Sweet Revenge: Titanic Turnarounds Color Power-Conference Competition
NCAA champion Florida flogged then top-ranked Tennessee by 30 points in mid-season before the Gators bowed to the Volunteers by 20 in Knoxville less than a month later. The seemingly dramatic 50-point swing pales in comparison, however, to robust reversal results in power-conference competition over the years.
In 1997-98, Missouri rebounded from its most-lopsided loss in school history (111-56 at Kansas State) to defeat the Wildcats in their Big 12 Conference return engagement (89-59 at Mizzou) for an incredible 85-point turnaround in margin. Following is a look at about-faces of at least 60 points in the same season between power-league rivals (including nine results with at least a 48-point margin):
| Points | Season | Power-League Opponents Splitting Verdicts | First Game | Second Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 1997-98 | Missouri vs. Kansas State in Big 12 | Kansas State 111-56 | Missouri 89-59 |
| 68 | 1997-98 | Alabama vs. Auburn in SEC | Auburn 94-40 | Alabama 76-62 |
| 67 | 1996-97 | UCLA vs. Stanford in Pacific-10 | Stanford 109-61 | UCLA 87-68 |
| 66 | 1997-98 | Michigan vs. Indiana in Big Ten | Indiana 80-62 | Michigan 112-64 |
| 63 | 1984-85 | Illinois vs. Purdue in Big Ten | Purdue 54-34 | Illinois 86-43 |
| 62 | 1951-52 | Colorado vs. Kansas State in Big Seven | Kansas State 92-40 | Colorado 67-57 |
| 62 | 1992-93 | Kentucky vs. Tennessee in SEC | Tennessee 78-77 | Kentucky 101-40* |
| 62 | 1993-94 | Minnesota vs. Indiana in Big Ten | Indiana 78-66 | Minnesota 106-56 |
| 61 | 1992-93 | Arkansas vs. Mississippi State in SEC | Mississippi State 80-76 | Arkansas 115-58 |
| 61 | 2002-03 | Connecticut vs. Boston College in Big East | Boston College 95-71 | Connecticut 91-54 |
| 60 | 1957-58 | Kansas vs. Nebraska in Big Eight | Kansas 104-46 | Nebraska 43-41 |
*SEC Tournament (Tennessee lost at Kentucky, 84-70, earlier in season).