All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee footballs previous 7-0 starts hint SEC title is guaranteed

By Caleb Calhoun

4 Jan 1999: the Tennesse Volunteers celebrate during the Fiesta Bowl Game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Tennessee defeated Florida State 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport
4 Jan 1999: the Tennesse Volunteers celebrate during the Fiesta Bowl Game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Tennessee defeated Florida State 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport /
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Nov 1, 1969; Athens, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Tennessee Volunteers fullback Curt Watson (31) in action against the Georgia Bulldogs during the 1969 season. Tennessee beat Georgia 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 1969; Athens, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Tennessee Volunteers fullback Curt Watson (31) in action against the Georgia Bulldogs during the 1969 season. Tennessee beat Georgia 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

14. 1969: 9-2 (5-1)

SEC Champion; No. 15 AP, No. 11 Coaches; Gator Bowl

While 1998 is Tennessee football’s last SEC Championship, 1969 was the last SEC Championship the Vols ever won outright without the help of another team being on probation before the leagues split into two divisions in 1992. This was a renaissance period for the Vols, the Doug Dickey years, and they were rolling at this point.

Two years removed from a 9-2 season, an SEC Championship and a retroactive national championship, this was a loaded team. Ironically, it included Phillip Fulmer as a player, who was the last coach to take UT 7-0 before Josh Heupel. Chip Kell, Lester McClain, Jack Reynolds, Steve Kiner, Jackie Walker and Bobby Majors were also a part of this team.

Coming off an 8-2-1 campaign, the Vols started the season ranked No. 15. A win in Week 2 over the No. 17 ranked Auburn Tigers got them into the top 10, and then in back to back weeks, they beat No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Georgia, both on the road, to get to No. 3.

At 7-0, they were national title contenders. However, the Vols on a visit to the Ole Miss Rebels and Archie Manning, Kiner referred to Ole Miss as a bunch of mules, and Vol boosters wore Archie Who stickers. Manning led Ole Miss to a 38-0 win. That derailed UT’s season, but they still won the SEC. They lost the Gator Bowl 14-13 to the Florida Gators, a team Dickey would take over shortly after.

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