re: Older SEC fans, please tell me about the 1980s SEC football landscape

quote:

---

A handful of the GOATs did grace our hallowed grounds that decade, however. Names such as Herschel, Bo, Derrick Thomas, and Cornelius Bennett were household names across the United States at one point in time.

---

You forgot Reggie White

Now let's talk about the 90s.

quote:

---

You missed LSU finishing #5 in 1987

---

fixed, thanks...

quote:

---

Besides 1983's Auburn Tigers, what other SEC teams should have had a legitimate shot at a national championship?

---

81 and 82 UGA both had good shots (82 moreso than 81) but fell short in the Sugar Bowls of those years against Marino and Pitt and Penn State, respectively.

quote:

---

3 yds and a cloud of dust beat each other up over the decade. All games were relatively close by today's standards. If you won 21-7 it was considered a blow out. Basically - there were a bunch of 2011 LSU/Bama teams. At least thats how I remember the 80's. Also, a lot of Radio action - so if you didn't go to the games, you didn't know much about teams.

---

I believe it was an Auburn team in 1982 that was the first SEC team to finish the season with more yards passing than rushing. LSU was the next SEC team to do it the following season, 1983.

Also back then the SEC was thought of as a good, solid, but not great conference. The AP poll had very few voters from the south. The Big 6 dominated, but often two or three didn't have good years. UF was just coming into a good football team on the regular.

quote:

---

SWC GOAT 80s conference

---

There wasn't a salary cap in place then.

This man is mad

The eighties were the bomb. I was too young in the 70s to know anything more than Roll Tide. I remember my Dad pointing out Bryant leaning on the goalpost before a game at Bryant Denny. Had to have been 80-81. Then it was all different, no more wishbone and Auburn was coming on. Those 80s Iron Bowls were just on another level as a young fan. By 89, my siblings were in college, my sister at Bama, bro at Ole Miss. I fell in love with Oxford as a 10th grader. Watched the Rebs beat Bama in TTown, I think maybe the only time ever. I was happy for my brother, but I got too much got damn Bama in me.. Those were the days, amigo.

quote:

---

I expect lots of old Pat Dye war stories.

---

Here's one for you...

Pat Dye brings his undefeated and #4 ranked Auburn War Eagles into Tiger Stadium October 8th, 1988, to face the unranked 2-2 LSU Tigers.

What transpired would be a low-scoring defensive affair.

While sitting in the stands what struck me was Dye abandoning his running game. The final stats show that Aubun outgained LSU on the ground 149-28. While averaging about 4 ypr, Dye seemed to insist on winning the game through the air. The result was a 17/35 effort with 2 interceptions, for 167 net yards passing. Auburn went into the half leading 3-0, and then extended the lead early in the 4th quarter to 6-0.

Then, with just over 6 minutes to go in the game, QB Tommy Hodson leads the Tigers down to the AU 20 yard line. At that point Hodson takes a shot at the end zone, throwing to his HB, Eddie Fuller, incomplete. With time running out, and against a tremndous pass rush by Auburn, the Tigers are forced to go for it on 4th down. The pass is complete down the sideline to the TE, Williams, to continue the drive down at the AU 11. On first down Hodson tries Fuller in the end zone again, Fuller catches the ball, but is standing out of bounds - Incomplete. Two more passes are incomplete as Hodson is being devastated by the Auburn defense, bringing up 4th down. Auburn calls its last time out to collect their defense with 1:47 left in the game.

On that 4th down play, coach Mike Archer decides to call the pass play to Fuller one more time. Hodson goes back to pass as Fuller sets up in the back of the end zone, looking down to make sure his feet are still in bounds, and when he looks up the ball is right there for the game-tying touchdown completion.

Pandemonium ensues.

David Browndyke comes on for the try to put the Tigers ahead by one point, the crowd goes quiet. The kick is good.

More pandemonium.

LSU kicks off to Auburn who returns it 25 yards to set Slack up on the AU 35 yard line. With 1:36 left on the clock, Auburn is forced to try to get into field goal range throwing the ball. After a completion, Slack is called for intentional grounding, pushing the War Eagles back to the 26. On 3rd down, Slack scrambles for 13 yards forcing a 4th down play with less than a minute to play. The pass falls incomplete.

More and sustained pandemonium as the Tigers take a knee and the upset has been accomplished 7-6.

LSU would go on to a 6-1 SEC record, beating Tennessee and Alabama, to share the conference title with Auburn.