Conference record book

Southeastern Conference Top 25 Games of the 1970s

The best games involving a SEC member at the time of kickoff, ranked without favoring either side.

Games: 25
Top score: 82/100
Overtime: 0

National ranking

The conference's top 25

25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

1973PostseasonNeutral site
Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Alabama 23, Notre Dame 24
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Notre Dame · 1-point margin
Ranking 48/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
82
Game score
Full Game · 1973 Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Alabama (Full Game)
1978PostseasonNeutral site
Penn State vs. Alabama
Penn State 7, Alabama 14
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 1 Penn State vs. No. 2 Alabama · 7-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
77
Game score
1977Week 6
Alabama at USC
Alabama 21, USC 20
Nonconference
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 6 USC · 1-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
1972Week 13
Alabama at Auburn
Alabama 16, Auburn 17
Conference game
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 9 Auburn · 1-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
75
Game score
Full Game · Punt, Bama, Punt: Auburn vs. Alabama (Full Game)
1970PostseasonNeutral site
LSU vs. Nebraska
LSU 12, Nebraska 17
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 5 LSU vs. No. 3 Nebraska · 5-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
1974Week 13
Auburn at Alabama
Auburn 13, Alabama 17
Conference game
No. 7 Auburn vs. No. 2 Alabama · 4-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
1974PostseasonNeutral site
Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Alabama 11, Notre Dame 13
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 9 Notre Dame · 2-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
1972PostseasonNeutral site
Alabama vs. Texas
Alabama 13, Texas 17
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 7 Texas · 4-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
72
Game score
1971Week 3
Auburn at Tennessee
Auburn 10, Tennessee 9
Conference game
No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 9 Tennessee · 1-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
72
Game score
1970Week 13
LSU at Notre Dame
LSU 0, Notre Dame 3
Nonconference
No. 8 LSU vs. No. 6 Notre Dame · 3-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
70
Game score
1975PostseasonNeutral site
Penn State vs. Alabama
Penn State 6, Alabama 13
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 4 Alabama · 7-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
1978Week 4
USC at Alabama
USC 24, Alabama 14
Nonconference
No. 3 USC vs. No. 7 Alabama · 10-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
1972Week 7
Alabama at Tennessee
Alabama 17, Tennessee 10
Conference game
No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 10 Tennessee · 7-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
1972Week 2
Penn State at Tennessee
Penn State 21, Tennessee 28
Nonconference
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Tennessee · 7-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
1972Week 10
LSU at Alabama
LSU 21, Alabama 35
Conference game
No. 6 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama · 14-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
65
Game score
1974Week 2
Alabama at Maryland
Alabama 21, Maryland 16
Nonconference
No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 14 Maryland · 5-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
65
Game score
1979PostseasonNeutral site
Arkansas vs. Alabama
Arkansas 9, Alabama 24
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 6 Arkansas vs. No. 2 Alabama · 15-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 20/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
1973Week 13
Alabama at LSU
Alabama 21, LSU 7
Conference game
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 8 LSU · 14-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
1979Week 5
USC at LSU
USC 17, LSU 12
Nonconference
No. 1 USC vs. No. 17 LSU · 5-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
1976Week 2
LSU at Nebraska
LSU 6, Nebraska 6
Nonconference
No. 16 LSU vs. No. 8 Nebraska · 0-point margin
Ranking 28/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
63
Game score
1971PostseasonNeutral site
Auburn vs. Oklahoma
Auburn 22, Oklahoma 40
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 3 Oklahoma · 18-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 17/35 · Overtime 0/15
61
Game score
Full Game · 1971 Oklahoma vs. Auburn (Bowl Full Game)
1979Week 14
Auburn at Alabama
Auburn 18, Alabama 25
Conference game
No. 17 Auburn vs. No. 2 Alabama · 7-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
61
Game score
1973PostseasonNeutral site
LSU vs. Penn State
LSU 9, Penn State 16
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 13 LSU vs. No. 6 Penn State · 7-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
61
Game score
1974Week 9
Auburn at Florida
Auburn 14, Florida 25
Conference game
No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 11 Florida · 11-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15
60
Game score
1971Week 10
Auburn at Georgia
Auburn 35, Georgia 20
Conference game
No. 6 Auburn vs. No. 7 Georgia · 15-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 20/35 · Overtime 0/15
59
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Conference inclusion comes from each team's conference ID stored on the game row, so later realignment never rewrites history. Regular-season AP ranks come from the game's week; postseason ranks use the final regular-season poll before bowl and playoff results.