4. 1998 Tennessee (14.5 PPG allowed, 13-0, National Champions)
Key Players: DE Shaun Ellis, DT Darwin Walker, LB Al Wilson, LB Raynoch Thompson, CB Dwayne Goodrich, FS Deon Grant
After a tough day against Syracuse in the opener, the Vols put the clamps down and carried an offense featuring a completely inexperienced backfield to perfection.
They forced five turnovers and five sacks against Florida, kept Auburn out of the end zone with a goal-line stand in a 17-9 win, got four turnovers in a 22-3 decimation of Georgia, and the list goes on.
While Arkansas got the best of them in the first half, they held the Pigs to a field goal in the second, then helped build a 59-7 lead on Tim Couch and Kentucky before retiring to the backups.
In the SEC Championship Game against Mississippi State, they surrendered less than 160 yards of total offense and allowed no offensive touchdowns.
And with it all on the line, they forced three turnovers (including a Goodrich INT for six) and held Peter Warrick to one catch for seven yards in the National Championship. The NFL pedigrees of several of these players have also played out well over time. The backbone of perfection.
3. 2006 Florida (13.5 PPG allowed, 13-1, National Champions)
Key Players: DE Derrick Harvey, DT Ray McDonald, LB Brandon Siler, LB Earl Everett, CB Ryan Smith, FS Reggie Nelson
No team on this list has asked its defense to step up and come through in crucial situations more than the ’06 National Champions. And the Gators always provided. Tennessee’s complete inability to run the football on them (negative rushing yards for the day) paved the way for a 21-20 win in Knoxville.
They locked down JaMarcus Russell and LSU 23-10. Even in the loss to Auburn, they played well enough to win; the Tigers got a safety plus two touchdowns off a fumble and a blocked punt to contribute to their 27 points. Right back to work against Georgia, where they surrendered only 14 points.
The list goes on: 25-19 over Vanderbilt, 17-16 over South Carolina, 21-14 over FSU.
Arkansas appeared to expose them by scoring 28 in the SEC Championship, but all the questions were answered in one of the most dominant championship defensive performances of all-time.
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