SEC Who?

[KRAM1]

Just wondering if the "bloom is off the rose" with this SEC thing? With OU's win over Alabama and FSU's win over Auburn might this be the start of the return to earth for the evil empire that is the SEC?

Article in the San Diego paper this morning alluding to this sort of started me thinking. Most of this sort of thing runs in stages. Maybe the SEC stage is at the beginning of its decline back to earth.

These two games certainly show that the SEC is not the only conference capable of winning National Championships.

No, I am in no way indicating that the SEC is still not very solid, but maybe the days of its dominance is seeing a few cracks.

What say you?

[oldguystudent]

What say you?

Nobody has mastered the art of scheduling creampuff home games for OOC and spreading propogranda of the conference schedule being "Sooooo haaaaarrrd" like the SEC has done. They do it across all sports. People buy into it, so when it comes time for post season, they get the most favorable draws. That doesn't mean that they don't produce some solid top tier conference teams. I think it does mean that the conference, top to bottom, isn't as dominant as they would have you believe (for their own benefit), and I think that when its top teams are occasionally forced to face some legitimate competition that they are vulnerable to stumble every once in a while.

They do it in baseball like freaking pros. Since baseball has an RPI that dictates post season, the SEC does a brilliant thing. They all schedule their OOC opponents at home. I believe LSU played 38 of 56 games at home last year. Those OOC opponents tend to be the top programs from the absolute weakest programs. So, maybe, for example, schedule UNC Wilmington. They are NO match for someone like LSU, but they went 38-23, so it boosts LSU's RPI because their opponents are winners. The entire conference does this, goes .500 against itself, and assures itself the highest conference RPI season after season after season. It's so bad that in 2011, LSU finished last place in its division with a 13-17 conference record, and didn't receive a post season bid. LSU complained that its conference schedule was sooooo haaaaard, and that its OOC record was 23-3 against such sultans as Holy Cross, Princeton, and Nicholls St. Claimed the NCAA was punishing it for being in such a good conference. Boo-freaking-hoo. Oh, of those 26 OOC games? 23 were at home.

The SEC has the most money, and pretty much owns ESPN's short and curlies. So as long as the cash keeps flowing into the right pockets, the SEC will continue to have things mysteriously fall its way.

[forevereagle]

I think that the SEC bowl record this year shows that their mid tier teams were pretty good, but they were maybe a bit overrated at the top. Seems like most years they have really good teams at the top, but still have their bad teams at the bottom. They are also really good at scheduling to win. Most SEC schools are playing 7-8 home games every year. They play all/most of their OOC games at home so they can do everything possible to not lose. Poll voters seem to ignore their weak OOC because "the conference is so good that it doesn't matter."

[Green Mean]

The SEC is not what they were a few years ago. Yes they may be top heavy but this stuff constantly goes in cycles. Eventually they'll go down and other conferences will be overpass them.

[CMJ]

The SEC had three of the top 5 teams in the final poll. I'd argue they are as strong as they have ever been.

[forevereagle]

The rankings in the final poll seemed a little weird to me since Bama was still ranked above OU despite getting beaten head to head.

[Army of Dad]

I think that the SEC bowl record this year shows that their mid tier teams were pretty good, but they were maybe a bit overrated at the top. Seems like most years they have really good teams at the top, but still have their bad teams at the bottom. They are also really good at scheduling to win. Most SEC schools are playing 7-8 home games every year. They play all/most of their OOC games at home so they can do everything possible to not lose. Poll voters seem to ignore their weak OOC because "the conference is so good that it doesn't matter."

The Gators play free shoes university every year and alternate home and away. Georgia plays Georgia Tech every year and played Clemson away this year. South Carolina plays Clemson every year. Alabama usually has one "tough" OOC game like Virginia Tech or Michigan.

That's just off the top of my head.

[oldguystudent]

The Gators play free shoes university every year and alternate home and away. Georgia plays Georgia Tech every year and played Clemson away this year. South Carolina plays Clemson every year. Alabama usually has one "tough" OOC game like Virginia Tech or Michigan.

That's just off the top of my head.

Missouri -- Murray St., Toledo, Indiana, Ark. St.

