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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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Tennessee football is one of the top 10 college teams of the 1930s and 40s under coach Robert Neyland, right, at the College Football Hall of Fame.1strangeneylandhof
Tennessee football is one of the top 10 college teams of the 1930s and 40s under coach Robert Neyland, right, at the College Football Hall of Fame.1strangeneylandhof /

11. 1940: 10-1 (5-0)

National champion; SEC Champion; No. 4 AP; Sugar Bowl

Going back to the pre-World War II Golden Age of Tennessee football, 6-0 starts were common thanks to Robert Neyland. While 1951 was the watershed year of his third stint, his second stint was his peak, and this year was part of his peak run. At the time, the Vols hadn’t lost a regular season game since 1937.

UT was defending back to back SEC Champions and after a 3-0 start found themselves at No. 5 in the inaugural AP Poll that year. They beat the LSU Tigers 28-0 to get to 6-0 this season and obliterated Rhodes College on the road 40-0 in a non-conference matchup to get to 7-0.

In the process, the Vols finished 10-0 in the regular season to win their third straight SEC Championship and No. 4 in the AP Poll. They did lose the Sugar Bowl to the Boston College Eagles but not before Dunkel and Williamson declared them national champions.

This team was led by three-year veterans Bob Foxx, Bob Suffridge and Ed Molinski. Suffridge is the only three-time All-American in school history, reaching that status in 1938, 1939 and 1940, and Molinski reached it in 1939 and 1940. Foxx earned it for the first time in his career this year. UT extended its regular season winning streak to 32 games, and it would end at 33 the next year.

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