Offseason Thread: Worst SECCG Participants

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bamawriter

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#1
This was suggested by @RDU VOL#14 in another thread, and I liked the idea.

2 Questions:


1. Who are the worst teams to ever play in the SEC Championship Game?


2. Who are the best teams that missed out on the SEC Championship Game?
 
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#2
#2
Top 5 Worst to Make the SECCG
2016 Florida
2015 Florida
2010 South Carolina
2014 Missouri
2002 Arkansas

Top 10 Best Not to Make the SECCG
2011 Alabama
2017 Alabama
2013 Alabama
2001 Florida
1996 Tennessee
1999 Tennessee
1995 Tennessee
1997 Florida
1998 Florida
1993 Tennessee
 
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#3
#3
Lawrence Wright said:
Top 5 Worst to Make the SECCG
2016 Florida
2015 Florida
2010 South Carolina
2014 Missouri
2002 Arkansas

Top 5 Best Not to Make the SECCG
2013 Alabama
2001 Florida
1996 Tennessee
1999 Tennessee
tie - 1995 Tennessee
tie - 1997 Florida
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That's a great list. Unfortunately Tennessee is full of great teams that didn't make the SECCG. Could arguably add the 1993 Tennessee team to that list (Shuler, Garner, etc.).
 
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05_never_again said:
That's a great list. Unfortunately Tennessee is full of great teams that didn't make the SECCG. Could arguably add the 1993 Tennessee team to that list (Shuler, Garner, etc.).
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Yeah it's much tougher to sort out the best teams that didn't make it, considering UF and UT were easily the SEC's two best teams in the 90s.

I added 1993 Tennessee and 1998 Florida to the list....there were some crazy talented teams not to make the SECCG.
 
#5
#5
bamawriter said:
This was suggested by @RDU VOL#14 in another thread, and I liked the idea.

2 Questions:


1. Who are the worst teams to ever play in the SEC Championship Game?


2. Who are the best teams that missed out on the SEC Championship Game?
Click to expand...

(1) I feel it’s between 2010 South Carolina and one of the 8-3 teams (1995 Arkansas or 1998 Mississippi State)

(2) 2011 Alabama?
 
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#7
I think ‘04 and ‘07 UGA could make an argument to be on the list for best. I don’t know if that makes us on the list for the worst . By the end of that ‘07 season they were best team in the country IMO. Makes it even sweeter we smacked them. I’ll get roasted for this, but the ‘06 Tennessee team was very, very good. We lose by literally a fingernail grazing Chris Leaks helmet and get the pick 6 overturned because roughing the passer and it’s 23-7. Lose Ainge for LSU and Arkansas. That’s the season.

That ‘98 Arkansas team was very good could be on the best not to make it. Glad we didn’t have to beat them twice .
 
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RDU VOL#14 said:
I think ‘04 and ‘07 UGA could make an argument to be on the list for best. I don’t know if that makes us on the list for the worst . By the end of that ‘07 season they were best team in the country IMO. Makes it even sweeter we smacked them. I’ll get roasted for this, but the ‘06 Tennessee team was very, very good. We lose by literally a fingernail grazing Chris Leaks helmet and get the pick 6 overturned because roughing the passer and it’s 23-7. Lose Ainge for LSU and Arkansas. That’s the season.

That ‘98 Arkansas team was very good could be on the best not to make it. Glad we didn’t have to beat them twice .
Click to expand...

The best list is a tough one to pick.

Personally I think the UF/UT East runner up teams of the mid to late 90s would smoke UGA’s 2004 and 2007 teams.

UT crushed UGA in ‘07, and UGA ‘04 struggled to pull away from Zook’s worst UF squad.
 
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#9
#9
Worst to make it:

1. '98 Mississippi St
2. '95 Arkansas
3. '10 South Carolina
4. '15 Florida
5. '02 Arkansas

Honorable Mention: '14 Missouri


Best to miss out:

1. '11 Alabama
2. '13 Alabama
3. '95 Tennessee
4. '96 Tennessee
5. '17 Alabama

Honorable Mention: '98 Florida
 
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#10
#10
'15 Florida is somewhat tough, because if Grier had played out the year they're unquestionably a good to great squad. But, with Harris under center, they were absolutely dreadful.
 
#11
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bamawriter said:
'15 Florida is somewhat tough, because if Grier had played out the year they're unquestionably a good to great squad. But, with Harris under center, they were absolutely dreadful.
Click to expand...

You have to go with the team that showed up in Atlanta. Those two McElwain teams were the very definition of dreadful.
 
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Lawrence Wright said:
You have to go with the team that showed up in Atlanta. Those two McElwain teams were the very definition of dreadful.
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I couldn't put 2016 up there. They were far from good, but they didn't back their way in, and they at least showed a pulse against a really good Bama team. The 2015 team went almost 3 quarters without a first down.
 
