There was an election in Knoxville last week, but nobody seemed to know it.

Elections, local or not, are seminal moments in the history of free nations, and have a profound influence, extending into football rivalries in the Southeastern Conference.

“In the last seven years when Republicans have been in the White House, Auburn has defeated Alabama four times,” wrote Auburn loyalist David Housel Nov. 5, 1988. “In the previous four years, when Democrats were in the White House, Auburn didn’t beat Alabama a single time.”

It was welcome advice for Tiger partisans, to be sagely considered in the privacy of the voting booth.

Since the 2008 presidential campaign is already in high gear, let’s see how the Vols have fared overall (and against Alabama) under recent occupants of the White House, with results ranging from exceptional to below average, more good than bad.

Jan. 20, 2001-present, George W. Bush (R-Texas): The Vols are 55-25 (.688) under the younger Bush, from 11-2 in 2001 to 5-6 in 2005. The Vols have won 10 games or more three times, been to five bowls and played in two SEC title games. Tennessee is 4-2 against Alabama.

Jan. 20, 1993-Jan. 20, 2001, Bill Clinton (D-Ark.): — The Vols were 80-18 (.816), with a 13-0 national championship team in 1998, SEC titles in 1997 and 1998, two appearances in the SEC title game, and eight bowl games. The Vols were 7-1 against Alabama, 6-1-1 if you don’t count a 1993 tie, forfeited to Tennessee by the NCAA.

Jan. 20, 1989-92, Jan. 20, George H.W. Bush (R-Texas): The Vols were 38-9 (.801), with SEC titles in 1989 and 1990, played in four bowl games, and made a miracle comeback in 1991 at Notre Dame. The Vols were 0-4 against the Crimson Tide.

Jan. 20, 1981- Jan. 20, 1989, Ronald Reagan (R-Calif.): The Vols were 61-30-5 (.661), with an SEC championship in 1985 and a memorable Sugar Bowl win over Miami, seven bowl appearances, and the end of an 11-game losing streak to Alabama. The Vols were 4-4 against Alabama.

Jan. 20, 1977-Jan. 20, 1981, Jimmy Carter (D-Ga.): The record was 21-23-1 (.478), but there were a couple of high moments. John Majors came marching home in 1977. There was a victory over Notre Dame in 1979 at Neyland Stadium and one bowl game. As was the case under the elder Bush, the Vols whiffed badly against the Tide, being outscored 102-44 in four games.

Aug. 9, 1974-Jan. 20, 1977, Gerald Ford (R-Mich.): Ford’s tenure was modest, at least football-wise, at 20-13-2 (.600). Ford later received orange jersey No. 48, his number at Michigan, in a special ceremony on campus. There was a 7-3 Liberty Bowl win over Maryland in 1974. The Vols were 1-1-1 against Vanderbilt and 0-3 against Alabama.

Jan. 20, 1969-Aug. 9, 1974, Richard Nixon (R-Calif.): The Vols were 48-11-0 (.814), won an SEC title, and played in six bowl games. There were wins over Alabama, 41-14 in 1969, when a plane flew over Legion Field with a banner reading, “This is Big Orange Country,” and 24-0 in 1970, Bill Battle against his old coach, Bear Bryant.

Nov. 22, 1963-Jan. 20, 1969, Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas): The Vols had a mark of 39-13-4 (.732), and 2-2-1 against Alabama. There was the thrill of coming back to prominence in 1965, the agony of three close losses in 1966, and the exhilaration of an SEC and national championship in 1967. There were four bowl games and a spate of All-America players. There was tragedy amidst the triumph, accidents taking the lives of three coaches in 1965 and two players in 1966.

Jan. 20, 1961-Nov. 22, 1963, John Kennedy (D-Mass.): These were the final days of the single-wing and the first year of the “T” formation, with a record of 13-16-1 (.450), 0-3 against Alabama. There were three coaches in four years, Bowden Wyatt, Jim McDonald and Doug Dickey. The stadium was named in Gen. Neyland’s memory in October 1962. Mallon Faircloth had 178 yards rushing in the 1963 season finale, a game played in the middle of deliberations by the athletics board and trustees about the future of Vol football. One result of the confab was Dickey’s arrival in early December 1963, T-formation in hand.

Let’s see now. Nine presidents in 46 years. There were exceptional periods of football during the Clinton, Nixon, and first Bush years. There were also better-than-average periods under Johnson, the younger Bush and Reagan. The Ford years were average. The Carter and Kennedy years were well below average.

All this is based on an overall winning percentage since 1891 of .696 (763-318-53).

What does this prove? Make of it what you will. You know what free advice is worth.

Tom Mattingly has lived under 11 presidents and will have seen 50 years of Tennessee football next month. He is the author of “The Tennessee Football Vault: The Story of the Tennessee Volunteers, 1891-2006” (2006) and “Tennessee Football: The Peyton Manning Years” (1998). He may be reached at tjmshm@comcast.net. His News Sentinel blog is called “The Vol Historian.”

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