We'd like to see which of those 28 teams -- the FANS think was the greatest all-time SEC football team. UPDATE: Actually we have added a 29th team due to this reader's comment about the 1952 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Also, we will be adding some of the recent national championship teams from the SEC. For now, just write them in if you think they are the best.
You can help by giving your opinion in two different ways. You can:
- Publish your opinion by using the form at the bottom of this page. If you do that, please back up your choice with some facts - at least a few sentences to support your opinion. And/or
- Take the quick poll at the very bottom of this page.
We say the 1961 Alabama team was the best SEC team ever. In fact, we say they were the best team ever in all of college football. You can read that opinion at Best All-Time NCAA College Football Team.
But, of course, that's just our opinion; you could think another team was better - and you might be right.
So, take the poll and give us your opinion!
Now, to give everyone lots of ammunition to use as the basis for the argument, below are 4 tables with lots of statistics.
Here's what the numbers in the tables below tell you for each of the 28 SEC football teams that won national championships:
- Team Win-Loss-Tie Record
- Team Win Percentage
- Opponents Win Percentage
- Team Offensive Scoring Average
- Team Defensive Scoring Average (average of points given up)
- Net Scoring Average (points scored minus opponents points; divided by games played)
- Average Margin of Victory (points scored in games won minus opponents points scored in those games; divided by number of wins)
| W-L-T | Win % | Opps Win % | OSA | DSA | NSA | AMV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Alabama | 11-0 | 1.000 | .530 | 27.0 | 2.3 | 24.7 | 24.7 |
| 1964 Alabama | 10-1 | .909 | .637 | 22.7 | 8.0 | 14.7 | 21.6 |
| 1965 Alabama | 9-1-1 | .864 | .596 | 23.3 | 9.7 | 13.5 | 16.7 |
| 1973 Alabama | 11-1 | .917 | .574 | 39.8 | 9.4 | 30.3 | 33.2 |
| 1978 Alabama | 11-1 | .917 | .636 | 28.8 | 14.0 | 14.8 | 17.0 |
| 1979 Alabama | 12-0 | 1.000 | .496 | 31.9 | 5.6 | 26.3 | 26.3 |
| 1992 Alabama | 13-0 | 1.000 | .594 | 28.2 | 9.4 | 18.8 | 18.8 |
| 1957 Auburn | 10-0 | 1.000 | .557 | 20.7 | 2.8 | 17.9 | 17.9 |
| 1996 Florida | 12-1 | .923 | .675 | 47.0 | 17.0 | 30 | 32.8 |
| 2006 Florida | 13-1 | .929 | .690 | 29.7 | 13.5 | 16.2 | 18.2 |
| 1980 Georgia | 12-0 | 1.000 | .455 | 27.8 | 11.4 | 16.3 | 16.3 |
| 1958 LSU | 11-0 | 1.000 | .574 | 25.6 | 4.8 | 20.8 | 20.8 |
| 2003 LSU | 13-1 | .929 | .569 | 33.9 | 11.1 | 22.9 | 25.6 |
| 1960 Mississippi | 10-0-1 | .955 | .617 | 25.5 | 6.4 | 21.0 | 19.1 |
| 1952 Georgia Tech | 12-0 | ||||||
| 1951 Tennessee | 10-0 | 1.000 | .662 | 35.1 | 10.5 | 27.0 | 27.0 |
| 1998 Tennessee | 13-0 | 1.000 | .586 | 33.2 | 14.5 | 18.6 | 18.6 |
| W-L-T | Win % | Opps Win % | OSA | DSA | NSA | AMV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 Alabama | 10-0 | 1.000 | .592 | 31.6 | 4.5 | 27.1 | 27.1 |
| 1936 Alabama | 8-0-1 | .944 | .617 | 18.7 | 3.9 | 14.8 | 14.8 |
| 1935 LSU | 9-2-0 | .818 | .668 | 20.3 | 3.7 | 16.6 | 20.7 |
| 1936 LSU | 9-1-1 | .864 | .593 | 26.8 | 4.9 | 21.9 | 27.6 |
| W-L-T | Win % | Opps Win % | OSA | DSA | NSA | AMV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 Alabama | 10-0 | 1.000 | .632 | 29.7 | 2.6 | 27.1 | 27.1 |
| 1926 Alabama | 9-0-1 | .950 | .583 | 24.9 | 2.7 | 22.2 | 24.7 |
| 1930 Alabama | 10-0 | 1.000 | .721 | 27.1 | 1.3 | 25.8 | 25.8 |
| 1927 Tennessee | 8-0-1 | .944 | .426 | 27.2 | 2.9 | 24.3 | 27.4 |
| 1928 Tennessee | 9-0-1 | .950 | .555 | 24.9 | 5.1 | 19.8 | 22.0 |
| 1928 Georgia Tech | 10-0 | 1.000 | .624 | 22.1 | 4.7 | 17.4 | 17.4 |
| 1929 Tulane | 9-0-0 | 1.000 | .429 | 31.0 | 5.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| 1931 Tulane | 11-1 | .958 | .608 | 29.2 | 4.7 | 24.5 | 27.5 |
| Rating | Season | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22.88 | 1925 | Alabama |
| 2 | 21.75 | 1930 | Alabama |
| 3 | 20.88 | 1934 | Alabama |
| 4 | 19.63 | 1951 | Tennessee |
| 5 | 19.50 | 1931 | Tulane |
| 6 | 18.38 | 1996 | Florida |
| 7 | 18.13 | 1973 | Alabama |
| 8 | 17.38 | 1979 | Alabama |
| 9 | 17.00 | 1961 | Alabama |
| 10 | 16.43 | 1929 | Tulane |
| 11 | 15.00 | 1992 | Alabama |
| 12 | 14.75 | 1928 | Georgia Tech |
| 13 | 14.63 | 1926 | Alabama |
| 13 | 14.63 | 1958 | LSU |
| 13 | 14.63 | 1998 | Tennessee |
| 16 | 14.50 | 2003 | LSU |
| 17 | 13.29 | 1927 | Tennessee |
| 18 | 12.88 | 1936 | LSU |
| 19 | 12.50 | 1960 | Mississippi |
| 19 | 12.50 | 2006 | Florida |
| 21 | 12.00 | 1978 | Alabama |
| 22 | 11.25 | 1935 | LSU |
| 23 | 11.75 | 1957 | Auburn |
| 23 | 11.75 | 1980 | Georgia |
| 25 | 10.57 | 1928 | Tennessee |
| 26 | 10.50 | 1964 | Alabama |
| 27 | 8.43 | 1936 | Alabama |
| 28 | 6.75 | 1965 | Alabama |
So, you can see that our pick - '61 Alabama Crimson Tide -- comes in 9th based on the average of these stats. [Although their 2.3 DSA is the lowest Defensive Scoring Average of any NCAA Div. I College Football Champion in history.]
