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re: Who was the worst SEC division winner?
Posted on 7/6/20 at 11:23 am to Mithridates6
Posted on 7/6/20 at 11:23 am to Mithridates6
quote:
1998 Mississippi State 8-5 (6-2): they gave eventual NC Tennessee a good game, but their other losses were pretty ugly, including getting blown out by 5-6 Okie State
State fans love to brag about their 1998 divisional crown and hold it over Rebel heads that we’ve never made Atlanta. The SEC West was a joke of a division in 1998 though. Only one team finished ranked (Arkansas at #17), no West team had more than 9 wins, and West teams went 1-3 in bowls (all three bowl losses were by 14 or more points).
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Posted on 7/6/20 at 11:31 am to Tornado Alley
Yeah, State actually had a better team in 1999, but the luck fell their way in 1998 (Thanks Stoerner), and went against them in 1999 (that was just an ugly slug fest between 2 good defenses).
We exacted revenge on them in 1999, when we really had no business beating them that year. They were definitely the better team.
In all honesty, Arkansas should have won the West in 1998 and State in 1999. I wish we could have flip-flopped the results of our two games in 98 and 99. State fans probably do as well, since they would have been 10-1 in 1999. Didn't they have the #1 defense in the nation that year?
We exacted revenge on them in 1999, when we really had no business beating them that year. They were definitely the better team.
In all honesty, Arkansas should have won the West in 1998 and State in 1999. I wish we could have flip-flopped the results of our two games in 98 and 99. State fans probably do as well, since they would have been 10-1 in 1999. Didn't they have the #1 defense in the nation that year?
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 11:33 am
Posted on 7/6/20 at 11:41 am to madmaxvol
quote:
06 arkansas. By the end of the year they were not the best in their division
I mean we did lose 3 straight to end the year but the three losses were by 5 points to #3 LSU, 10 points to #1 National Champion Florida, and 3 points to #5 Wisconsin. Had a chance to win every game (the Trindon Holliday KR and Reggie Fish fumble still haunt me).
I'd say our '95 and '02 teams were easily worse.
quote:
Their 1 point win over Arkansas is what gave them the nod. Otherwise, Arkansas would have won the West with their only regular-season loss being to Tennessee.
Crazy to think we were that close to winning the SEC West 4 times since we joined, just 2 fewer than LSU and Auburn. Might have gone to Atlanta undefeated or 10-1 that year if not for the Stoernover.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 11:41 am to Hogfan13
1998 Arkansas was by far the best team in the West, and it would have been interesting to see them against Tenn in a rematch. 1999 was maybe State's best team ever. It seemed like State was on their way back to Atlanta in 2000 after they beat Florida and Auburn, then it all went south and Sherrill was never the same there
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 11:48 am
Posted on 7/6/20 at 11:43 am to Mithridates6
quote:
2014 Mizzou was definitely not as good as their record, they lost to Indiana and 30-0 at home to UGA. But they still won 11 games so it's hard for me to put them there.
Definitely a couple bad losses, but they still went 7-1 in SEC play and they beat a ranked opponent in the Citrus Bowl to finish #11 in the nation.
No way that’s the “worst” division winner in SEC history.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 11:44 am to Hogfan13
Arkansas were better than state both years. It is just the inconsistency with Nutt teams.
We were picked to win the west in 99. But Nutt doing what he does best underachieved. Ford left him with a loaded roster and didn't accomplish much with it.
We were picked to win the west in 99. But Nutt doing what he does best underachieved. Ford left him with a loaded roster and didn't accomplish much with it.
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 11:48 am
Posted on 7/6/20 at 12:14 pm to Hogfan13
quote:
In all honesty, Arkansas should have won the West in 1998 and State in 1999. I wish we could have flip-flopped the results of our two games in 98 and 99. State fans probably do as well, since they would have been 10-1 in 1999. Didn't they have the #1 defense in the nation that year?
Good point. The '99 State defense was really good. They did finish statistically #1 and could have won the SEC if they would have gotten to Atlanta. Had two chances to wrap it up and lost both of them in back to back weeks.
2000 was the most frustrating. Still the only time an SEC team has beaten BOTH championship game participants in the regular season. That's a hard feat to accomplish.
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 12:16 pm
Posted on 7/6/20 at 12:21 pm to Mithridates6
quote:
1995 Arkansas 8-5 (6-2): lost to SMU and their four other losses were by double digits.
Also, apparently:
quote:
The game against Arkansas featured a last-minute 4th-and-goal touchdown pass by Arkansas, giving them the win; however, replays later showed the ball was clearly trapped. This call, along with a missed twelve-men-on-the-field penalty on Arkansas' final drive led to the suspension of the officiating crew the following week.
