Best SEC Team ever?

#51
#51
tvolsfan said:
The 39 Vols weren't the best team that year, therefore it is hard to have them at the top.
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Interesting look at the 1939 team. They did not give up a single point during the regular season. Prior to the mid-1960's, the bowl games did not count. The national champion was selected solely based upon regular season accomplishments. To Gen. Neyland, bowl games were seen as rewards, ie vacation, to the players and as a jump start on the next season.

In the first AP poll that season, the 3-0 Vols were ranked #5 with 26 1/2 first place votes. The next 4 weeks, the Vols were solidly ranked #1 and had a 7-0 record. That last week as #1 (Nov 13), the Vols had 66 first place votes while Texas A&M had 0. A&M had been ranked #5 just 2 weeks prior. Somehow, A&M's win over 1-5-1 Rice helped them jump over the Vols. The Vols beat Vanderbilt (2-5-1) the same week. Then an open date by the Vols mysteriously dropped them to #4. A&M also had an open week but held onto enough first place votes to remain #1 (actually a first place tie with USC (6-0-1)). Then A&M beat Texas (5-4) in their final game while the Vols beat Kentucky (6-1-1) vaulting the Vols back to the #2 spot. The Vols had one more game and beat Auburn (5-4-1) to finish out the season undefeated.

Without playing in the final week, A&M (10-0) gained 27 first place votes. The Vols (10-0), which did not surrender a single point all season, gained 7 more first place votes, which was not enough to overcome A&M in the final poll. A&M finished with 55 first place votes and 1,091 points while the Vols had 26 first place votes and 970 points.

Apparently, the previous season's results did not factor into the voters' decision making (much different than now-a-days) A&M had a 4-4-1 record the previous season while the Vols were coming off of a 11-0 season (#2 ranking) in which they topped it off by beating #4 and previously unbeaten Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. TCU finished the 1938 season #1.

Apparently, if a Southwest Conference team finished undefeated, they got the nod over an SEC team?

And how about this for bias, the Vols were jumped over by 3 teams in 1940. The Vols finished the season 10-0 and ranked #4. #1 was Minnesota (8-0), #2 Stanford (9-0) and #3 Michigan (8-1). All 3 teams started the first poll (Oct 14) ranked behind the Vols.
 
#52
#52
allvol said:
Interesting look at the 1939 team. They did not give up a single point during the regular season. Prior to the mid-1960's, the bowl games did not count. The national champion was selected solely based upon regular season accomplishments. To Gen. Neyland, bowl games were seen as rewards, ie vacation, to the players and as a jump start on the next season.

In the first AP poll that season, the 3-0 Vols were ranked #5 with 26 1/2 first place votes. The next 4 weeks, the Vols were solidly ranked #1 and had a 7-0 record. That last week as #1 (Nov 13), the Vols had 66 first place votes while Texas A&M had 0. A&M had been ranked #5 just 2 weeks prior. Somehow, A&M's win over 1-5-1 Rice helped them jump over the Vols. The Vols beat Vanderbilt (2-5-1) the same week. Then an open date by the Vols mysteriously dropped them to #4. A&M also had an open week but held onto enough first place votes to remain #1 (actually a first place tie with USC (6-0-1)). Then A&M beat Texas (5-4) in their final game while the Vols beat Kentucky (6-1-1) vaulting the Vols back to the #2 spot. The Vols had one more game and beat Auburn (5-4-1) to finish out the season undefeated.

Without playing in the final week, A&M (10-0) gained 27 first place votes. The Vols (10-0), which did not surrender a single point all season, gained 7 more first place votes, which was not enough to overcome A&M in the final poll. A&M finished with 55 first place votes and 1,091 points while the Vols had 26 first place votes and 970 points.

Apparently, the previous season's results did not factor into the voters' decision making (much different than now-a-days) A&M had a 4-4-1 record the previous season while the Vols were coming off of a 11-0 season (#2 ranking) in which they topped it off by beating #4 and previously unbeaten Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. TCU finished the 1938 season #1.

Apparently, if a Southwest Conference team finished undefeated, they got the nod over an SEC team?

And how about this for bias, the Vols were jumped over by 3 teams in 1940. The Vols finished the season 10-0 and ranked #4. #1 was Minnesota (8-0), #2 Stanford (9-0) and #3 Michigan (8-1). All 3 teams started the first poll (Oct 14) ranked behind the Vols.
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so between 38, 39, 40, the vols didn't lose a regular season game........interesting. i'd feel like i got jobbed if it didn't happen 70 years ago......but good stuff nontheless.

maybe we could go the Bama route....and just "claim" those years as national titles? i'm sure some sewing society out there or something has a poll with us ranked #1 at the end that we could hang banners for?:eek:lol:
 
#53
#53
allvol said:
Interesting look at the 1939 team. They did not give up a single point during the regular season. Prior to the mid-1960's, the bowl games did not count. The national champion was selected solely based upon regular season accomplishments. To Gen. Neyland, bowl games were seen as rewards, ie vacation, to the players and as a jump start on the next season.

In the first AP poll that season, the 3-0 Vols were ranked #5 with 26 1/2 first place votes. The next 4 weeks, the Vols were solidly ranked #1 and had a 7-0 record. That last week as #1 (Nov 13), the Vols had 66 first place votes while Texas A&M had 0. A&M had been ranked #5 just 2 weeks prior. Somehow, A&M's win over 1-5-1 Rice helped them jump over the Vols. The Vols beat Vanderbilt (2-5-1) the same week. Then an open date by the Vols mysteriously dropped them to #4. A&M also had an open week but held onto enough first place votes to remain #1 (actually a first place tie with USC (6-0-1)). Then A&M beat Texas (5-4) in their final game while the Vols beat Kentucky (6-1-1) vaulting the Vols back to the #2 spot. The Vols had one more game and beat Auburn (5-4-1) to finish out the season undefeated.

Without playing in the final week, A&M (10-0) gained 27 first place votes. The Vols (10-0), which did not surrender a single point all season, gained 7 more first place votes, which was not enough to overcome A&M in the final poll. A&M finished with 55 first place votes and 1,091 points while the Vols had 26 first place votes and 970 points.

Apparently, the previous season's results did not factor into the voters' decision making (much different than now-a-days) A&M had a 4-4-1 record the previous season while the Vols were coming off of a 11-0 season (#2 ranking) in which they topped it off by beating #4 and previously unbeaten Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. TCU finished the 1938 season #1.

Apparently, if a Southwest Conference team finished undefeated, they got the nod over an SEC team?

And how about this for bias, the Vols were jumped over by 3 teams in 1940. The Vols finished the season 10-0 and ranked #4. #1 was Minnesota (8-0), #2 Stanford (9-0) and #3 Michigan (8-1). All 3 teams started the first poll (Oct 14) ranked behind the Vols.
Click to expand...

Nice.
 
#55
#55
kptvol said:
I guess that's why Auburn beat Virginia Tech by less than USC did.
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not taking sides, but never compare scores against like opponents. it's not an accurate measurement at all. for example; georgia beats bama, vols beat georgia, bama beats vols. another; gators beats vols, vols beat georgia, georgia beats gators. see, doesn't work.
 
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