In any event, for the reasons discussed at Best All-Time NCAA College Football Team, we'll stick with them.
We think the above stats are very interesting and informative, but have to be weighed against the dramatic improvement in the quality of college football since its early days.
Today, college football is much bigger, stronger, and more even (parity) then it was back in the 20's and 30's. Not to discount what teams did back then, but it was much easier to run up huge scores against weak competition during that era.
Maybe that same argument could be made about the '61 Bama team (although to a lesser extent). But, in any event, it certainly is debatable. We think weighing everything, Bear Bryant's first national championship team was the best college football team ever.
But, we'd love to hear what you think.
If interested, there's lots more information on this site about SEC national championship teams. Here's a list of some places you might want to check out:
- Best All-Time SEC Football Team -- discusses '57 Auburn; '96 Florida; '80 Georgia; and '61 Alabama
- Biggest All-Time SEC Football Victory -- discusses '96 and '06 Florida; '03 LSU; '92 Alabama; and '98 Tennessee
- Top All-Time SEC Offensive Football Team -- '96 Gators
- Top Offensive Rushing Team in SEC History -- '80 Georgia Bulldogs
- Best All-Time NCAA College Football Player -- Herschel Walker and the 1980 Dogs discussed
- Biggest All-Time NCAA College Football Game -- 1998 Vols
- Best All-Time NCAA College Football Program -- discusses the many great Alabama Crimson Tide Teams
- Best NCAA College Football Stadium -- Tennessee's Neyland Stadium makes the Vols' football program stronger
- Bear Bryant Biography -- info about the 6 Bear Bryant National Championship teams
- Phil Fulmer Biography -- info about Fulmer's '98 Volunteers
- Steve Spurrier Biography -- info about Spurrier's '96 Gators
- Urban Meyer Biography-- info about Meyer's '06 Gators
- Billy Cannon Biography -- info about Billy Cannon's '58 LSU team
- SEC Football -- at the bottom of this page you will find links to football history pages on each SEC football team
Again, thanks to Tex Noel, from 1st-N-Goal for providing the statistics in the tables above. You might be interested in reading his new and outstanding book about college football history. You can find out more about it at Great Early College Football History Book.
What do you think?
We'd love to hear your comments and/or opinions. If you submit them here, other visitors can read them, rate them and comment on them. An e-mail address is not required.
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
1952 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 
Well i really can not understand how the 1952 Georgia Tech team was omitted from your list. GT rightfully claims the NC per 1 of the national news services …
student (of the game)
Why no mention anywhere of the Tennessee teams of the early- or late-30s? Weren't the 38-9-40 squads undefeated in regular season play, or darn close to …
1938, 1940, 1950, and 1967 Tennessee Vols Football Teams Not rated yet
All four of these teams were recognized as official National Champions by the NCAA. The 1956 team is also recognized by Sagarin, which is an offical NCAA …
very biased, you must be a bammer Not rated yet
I can't deny that UA's 1961 team may have been the best, but...
Auburn's 1914 team was undefeated, outscoring opponents 193 to ZERO. That should qualify …
2003 LSU Was the Best! Not rated yet
the 2003 lsu team was the best. nobody could stop them. the 2008 florida team was awesome too
NYBAMAFAN Not rated yet
We always forget the 1966 un-defeated team. The sports world could not bear another consecutive BAMA National Title so they let Mich. and N.D. split the …
'61 Alabama is NOT the Best College Football Team of All-Time Not rated yet
I agree on the SEC being the toughest division top to bottom in college football and I can see your point on most of the other "bests" for the SEC, although …
Not True: There was college football parity in the 1920's and 1930's Not rated yet
What you say about lack of parity and ease of running up scores in the '20's and '30's is simply not true. There is much more difference between college …
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