The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs are just about to host the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers in a “Game of the Century” matchup that hardly anyone saw coming at the beginning of this season.
On the line is a chance for each team to establish themselves as the top dog in both the SEC and the college football standings. Here’s a look back into past matchups between top-two teams and what to know ahead of this SEC showdown.
How many times have the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in college football faced off?
Saturday’s matchup in Athens is the 25th regular season meeting between two teams occupying the top-two spots in the rankings.
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Despite the SEC’s recent dominance, they haven’t been major players in the past marquee matchups. That honor belongs to Notre Dame with a record nine appearances in top-two matchups. Behind the Irish is Oklahoma with five and a tie between Michigan and Army with four appearances.
That said, recency bias is on the side of the SEC. The conference’s lone appearance on this list also happens to be the most recent additions -- both times between Alabama and LSU.
When was the last time the top-two teams in college football faced off?
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In 2019, Alabama set out to avenge their 2011 loss when they hosted the No. 1 LSU Tigers. Unlike the game eight years prior, which was a defensive battle, this game was all about the offense which played into the hands of LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Tigers ultimately won 46-41 en route to a national championship season.
What is the record in matchups between the top-two teams?
Good news for the Bulldogs – fortune favors the top-ranked seed.
The No. 1 team won 16 of the 24 matchups, while the No. 2 team pulled off the upset six times. Two matchups -- both involving Notre Dame -- ended in a tie.
How does home field advantage factor into these matchups?
Surprisingly, home field advantage hasn’t been a major player in these matchups. Excluding the two games that ended in a tie and the two played in a neutral venue, the away team has actually won just as many times as the home team -- ten.
Georgia has a chance to reestablish home field advantage today or the Volunteers could stun the fans in Athens.
