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Tennessee football: Do Vols fare better with all home non-conference games?

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

Tier 1

Undefeated seasons

In these seasons, the Vols can’t have had any losses, and they can only have had one tie. 

SEC

1938: 11-0 (7-0)

Pre-SEC

1916: 8-0-1 (6-0-1 SIAA)

1927: 8-0-1 (5-0-1 Southern)

1928: 9-0-1 (6-0-1 Southern)

Tennessee football enjoyed two Southern Conference championships under Robert Neyland, and one of them was the 1927 team. Before Neyland, they had two SIAA Championships, and one of them was in 1916 under John R. Bender. So half their conference titles pre-SEC came when they played all non-conference home games.

But since the SEC era, they have only had one undefeated season. And they have only had two overall. The 1938 Vols may be the most important in school history, and they faced the Clemson Tigers, The Citadel Bulldogs and Chattanooga Mocs. This SEC and national title team that also won the Orange Bowl didn’t have the easiest road, though, as Clemson did go 7-1-1 on the year.

Final count

SEC Era: 1, (2 overall)

Pre-SEC: 3 (8 overall)

Complete history: 4 (10 overall)

Percentages

SEC Era: 6 percent (2.3 percent overall)

Pre-SEC: 21 percent (24 percent overall)

Complete history: 13 percent (8 percent overall)

As you can see, a higher percentage of the Vols’ SEC seasons with all home non-conference games have resulted in undefeated seasons overall. That is a bit skewed, however, as they really have one of each, the other being 1998, but they have had way more SEC seasons with at least one non-conference game away from home.

Meanwhile, the Vols were actually bit less likely to go undefeated when they had all non-conference home games prior to SEC play. It didn’t matter, though, as the SEC number is weighted so heavily that it skews their complete history. Overall and in SEC play, UT was more likely to go undefeated with all home non-conference games.

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