back in 1963 when they finished #7 under HC Johnny Vaught. It was Vaught's 5th top 10 finish in a row.

SCAR
2013
#4
HC: Steve Spurrier

Everyone remembers their 3 11-win seasons between 2011-13, but just to pile on the Gamecocks:

The venerated 1984 Joe Morrison Black Magic team that "would've won it all for sure" finished at #11 in the AP, #13 in the Coaches. The 1969 team that proudly won the Gamecocks only conference title ever--in the ACC, mind you--finished 7-4 and unranked.

In fact, those three Spurrier teams, are the only Gamecock teams in their entire history to finish a season ranked in the Top 10. Cockadoodle Doo!

Tennessee
2001
#4
HC: Phil Fulmer

The 2003 team we beat in the Peach Bowl came into the game as #6 but we knocked them down to #15 in the AP and #16 in the Coaches.

TAMU
2012
#5
HC: Kevin Sumlin

TAMU's history is actually not what I expected. Their previous Top 10 finish before Sumlin was RC Slocum's 1994 squad that finished #8. Slocum finished in the Top 10 between '92 and '94. But between 1942 and 1991, they had only 5 Top 10 Finishes - Bear Bryant in '56 & '57 (even though the '57 team went 8-3 and lost their last 3 in a row), Emory Ballard's '75 team, and Jackie Sherrill's '85 and '87 teams.

Vandy
Like their counterparts in the ACC, UVA and Wake, Vandy does not appear to have ever finished in the top 10 of either major poll.

James Franklin had back-to-back 9-4 teams in 2012 and 2013, their 1943 team under Herc Alley finished 5-0 but unranked. They had some teams with good records in the 1900s but nothing since the AP Poll started in 1936.

I was kind of stunned that it's been almost 20 years since Tennessee fielded a Top 10 team. I know several Vols fans that need to be reminded of this.

Also noteworthy: Bobby Petrino was the last guy to lead both Louisville and Arkansas to Top 10 finishes -- the only one to appear on both lists. Jackie Sherrill was almost the last at two schools - #2 with Pitt in 1981 and #12 at Miss St. Dan Mullen almost was the last to do it at 2 schools in the same conference - Florida and Miss St.

Here's the ACC List:

https://www.tigernet.com/forum/message/When-was-the-last-time-each-ACC-team-finished-in-the-Top-10-27833200