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1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team

1998 Tennessee Volunteers football
UT Volunteers logo.svg
Unanimous national champion
SEC champion
Fiesta Bowl champion
Fiesta Bowl (BCS NCG), W 23–16 vs. Florida State
Conference Southeastern Conference
Division Eastern Division
Ranking
Coaches No. 1
AP No. 1
1998 record 13–0 (8–0 SEC)
Head coach Phillip Fulmer
Offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe
Offensive scheme Pro-style
Defensive coordinator John Chavis
Base defense 4–3 multiple
Captain Shawn Bryson
Captain Jeff Hall
Captain Mercedes Hamilton
Captain Al Wilson
Home stadium Neyland Stadium
(Capacity: 102,854)
Seasons
« 1997 1999 »
1998 SEC football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
Eastern Division
#1 Tennessee x$#   8 0         13 0  
#5 Florida  %   7 1         10 2  
#14 Georgia   6 2         9 3  
Kentucky   4 4         7 5  
Vanderbilt   1 7         2 9  
South Carolina   0 8         1 10  
Western Division
Mississippi State xy   6 2         8 5  
#16 Arkansas x   6 2         9 3  
Alabama   4 4         7 5  
Ole Miss   3 5         7 5  
LSU   2 6         4 7  
Auburn   1 7         3 8  
Championship: Tennessee 24, Mississippi State 14
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Tennessee entered the 1998 season coming off an 11–2 record (7–1 SEC) in 1997. The Volunteers were given a preseason ranking of No. 10 in the AP Poll.

The Vols won their second undisputed national title, and sixth overall, after defeating Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl, the first BCS National Championship Game. The '98 Vols beat eight bowl teams, including six January bowl teams, four top ten teams, and three BCS bowl-bound teams. The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers were ranked as the No. 3 college football team of all time by the Billingsley Report computer ratings.

Tennessee was expected to have a slight fall off after their conference championship the previous season. They had lost quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Marcus Nash, and linebacker Leonard Little to the NFL. Manning was the first pick overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. Tennessee was also coming off a difficult 42–17 loss to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, and were in the midst of a five-game losing streak to the rival Florida Gators. Nonetheless, the Volunteers ended their season in Tempe, undefeated, becoming only the fourth school in modern college football history to complete a 13–0 season.


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