SEC Football: 10 Greatest Games in Conference History

The SEC was established in 1932 and has become arguably the best conference in college football. It features many of the better programs in the sport, making it the deepest conference and from top to bottom the strongest the sport has ever seen. There's a reason SEC teams have won the last six national championships.

But with all of the history this sport has seen and all of the great players that have come and gone, this conference has seen many fantastic games. We could talk about the great matchups all day, although I'm sure you don't have all day. That's why we're going to keep it a little short.

Here are the top 10 games in SEC history.

10. Arkansas vs. Ole Miss 2001

This game is simply on here because it went seven frigging overtimes, and yes, that is an NCAA record that we may never see broken.

The teams played to an uninspired 7-7 tie at the half. But once the game went into overtime, each team matched the other until Ole Miss failed to convert on a two-point conversion, which made Arkansas a 58-56 winner.

There were a total of 60 first downs, 198 offensive plays and Eli Manning (quarterback of the Rebels) threw six touchdown passes.

Neither of these teams accomplished much in 2001, but they did provide us with a game that we'll never forget.

9. Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss 1999

This game may have included one of the more boneheaded decisions in SEC history. Seriously, what are the chances that a Hail Mary pass is completed? Somebody must have not told Ole Miss and quarterback Romero Miller as they lost a heart-breaker because of it.

Not only were the Rebels up 20-6 in the fourth quarter and let Mississippi State come all the way back to tie the game. But with only 20 seconds on the clock, Ole Miss decides to throw a deep pass that was intercepted and returned to where the Bulldogs could kick the game-winning field goal.

This game was not only bizarre, but left many Ole Miss fans wondering what in the world just happened?

8. Tennessee vs. LSU 2010

Okay, so did Tennessee win or lose this game?

Of course, we know LSU won the game, but how?

We all know Les Miles is one crazy head coach and this game absolutely proves it. The Tigers have the ball near the five-yard line, down four points, with plenty of time to get a few plays out of the drive. Instead of running a couple of plays, precious little seconds continue to run off as the Tigers can't figure out who should be on the field. 

When LSU finally snaps the ball, it goes past quarterback Jordan Jefferson, he gets tackled, game over, correct? Nope. Turns out Tennessee had more than 11 guys on the field. The game can't end on a defensive penalty. LSU gets another shot, runs up the middle, scores a touchdown and wins the game.

People, I really can't make this up. Watch the video if you still can't believe this happened.

7. Mississippi State vs. Alabama 1980

Alabama had so many streaks riding on this game. The Crimson Tide had won 28 straight and two national championships. Alabama had beaten the Bulldogs 22 times in a row, and legendary head coach Paul Bryant had never lost to Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs had a 6-3 lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Crimson Tide were driving and appeared to have the game right where they wanted it, Then Alabama lost a fumble, allowing Mississippi State to win.

What an upset.

6. LSU vs. Kentucky 2002

The ending to this game is just hilarious. Well, unless you're a Kentucky fan, of course. But even then,  it's hard not to crack a smile. 

Kentucky had a three-point lead with 11 seconds to go and LSU has the ball at its own 13-yard line. Quarterback Marcus Randall was told to just throw the ball as deep as he could. Somehow, Devery Henderson caught the 75-yard bomb to win the game for the Tigers.

What makes the outcome so funny is that Kentucky coach Guy Morriss had already received the Gatorade bath and everything. This just shows that the game is never over until the clock hits zero. 

Nick Saban was later asked how he won the game.

"We always say we need to play for 60 minutes,'' Saban said. "There is the reason why.''

5. Tennessee vs. Alabama 2009

Who says noseguards don't deserve credit for victories. In this case, Terrence Cody won the game for the Crimson Tide twice.

Alabama had a 9-3 lead when the Volunteers tried a field goal that would have cut the lead in half.  Cody blocked it. Then, after Alabama running back Mark Ingram's first fumble of his career, the 350-pound beast did it again, blocking another field goal that would have erased a 12-10 deficit and given Tennessee the win.

"'I didn't really get off the ground,'' Cody said. ''I just reached my arm up. That's how I got it. I knocked (the blocker) back. He was on his back.''

It's normally luck when you block one kick. But to block two in the same game, something tells me Tennessee was just not supposed to win that game.

4. Arkansas vs. Kentucky 2003

If you're a fan of offense, this was the game for you. It went seven overtimes and ended with a final score of 71-63, with the Razorbacks being on the winning side.

It is tied for the longest game in NCAA history and actually carried over to the next day before the game ended.

The Razorbacks scored 47 points in overtime, which is the most in Arkansas history. The 134 total points was the most combined points in a game after 1950. Of course, Kentucky was on the losing end once quarterback Jared Lorenzen lost the football on a quarterback sneak.

3. Auburn vs. Alabama 2010

Auburn and Cam Newton were unstoppable in the 2010 season until they ended up playing the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game between the two Top-10 teams didn't live up to the hype in the beginning as Alabama jumped to a 24-7 lead at the half. 

That's before Newton jumped into the phone booth in the second half and led the Tigers to a 28-27 victory. Somehow, a defense that allowed 24 points in the first half only allowed three in the second. Newton finished with more than 250 total yards and scored all four of the Tigers touchdowns.

"That was a game that will certainly go down in history," Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. "It's hard to come back when you're down 24-0 against anybody."

The Iron Bowl is a game that everybody always has circled on the calendar. This was a game that nobody will ever forget.

2. Florida vs. Alabama 2008

You knew we weren't going to write about the best games in SEC history and not include a game that involved quarterback Tim Tebow. This was the 2008 SEC championship game, and, of course, the Florida Gators ended up winning and crushing the Crimson Tide's undefeated season and national championship dreams.

Before the game even started, many doubted that the Crimson Tide had a shot, despite their undefeated record.  The game went back-and-forth before Tebow and company scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win 31-20.

This game had a little bit of everything and was for all of the marbles. A national championship berth and SEC title were on the line. There are not many times a game is as hyped up as this one and actually lives up to it.

1. LSU vs. Ole Miss 1959

If you're a lover of offense, you can stop reading here because this game would have put you to sleep. LSU entered as the No. 1 team in the country and Ole Miss was No. 2. Both defenses had allowed only one touchdown each in the first seven games of the season.

The LSU Tigers prevailed 7-3. But it's not a matter of who won that makes this game the best. It's how they won.

Ole Miss punted the ball to a guy by the name of Billy Cannon, who broke a tackle from seemingly  every player on the Rebels' punt team in returning it 89 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

It was a play worth waiting for and something to be appreciated, even it is in black and white.