The SEC has a long and colorful history, and the Auburn Tigers have created moments loved and hated by their fans over the years. But how do they compare to their competitors?
Auburn Wire takes a look at each SEC team’s winning percentage throughout its history (even if some didn’t attend the conference) to see where the conference, often considered college football’s finest, ranks. Auburn has had national championship success in recent years, but was that enough to put it in the top 5 all-time?
Take a look at where Auburn and its rivals rank on the list below:
14 Vanderbilt
(AP Photo/John Amis)
Win Percentage: .469 (1217 games)
Unfortunately, SEC football fans probably expected this. Vanderbilt has long been the SEC’s most miserable team, even as one of the conference’s founders in 1932. The Commodores have not had a successful season since 2013, and they want to flip the program under head coach Clark Lea.
13 Kentucky
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .447 (1116 games)
The Wildcats, the only other team on the list with a win ratio below .500, have only recently come into their own. Kentucky has been a painful franchise to fight for for quite a while, including a 2011-2015 hiatus where they didn’t do a bowl game, but Kentucky fans are probably excited these days under head coach Mark Stoops.
12South Carolina
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .508 (1295 games)
Not even legendary coach Steve Spurrier could drive the Gamecocks out of the bottom three. South Carolina, just below the next team on our list, has had some of its best performances under Spurrier but has recently suffered under former head coach Will Muschamp. Head coach Shane Beamer and new transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler will be tasked with guiding a historically underperforming team to glory over the next few years.
11 State of Mississippi
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .509 (1195)
Mississippi State is another team that has been in the SEC for a while, but they rarely find themselves among the conference’s elite. The school has had some success under coach Dan Mullen with quarterback Dak Prescott, but has recently underperformed under head coach Mike Leach, who was from Washington State. Despite going 7-5 last year, the Bulldogs lost the Liberty Bowl to Texas Tech in a blowout.
10 Missouri
Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .539 (1245 games)
Missouri has won just two seasons since 2014, both of which ended in bowl game losses. The Tigers joined the SEC in 2012 from the Big 12, and aside from just over two years under head coach Gary Pinkel, Missouri has been one of the lesser teams in the SEC. Missouri, in particular, hasn’t won a bowl game since 2014, and coach Eli Drinkwitz wants to change that at the helm.
9 Ole Fraulein
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .557 (1220 games)
The Rebels are probably best known for their era under Archie Manning and Eli Manning, but they’ve had a strong streak recently under former head coach Hugh Freeze (his wins have been vacated due to NCAA violations, but that’s not factored into these percentages). . The Rebels haven’t won their division since 2003 but have gone from strength to strength under current head coach Lane Kiffin.
8 Arkansas
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: 0.578 (1236)
Arkansas has been back and forth over the years but had a decent season in 2021 under head coach Sam Pittman. They also had a first-round pick in wideout Treylon Burks, so the Razorbacks may look to change that in years to come despite being among the mediocre SEC win percentages.
7Texas A&M
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .605 (1268 games)
Our first .600 team on the list, the Aggies, came to the SEC in 2012 with the Missouri Tigers. They recently had a Heisman Trophy winner in Johnny Manziel and recently picked up a (controversial) No. 1 recruiting class under Jimbo Fisher. So expect College Station to stay on the map for a while longer in the SEC.
6 Maroon
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Win Percentage: .626 (1255 games)
Auburn narrowly misses out on the top five teams in terms of win percentage, but its 2011 college football championship with Cam Newton and a recent appearance in 2015 should do well to ease the sting a bit. Despite finishing sixth, the Tigers are a notorious name in the SEC, and the vaunted Iron Bowl matchup against Alabama remains one of college football’s most anticipated games to this day.
5 Florida
Win Percentage: .627 (1183 games)
Florida’s two national titles under Urban Meyer, success with Steve Spurrier and his classic prowess under Ray Graves should mean his place in the top five shouldn’t come as a surprise. Things have been a little rough lately with Jim McElwain and the end of coach Dan Mullen’s tenure, but the Gators are hoping new hire Billy Napier can take them back to a time when the swamp was one of the most feared places to play this.
4LSU
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Win Percentage: .651 (1256 games)
LSU was third on this list last year, but a recent development by a certain team in Athens knocked them out one spot. The Tigers recently tasted league titles under quarterback Joe Burrow, but coach Ed Orgeron was fired from the team at last year’s game. It’s up to Brian Kelly to bring LSU back to the promised land so soon after winning the title.
3 Georgia
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .665 (1283 games)
After a near-perfect season and a national title, the Bulldogs officially jumped from LSU to No. 3. The Bulldogs have been a force to be reckoned with for most of their SEC history, and their recent run with coach Kirby Smart could put them in Get within striking distance of second place.
2 Tennessee
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .673 (1276 games)
This may seem surprising, but the struggles of the volunteers are really just a matter of recent history. Longtime SEC fans will remember Peyton Manning’s reign of terror in the 1990s, and Tennessee’s early history in college football helps keep it in second place. The Vols haven’t lived up to that reputation for a long time, but coach Josh Heupel hopes that will happen in the years to come.
1 Alabama
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Win Percentage: .749 (1305 games)
College football’s evil empire rightfully takes the top spot. Not only did Auburn’s closest rival have a solid reputation in his early days under coach Bear Bryant, but Nick Saban has maintained a stranglehold on the SEC under his tenure for years. Too many championships and unbeaten seasons to count have the Crimson Tide at #1 on this list by an incredible margin.
