Wait ‘til next year. For decades that was the rallying cry of the Florida Gators, who came close many times but never won a Southeastern Conference championship that counts in the record books until 1991 in the second year of Steve Spurrier’s 12-year run as the Florida head coach. Since 1990, the Gators have won eight SEC championships and three national championships, the best run of any team in the league. During that 19-year span, Florida is 189-51-1, a full 14 wins ahead of second place Tennessee.
While Alabama sets the all-time standard for wins (799), national championships (11) and SEC championships (21) for the Southeastern Conference, the Crimson Tide has been anything but the most dominant program in the league since 1980. From 1960-79, Alabama went 193-32-5, winning six national championships and eight SEC titles. Since 1980, Alabama has endured eight losing seasons while recording a 138-88 record that includes four SEC championships and one (1992) national championship. Alabama hasn’t won the SEC since 1999.
Since 1980, Florida has put together the best record in the league (265-89-4), a mark that is even more impressive if you simply go by the numbers from 1990-2008. In that time, Florida has recorded six 10-win seasons, one 11-win season, two 12-win seasons and two 13-win seasons. Florida hasn’t had a losing season since 1979, the longest streak in the Southeastern Conference.
During the Urban Meyer era, which began in 2005, the Gators are 44-9 with national and SEC championships in 2006 and 2008. Florida takes a 10-game winning streak into the 2009 season.
Here is a look at the Southeastern Conference by the numbers with special emphasis on the modern era of the league, which began in 1960.
ALL-TIME RECORDS OF SEC SCHOOLS:
1. ALABAMA (799-316-43): 11 national championships (1925-26, 1930, 1934, 1961, 1964-65, 1973, 1978-79, 1992); 21 SEC championships (1933-34, 1937, 1945, 1953, 1961, 1964-66, 1971-75, 1977-79, 1981, 1989, 1992, 1999); 4 Southern Conference championships (1924-26, 1930); 6 SEC West Division championships (1992-94, 1996, 1999, 2008).
2. TENNESSEE (776-327-53): 4 national championships (1938, 1950-51, 1998); 13 SEC championships (1938-40,1946; 1951,1956; 1967, 1969, 1985, 1989-90, 1997-98); 3 Southern Conference championships (1914, 1927, 1932); 5 SEC East Division championships (1997-98, 2001, 2004, 2007).
3. GEORGIA (724-384-54): 2 national championships (1942, 1980); 12 SEC championships (1942, 1946, 1948, 1959, 1966, 1968, 1976, 1980-82, 2002, 2005); 2 Southern Conference championships (1896, 1920); 3 SEC East Division championships (2002-03, 2005).
4. LSU (701-383-47): 3 national championships (1958, 2003, 2007); 10 SEC championships (1935036, 1958, 1961 1970, 1986, 1988, 2001, 2003, 2007); 3 Southern Conference championships (1896, 1908, 1932); 4 SEC West Division championships (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007)
5. AUBURN (688-395-47): 1 national championship (1957); 6 SEC championships (1957, 1983, 1987-89, 2004); 4 Southern Conference championships (1900, 1913, 1919, 1932); 3 SEC West Division championships (1997, 2000, 2004).
6. ARKANSAS (649-446-40): 1 national championship (1964); 13 Southwest Conference championships (1936, 1946, 1954, 1959-61, 1964-65, 1968, 1975, 1979, 1988-89); 3 SEC West Division championships (1992, 2002, 2006).
