Georgia football: Top 10 turnarounds in school history
1. 1979-to-1980
What other turnaround could take the no. 1 spot? By the beginning of the 1980 season, Georgia wasn’t in the best place. After a hot start to the Vince Dooley era that included SEC Titles in 1966 and 1968, the Bulldogs only won one SEC Championship from 1969-to-1979.
It appeared as though Georgia, like the rest of the SEC, was doomed to stay in Alabama’s shadow. But it was worse for the Dawgs. They came so close to winning the SEC four times in the 1970’s.
The last time they came close was 1979. Auburn was the only SEC team that defeated Georgia, so once again, Alabama held the only SEC Championship. But the Bulldogs were atrocious in non-conference play that year with four losses. So despite going 5-1 in the SEC, they finished the year 6-5 overall.
The direction of the program was in doubt. But they did have something to look forward to, a freshman tailback named Herschel Walker. All the media outlets hyped up Walker’s high school career in Johnson County. They heralded him as the next big star. But fans would have to wait to see him as he wasn’t the starter in the season opener against Tennessee.
Down 15-2 in the third quarter however, prompted Dooley to make a change. So he put Walker on the field, and the freshman led a great drive downfield. That drive ended with a touchdown that all true Georgia fans can picture and hear in their minds. You shouldn’t need YouTube by now to envision this play. It’s coded in your DNA.
All over this list, we’ve seen drastic turnarounds that happened over the course of a season. This one happened in just that one play. Instead of starting the year 0-1, Walker scored two touchdowns to complete the comeback victory.
Next: Mike Stowe's National Championship story
Georgia had close games throughout the rest of the season, and other players stepped up to help in those victories. But the Dawgs never lost, and they finally recaptured the SEC Championship. They then went on to defeat Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl to finish the season no. 1.
It was their first no. 1 finish in the AP and Coaches polls, first National Championship since 1968, first undefeated season since 1946, and first consensus National Championship since 1942. The turnaround led to two more SEC Championships in 1981 and 1982, and three seasons where the Bulldogs barely missed out on a National Championship.