1944 Tennessee

7–⁠1–⁠1 (5–⁠0–⁠1 Southeastern Conference), coached by John Barnhill, finished No. 12 in the AP poll. Share

In a photo published by the Knoxville Journal in 1944, the Volunteers' Buster Stephens (left) makes a 30-yard touchdown run in an informal game against Carson–Newman University. — In a photo published by the Knoxville Journal in 1944, the Volunteers’ Buster Stephens (left) makes a 30-yard touchdown run in an informal game against Carson-Newman University.Photo: Homer Anderson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Schedule and results

Biggest winBeat Florida 40–⁠0Oct 14
By 40 points, its widest win.

Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.

Date	Opponent	Result
Sep 30	vsKentucky	W 26–⁠13	77%
Oct 7	vsOle Miss	W 20–⁠7	79%
Oct 14	vsFlorida	W 40–⁠0	86%
Oct 21	vsAlabama	T 0–⁠0	66%
Oct 28	vsClemson	W 26–⁠7	82%
Nov 4	atLSU	W 13–⁠0	64%
Nov 18	vsTemple	W 27–⁠14	89%
Nov 25	atKentucky	W 21–⁠7	74%
Jan 1Bowls & playoff	vs7USCRose Bowl	L 0–⁠25	60%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to USC 25–⁠0 in the Rose Bowl; No. 12 in the final AP poll; 2nd in the Southeastern Conference.

In program history: The 40th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 123 on file).

AP poll, week by week

Wk 1: 15
Wk 2: 17
Wk 3: 19
Wk 4: 16
Wk 5: 18
Wk 6: 17
Wk 7: 15
Wk 8: 10
Final: 12

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1944.

Record: 7–⁠1–⁠1
Conference: 5–⁠0–⁠1 2nd in Southeastern Conference
AP final: No. 12 peak No. 10
Points: 173–⁠73
Coach: John Barnhill
Elo: 1680 +33 this season
SP+ rating: —
SRS: 7.8 No. 28 of 95 major-college teams
Recruiting class: —

Drafted in 1945

The 1945 draft

Rd 4	Bob Dobelstein OG	Chicago Cardinals
Rd 7	Casey Stephenson B	Green Bay Packers

All-SEC

2 first team, 2 second team

First team

Bob DobelsteinOGAP-1; UP-1
Buster StephensRBAP-1; UP-2

Second team

Russ MorganCAP-2
Billy BevisFBAP-2

From Wikipedia’s 1944 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1944 Southeastern Conference standings

Conference page

Team	Conf.	Overall	AP final
Georgia Tech	4–⁠0	8–⁠3	13
Tennessee	5–⁠0–⁠1	7–⁠1–⁠1	12
Georgia	4–⁠2	7–⁠3
Alabama	3–⁠1–⁠2	5–⁠2–⁠2
Mississippi State	3–⁠2	6–⁠2
LSU	2–⁠3–⁠1	2–⁠5–⁠1
Ole Miss	2–⁠3	2–⁠6
Tulane	1–⁠2	4–⁠3
Kentucky	1–⁠5	3–⁠6
Florida	0–⁠3	4–⁠3
Auburn	0–⁠4	4–⁠4

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.