Phillip Fulmer had cemented a powerful Tennessee program that was only 3 years removed from the pinnacle of the college football landscape. Enter 2001.

Nick Saban's 2nd year and a season that I can only believe had mild expectations on the side of the LSU fanbase. Tennessee had only lost at the time in a close game to Georgia and entered the SECCG at #2, basically guaranteeing them a spot to get raped by the Hurricanes. All they had to do was win, and they were in. They were high and mighty with a 17-7 lead and Rohan had gotten knocked out of the game. Matt Mauck's heroics eventually got the game tied and LSU's defense got the best of the Volunteers and the game ended with LSU riding high, 31-20. Tennessee hasn't recovered to this day. tDECLINED.

Fast forward to 2005. Nick Saban had left the team a year prior but, but also left a shite load of talent for the GOAT Leslie Miles to work with.

The Miami Hurricane's coach, Larry Cokesiah, had kept a steady string of success after 2001-2002 all the way into the 2005. However, after a somewhat average year by recent Miami standards, the once proud program would finally meet an emphatic end to a great 5 year run. They got murdered, destroyed, obliterated, emasculated, and terminated 40-3 in the Peach Bowl. After a mass exodus of assistants, he himself would be fired after the following year. A once feared venue was reduced to little more than a sidewalk pastime. tDECLINED.

Enter 2008. LSU's saving grace, Nick Saban, had jumped from the Miami Dolphins to LSU's (insert rivalry synonym or alternative), Alabama. LSU had just won a national championship against OSU and many of Saban's recruits were drafted in the process. Alabama enters the season after a mediocre and embarrassing year filled with arrests and awful team chemistry. Saban conjures up a recruiting class full of mean, nasty bastards that increased his team's depth tremendously. 11 wins and Tommy Tuberville swan song later, It was off to face one of the greatest football teams to ever play, the 2008 Florida Gators. The Gators' overwhelming talent combined with Urban's great coaching ultimately got them the win after an exciting and clutch 4th quarter. They would ultimately go on to the national championship and face an all time great Oklahoma offense....which proceeds to get rekt by the likes of Major Wright and company.

2009

Alabama enters the year after 2 straight heartbreakers to end the previous magical regular season. Another #1 recruiting class was brought in and Saban finally had mostly his players and conditioning regimen in place. Alabama proceeded to suffocate the rest all of its competition (also ranked hardest in the nation, featuring 6 teams that were in the top 25, the last two being numbers one and two) with the #1 defense in the country. Close games against Auburn, Tennessee and LSU aside, it was turning out to be a run for the ages in Bama history, undefeated in the regular season once again.

#1 Florida and #2 Bama met again in the SECCG setting up for another clash of titans and a ticket to the Rose Bowl to face Texas. The game was close at halftime and early 3rd, but Florida didn't score in the 2nd halftime, and was crushed 32-13. They've been mediocre to terrible ever since. tDECLINED.

Texas was eventually put away and 4 (I think?) years later was murdered by Ole Miss, cementing their tDECLINE.

2011 was a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad year for teams not named LSU or Alabama. Both teams annihilated everyone in their path, the latter of which saw no one on schedule score more than 21 points. LSU, despite facing arguably the toughest schedule of ALL TIME (Sugar Bowl opponent, Orange Bowl winner, Rose Bowl winner, AND the eventual national champion....TWICE). Let me just take a minute to say.....Jesus Christ, that's ridiculous. Alabama and LSU entered what was coined the GOTC with both undefeated. Alabama sadly would beat themselves at home 9-6 in an all time great defensive struggle which included 50 players that eventually went to the NFL

Jan. 9, 2012

After total meltdowns by top teams, Alabama found themselves in a rematch with the Bayou Bengals. Obviously coined GOTC Pt. 2.........Alabama's offense was able to march on LSU, but like before, could only field goal them to death. Despite the score, Jim McElwain's final game and magnum opus at Alabama wore down the Tigers. After 3.5 quarters of Jordan Jefferson getting bent over by Courtney Upshaw, Alabama finally scored a touchdown to bring the game to an embarrassing 21-0. LSU passed the 50 yard line 1 time and only amassed 92 yards of offense. To put it in perspective, Georgia State scored twice as many points on Alabama in one game as LSU did in TWO. LSU has been relatively average since then, and hasn't beaten Alabama since the first GOTC.

tDECLINED

As a closing statement, I'll say that some of those teams are on the rise, and it will be good to see them back again. It's just better for college football.

Here's a gif for you other SEC fans to enjoy:

tl;dr:.......tDecline does not discriminate.