12 Greatest college football games ever played in the Georgia Dome

1997 SEC Championship

Tennessee Volunteers def. Auburn Tigers, 30-29
Dec. 6, 1997

In what would be yet another down-to-the-wire game, the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers and No. 11 Auburn Tigers gave fans a game to remember.

The Vols found themselves down 20-7 in the second quarter, and the whispers that Peyton Manning couldn’t win the big games began to surface again. After trading touchdowns early in the third quarter, it was Tennessee who began to take control.

Peyton Manning hit Peerless Price for a touchdown, the Tigers blocked the PAT and ran it back all the way for two points and a 29-23 lead (some foreshadowing of a certain Iron Bowl 16 years later, perhaps?)

But Manning was not to be denied. With just over 11 minutes left to play, he hit Marcus Nash for a quick catch-and-run 73-touchdown pass to put the Volunteers on top 30-29. The Tenneesee defense held serve, and was able to preserver Peyton Manning’s only SEC Championship.