The Southern Miss Golden Eagles on SI team is trying to determine the greatest Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team of all time. Through internal discussions and fan voting, we have arrived at Round 2 of this bracket challenge. Round 1 closed with only one upset, as the 20-seed 2010 team defeated the 13-seed 2015 team with 73 percent of the vote. We are officially down to just 16 seasons as we continue to march toward crowning a champion. Here is today's matchup. Be sure to go cast your vote on our Southern Miss Golden Eagles on SI Facebook Page!Today's Matchup: #1 2011 vs. #16 2000#1 - 2011 Southern Miss Golden EaglesSouthern Mississippi Golden Eagles head coach Larry Fedora talks with Houston Cougars quarterback Case Keenum (7) after a game at Robertson Stadium. Southern Miss defeated Houston 49-28 to win the Conference USA championship. | Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesThe 2010 Southern Miss season ended at 8-5 with a loss to former conference foe Louisville in the Beef O' Brady's Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla. Stakes were high for 2011 as Coach Larry Fedora entered his fourth season at the helm in Hattiesburg and returned starters like quarterback Austin Davis and defensive back Jamie Collins. The Golden Eagles opened the 2011 stretch with a two-point win over Sonny Dykes-led Louisiana Tech in the 43rd edition of the Rivalry in Dixie. The Golden Eagles would drop the next game against Marshall in their first of two losses. The Golden Eagles then went on an eight-game win streak that included wins over Virginia, Navy, and SMU. The Golden Eagles dropped their second loss of the season in a 3-point loss to UAB at Legion Field. Despite the two conference losses, Southern Miss made the Conference USA Championship Game, facing AP No. 7 Houston, in Houston. The No. 24-ranked Golden Eagles demolished the Cougars in a 49-28 upset, earning a trip to either the Hawaii Bowl or the TicketCity Bowl. In a 2023 episode of "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime with Marchant Kenney," Coach Fedora explained his decision to attend the Hawaii Bowl: "After that season, the bowl was all about our players. And it seemed at least 90 percent of our team would not get the chance to go to Hawaii at any time. So we went to Hawaii." And the Golden Eagles defeated Nevada at Aloha Stadium to claim only the third double-digit win season in Golden Eagle history. Record: 12-2 (6-2 CUSA)Conference USA Champions over #7 HoustonSheraton Hawaii Bowl Champions over Nevada5 Weeks Ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll (Finished at #20)Notable Players: Austin Davis (QB), Kevin Bolden (WR), Jamie Collins (LB)Notable Wins: vs. SMU (27-3) & @ #7 Houston (49-28, CUSA Championship)#16 - 2000 Southern Miss Golden EaglesSouthern Miss QB Jeff Kelly in the 2000 Cincinnati Game | ESPNEntering the new millennium brought high expectations for Jeff Bower and his Golden Eagles. By 2000, Coach Bower had amassed a 59-43-1 record and won three Conference USA Championships. He had also been named the Conference USA Coach of the Year twice and was Conference USA Coach of the Decade for the 1990s. The 2000 season saw Southern Miss finish 8-4 with its seventh consecutive winning season under Coach Bower. The Golden Eagles dropped their first matchup against No. 13 Tennessee in Knoxville, but then went on a six-game win streak that included their first win over Alabama since 1990. The Golden Eagles achieved their highest AP Top 25 ranking since 1981, reaching No. 13, as they went on to face Louisville. Southern Miss dropped this game, and a loss against Cincinnati two weeks later dropped them out of the Top 25. The season did end on a high note with a win over No. 13 TCU in the Mobile, Alabama Bowl. Record: 8-4 (4-3 CUSA)10 Weeks Ranked in the AP Top 25 PollGMAC Mobile, Alabama Bowl Champions over #13 TCU (28-21)Notable Players: Jeff Kelly (QB), Derrick Nix (RB), and Rod Davis (LB)Notable Wins: vs. #15 Alabama (21-0) & @ Oklahoma State (28-6)What an exciting matchup to kick off Round 2. Remember to visit the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on SI Facebook Page to vote for which team you think is better. And as always, Southern Miss, To The Top!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow