Tennessee football’s Johnny Majors vs. Auburn’s Pat Dye: Ranking 11 games

3. 1985: Upset win over No. 1 Tigers propels Vols to SEC title

While the 1989 game established Tennessee football’s permanent presence on the national stage, the 1985 game helped the Vols arrive. For context, the Auburn Tigers had massive levels of expectations. Bo Jackson was back and healthy for his senior season after an injury-rattled 1984 campaign, looking to prove he was as great as advertised. For the record, he was.

Meanwhile, the Vols had cautious optimism with Tony Robinson back at quarterback. They hadn’t won an SEC title since 1969, hadn’t finished a season ranked since 1974 and hadn’t even been ranked since 1979, which is why they started off the season unranked. A 26-26 tie against the No. 10 ranked UCLA Bruins didn’t put them in the rankings either.

Auburn was No. 1 on the other hand with a 2-0 start. They headed to Knoxville heavily favored. But with all the hype behind Jackson, Robinson became the star. He completed 17-of-30 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns and helped UT build a 24-0 lead. Jackson, meanwhile, was held to 80 yards on 17 carries, and the Vols won 38-20.

This win propelled UT to a 9-1-2 record and its first SEC Championship under Johny Majors, proving that he was truly building up the program. It gave them the confidence they needed. Auburn, meanwhile, stumbled to an 8-4 campaign. While Jackson did win the Heisman, that may have only happened because Robinson suffered a season-ending injury in October.