Why the SEC Isn't as Great in Football as You Think

[LouPhinFan]

There's some compelling stuff in there. The author isn't saying the SEC isn't good, he's just saying they're not all that much better than the other conferences. They're just really good at media manipulation and have benefited greatly from the BCS bowl system.


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...Yet SEC dominance is a very recent phenomenon.

Since the inception of the BCS, the SEC has been crowned national champion 57.14 percent of the time. That's a stunning turnaround when compared with an undisputed national title rate of 10.42 percent over the half-century prior.

So what's behind such a radical shift in fortune, such a statistical improbability?

It certainly isn't on-field performance. Judging by inter-conference records -- that is to say actual games as opposed to media guesswork and bestowed rankings -- the SEC plays other BCS conferences about equally. Witness the record since the start of the BCS era in 1998:


SEC vs. PAC-12 regular season: 10-12
SEC vs. PAC-12 bowl games: 1-0
SEC vs. Big 12 regular season: 6-10
SEC vs. Big 12 bowl games: 21-8
SEC vs. ACC regular season: 42-36
SEC vs. ACC bowl games: 16-9
SEC vs. Big 10 regular season: 7-4
SEC vs. Big 10 bowl games: 19-19
SEC vs. Big East regular season: 16-15
SEC vs. Big East bowl game: 3-8

The record is clear. In head-to-head match-ups against other major conferences, the SEC has either a combined losing record or one that's generally only a little better than even.

[TedSlimmJr]

Convenient how the author ignores that SEC record against other conferences in bowl games is skewed by systematic mismatching of conference ranks.

Capital One: Big 10 #2, SEC #2 (the only one that is even, but if the SEC is in the BCS and the Sugar, then this becomes SEC #3.)
Cotton Bowl: Big 12 #2, SEC #3/4
Outback: Big 10 #3, SEC #3/4
Chick fil A: ACC #2, SEC #5
Gator: B10 #4/5, SEC #6
Liberty: C-USA #1, SEC #7/8
Music City: ACC #6, SEC #7/8
Compass: Big East #5, SEC #9

God forbid one uses facts:


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That's right - the SEC owns a winning record against every conference except 1 - the MWC (thanks to Boise State vs UGA and Utah vs Alabama) - with their incredible 3-2 record against the SEC.

Everyone else:

SEC vs Them:
18 - 0 - MAC.
54 - 1 - Sun Belt.
44 - 3 - CUSA.
16 - 2 - WAC.
16 - 7 - Big XII.
34 - 20 - ACC.
8 - 5 - PAC 12.
12 - 9 - Big X.
11 - 10 - Big East.



Most of those are better than a.600 winning %. Only the Big X and Big East avoided that distinction.



You already know you're the best when someone will go to the extent that this guy did to say otherwise.

The elephant in the room is that this author is clearly just a northerner who hates the south, and his book is simply a diatribe against the south and the author's perceptions of its culture: its politics, religion, gun ownership and women (?). Of course he'd hate its football. He's an idiot.

[TedSlimmJr]

Futhermore, a lot what this guy is trying to convey is false, misleading, or both:


1) "Since the inception of the BCS, the SEC has been crowned national champion 57.14 percent of the time. That's a stunning turnaround when compared with an undisputed national title rate of 10.42 percent over the half-century prior."

Key word being "undisputed," so that he can do away with 1957 Auburn, 1962 Ole Miss, and four national championships by the University of Alabama.

2) "The record is clear. In head-to-head match-ups against other major conferences, the SEC has either a combined losing record or one that's generally only a little better than even."


And how many of those games are Vanderbilt vs. Michigan or something similar?


NOBODY in the SEC is saying "those other teams aren't any good." All we've ever said was that Team X would not have as good a record if they played in the SEC. Boise State would not have a truckload of unbeaten and one-loss seasons if they played in the SEC. Yes, they'd beat Vandy and Ole Miss and Kentucky and MSU and occasionally someone else. They could probably go 7-4.

7-4 SEC teams are NOT national championship material.

3) "No bowl games are played in Ohio."

This is just a variation of the B1G's "they won't play us at home in November." But I never hear them complain about 80 degree temperatures in Pasadena, either.

4) "The only way a team regarded so lightly early in the season can possibly climb into the national championship game -- which Auburn did that year -- is to beat a slew of highly ranked opponents, which Auburn also did that year."

Including the Pac Ten champion, which he doesn't bother to mention. An UNDEFEATED Pac Ten champion at that.

5) "Because polls are arranged from the outset so that SEC teams will face the most highly ranked opponents over the course of a season, only teams from the SEC are time and again able to manage this feat."

Yes, because we all recall how well teams moved up when they blasted pre-season number three Alabama in 2000 or pre-season top five pick LSU in 1998.

6) "If an SEC leader wins all of its league games, this allegedly proves how great that team is, given that it somehow managed to go undefeated against a monster SEC schedule -- ignored is the fact that SEC teams have pulled off this putative miracle for the last four straight seasons."

Four seasons is 2008-09-10-11. Nobody went unbeaten in conference in 2008. Alabama lost to Florida and Florida lost to Ole Miss. Again, he's an idiot.

7) "In the 2010-11 bowl season, for instance, the SEC posted a .500 record (5-5),"

The previous three years they went 19-6.


8) "The most bald-faced example of poll rigging occurred in 2011 when the Pac-12's then number-three-ranked Oregon Ducks lost a September game in Dallas to then number-four-ranked LSU by a score of 40-27. Following the defeat, the Ducks dropped 10 spaces in the polls, to number 13"

Because the game wasn't that close. LSU had a three touchdown lead with nine minutes left.

