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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 Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images
Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images /

7. 1984

7-4-1 (3-3)

Sun Bowl

Two years before that 1986 disappointment and then rebound season, Tennessee football was still slowly on the rise under Johnny Majors. This year, they had a new quarterback in dual-threat Tony Robinson, and they had running back Johnnie Jones, who was entering his senior year along with guys like the McKenzie twins, Alvin Toles and Carl Zander.

However, UT still underwent a transition, as Robinson was replacing Alan Cockrell, who went to concentrate on baseball. They also lost their greatest defensive performer ever in Reggie White. As a result, despite a 2-0 start, things got a bit rocky after that. The Vols tied the Army Black Knights then lost at the No. 20 Auburn Tigers and to the No. 18 Florida Gators.

After that, though, they got on a roll, and it started with a huge, thrilling 28-27 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Then they scored another close win at the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets en route to winning five of their final six. That was enough to make this a very good season, although it ended in heartbreak as they lost to of their final three.

One of those losses was a shocker to the Kentucky Wildcats, their final loss in the series until 2011. Then they blew a 21-0 lead to the Maryland Terrapins to lose 28-27. Had they not dropped the ball in those final two games, this wouldn’t even be eligible for the list, as they would have easily finished in the top 25 with a 9-2-1 record.

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