#13
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Lawrence Wright said:
You have to go with the team that showed up in Atlanta. Those two McElwain teams were the very definition of dreadful.
Click to expand...
When you look at just record/ranking and not how they actually played, it's amazing the lofty intra-season heights that 2015 team was able to achieve. Going into the FSU game that year, they were 10-1 (only blemish was a close loss to a #6 LSU team in Death Valley at night) and a top 10 team. Upon closer examination, sure, a chunk of the wins weren't at all impressive (East Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vandy, FAU) but they also beat a #3 Ole Miss team and smashed Georgia.

The last 3 games of that season were definitely a correction to how good they actually were.
 
#14
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05_never_again said:
When you look at just record/ranking and not how they actually played, it's amazing the lofty intra-season heights that 2015 team was able to achieve. Going into the FSU game that year, they were 10-1 (only blemish was a close loss to a #6 LSU team in Death Valley at night) and a top 10 team. Upon closer examination, sure, a chunk of the wins weren't at all impressive (East Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vandy, FAU) but they also beat a #3 Ole Miss team and smashed Georgia.

The last 3 games of that season were definitely a correction to how good they actually were.
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We were better than Florida in 14, 15, and 16 and won 1. Lost by a total of what 2 points? Unbelievable. Same as 99, 2000, 2001. We theoretically could’ve beaten the Gators 98-2004. Granted our wins were all close with the exception of 2003.
 
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#15
#15
Tis is an interesting thread. Enjoying all of these memories about those good teams!
 
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RDU VOL#14 said:
We were better than Florida in 14, 15, and 16 and won 1. Lost by a total of what 2 points? Unbelievable. Same as 99, 2000, 2001. We theoretically could’ve beaten the Gators 98-2004. Granted our wins were all close with the exception of 2003.
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Florida is in our head and we have some kind of hang-up with them...no doubt about it. When both programs are riding high, they win. When both programs are down, they win. If we're down and they're up, they win. If we're up and they're down (very rare), we win.
 
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#17
#17
I see that Auburn's undefeated team from 1993 hasn't been mentioned... I guess they aren't being counted because of probation? They technically still have the best record not to make it the SEC CG, though. Without counting them my best and worst would be:

Best: 1995 Tennessee (finished 11-1 and ranked #2 in one poll and #3 in the other)
Worst: 1995 Arkansas (a very average team)
 
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BowlBrother85 said:
I see that Auburn's undefeated team from 1993 hasn't been mentioned... I guess they aren't being counted because of probation? They technically still have the best record not to make it the SEC CG, though. Without counting them my best and worst would be:
Click to expand...

That's the reason I didn't include them. '02 Bama was also a really good team that wouldn't have made my top 5 regardless, but I wouldn't have put them in my top 10 because of the circumstances.
 
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Lawrence Wright said:
Yep, 2011 Bama was a huge oversight...all they did was win a national title.

Also added 2017 Alabama.
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The best teams probably are the 2011 and 2017 Alabama teams that won National Championships... I put Tennessee as my pick earlier because I'm biased and also, there were no mulligans back in the 90's. If you didn't make the SEC CG, there wasn't a path to the national championship for you. It has always bothered me the way things fell for our 1 loss team in 1995... They deserved much better than the damn Citrus Bowl.
 
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BowlBrother85 said:
The best teams probably are the 2011 and 2017 Alabama teams that won National Championships... I put Tennessee as my pick earlier because I'm biased and also, there were no mulligans back in the 90's. If you didn't make the SEC CG, there wasn't a path to the national championship for you. It has always bothered me the way things fell for our 1 loss team in 1995... They deserved much better than the damn Citrus Bowl.
Click to expand...
Both Tennessee and Florida are in a CFP if it existed in 1995.
 
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#21
#21
bamawriter said:
That's the reason I didn't include them. '02 Bama was also a really good team that wouldn't have made my top 5 regardless, but I wouldn't have put them in my top 10 because of the circumstances.
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Uhhhg. I can still see Casey Clausen’s interception in the end zone in slow motion . Right at the end of the half. That was ball game right there . That was one of the few times I remember seeing Fulmer yell at a player, and it was Clausen.
 
#23
#23
bamawriter said:
Just as well. Tennessee wouldn't have done much better than Florida against that Nebraska team.
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I agree but Tennessee should have been in the Orange Bowl (instead of Notre Dame) playing Florida State. We had a better record and were also ranked higher in both polls and clearly the better team. Ohio State had beaten ND 45-26 earlier in that season. ND also had a home loss to Northwestern.
 
#24
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bamawriter said:
Just as well. Tennessee wouldn't have done much better than Florida against that Nebraska team.
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True, but the perception would be a lot different. The Citrus Bowl (where Tennessee ended up) is a lot different way to end your season than making a 4-team playoff, where you have a chance to win a national title.
 
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#25
#25
05_never_again said:
True, but the perception would be a lot different. The Citrus Bowl (where Tennessee ended up) is a lot different way to end your season than making a 4-team playoff, where you have a chance to win a national title.
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Even in the format of the time, Tennessee and Ohio State should have been playing in better bowl games than the Citrus. They were both 10-1. Notre Dame at 9-2 and an earlier blowout loss to Ohio State got the nod to the Orange Bowl and that was wrong. Damn, I hated Notre Dame back then.
 
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