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Tennessee football Top 10 Vols teams that didn’t win a championship

By Caleb Calhoun

GAINESVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 01: Scott Newsome #68 of the University of Tennessee Volunteers celebrates the victory over the University of Florida Gators after the SEC game at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida on December 01, 2001. Tennessee defeated Florida 34-32. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 01: Scott Newsome #68 of the University of Tennessee Volunteers celebrates the victory over the University of Florida Gators after the SEC game at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida on December 01, 2001. Tennessee defeated Florida 34-32. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

8. 1965 Tennessee Volunteers: 8-1-2 (2-1-2 SEC)

Doug Dickey’s second team as Tennessee football’s head coach signaled something special building. Coming off a 4-5-1 record the year before, there were legitimate questions as to how good the Vols would be.

But Dickey had his recruits in at this point, and his new offense was taking shape. With Dewey Warren stepping in at quarterback, the team was ready to take off. And early on, they showed they were on the path to their glory days.

The Vols jumped out to a 3-0-2 record, with their only two ties to the eventual top two teams in the SEC standings, the Auburn Tigers and the eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Then, the No. 7 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came to town. Tennessee football won that game 21-7.

The win moved the Vols to 4-0-2 and solidified them as a national power. They did lose a close one to the Ole Miss Rebels in a 14-13 loss a week later. But they were able to salvage that with their play the rest of the way.

Tennessee closed the regular season out with a huge 37-34 win over the No. 5 ranked UCLA Bruins in Memphis, a huge win at the time. As a result, they finished the regular season 7-1-2 and ranked No. 7 in the nation. If not for that loss to Ole Miss, they would have won the SEC Championship. But even without that title, the Vols knew they were on the right track as a program, so nobody was too sad.

A Bluebonnet Bowl win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes secured an 8-1-2 record and the momentum the program needed. They won the titles in 1967 and 1696 afterward under Dickey. The 1966 and 1968 Vols could have been on this list as well, but those two teams beat no ranked teams, while the ’65 Vols beat two. So that’s why they make the list.

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