Interesting, also, is they roared out to a 27 point lead over Auburn at the half, then barely won as Auburn outscored then 28-3 and had a chance to win but had a 52-yard FG tipped. That Arkansas team was living on borrowed time, and got wrecked by Florida.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 12:35 pm to Mithridates6
quote:
1995 Arkansas 8-5 (6-2)
1998 Mississippi State 8-5 (6-2)
2000 Auburn 9-4 (6-2)
2002 Arkansas 9-5 (5-3)
If you are going to list these teams from the West, you've got to include 1996 Alabama.
1996 Alabama (6-2)- They lost to a 5-6 Mississippi State squad that year. Four of their six conference wins were against opponents with losing records.
To me, all of those five SEC West Champs were mediocre teams.
As for the East, 2010 South Carolina looks bad on paper with five losses, but you've got to take into account two of those losses were to eventual National Champs, Auburn.
I think 2007 Tennessee and 2014 Missouri were probably worse teams.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 12:38 pm to BHMKyle
quote:
1996 Alabama (6-2)
That wasn't a great team, but it was a typical #17-20 type college football team. Went 10-3, beat #20 Michigan and #13 LSU, played Florida about as close as anybody outside of Tennessee in the SEC that year.
Pretty similar to the 1997 Auburn team.
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 12:40 pm
Posted on 7/6/20 at 12:48 pm to SummerOfGeorge
I didn't remember Florida only beating Vandy by 7 that season! But I'd say Bama did as well as anyone in the SEC against them, their game against Tennessee wasn't as close as the score and they waxed LSU and Auburn
Posted on 7/6/20 at 12:51 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Worst SEC Divisions winners by SRS
1) 1996 Arkansas - 3.74
2) 1998 Mississippi St - 6.21
3) 2000 Auburn - 7.64
4) 1992 Florida - 9.18
5) 2015 Florida - 9.65
6) 1997 Auburn - 9.87
7) 2002 Arkansas - 10.33
8) 2011 Georgia - 10.67
9) 2016 Florida - 10.98
10) 2007 Tennessee - 11.68
11) 2004 Tennessee - 11.69
12) 2014 Missouri - 12.02
1) 1996 Arkansas - 3.74
2) 1998 Mississippi St - 6.21
3) 2000 Auburn - 7.64
4) 1992 Florida - 9.18
5) 2015 Florida - 9.65
6) 1997 Auburn - 9.87
7) 2002 Arkansas - 10.33
8) 2011 Georgia - 10.67
9) 2016 Florida - 10.98
10) 2007 Tennessee - 11.68
11) 2004 Tennessee - 11.69
12) 2014 Missouri - 12.02
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 12:52 pm
Posted on 7/6/20 at 12:56 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Pretty similar to the 1997 Auburn team.
Yeah. Throw them in there too. I feel like the SEC West in general was very flowed from about 1995-2002.
1995 Arkansas- Lost to 1-10 SMU to open the season. Lost to 4-loss LSU by four touchdowns. Closed the season with a loss to 7-5 North Carolina
1996 Alabama- Lost to 5-6 Miss. St.
1997 Auburn- Lost to 4-loss Miss St. by 20 points at home. Lost to 5-6 Georgia. Barely beat a horrible Bama team at home
1998 Miss St.- Lost to 5-6 OK State by 19 points. Lost to 4-7 LSU by 35 points. Lost to 7-5 Kentucky
1999 Alabama- Lost to La Tech.
2000 Auburn- Lost to 8-4 Miss St.
2001 LSU- First team with three regular season conference losses to clinch a division
2002 Arkansas- Also had 3 regular season SEC losses and finished the year losing by 15 points to Minnesota
Posted on 7/6/20 at 1:00 pm to BHMKyle
Obviously Bama had some great teams in that first decade, but the West didn't win back to back titles until 2003 LSU and 2004 Auburn. Complete opposite of the last decade or so of Western domination
Posted on 7/6/20 at 1:02 pm to skrayper
Arkansas lost to SMU on a Barry Lunny quarterback sneak which he fumbled as time ran out on the goal line.
