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Fansided

Tennessee football’s top 10 years following unranked seasons

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 18, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers cheerleaders cheer at the Vol Walk before a game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers cheerleaders cheer at the Vol Walk before a game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Johnny Majors when playing for Tennessee in the 1950’s.636645714660868598 000000
Johnny Majors when playing for Tennessee in the 1950’s.636645714660868598 000000 /

Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 10-1 (6-0). player. 839. 1955: 6-3-1 (3-2-1). 1956: Bowden Wyatt. 3

SEC Championship; No. 2 AP and Coaches; Sugar Bowl

When Johnny Majors isn’t on here as a head coach, he’s on here as a player. This was Bowden Wyatt’s second season with Tennessee football. Robert Neyland had become athletic director and had to fire Harvey Robinson, his direct successor, after two years on the job in 1954.

Neyland brought in Wyatt, who was a former player and had success with the Wyoming Cowboys and Arkansas Razorbacks, to fix the issue. Majors’ whose first year was under Robinson, helped Wyatt significantly in 1955, and promise was clearly there. It all came together in 1956.

The Vols ran the table in the regular season, going 10-0. Now, they did have an easy schedule this year, only beating two teams who finished ranked in the top 20 of either poll. One was Duke, which went 5-4-1 and finished No. 20 in the Coaches Poll. The other one, though, was legit, and it’s what put this season up here.

Rocky Top beat No. 2 ranked Georgia Tech on the road 3-0 when they were No. 3. It was the only loss for GT all year, and it decided the SEC Champion that year. Majors finished the season as a Heisman Trophy runner-up. UT didn’t get a share of the national title and lost their bowl game to the Baylor Bears 13-7, but the regular season run made this memorable.

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