9) "When the SEC's then #2 Alabama Crimson Tide lost at home to #1 LSU in November, however, it dropped only one space in the polls, to number three"

Two points here:
a) because Alabama lost in OVERTIME and NEVER TRAILED THE ENTIRE GAME until the last play

b) because the precedent was set in 1993 when Notre Dame beat #1 Florida State and the Noles only dropped to #2.

10) "Within two weeks, just-beaten Alabama had been scooted back up to number two behind top-ranked LSU"

Because Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State and TCU beat Boise State and Oregon LOST YET AGAIN.

[tylerdolphin]

Saw the thread title and was hoping I could get in before TedSlimm. Should have known I didnt stand a chance.

[JCane]

Futhermore, a lot what this guy is trying to convey is false, misleading, or both:


1) "Since the inception of the BCS, the SEC has been crowned national champion 57.14 percent of the time. That's a stunning turnaround when compared with an undisputed national title rate of 10.42 percent over the half-century prior."

Key word being "undisputed," so that he can do away with 1957 Auburn, 1962 Ole Miss, and four national championships by the University of Alabama.

2) "The record is clear. In head-to-head match-ups against other major conferences, the SEC has either a combined losing record or one that's generally only a little better than even."


And how many of those games are Vanderbilt vs. Michigan or something similar?


NOBODY in the SEC is saying "those other teams aren't any good." All we've ever said was that Team X would not have as good a record if they played in the SEC. Boise State would not have a truckload of unbeaten and one-loss seasons if they played in the SEC. Yes, they'd beat Vandy and Ole Miss and Kentucky and MSU and occasionally someone else. They could probably go 7-4.

7-4 SEC teams are NOT national championship material.

3) "No bowl games are played in Ohio."

This is just a variation of the B1G's "they won't play us at home in November." But I never hear them complain about 80 degree temperatures in Pasadena, either.

4) "The only way a team regarded so lightly early in the season can possibly climb into the national championship game -- which Auburn did that year -- is to beat a slew of highly ranked opponents, which Auburn also did that year."

Including the Pac Ten champion, which he doesn't bother to mention. An UNDEFEATED Pac Ten champion at that.

5) "Because polls are arranged from the outset so that SEC teams will face the most highly ranked opponents over the course of a season, only teams from the SEC are time and again able to manage this feat."

Yes, because we all recall how well teams moved up when they blasted pre-season number three Alabama in 2000 or pre-season top five pick LSU in 1998.

6) "If an SEC leader wins all of its league games, this allegedly proves how great that team is, given that it somehow managed to go undefeated against a monster SEC schedule -- ignored is the fact that SEC teams have pulled off this putative miracle for the last four straight seasons."

Four seasons is 2008-09-10-11. Nobody went unbeaten in conference in 2008. Alabama lost to Florida and Florida lost to Ole Miss. Again, he's an idiot.

7) "In the 2010-11 bowl season, for instance, the SEC posted a .500 record (5-5),"

The previous three years they went 19-6.


8) "The most bald-faced example of poll rigging occurred in 2011 when the Pac-12's then number-three-ranked Oregon Ducks lost a September game in Dallas to then number-four-ranked LSU by a score of 40-27. Following the defeat, the Ducks dropped 10 spaces in the polls, to number 13"

Because the game wasn't that close. LSU had a three touchdown lead with nine minutes left.

9) "When the SEC's then #2 Alabama Crimson Tide lost at home to #1 LSU in November, however, it dropped only one space in the polls, to number three"

Two points here:
a) because Alabama lost in OVERTIME and NEVER TRAILED THE ENTIRE GAME until the last play

b) because the precedent was set in 1993 when Notre Dame beat #1 Florida State and the Noles only dropped to #2.

10) "Within two weeks, just-beaten Alabama had been scooted back up to number two behind top-ranked LSU"

Because Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State and TCU beat Boise State and Oregon LOST YET AGAIN.

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[WVDolphan]

I was going to say, why does it seem like the SEC DOMINATES the Outback and Capital One bowls EVERY YEAR. Why does it seem like I clean up betting on college bowls every year and almost every year without fail the first games I seem to pinpoint when Im looking for LOCKS turns out to be these games and/or an SEC team in the title game vs. some overrated team that won the Pac 12, Big Ten, or Big 12?

He wants to post bowl records..... why do I care if one of the top 3 or 4 teams from the other conferences beats the 7th or 8th best team in the SEC? Why do I care that some undefeated team from a non existant conference can sometimes beat the 2nd or 3rd best team in the SEC who dosent even care about being in the game they are in because they feel slighted or bummed they didnt get in the title game?

Show me the records when the SEC 2 plays other leagues #2s. Show me the records when the #3s play #3s. Show me the last time the SEC didnt beat someone in the title game. Then tell me the SEC is overrated. HATERS with skewed numbers...... GET REAL.

Also, stop bringing up old ****. Stop bringing in numbers from the 1990s in the argument when Notre Dame wasnt complete **** and Florida St had the highest payroll in Florida, just ahead of the Dolphins, Bucs, Canes, and Gators.

Were in the present. The SEC dominance has just started going to a whole new level the last 10 years or so. It was always a great football conference, but the last decade or so its been on a competely different level.

[JCane]

6 straight national titles.

I'd say that's pretty good.

[tylerdolphin]

My favorite part of this thread is how Slimm came in here and destroyed that article in no time flat.

Hes got that SEC speed.

[Namor]

My favorite part of this thread is how Slimm came in here and destroyed that article in no time flat.

Hes got that SEC speed.

Funny and awesome!!!

[JCane]

My favorite part of this thread is how Slimm came in here and destroyed that article in no time flat.

Hes got that SEC speed.

I read Slimm's post and then posted that Dexter Fowler GIF.

I started picturing Slimm hammering out that home run post and then standing up real quick and flipping over his keyboard the way Fowler did that bat.