Signature wins are precious currency in college football.

They influence a coach’s job security, prop up a program’s prestige and help the College Football Playoff selection committee determine which teams deserve a shot at the national title. In the SEC, signature wins can help a squad assert dominance in a conference cluttered with ranked teams.

With the opportunity for more such victories fast approaching, we’re taking a look at each SEC East team’s most recent signature win. 

Florida

Signature win: defeated No. 3 Ole Miss 38-10 (Oct. 3, 2015)

What made it special: A week after Florida’s miraculous comeback against Tennessee, the Gators proved they were no flukes. Florida crushed the surging Rebels, who had defeated No. 2 Alabama on the road only two weeks earlier, in freshman quarterback Will Grier’s coming out party. He threw four first-half touchdowns and the Gators stifled the SEC’s most explosive offense. With the victory, Florida shot 14 spots up the Associated Press Top 25 to No. 11.

Georgia

Signature win: Defeated No. 16 Clemson 45-21 (Aug. 30, 2014)

Aug 30, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Hutson Mason (14) and team mates celebrate with the fans after defeating the Clemson Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Clemson 45-21. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

What made it special: With the adoption of the new CFP format in 2014, every team was hungry for a convincing out-of-conference win to boost its résumé for the selection committee. The Bulldogs got theirs on opening night, smashing Clemson on national TV.

Junior running back Todd Gurley amassed 293 all-purpose yards as Georgia avenged its 38-35 loss at Clemson to open the previous season. After the two teams battled to a 21-21 tie at halftime, the Bulldogs scored 24 unanswered points to assert themselves early in the CFP landscape.

Kentucky

Signature win: Defeated No. 10 South Carolina 31-28 (Oct. 16, 2010)

What made it special: Kentucky’s promising 3-0 start had quickly soured with three consecutive conference losses, and the Gamecocks were poised to make it four in a row.

The Wildcats were all but beaten at halftime, trailing South Carolina 28-10. But senior quarterback Mike Hartline and a stout defense engineered the biggest comeback in program history, one that snapped the team’s 17-game losing streak to opposing coach Steve Spurrier.

With less than two minutes remaining, Hartline hit junior receiver Randall Cobb for the 24-yard, go-ahead score on 4th-and-7. Kentucky sealed the win with a tipped interception in the end zone during the waning seconds of the game.

Missouri

Signature win: Defeated No. 13 South Carolina 21-20 (Sept. 27, 2014)

What made it special: Despite its breakout 12-2 season in 2013 (which included a victory at No. 7 Georgia), Missouri began the following year ranked only No. 24 in the Associated Press poll. The Tigers climbed several spots thanks to a 3-0 start before a narrow loss at Indiana sent them tumbling out of the polls.

But coach Gary Pinkel’s squad got the statement win it needed one week later, edging South Carolina on junior running back Russell Hansbrough’s third touchdown of the game, which came with less than two minutes to play. The victory vaulted Missouri back into the rankings and sparked its second straight run to an SEC East title.

South Carolina

Signature win: Defeated No. 6 Georgia 38-35 (Sept. 13, 2014)

What made it special: One of Steve Spurrier’s biggest gambles paid off. With 1 minute, 26 seconds remaining and his team clinging to a 3-point lead, South Carolina’s coach elected to go for it on 4th-and-inches from midfield.

After a dramatic measurement that had both teams celebrating, officials determined Dylan Thompson’s quarterback sneak advanced that ball just beyond the first-down marker.

The close conversion that allowed the No. 24 Gamecocks to run out the clock came three minutes after Georgia kicker Marshall Morgan missed a potential game-tying, 28-yard field goal, his second shank in rain-soaked conditions. The game represented the final win against a ranked opponent for Spurrier, who resigned halfway through 2015.

Tennessee

Signature win: Defeated No. 12 Northwestern 45-6 (Jan. 1, 2016)

Jan 1, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Evan Berry (29) runs the ball back for 100 yard touchdown during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats in the 2016 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 45-6. Tennessee Volunteers Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

What made it special: Last year was a season of almosts for Tennessee. All four of the Volunteers’ losses came by seven points or less, with two defeats at the hands of Oklahoma and Alabama, teams that reached the CFP.

But after squandering chances to topple a few college football giants, Tennessee ended the year on an emphatic note by thrashing Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.

The Vols picked off four passes and outgained the Wildcats 420-261 while pounding out their largest margin of victory in a bowl game in school history. The dominant finish to Tennessee’s six-game winning streak is a big reason many expect the Vols to finally return to the top of the SEC East in 2016.

Vanderbilt

Signature win: Defeated No. 15 Georgia 31-27 (Oct. 19, 2013)

What made it special: A year after leading Vanderbilt to its most single-season wins since joining the SEC in 1933, coach James Franklin finally notched his first Top 25 win with the program midway through 2013.

The Commodores erased a 27-14 deficit by reeling off 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, ending their 10-game losing streak to Georgia en route to their second consecutive 9-4 season.

Vanderbilt knocked off the reigning SEC East champions behind freshman backup quarterback Patton Robinette, who entered the game in the second quarter after senior Austyn Carta-Samuels sustained a left leg injury.