4) 1997 Tennessee 30 Auburn 29
The first time a rematch ever occurred in the SEC championship game was this one. Trailing 20-10 at halftime, the Tennessee adjustments resulted in a 30-29 win in Peyton Manning’s last SEC game. The Volunteers went on to face Nebraska, whose shellacking of Fulmer and Co was their case for a third national title in four years. It worked.
3) 2008 Florida 31 Alabama 20
When Florida stunningly loss to Ole Miss, the Legend of Tebow was born. Giving a tearful speech and with steely determination, the devout Christian rallied the Gators back into national title contention. By the time of the SEC title game in December it was clear that only Alabama stood in his way. Alabama, by contrast, was making its first appearance in the game in 9 long years. It was also the first time Alabama had been ranked number one during the regular season in three decades. And for three quarters the Tide stood like a boulder in the way of Tebow’s dream.
This was an excellently played game all the way around. Alabama also benefited from the lack of gamebreaker Percy Harvin. But Alabama’s depth was minimal owing to the years of sanctions, and this game served as a reminder that there was still work to do. Entering the fourth quarter, Alabama had a nation mesmerized with their 20-17 lead over Tebow. But Florida responded as deserving champions by putting together 2 long drives that ate up the clock and gave them an 11-point lead. Florida went on to capture the national championship with a victory over Oklahoma.
2) 1994 Florida 24 Alabama 23
Late in the 1992 campaign, ESPN pundit Lee Corso angered Aggie Nation by suggesting that unbeaten Texas A&M was unworthy of being ranked ahead of once-beaten Florida State due to their soft schedule. The voters then dropped aTm in their next poll setting off a round of anger in College Station that only died when Notre Dame blasted them in the 1993 Cotton Bowl. In November 1994, Corso was at it again. This time, he was complaining about the polls under-rating Alabama. Corso looked at the Tide’s schedule that remained: #16 MSU on the road, #3 Auburn at home, #4 Florida in Atlanta, and #6 Florida State. Corso was touting Alabama as national champions if they ran the gauntlet. He made clear that he didn’t think Alabama could run through that patch unscathed because “nobody could.” But he looked at Alabama somehow sitting as #5 and couldn’t figure out the logic that had both Nebraska and Penn State ranked higher. Trailing by 10 with eight minutes left, the Tide stunned MSU in Starkville. They then ended Auburn’s 20-game unbeaten streak at Legion Field.
Alabama took the field against Florida not really knowing what would happen even if they won. Three plays into the game, Jay Barker hit Curtis Brown with an 85-yard TD, giving Florida a dose of its own quick strike medicine. The game tottered back and forth although Florida seemed to have the upper hand for most of it. Then lightning came in the name of Dwayne Rudd, who picked off a Danny Wuerffel pass and darted in for a go ahead score. Post-game controversy was sure to ensue when Coach Stallings opted to kick the PAT and take a 23-17 lead. In five plays, Wuerrfel brought Florida back down and with the help of a couple of plays that appeared to have been drawn up by Gus Malzahn, the Gators scored and kicked the PAT for a 24-23 lead.
Except Alabama got the ball back needing only a field goal with a good kicker. Furthermore, the Tide had come back in the fourth quarter a whopping eight times while going 11-0. As Barker got close to midfield it appeared another miracle was in the offing. But the Tide gave it up on downs leaving Steve Spurrier with his second straight SEC championship.
And the #1 SECC game is…