Randy Smith: Looking Back In College Football

  • Thursday, June 25, 2015
  • Randy Smith
Randy Smith
Randy Smith

The anticipation for the 2015 college football season is as tremendous as I can remember. So, while the start of the season is still a little more than two months away, I thought it would be fitting to look back at what happened five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five and even fifty years ago.
 
Five years ago: 2010
You talk about one-year wonders.....Cameron Newton played just one year on the plains at Auburn, and led the Tigers to an unbeaten 14-0 season and a BCS National Championship.
His head coach, Gene Chizik would be fired following the 2012 season, as NCAA investigators were crawling like mants at Auburn, looking to find some kind of impropriety in Newton's recruitment and stay with the Tigers. The highlite of the Tigers' season wasn't a come from behind win over Oregon in the BCS title game, but rather the 28-27 thriller over Alabama in the "Iron Bowl." ('Bama scored on its first three possessions and took a 24-0 lead.)
 
Ten years ago: 2005
Even though Georgia has been pretty good for a long while under Coach Mark Richt, they have rarely been as good as they were in 2005. The Bulldogs won ten games for a fourth straight year, and the senior class won an SEC Title for the second time. Overall, it was a down year so to speak for the SEC as no league player finished in the top ten in Heisman Trophy balloting, as the award went to USC's Reggie Bush. Vandy's Jay Cutler was the SEC Most Valuable Player, while Texas edged Southern Cal for the National Championship.  
 
Fifteen years ago: 2000
The Florida Gators were SEC Champs as Steve Spurrier turned in perhaps his best coaching job ever. The Gators won their fifth SEC title in eight years and finished 10-3. That included a 28-6 win over outmanned Auburn in the SEC Championship Game.  No SEC team figured in the bid for a national title, as Oklahoma (13-0) defeated Florida State in the BCS Title game. Seminole quarterback Chris Weinke won the Heisman Trophy 
 
Twenty years ago: 1995
The Florida Gators averaged 44.5 points per game as junior quarterback Danny Wuerffel led the Gators to a third straight SEC Title. Florida was fabulous on offense they put up 62 points on Tennessee, 49 on Auburn and 52 on Georgia. They clobbered Arkansas  34-3 in the SEC Championship Game and when the teams gathered for the National Championship Game, it paired unbeatens Nebraska (13-0) against Florida (13-0). The Cornhuskers dished out some of Spurriers own medicine in winning the National Title, 62-24. Ohio State running back Eddie George won the Heisman Trophy, but his award had nothing to do with his lackluster performance against Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl. By the way, Wuerffel and the Gators won the national crown a year later as they avenged a regular season loss to Florida State with a huge win in the National Championship Game.
 
Twenty-five years ago: 1990
The Tennessee Volunteers took advantage of the fact that Florida was ineligible for the SEC title and won the league with a 9-2-2 record. The Vols did claim a convincing 45-3 win over the Gators however as they finished 6-1 in SEC play. Tennessee's only league loss was to Alabama. Gator's quarterback Shane mathews was the SEC MVP, while Brigham Young quarterback Ty Detmer won the Heisman. Colorado and Georgia Tech shared the national crown in 1990, with Colorado winning the AP poll, and Georgia Tech claiming the Coaches poll.
 
Fifty years ago: 1965
Can you believe the United Press International crowned its national champion before the bowl games? That's why Michigan Sate has the Coaches Poll trophy fifty years ago, but Alabama won the Associated Press honor and is considered to be the 1965 National Champ. 'Bama quarterback Steve Sloan was the SEC MVP, while both Sloan and Florida's Steve Spurrier were in the top ten in Heisman Trophy balloting. (Spurrier would win the Heisman a year later) Alabama was ranked fourth in the AP poll when the bowl games began, and they faced third ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. earlier on New Year's Day, both top ranked Michigan State and second ranked Arkansas were upset, leaving the national championship trophy to the winner of the Nebraska-Alabama game. The Crimson Tide won 39-28 to claim a national title for Coach Bear Bryant.   
----

Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer. He is currently teaching Broadcasting at Coahulla Creek High School near Dalton, Ga.

His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for thirty years.

He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century.

In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have four grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, DellaMae and CoraLee. 

Latest Headlines
Sports
UTC Sofbtall Hosts ETSU In Friday Doubleheader
  • 3/28/2024

The Chattanooga softball team returns to Frost Stadium for a seven-game home stand that begins Friday afternoon against East Tennessee State in Southern Conference action. The Mocs are 21-8 ... more

Covenant Men's Tennis Loses 6-3
  • 3/28/2024

The Covenant Scots looked to boost their nonconference tennis resume with a win on the road at Oglethorpe. Covenant was unable to get the job done, as it fell 3-6. Final: Covenant 3, Oglethorpe ... more

7 Football Mocs Participate In Annual Pro Day
  • 3/28/2024

The Chattanooga Mocs had a 7-man contingent go through their paces in front of NFL scouts at the annual Pro Day. It started in the Wolford Family Strength & Conditioning Center before shifting ... more