Georgia football: Top 10 turnarounds in school history
6. 1941 from the late 1930’s
While this turnaround didn’t produce a National Championship, it eventually led to one. Georgia’s record from 1938-to-1940 was 15-14-2, and in 1940 Georgia’s record with second-year head coach Wally Butts was 5-4-1.
Then came another Georgia legend. One of the greatest players to ever play for the Bulldogs. A player so great, his name and reputation hasn’t lessened with time. Instead his mystique has only increased. Of course I’m talking about Frank Sinckwich.
he emerged and led the Dawgs to a 9-1-1 season in 1941. A 14-14 tie with Ole Miss and 27-14 loss to Alabama were the only blemishes. After defeating Texas Christian in the Orange Bowl, Georgia finished the season ranked no. 14 by the Associated Press.
Along the way, Georgia defeated a Columbia team that was ranked no. 20 by the AP. This came in an era where Ivy League schools were still a force to be reckoned with in football. They also shutout Dartmouth, another Ivy league school.
5. 1966 from the 1950’s and early 1960’s
There might have never been a worse time to be a Georgia fan than the 1950’s and early 1960’s. After winning the SEC Championship in 1948, the program went on a steep and instant decline. from 1959-to-1965, Georgia only had eight winning seasons. But only had a winning record in SEC play four times. Although one of those good seasons included an SEC Championship in 1959.
Vince Dooley took over as head coach in 1964 and had a decent 7-3-1 record that year. But the team fell to just 6-4 in 1965. However, they were ready for a massive turnaround in 1966. With players like George Patton, Bill Stanfill and Jake Scott, the Bulldogs went 10-1 and won a share of the SEC Championship.
A loss to Miami mid-season was the only thing that kept the Bulldogs from winning a National Championship. But the lasting legacy of this turnaround was how this season raised the quality and expectations of the program.
Georgia won another SEC Championship just two years later. And ever since, fans have come to expect the Bulldogs to always have a shot at winning the SEC.