7. FLORIDA (641-373-40): 3 national championships (1996, 2006, 2008); 8 SEC championships (1991, 1993-96; 2000, 2006, 2008); 9 SEC East Division championships (1992-96, 1999-2000, 2006, 2008)
8. OLE MISS (606-464-35): 1 national championship (1960); 6 SEC championships (1947, 1954-55, 1960, 1962-63)
9. KENTUCKY (560-552-44): 2 SEC championships (1950, 1976)
10. VANDERBILT (554-547-50) 13 Southern Conference championships (1897, 1901, 1903-07, 1910-12, 1915, 1922, 1923)
11. SOUTH CAROLINA (528-529-44): 1 Atlantic Coast Conference championship (1970)
12. MISSISSIPPI STATE (486-527-39): 1 SEC championship (1941); 1 SEC West Division championship (1998)
DECADE DOMINANCE SINCE 1960:
1960-69: (1) Alabama, 90-16-4; (2) Arkansas, 82-24-1; (3) Ole Miss, 77-25-6; (4) LSU, 76-27-5; (5) Florida 70-31-4; (6) Tennessee, 67-32-6; (7) Auburn, 65-37-2; (8) Georgia, 59-38-8; (9) Kentucky, 37-58-5; (10) South Carolina, 37-59-5; (11) Mississippi State, 31-63-5; (12) Vanderbilt, 24-70-6.
1970-79: (1) Alabama, 103-16-1; (2) Arkansas, 79-31-5; (3) LSU, 76-38-3; (4) Georgia, 75-38-2; (5) Tennessee, 75-39-3; (6) Auburn, 72-38-1; (7) Ole Miss, 58-52-0; (8) Florida, 58-53-3; (9) South Carolina, 56-55-2; (10) Kentucky 49-60-2; (11) Vanderbilt, 37-71-3; (12) Mississippi State, 36-63-2.
1980-89: (1) Georgia, 89-27-4; (2) Auburn, 86-31-2; (3, Tie) Arkansas, 85-33-2; (3, Tie) Alabama, 85-33-2; (5) Tennessee, 77-37-6; (6) Florida 76-38-3; (7) LSU 70-41-6; (8) South Carolina, 63-49-3; (9) Ole Miss, 50-58-3; (10) Mississippi State, 50-62-0; (11) Kentucky, 47-62-3; (12) Vanderbilt, 33-77-1.
1990-99: (1) Florida, 102-22-1; (2) Tennessee, 99-23-2; (3) Alabama, 73-40; (4) Auburn, 72-40-2; (5) Georgia, 72-43-1; (6) Ole Miss, 67-48-0; (7) Mississippi State, 64-50-2; (8) Arkansas, 55-58-2; (9) LSU, 54-58-1; (10) Kentucky, 44-79-0; (11) South Carolina, 38-66-3; (12) Vanderbilt, 32-73-0.
2000-08: (1) LSU, 90-29-0; (2) Georgia, 89-26-0; (3) Florida 87-29-0; (4) Auburn, 80-34-0; (5) Tennessee, 76-38-0; (6) Alabama, 65-48-0; (7) Arkansas, 63-39-0; (8) South Carolina, 61-48-0; (9) Ole Miss, 58-54-0; (10) Kentucky, 43-64-0; (11) Mississippi State, 37-69-0; (12) Vanderbilt, 32-73.
OVERALL RECORD SINCE 1980: (1) Florida, 265-89-4; (2) Tennessee, 252-98-8; (3) Georgia, 250-96-5; (4) Auburn, 238-118-4; (5) Alabama, 223-121-2; (6) LSU, 214-128-7; (7) Arkansas, 203-130-4; (8) Ole Miss, 175-160-3; (9) South Carolina, 162-163-6; (10) Mississippi State, 151-171-2; (11) Kentucky, 134-205-3; (12) Vanderbilt, 99-226-1.