South Carolina -- North Carolina, UCF, Coastal Carolina, Clemson

Georgia -- Clemson, North Texas, App. State, Georgia Tech

Vanderbilt -- Austin Peay, UMass, UAB, Wake Forest

Florida -- Toledo, Miami, Georgia Southern, Florida St.

Tennessee -- Austin Peay, W. Kentucky, South Alabama, Oregon

Kentucky -- W. Kentucky, Miami (OH), Lousiville, Alabama St.

Auburn -- Washington St, Ark. St, Western Carolina, Florida Atlantic

Alabama -- Va. Tech, Colorado St, Georgia St., Chattanooga

LSU -- TCU, UAB, Kent St, Furman

aTm -- Rice, Sam Houston, SMU, UTEP

Ole Miss -- SE Missouri St, Texas, Idaho, Troy

Miss St -- OK. State, Alcorn St, Troy, Bowling Green

Arkansas -- ULaLa, Samford, Southern Miss, Rutgers

56 OOC games. Of those, I count 44 home games or 78.6%

There are indeed some legit opponents in there. There are also programs I've never even heard of. Not like, "That school has a football program?" More along the lines of "That's a school?" i.e. Chatanooga.

Draw your own conclusions as to whether as a conference, the SEC stacks the deck in its own favor.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Baylor:

8/31 Wofford W 69 - 3 ........... Sat 9/7 Buffalo W 70 - 13 ......... Sat 9/21 LA Monroe W 70 - 7

209 -23

Edited January 9, 2014 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[forevereagle]

The Gators play free shoes university every year and alternate home and away. Georgia plays Georgia Tech every year and played Clemson away this year. South Carolina plays Clemson every year. Alabama usually has one "tough" OOC game like Virginia Tech or Michigan.

That's just off the top of my head.

True on some of those, but most schools play a home heavy slate and the SEC loves playing FCS. They all tend to schedule easy and at home.

Missouri -- Murray St., Toledo, Indiana, Ark. St.

South Carolina -- North Carolina, UCF, Coastal Carolina, Clemson

Georgia -- Clemson, North Texas, App. State, Georgia Tech

Vanderbilt -- Austin Peay, UMass, UAB, Wake Forest

Florida -- Toledo, Miami, Georgia Southern, Florida St.

Tennessee -- Austin Peay, W. Kentucky, South Alabama, Oregon

Kentucky -- W. Kentucky, Miami (OH), Lousiville, Alabama St.

Auburn -- Washington St, Ark. St, Western Carolina, Florida Atlantic

Alabama -- Va. Tech, Colorado St, Georgia St., Chattanooga

LSU -- TCU, UAB, Kent St, Furman

aTm -- Rice, Sam Houston, SMU, UTEP

Ole Miss -- SE Missouri St, Texas, Idaho, Troy

Miss St -- OK. State, Alcorn St, Troy, Bowling Green

Arkansas -- ULaLa, Samford, Southern Miss, Rutgers

56 OOC games. Of those, I count 44 home games or 78.6%

There are indeed some legit opponents in there. There are also programs I've never even heard of. Not like, "That school has a football program?" More along the lines of "That's a school?" i.e. Chatanooga.

Draw your own conclusions as to whether as a conference, the SEC stacks the deck in its own favor.

Bolded the FCS schools above. Every SEC team played one FCS school this season.

I underlined the other AQ schools (if the AAC really counts). They all played at least one of those games as well with South Carolina taking the prize there.

I italicized the non-AQ teams, most schools filled their non conference schedule there as you would expect. They seem to keep those fairly regional and seem to go for the teams that recently moved up (UMass, GSU and USA) or without recent success (Ark St seems to be the exception, appearing twice on the list) or wins against their conference (ULM notably absent and you can't tell me they don't need the money).

With the 78% home OOC schedule, I think that my statement holds up pretty well. Not saying that the other AQs don't do this, but the SEC is the one touted as being so great and they have done that by helping themselves with an relatively easy and win friendly non conference schedule. Would we do the same were we in that situation? Probably. But I also see a conference that proves little beyond themselves until bowl season begins.

[Army of Dad]

True on some of those, but most schools play a home heavy slate and the SEC loves playing FCS. They all tend to schedule easy and at home.

Bolded the FCS schools above. Every SEC team played one FCS school this season.

I underlined the other AQ schools (if the AAC really counts). They all played at least one of those games as well with South Carolina taking the prize there.

