Tennessee joins 4 SEC championship teams with latest feat

Tennessee’s offense has waxed and waned this season, but its defense has more than caught up.

The Volunteers have held their first eight opponents to under 20 points in every game, and Kentucky’s 18 points are the most they have allowed this season.

Josh Heupel’s defense is the only unit in the FBS to accomplish this feat, but it also joins a rather exclusive club when it comes to which recent SEC teams have achieved this mark.

Tennessee held its first eight opponents under 20 points – the only FBS defense in 2024 to do so

The other four SEC defenses (since 2000) have won national titles to accomplish this

2003 LSU
2011 in Alabama
2012 in Alabama
2021 Georgia

— Pick six previews (@PickSixPreviews) November 3, 2024

LSU’s 2003 squad allowed only one team (Arkansas) to exceed the 20-point mark all season before beating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

Similarly, in 2011, Alabama only had one team (ironically, Georgia Southern) score more than 20 points en route to beating LSU and winning the national title.

The 2012 Crimson Tide team gave up more than 20 points to Johnny Manziel’s Texas A&M and Georgia in the SEC title game before easily defeating Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship.

Finally, Georgia’s historic 2021 unit allowed Alabama to score more than 20 points in the SEC title game, and the Bulldogs gained revenge by limiting the Tide to just 18 points in the national championship game.

All four teams have won titles each season, and the Vols would like nothing more than to continue that trend.