2005 SEC Championship Game

The battle for the SEC East was a three-way battle for the entire conference season among the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, and South Carolina Gamecocks. The Georgia Bulldogs entered the season with high hopes and rattled off a 5-0 conference record (South Carolina, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas) before heading to Jacksonville for the annual battle with the Florida Gators. Georgia was ranked #4 in both polls, and a win would have sealed the SEC East crown. But, with starting quarterback D.J. Shockley sidelined with an injury suffered in the Homecoming victory against Arkansas, Joe Tereshinski, III the Gators prevailed, 14-10 and dealt the Bulldogs their first loss of the season. Brandon Coutu missed two field goals late in the game which proved the difference in the game.

Again with the SEC East crown on the line, the Bulldogs played the Auburn Tigers at home in a series which traditionally favors the road-team. Auburn won the game on a John Vaughn 20 yard field goal with six seconds remaining, 31-30. On the third attempt to punch their ticket to Atlanta, the Bulldogs defeated Kentucky 45-13 on Senior Day. A loss to the Wildcats would have created a three-way tie (Florida and South Carolina) for the SEC East Crown. Georgia's win clinched their 5th SEC East crown, and 3rd trip to the title game.

The SEC West race was decided in Baton Rouge on October 22 when the LSU Tigers defeated the Auburn Tigers 20-17 in overtime. LSU had one conference loss coming into the game (an overtime loss against Tennessee) and Auburn was unblemished. Both teams remained tied with one conference loss through the rest of the season. Auburn was awarded its 5th Divisional Title, LSU its 5th as well, and LSU represented the SEC West in the title game for the 3rd time.