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SEC West: Top 5 wins in past decade and possible 2016 big wins
By Joe Cox
Published:
All wins may be good wins, but all wins are not created equal. Over the past decade, even the lower-tier SEC schools have enjoyed some truly memorable wins. We take a quick look back at five big wins for each SEC West school from the past decade, and ponder which 2016 games could be equally memorable wins for the respective schools.
Alabama
2009 vs. Texas: A month after dethroning defending champion Florida in the SEC Championship Game, Nick Saban won his first ‘Bama title with a 37-21 win in the BCS championship game, which simultaneously began the downfall of Texas football.
2011 vs. LSU: No. 2 Tide avenge an earlier loss to LSU with a 21-0 win in the all-SEC BCS title game.
2012 vs. Notre Dame: In regard to the 2012 BCS title game, on behalf of everyone who ever knew a Notre Dame fan, thank you: 42-14.
2015 vs. Michigan State: In regard to the 2015 BCS semifinal game, on behalf of everyone who ever knew a Big Ten fan, thank you: 38-0.
2015 vs. Clemson: A 45-40 title win enhanced Saban’s coaching immortality, in part because of a gutsy onside kick call.
2016 possibilities: Reviewing the above list, you may notice that the five wins were a BCS semifinal and four BCS title games. Should give you an idea of what it would take for a 2016 game to make the list. Can ‘Bama win another title? We’ll see.
Arkansas
2007 vs. LSU: At the time, it looked like Arkansas’ triple-OT 50-48 win over the No. 1 Tigers had knocked the Tigers out of the BCS. As it turned out, it hadn’t, but it was still a sweet last win for Houston Nutt.
2010 vs. LSU: Season-ending 31-23 victory over the No. 6 Tigers vaulted the Razorbacks into the Sugar Bowl.
2011 vs. South Carolina: In a battle of top 10 teams, Arkansas won 44-28, clearing the way to a season-ending showdown against LSU for a BCS spot.
2015 vs. Auburn: Any time you win in four overtimes, it was a good day. This 54-46 triumph moved Arkansas into the top half of the West, and Auburn to the lower half.
2015 vs. Ole Miss: A miracle 4th-and-25 conversion set the stage for a 53-52 overtime win.
2016 possibilities: The Razorbacks’ three biggest challenges stand to be at home, and the matchups with Alabama, Ole Miss, or LSU could provide statement wins for Bret Bielema.
Auburn
2010 vs. Alabama: What is sweeter for a Tiger fan than coming back from a 24-7 deficit to clinch the Division title in a 28-27 upset? Doing it against Alabama in arguably Cam Newton’s finest moment.
2010 vs. South Carolina: Somehow, the Tigers were only a 4-point favorite against Steve Spurrier’s first USC team to reach the conference title game. They covered the spread and then some in a 56-17 beatdown.
2010 vs. Oregon: Newton is Auburn’s one-and-done hero in a 22-19 BCS title game win.
2013 vs. Georgia: Nick Marshall’s Hail Mary was answered in a dramatic 43-38 comeback win. This game was huge, but gets forgotten sometimes because of …
2013 vs. Alabama: The 34-28 miracle Kick Six win is the only game that could possibly steal the show from the previous week’s heart stopper. Biggest regular season Auburn win ever? Most dramatic? Too many possible accolades.
2016 possibilities: Gus Malzahn could use a statement game in 2016. Possibilities include the home opener against Clemson, a home matchup with LSU, and a road game in that little series they call the Iron Bowl. The home team has gone 14-2 in the past sixteen games between Auburn and LSU.
LSU
2006 vs. Notre Dame: A 41-14 Sugar Bowl embarrassment of the Fighting Irish was a highlight.
2007 vs. Tennessee: A late score led to a 21-14 win and a shot at the title for a two-loss Tigers team.
2007 vs. Ohio State: Matt Flynn threw a career-best four touchdown passes to help the Tigers take down the Buckeyes 38-24 for a BCS title for Les Miles.
2011 vs. Alabama: One of the most-hyped SEC regular season game ever was a 9-6 Tigers win in overtime over the No. 2 Crimson Tide.
2011 vs. Georgia: A 42-10 SEC championship game beatdown set up an LSU/Bama national title game rematch.
2016 possibilities: The lack of a division title over the past four years is a big deal in Baton Rouge. Back-to-back home games with Ole Miss and Alabama are keys to ending that streak. As a fun fact, LSU has defeated a top 15 team each of the past six years. If Les Miles is going to be back on the Bayou in 2017, look for that streak to continue.
Mississippi State
2007 vs. Alabama: A 17-12 win over the Tide is State’s last in the series to date, and allowed the team to reach the Liberty Bowl for Sylvester Croom.
2010 vs. Michigan: Dan Mullen’s second season at State ended with a beatdown of the Wolverines in the Gator Bowl 52-14.
2013 vs. Ole Miss: Winning the Egg Bowl 17-10 allowed the Dogs to be bowl-bound for a program-record fourth consecutive year. The streak is now six.
2014 vs. LSU: Winning as a nine-point underdog at No. 8 LSU (34-29) was key to a 9-0 start to the season.
2014 vs. Auburn: A 38-23 win over No. 2 Auburn jumped the Bulldogs to No. 1 overall, where they remained for four weeks.
2016 possibilities: State is trying not to fall behind in the SEC arms race, and probably the biggest game would have to be the Egg Bowl on the road. The battle for Mississippi is always a must-watch.
Ole Miss
2008 vs. Florida: The Rebels’ 31-30 victory over Tim Tebow’s Gators led to the promise. It also helped Ole Miss earn their first bowl bid in five years.
2009 vs. LSU: A 25-23 win over the Tigers made a second consecutive year of knocking off a top 10 team, winning nine games and appearing in the Cotton Bowl.
2012 vs. Mississippi State: After three consecutive Egg Bowl losses, a 41-24 win over the No. 25 Bulldogs earned Ole Miss revenge and bowl eligibility.
2015 vs. Alabama: A 43-37 road win over the Tide vaulted Ole Miss to No. 3 in the national polls, and marked the first time that the Rebs had won two in a row in the series.
2015 vs. Oklahoma State: A 48-20 Sugar Bowl beatdown capped Ole Miss’s first 10-win season since Eli Manning’s 2003 campaign.
2016 possibilities: The Rebels host Alabama and would love an unprecedented third straight win in the series. LSU is a road game, but the Rebels have won two of the past three. Any win that earns Ole Miss their SEC title game berth would be a big one.
Texas A&M
2006 vs. Texas: A 12-7 win in Austin was the Aggies’ ninth win of the year and paved the way to a Holiday Bowl invitation. It also ended a six-game losing streak against the rival Longhorns.
2012 vs. Alabama: Johnny Football and the Aggies highlight their first year in the SEC by taking down No. 1 Alabama on the road 29-24. Manziel threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 92 yards.
2012 vs. Oklahoma: Nothing to make the case that your new conference is better than your old conference like beating the Sooners 41-13 in the Cotton Bowl.
2013 vs. Duke: The Chick-fil-A Bowl featured a comeback from a 38-17 deficit to a 52-48 victory in Manziel’s final college game. Manziel threw for 382 yards and four scores and ran for 73 yards and one touchdown.
2014 vs. South Carolina: Not a huge game in the big picture, but blasting Steve Spurrier was a great early season moment in the run that saw the Aggies vault to No. 6 before falling out.
2016 possibilities: Home games in Kyle Field are always tough, and the Aggies can stay in the top half of the West with a big home win against perhaps Tennessee, Ole Miss, or LSU– maybe even two of the three.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
