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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James Haslam II, was captain of the 1952 University of Tennessee football team and a starting tackle on the 1951 national championship team.520000
James Haslam II, was captain of the 1952 University of Tennessee football team and a starting tackle on the 1951 national championship team.520000 /

12. 1951: 10-1 (5-0)

National Champion; SEC Champion; No. 1 AP and Coaches; Sugar Bowl

The only other consensus national championship and AP national championship for Tennessee football outside of 1998 came this year, and once again, it included a 7-0 start. In fact, just like 1956, it included an undefeated regular season, as the Vols went 10-0, and it was part of one of the longest winning streaks in school history.

UT had finished the previous year 11-1. They beat the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats to finish the regular season No. 4. Then they beat the No. 3 Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl while UK beat No. 1 OU in the Sugar Bowl and the No. 2 Army Black Knights lost to the Navy Midshipmen.

Because of that, it was clear the Vols would’ve been unanimous national champions had the rankings been done after the bowl games. As a result, they entered 1951 ranked No. 1 and never lost. To be fair, they avoided Georgia Tech that year, the only other elite team in the SEC, and their only real test was at Bear Bryant and No. 9 Kentucky again, which they won 28-0.

A 28-13 Sugar Bowl loss to the Maryland Terrapins derailed the season, but again, voting was done before the bowls, so they were consensus national champions. It was a loaded team in Robert Neyland’s last championship year with Hank Lauricella, Bert Rechichar, John Michels, Bill Pearman, Ted Daffer and the great Doug Atkins.

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