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Tennessee football: Vols 10 greatest seasons without top 25 finish

By Caleb Calhoun

JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 02: Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after a 16-yard touchdown run to give his team the lead in the fourth quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Indiana Hoosiers at TIAA Bank Field on January 2, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Tennessee defeated Indiana 23-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 02: Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after a 16-yard touchdown run to give his team the lead in the fourth quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Indiana Hoosiers at TIAA Bank Field on January 2, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Tennessee defeated Indiana 23-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images /

8. 1986

7-5 (3-3)

W Liberty Bowl

Another disappointing year based on preseason expectations still makes this list because of how it played out. In 1986, Tennessee football was coming off a 9-1-2 season, its first SEC Championship in 16 years, its first top five finish and Sugar Bowl win in 15 years, its first top 10 finish in 13 years and its first finish in either poll in 11 years.

The highlight of that year was the Vols closing things out with a 35-7 win over the Miami Hurricanes, who would have won the national championship if they had won, in the Sugar Bowl. Anyway, they entered this season ranked No. 10 in the nation, and the momentum behind Johnny Majors, who had spent nine years rebuilding the program, was through the roof.

However, reality set in, as Majors still had not fully been able to complete the rebuild yet. So after a win to open the year and get to No. 8, UT then lost five of six. The Vols were upset at home by the Mississippi State Bulldogs and got blown out at the Auburn Tigers. After beating the UTEP Miners, they were shocked by the Army Black Knights.

A 56-28 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide and 14-13 loss at the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets sent them to 2-5. Then they rebounded, winning their final four games, highlighted by a shocking win at the No. 20 ranked Ole Miss Rebels to finish 6-5. Then they beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Liberty Bowl to finish 7-5 and red-hot, which is why this year makes the list.

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