OVERALL RECORD SINCE 1990: (1) Florida, 189-51-1; (2) Tennessee, 175-61-2; (3) Georgia, 161-69-1; (4) Auburn, 152-74-3; (5) LSU, 144-87-1; (6) Alabama, 138-88; (7) Ole Miss, 125-102; (8) Arkansas, 118-97-2; (9) Mississippi State, 101-109-2; (10) South Carolina, 99-114-3; (11) Kentucky, 87-143; (12) Vanderbilt, 66-149.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1980: (1) Florida, 8 (1991,1993-96; 2000, 2006, 2008); (2, Tie) Georgia, 5 (1980-82, 2002, 2005); Tennessee, 5 (1985, 1989-90; 1997-98) and LSU, 5 (1986, 1988, 2001, 2003, 2007); (5, Tie) Alabama, 4 (1981, 1989, 1992, 1999) and Auburn, 4 (1983, 1987-89, 2004).
SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1990: (1) Florida, 8 (1991 1993-96; 2000, 2006, 2008); (2, Tie) LSU, 3 (2001, 2003, 2007) and Tennessee, 3 (1990, 1997-98); (4, Tie) Georgia, 2 (2002, 2005) and Alabama, 2 (1992, 1999); (6) Auburn, 1 (2004).
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1980: (1) Florida, 3 (1996, 2006, 2008); (2) LSU, 2 (2003, 2007); (3, Tie) Georgia, 1 (1980); Alabama, 1 (1992); and Tennessee, 1 (1998).
13-WIN SEASONS SINCE 1980: (1) Florida, 2 (2006, 2008); and (2, Tie) Auburn (2004); LSU, 2003; Georgia (2002) and Alabama (1992).
12-WIN SEASONS SINCE 1980: (1, Tie) Florida, 2 (1995-96) and Alabama, 2 (1994-2008); (3, Tie) Georgia, 1 (1980) and LSU, 1 (2007)
11-WIN SEASONS SINCE 1980: (1) Tennessee, 4 (1989, 1995, 1997, 2001); (2, Tie) Georgia, 3 (1982, 2003, 2007) and Auburn, 3 (1983, 1993, 2006); (4) LSU, 2 (2005, 2006); (5, Tie) Alabama, 1 (1991) and Florida, 1 (1993).
10-WIN SEASONS SINCE 1980: (1) Georgia, 7 (1981, 1983, 1992, 1997, 2004-05, 2008); (2, Tie) Florida, 6 (1991, 1994, 1997-98, 2000-01), Alabama, 6 (1980, 1986, 1989, 1996, 2002, 2005) and Tennessee, 6 (1987, 1993, 1996, 2003-04, 2007); (5, Tie) Auburn, 4 (1986, 1988-89, 1997) and Arkansas, 4 (1985, 1988-89 and 2006); (7, Tie) Ole Miss, 1 (2003) and Mississippi State, 1 (1999).
CONSECUTIVE NON-LOSING SEASONS: (1) Florida 29; (2) Georgia, 12; (3) LSU, 9; (4) South Carolina, 5; (5) Kentucky, 3; (6) Alabama, 2; (7, Tie) Vanderbilt, 1; and Ole Miss, 1; and (9, Tie) Auburn, 0; Tennessee, 0; Mississippi State, 0; and Arkansas, 0.
LOSING SEASONS SINCE 1980: (1) Vanderbilt, 27 (1980-83, 1984-2007); (2, Tie) Kentucky, 18 (1980-83, 1985, 1987-88, 1990-93, 1994, 1995-97, 2000-01, 2003-05) and Mississippi State, 18 (1982-84, 1987-1990, 1993, 1995-96, 1997-99, 2001-04, 2008); (4, Tie) Ole Miss, 14 (1980-82, 1984-85, 1987-88, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2004-07) and South Carolina, 14 (1982-83, 1985-86, 1991-93, 1995, 1997-98, 2002-03); (6) LSU, 10 (1981, 1983, 1989-94, 1998-99); (7) Arkansas, 8 (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996-97, 2004-05, 2008); (8, Tie) Alabama, 6 (1984, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006) and Auburn, 6 (1980-81, 1991, 1998-99, 2008); (10) Tennessee, 4 (1980, 1988, 2005, 2008); (11) Georgia, 3 (1990, 1993, 1996) and (12) Florida, 0.