They didn't really start getting wrecked until the second half. Arkansas didn't have a chance when 1,360 yard rusher Madre Hill torn an ACL in the first half. I think if he didn't get hurt, it would have been like the Tennessee game earlier. A somewhat competitive game but Arkansas just didn't have the weapons to pull off an upset.
That season was dubbed a season of firsts. It was kinda like a cinderella season. They weren't loaded with NFL talent but they had good college football players that put up solid stats.
They didn't really start getting wrecked until the second half. Arkansas didn't have a chance when 1,360 yard rusher Madre Hill torn an ACL in the first half. I think if he didn't get hurt, it would have been like the Tennessee game earlier. A somewhat competitive game but Arkansas just didn't have the weapons to pull off an upset.
That season was dubbed a season of firsts. It was kinda like a cinderella season. They weren't loaded with NFL talent but they had good college football players that put up solid stats.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 1:04 pm to BHMKyle
quote:
I feel like the SEC West in general was very flowed from about 1995-2002.
Yep - every program in the division had at least 1 terrible team over that period. No team in the division had any consistency.
Alabama: 1997 (4-7), 2000 (3-8)
Arkansas: 1996 (4-7), 1997 (4-7), 2000 (6-6)
Auburn: 1998 (3-8), 1999 (5-6)
LSU: 1998 (4-7), 1999 (3-8)
Ole Miss: 1996 (5-6)
Miss St: 1995 (3-8), 1996 (5-6), 2001 (3-8), 2002 (3-9)
Much of the division also got mired in all the SEC/NCAA stuff and was on probation at one point or another (Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, State).
The most consistent SEC West program of the era was the only one that didn't go to Atlanta, Ole Miss. 6-5, 5-6, 8-4, 7-5, 8-4, 7-5, 7-4, 7-6, 10-3
Posted on 7/6/20 at 1:06 pm to Mithridates6
2007 Tennessee (10-4, 6-2)
Besides a 39 point loss to Florida, needing OT to beat Kentucky and a 16 point 4th quarter to beat Vandy by 1, they managed to make John Parker Wilson look like a Heisman candidate and Major Applewhite like Don Coryell, even though Bama was missing Glen Coffee, an A-A center Antoine Caldwell, and another starting OL. Not a single Bama player was taken in the 2008 NFL draft.
Sure, they may have given LSU a fight in the SECCG. But they were piss poor on multiple occasions during the season.
Besides a 39 point loss to Florida, needing OT to beat Kentucky and a 16 point 4th quarter to beat Vandy by 1, they managed to make John Parker Wilson look like a Heisman candidate and Major Applewhite like Don Coryell, even though Bama was missing Glen Coffee, an A-A center Antoine Caldwell, and another starting OL. Not a single Bama player was taken in the 2008 NFL draft.
Sure, they may have given LSU a fight in the SECCG. But they were piss poor on multiple occasions during the season.
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 1:10 pm
Posted on 7/6/20 at 1:06 pm to BHMKyle
quote:Funny how things change; in the 90's the West was the weak sister in the conference, as Fla and Tennessee ran shite and Georgia was emerging.
Yeah. Throw them in there too. I feel like the SEC West in general was very flowed from about 1995-2002.
That changed as Saban and Tuberville waged war in the early 2000's, and elevated both LSU and Auburn. Then towards the end of the decade, Alabama reemerged. Really a shame Arkansas couldn't keep up.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 1:09 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
An honorable mention to 1999 Alabama. Sure, we finished 7-1 in conference and ended up winning the championship, but that team lost to Louisiana Tech...at home.
That was a bad loss, but that team was humming at the end of the season. Would have loved to see how the Tennessee game might have turned out had Shaun Alexander not hurt his ankle in it.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 1:14 pm to The Spleen
quote:
That was a bad loss, but that team was humming at the end of the season. Would have loved to see how the Tennessee game might have turned out had Shaun Alexander not hurt his ankle in it.
Yea, I mean, they dealt with having Mike DuBose as head coach.
They beat
> 7-4 Houston by 27
> 8-4, #17 Arkansas
> 9-4 , #12 Florida in Gainesville (their first SEC home loss in like 5 seasons) (losses to #8 Alabama (2), #1 FSU, #7 Mich St)
> 8-4, #22 Ole Miss (in Oxford)
> 9-3, #14 Southern Miss
> 10-2, #13 Mississippi St
> 9-4, #12 Florida in Atlanta
Then lost by 1 in OT to 10-2, #5 Michigan along with losing a close game to #9 Tennessee
It was a good football team
This post was edited on 7/6/20 at 1:15 pm
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