Conference record book
Southeastern Conference Top 25 Games of the 1980s
The best games involving a SEC member at the time of kickoff, ranked without favoring either side.
- Games
- 25
- Top score
- 80/100
- 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.
- 1982PostseasonNeutral site
Georgia vs. Penn State
Georgia 23, Penn State 27
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 2 Penn State · 4-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
80
Game score
- 1983PostseasonNeutral site
Texas vs. Georgia
Texas 9, Georgia 10
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Georgia · 1-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
77
Game score
- 1987PostseasonNeutral site
Auburn vs. Syracuse
Auburn 16, Syracuse 16
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 6 Auburn vs. No. 4 Syracuse · 0-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
77
Game score
- 1981PostseasonNeutral site
Alabama vs. Texas
Alabama 12, Texas 14
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 6 Texas · 2-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
- 1985Week 10
Florida at Auburn
Florida 14, Auburn 10
Conference game
No. 2 Florida vs. No. 6 Auburn · 4-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
75
Game score
- 1983PostseasonNeutral site
Michigan vs. Auburn
Michigan 7, Auburn 9
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 3 Auburn · 2-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
- 1980PostseasonNeutral site
Notre Dame vs. Georgia
Notre Dame 10, Georgia 17
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Georgia · 7-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
72
Game score
- 1983Week 12
Auburn at Georgia
Auburn 13, Georgia 7
Conference game
No. 3 Auburn vs. No. 7 Georgia · 6-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
71
Game score
- 1981PostseasonNeutral site
Georgia vs. Pittsburgh
Georgia 20, Pittsburgh 24
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 10 Pittsburgh · 4-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
71
Game score
- 1987Week 5
Tennessee at Auburn
Tennessee 20, Auburn 20
Conference game
No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Auburn · 0-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
71
Game score
- 1987Week 5
LSU at Ohio State
LSU 13, Ohio State 13
Nonconference
No. 7 LSU vs. No. 9 Ohio State · 0-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
71
Game score
- 1989PostseasonNeutral site
Alabama vs. Miami
Alabama 25, Miami 33
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 2 Miami · 8-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
70
Game score
- 1980Week 12
Notre Dame at Alabama
Notre Dame 7, Alabama 0
Nonconference
No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 Alabama · 7-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
70
Game score
- 1988PostseasonNeutral site
Auburn vs. Florida State
Auburn 7, Florida State 13
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 7 Auburn vs. No. 4 Florida State · 6-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
70
Game score
- 1982PostseasonNeutral site
LSU vs. Nebraska
LSU 20, Nebraska 21
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 13 LSU vs. No. 3 Nebraska · 1-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
70
Game score
- 1981Week 9
Mississippi State at Alabama
Mississippi State 10, Alabama 13
Conference game
No. 7 Mississippi State vs. No. 8 Alabama · 3-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
- 1983Week 10
Florida at Auburn
Florida 21, Auburn 28
Conference game
No. 9 Florida vs. No. 3 Auburn · 7-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
- 1983Week 11
Florida at Georgia
Florida 9, Georgia 10
Conference game
No. 14 Florida vs. No. 4 Georgia · 1-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
- 1980Week 10
South Carolina at Georgia
South Carolina 10, Georgia 13
Nonconference
No. 15 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Georgia · 3-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
- 1985Week 7
Alabama at Penn State
Alabama 17, Penn State 19
Nonconference
No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 8 Penn State · 2-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
- 1989Week 9
Alabama at Penn State
Alabama 17, Penn State 16
Nonconference
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 14 Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 32/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
66
Game score
- 1989PostseasonNeutral site
Arkansas vs. Tennessee
Arkansas 27, Tennessee 31
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 8 Tennessee · 4-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
65
Game score
- 1989Week 14
Alabama at Auburn
Alabama 20, Auburn 30
Conference game
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 11 Auburn · 10-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
- 1986Week 2
Miami at Florida
Miami 23, Florida 15
Nonconference
No. 2 Miami vs. No. 13 Florida · 8-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
- 1989Week 5
Auburn at Tennessee
Auburn 14, Tennessee 21
Conference game
No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 12 Tennessee · 7-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
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.