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Ranking Tennessee football’s 10 wins with College GameDay in attendance

By Caleb Calhoun

14 Oct 1995: TENNESSEE WIDE RECERIVER MARCUS NASH SCORES HIS SECOND TOUCHDOWN AGAINST ALABAMA DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE VOLUNTEERS 41-14 VICTORY OVER THE CRIMSON TIDE AT LEGION FIELD IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.
14 Oct 1995: TENNESSEE WIDE RECERIVER MARCUS NASH SCORES HIS SECOND TOUCHDOWN AGAINST ALABAMA DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE VOLUNTEERS 41-14 VICTORY OVER THE CRIMSON TIDE AT LEGION FIELD IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. /
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01 Dec 2001: Casey Clausen #7 of Tennessee runs with the ball during the victory over Florida at Florida Field at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fl. Tennessee won 34-32. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT
01 Dec 2001: Casey Clausen #7 of Tennessee runs with the ball during the victory over Florida at Florida Field at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fl. Tennessee won 34-32. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT /

839. 32. 840. Final. 34

Dec. 1, 2001

Want to talk about ending streaks? In 2001, Tennessee football was set to visit Florida. At the time, the Vols had lost seven of eight to the Gators, two straight, and seven straight in The Swamp dating back to 1971. This was the watershed moment of the Phillip Fulmer and Steve Spurrier rivalry that exploded in the 1990s.

Both teams came in 9-1. UT was No. 5, and Florida was No. 2. This game was delayed from the third weekend in September due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The winner would win the East to play for the SEC Championship and be No. 2 in the BCS for a chance to go to the national championship to face the Miami Hurricanes.

Simply put, the stakes were through the roof. Somehow, though, the backstory of the series led analysts to pick Florida in a blowout. Vegas started the line at Florida -17, and it moved to Florida -18.5 by kickoff. Kirk Herbstreit said in his prediction that the game wouldn’t be close and Florida would blow them out. Lee Corso followed suit with Florida headgear.

That level of disrespect is the worst in history, and the Vols took it out on Florida with a historic performance from Travis Stephens, who had 226 yards on the ground. They controlled the ground all day and won 34-32 in a game that honestly wasn’t even that close.

It’s probably the greatest road win in Tennessee football history, and the only reason it sometimes suffers a drawback is because the Vols cost themselves a shot at the national title the next week with an upset loss to the LSU Tigers and an upstart coach named Nick Saban. Maybe they can get revenge on Saban with GameDay in town this week.

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