The SEC has long been considered the best conference in the nation. But things haven’t always been so rosy in the postseason. Over the years, all SEC teams have taken their lumps.

Here’s a look at each program’s longest bowl losing streak:

Alabama (4) – The Tide lost four consecutive bowl games from the 1971-74 seasons. They included, in order, a 38-6 Orange Bowl loss to Nebraska and a 17-13 Cotton Bowl loss to Texas before back-to-back losses to Notre Dame — 24-23 Sugar Bowl and 13-11 Orange Bowl.

Arkansas (7) – From the 1986 season through the 1998 season, the Razorbacks went without a bowl victory. It began a streak of 10 bowl losses in 11 games and 13 setbacks in 15 appearances. The Razorbacks lost in six different bowl games during the seven-game skid.

Auburn (3) – The Tigers have done relatively well in bowl games. However, there was that slip up early on. Auburn lost three bowl games in a row. The Tigers dropped a 25-13 decision to Vanderbilt in the 1955 Gator Bowl before falling by identical scores of 13-7 to Nebraska in the 1963 Orange Bowl and to Ole Miss in the 1965 Liberty Bowl.

Florida (4) – The Gators went to consecutive bowl games following the 1973-76 seasons. All ended in losses:  16-7 to Miami (Ohio) in the Tangerine Bowl,  13-10 to Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl, 13-0 to Maryland in the Gator Bowl and 37-14 to Texas A&M in the Sun Bowl.

Georgia (4) – The Bulldogs lost consecutive bowl games following the 1974-76 seasons and also at the 1978 Bluebonnet Bowl, a 25-22 loss to Stanford. The streak began with a 21-10 loss to Miami (Ohio) in the Tangerine Bowl and continued with losses to Arkansas (31-10, Cotton) and Pittsburgh (27-3, Sugar).

Kentucky (3) – The Wildcats have only played in 15 bowl games. They lost three straight in the 1990s. Kentucky bowed 14-13 to Clemson in the 1993 Peach Bowl, 26-14 to Penn State at the 1998 Outback Bowl and 20-13 to Syracuse in the 1999 Music City Bowl.

LSU (4 twice) – The Tigers’ storied bowl history had its darkest period starting in 1972 with a 24-17 loss to Tennessee in the Bluebonnet Bowl and ending with the 1986 Sugar Bowl, a 30-15 setback at the hands of Nebraska. During that span, LSU lost eight of nine bowls with a pair of four-game losing streaks.

Mississippi State (4) – The Bulldogs have been streaky in the postseason. They lost four consecutive bowl games from the 1991 to the 1998 seasons but followed with five consecutive bowl victories. The losses included a 38-15 decision to Air Force (1991 Liberty Bowl), a 21-17 loss to North Carolina (1992 Peach Bowl), a 28-24 setback at the hands of North Carolina State (1994 Peach Bowl) and a 38-11 loss to Texas (1998 Cotton Bowl).

Missouri (7) – The Tigers have played in 31 bowl games, and lost the first seven they appeared in, including a 20-7 loss to USC in the 1924 L.A. Xmas Fest (can’t believe that one didn’t catch on). The misery continued with losses of 21-7 to Georgia Tech (1939 Orange Bowl), 2-0 to Fordham (1941 Sugar Bowl), 40-27 to Texas (1945 Cotton Bowl), 24-23 to Clemson (1948 Gator Bowl), 20-7 to Maryland (1949 Gator Bowl) and 14-0 to Georgia (1959 Orange Bowl).

Ole Miss (2 three times) – The Rebels have played in 37 bowl games and have avoided lengthy losing streaks. They did, however drop four of five bowl games in a stretch that went from 1963-67 and included two sets of back-to-back losses. The Rebels also lost in Sugar Bowl appearances in 1952 (24-7 to Georgia Tech) and 1954 (21-0 to Navy).

South Carolina (8) – The Gamecocks have appeared in 20 bowls, but didn’t exactly make a grand entrance, losing their first eight. It was an extended streak that began with a 26-14 loss to Wake Forest in the 1945 Gator Bowl and ended with a 34-10 loss to Indiana at the 1988 Liberty Bowl. The Gamecocks rebounded, winning their next three and four of five, and they are currently on a four-game bowl win streak.

Tennessee (3 twice) – The Vols have been to 52 bowl games and have done well to keep any losing streaks to a minimum. They did, however, drop three straight in a span that stretched from 1951-56, and then again from 1967-69.

Texas A&M (5) – Though they’ve won five of their last six bowl games, the Aggies dropped a program-record five straight prior to that. Beginning with a 38-7 loss to Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl following the 2004 season, Texas A&M lost 45-10 to California (2006 Holiday Bowl), 24-17 to Penn State (2007 Alamo Bowl), 44-20 to Georgia (2009 Independence Bowl), and 41-24 to LSU (Cotton Bowl, following 2010 season).

Vanderbilt (1 twice) – The Commodores have only played in seven bowl games, and have only lost two in program history. Vanderbilt fell 36-28 to Air Force in the 1982 Hall of Fame Bowl and 31-24 to Cincinnati in the 2011 Liberty Bowl.