I italicized the non-AQ teams, most schools filled their non conference schedule there as you would expect. They seem to keep those fairly regional and seem to go for the teams that recently moved up (UMass, GSU and USA) or without recent success (Ark St seems to be the exception, appearing twice on the list) or wins against their conference (ULM notably absent and you can't tell me they don't need the money).

With the 78% home OOC schedule, I think that my statement holds up pretty well. Not saying that the other AQs don't do this, but the SEC is the one touted as being so great and they have done that by helping themselves with an relatively easy and win friendly non conference schedule. Would we do the same were we in that situation? Probably. But I also see a conference that proves little beyond themselves until bowl season begins.

Only three schools didn't play a decent program (either good this year, recently good, or traditional power program). aTM, Mizzou and Vandy are either new to the conference or a traditional doormat. Yes they all played a FCS team as well, I would imagine all the bigger match ups go away if not for playing FCS schools.

Not every school challenges themselves like SC did this season, but there are plenty of measuring stick games in their OOC schedule this year and most years too.

[gksmith]

First time in 8 (?) years SEC did not win the national championship. I would not be ready to kick dirt on the SEC grave yet. Let's see what the next 3-5 years holds. If they get shutout of the championship game or tourny then we can start talking of the SEC decline. Till then...wait and see.

[Mean Green 93-98]

The SEC had three of the top 5 teams in the final poll. I'd argue they are as strong as they have ever been.

I agree. I think the strength of the SEC has been so overstated and embellished--e.g., "a 1-loss SEC team is better than an undefeated team from any other conference," "the SEC Championship Game is the national championship"--that reality just has a hard time living up to legend.

[emmitt01]

I agree. I think the strength of the SEC has been so overstated and embellished--e.g., "a 1-loss SEC team is better than an undefeated team from any other conference," "the SEC Championship Game is the national championship"--that reality just has a hard time living up to legend.

I don't think it's just the fact THAT they won seven straight national titles, it's HOW they won them.

Look at the scores on the bottom of this page. ONE game was decided by single digits.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCS_National_Championship_Game

[forevereagle]

First time in 8 (?) years SEC did not win the national championship. I would not be ready to kick dirt on the SEC grave yet. Let's see what the next 3-5 years holds. If they get shutout of the championship game or tourny then we can start talking of the SEC decline. Till then...wait and see.

I don't think that the conference is, by any means, dead or dying. I do think that the other conferences are catching up and that maybe this year's version was a tad overrated. I was pointing out that part of their mystique is built on stacking the deck in their favor early in the season. They have a great group of coaches that have able to build their teams throughout the season and, by the time the big games roll around, have coached them up to make them very difficult to beat.

They are not going to get shut out of the tourney unless the wheels completely fall off, and there is no reason to believe that will happen. If the other conferences get their act together, they could get bounced before the NC game, but that is why we play the games.

[Coffee and TV]

Would really have loved for the SEC to 'prove' its superiority this year by scheduling some games on the West Coast. Of course they won't do that, and we all saw Oregon make Tennessee look like a high school team.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I don't think it's just the fact THAT they won seven straight national titles, it's HOW they won them.

Look at the scores on the bottom of this page. ONE game was decided by single digits.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCS_National_Championship_Game

It's interesting that the second-most lopsided win came when the SEC was allowed to play itself in the BCS Championship Game.

[emmitt01]

It's interesting that the second-most lopsided win came when the SEC was allowed to play itself in the BCS Championship Game.

I think Bama was just that good.

[forevereagle]

I think Bama was just that good.

Except when the two played the first time.

[JesseMartin]

Except when the two played the first time.

But it was raining! That matters when you're the best team in the country, right?

[forevereagle]

But it was raining! That matters when you're the best team in the country, right?

Sure, let's go with that.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

SEC went 7-3 in their bowl games, and were in two of the BCS bowls, including the national title game. So, in what alternative universe does anyone think they are knocked down a peg?

[greenminer]

SEC went 7-3 in their bowl games, and were in two of the BCS bowls, including the national title game. So, in what alternative universe does anyone think they are knocked down a peg?

Nearly every post is saying either 1) They are probably still as good as ever, or 2) Discussing their OOC scheduling. Except for maybe Kram, I'm not sure who you are asking.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

KRAM