Started By
Message
re: 33 Years Ago Today - the Biggest Upset in SEC History
Posted on 11/1/13 at 9:27 pm to FearlessFreep
Posted on 11/1/13 at 9:27 pm to FearlessFreep
You are looking at too many numbers.
In 1980, Bear and the Gumps were invincible. They had won 28 straight games, the 1978 and 1979 national championships. State had one of the best years, yes, but no one beat the Bear.
They had beaten a good USM team 42-7 the week before. 2 weeks before that, USM beat State 42-14. Bama just stomped everyone. Their closest SEC game in two years had been a 24-point margin (59-35) against Ole Miss and a 28-7 win over LSU, who went 8-3 that year.
That's why this game is considered the biggest upset in SEC history. Pigs flying was maybe a worst team beating a top ranked Alabama team, but Alabama had some injuries in that game. State took an unstoppable offense that had been averaging close to 40 points a game (that's 65 points in 2013 numbers) and held them to a field goal.
It was just a day that the streak had to stop. Tebow crying was similar, and it can be argued that since Ole Miss did it on the road, it was just as big. Florida looked pretty unstoppable at the time as well.
The 1996 game- State was 3-5 when they beat a 7-1 Alabama team that was ranked #8. Alabama lost three games that year (and flirted with losing to Vandy and NC State earlier in the year) Simply put, they had not really been an unbeatable juggernaut. That's the game where Alabama really beat themselves. Missed a couple of makable field goals and an extra point and lost 17-16 to an improving Mississippi State. To me, that was similar to Tennessee beating South Carolina this year. An upset, but not the biggest of all time.
In 1980, Bear and the Gumps were invincible. They had won 28 straight games, the 1978 and 1979 national championships. State had one of the best years, yes, but no one beat the Bear.
They had beaten a good USM team 42-7 the week before. 2 weeks before that, USM beat State 42-14. Bama just stomped everyone. Their closest SEC game in two years had been a 24-point margin (59-35) against Ole Miss and a 28-7 win over LSU, who went 8-3 that year.
That's why this game is considered the biggest upset in SEC history. Pigs flying was maybe a worst team beating a top ranked Alabama team, but Alabama had some injuries in that game. State took an unstoppable offense that had been averaging close to 40 points a game (that's 65 points in 2013 numbers) and held them to a field goal.
It was just a day that the streak had to stop. Tebow crying was similar, and it can be argued that since Ole Miss did it on the road, it was just as big. Florida looked pretty unstoppable at the time as well.
The 1996 game- State was 3-5 when they beat a 7-1 Alabama team that was ranked #8. Alabama lost three games that year (and flirted with losing to Vandy and NC State earlier in the year) Simply put, they had not really been an unbeatable juggernaut. That's the game where Alabama really beat themselves. Missed a couple of makable field goals and an extra point and lost 17-16 to an improving Mississippi State. To me, that was similar to Tennessee beating South Carolina this year. An upset, but not the biggest of all time.
This post was edited on 11/1/13 at 9:33 pm
2
Posted on 11/1/13 at 9:40 pm to anc
Typically in most upsets the "better" team beats themselves.
No huge underdog is gonna win without the other team helping them a ton, lots of turnovers, penalties, that sort of thing.
No huge underdog is gonna win without the other team helping them a ton, lots of turnovers, penalties, that sort of thing.
Posted on 11/1/13 at 11:25 pm to anc
quote:Eh, pretty fair analysis. I can see your point.
anc
I still contend that despite the streak, Bama wasn't the unstoppable juggernaut most seem to believe at the time. Their 1979 MNC came at the expense of an incredibly weak schedule - their only regular-season opponent who finished the year in the AP Top 20 was probation-riddled AU. In fact, of the 28 consecutive wins prior to the MSU game, only four opponents had fewer than 4 losses at their respective seasons end, and their 26 regular season opponents during the streak had a combined record of 121-165-3, a .428 winning percentage. And that '79 Tide squad almost certainly made NCAA history when they faced three consecutive opponents, Vandy, Wichita State, and Florida, who would go on to lose 10 games apiece (quite a distinction in the days of 11-game seasons).
So finally falling to one of the very few respectable teams they faced in three years was inevitable, making it less of an upset than it might appear.
This post was edited on 11/1/13 at 11:27 pm
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News