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

5. 1987: First time Vols meet Pat Dye with both teams ranked

After an SEC Championship in 1985 and a five-game winning streak to end the 1986 season, Tennessee football had high expectations again in 1987. They had finally started to even things up with the Auburn Tigers. However, Pat Dye was on a roll himself, as his program was coming off a 10-2 season and top 10 finish with a ton of talent back.

UT entered the game 3-0 and ranked No. 11 thanks to a thrilling season-opening 23-22 win over the No. 16 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. Auburn, meanwhile, was 2-0 and ranked No. 3. This clash was as epic as it would look on paper.

Auburn took a 6-0 lead at halftime thanks to two field goals. In the second half, the Vols took a 7-6 lead, but the Tigers scored two more touchdowns to go up 20-10 with seven minutes left. After a field goal, UT got the ball back and drove to the Auburn seven. Then, on 4th and 1, Reggie Cobb scored a touchdown on a toss. Johnny Majors then went for the extra point and the tie.

After converting it, Auburn drove to the UT 33, but they couldn’t score, as the clock ran out. So it ended in a 20-20 tie. At the time, Vol fans were celebrating, as they had pulled off the shocker. However, Auburn would benefit in the end.

Rocky Top finished the year 5-0-1 in the SEC, and the Vols finished 4-1-1.  If they had won this game, they would have been SEC Champions. Still, Majors went 10-2-1 and saw his team finish the year ranked No. 14.