Great, but long article, about pumping up the SEC bias

[Ulty]

One of the things that baffles me about the SEC is Missouri's performance, and perhaps my opinion in this regard is baised by my own hatred of Mizzou.

But Missouri was always a middling team in the Big 12, that only had their highest moments when Nebraska was at its worst, but even at their absolute best, Mizzou still lost a couple games and were unable to bring home any conference championships to their dusty, lonely trophy case. So they go to the big bad SEC and suddenly are able to compete with everyone and be among the best in the country? Their resources, coaching, and talent are about the same as ever. Are we to believe that a Pinkel coached Mizzou team suddenly got that much better while facing stiffer competition? The same questions apply for Texas A&M, even though they are already a step above Mizzou in resources, talent, and coaching (Sumlin and Manziel certainly helped).

It's just hard to fathom that Mizzou and TAMU both left an apparently struggling conference but are having so much more success against teams who are supposed to be so much tougher. I know a lot can change in a program from year to year, but it just doesn't smell right when a couple non-championship caliber Big 12 teams can go to the SEC and magically be better.

 

[Ric Flair]

And for the past seven straight seasons, the best they have has beaten the best the rest of the country had.

See my post above and you'll notice the fallacy of the bolded statement.

My statement is only a fallacy if you believe that simple record correlates to the quality of the team. So do you believe that an undefeated Northern Illinois or Boise State squad deserves a slot in the national title game over a 1-loss SEC champion that both the media and the coaches have ranked higher?

 

[shyndy]

Let's also not forget how often sec teams get favorable locales for their bowl games.

 

[Saunders]

And for the past seven straight seasons, the best they have has beaten the best the rest of the country had.

See my post above and you'll notice the fallacy of the bolded statement.

My statement is only a fallacy if you believe that simple record correlates to the quality of the team. So do you believe that an undefeated Northern Illinois or Boise State squad deserves a slot in the national title game over a 1-loss SEC champion that both the media and the coaches have ranked higher?

Those two teams, not necessarily. But what about: Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Oregon, Stanford, Penn State, Cincinnatti, Utah, KSU, USC, etc....

When your main measuring device of quality is based on easily manipulated top 25 rankings, you've got a problem. Do you believe a 1 loss SEC champion deserves to get a slot in the title game simply due to the virtue of the heavily flawed ranking system?

This is why I'm a huge proponent of a conference champs only playoff. It's the only true model.

 

[Ric Flair]

Let's also not forget how often sec teams get favorable locales for their bowl games.

Because no one wants to play in an outdoor stadium around the holidays.

I can't believe that as a fanbase we've gone from expecting our team to contend for and win national championships to whining about how unfair it is that ESPN favors another conference and teams from that conference get to play bowl games closer to home.

 

[Mavric]

Let's also not forget how often sec teams get favorable locales for their bowl games.

Because no one wants to play in an outdoor stadium around the holidays.

I can't believe that as a fanbase we've gone from expecting our team to contend for and win national championships to whining about how unfair it is that ESPN favors another conference and teams from that conference get to play bowl games closer to home.

Is it not possible to do both?

 

[Redux]

2012 -Bama lucks back into title game after Oregon and KSU lose on same night. And Ohio State Banned from bowl.

2011 - Okie State Big 12 Champ held out in favor of Bama that didnt win its division for a BS all SEC West title rematch

2010 - Boise St blows their shot with a missed FG and Auburn escapes Oregon via Dyers infamous Dyer isnt down run.

2009 - 5 Teams finish undefeated. Texas escapes us to lose Mccoy in the first quarter and be ineffective against Bama.

2008 - Oklahoma flexes its weaknesses against Florida after the 3 way Big 12 South tie that couldve gone to Texas.

2007 - An awful year for rankings. Everbody lost and lost alot. Ohio State and LSU limp into title game that was up for grabs.

2006 - Florida starts the trend and the nightmare continues this season.

 

[Born N Bled Red]

While I agree there is SEC bias, I'm not sure they aren't deserving of some of it. While I watched Bama/LSU, I thought, wow, these kids would destroy our team. We'd have 50 hung on us and we wouldn't be even able to fight back. I have a feeling most SEC schools would beat us, though.

Mizzou would beat us.

South Carolina would beat us.

UGA would beat us.

Vandy probably would too.

Bama would beat us.

Auburn would beat us.

aTm would beat us.

LSU would beat us.

Ole Miss would likely beat us.

Also, FSU is a fantastic football team but I'd love to see them actually play some competition. So far, they've only played Clemson and Clemson's only "game" was against UGA. The ACC is awful and winning the ACC should not warrant much of anything but I guess you cannot fault them for the schedule they play....or can you?

We're also an average, unranked football team, so I don't know that any of that really matters or proves anything.

You probably also thought this last year too, when we took on Georgia, who was "5 yards from playing for the national championship," and gave them a full four quarter game. Did we lose, yes, but we more than held our own. If not for that hail mary to end the first half, we had momentum. The SEC is just another conference. UGA was pumped as a true contender and we gave them all they could take, and we were playing up a bowl spot or two due to the BIG's ineligible teams. The idea of the SEC being all that and a big of chips is BS.

 

[Saunders]

Let's also not forget how often sec teams get favorable locales for their bowl games.

Because no one wants to play in an outdoor stadium around the holidays.

I can't believe that as a fanbase we've gone from expecting our team to contend for and win national championships to whining about how unfair it is that ESPN favors another conference and teams from that conference get to play bowl games closer to home.

1. NFL disagrees with you.

2. Those two statements aren't mutually exclusive. We can talk about other things in the world of CFB regardless of Nebraska, no?

 

[AgMarauder04]

Line Up every conference, from #1 on down, and see how the results play out. SEC #1 vs B1G #1, SEC #2 vs B1G #2, etc. You'll see SEC win most of those. No, I'm not saying the SEC is going to win 90% of the time, but they are a better conference. The other problem with this guys stats is WHO is playing.

Ok St (a favorite for the B12 title) vs Miss State (Who will finish <500 this year?) That's not a legit matchup.

As far as Georgia is concerned, they are missing ALL of their starter skill positions aside from QB and 1 RB. Is the SEC overrated? Probably a little, but to claim they are no different from every other conference is not true either.

 

[commando]

the SEC is playing by different rules then the rest of the NCAA. they can oversign to an extent that gives them an extra class every 4 years over the rest of the teams. the open bidding on players might also help them get the better players. They also cut many sports so the football $ stays with the football program. they use those $ to pay the best coaches (and bring in the best recruits money can buy). if we want the other conferences to be equal to the SEC...we have to follow their motto....."if you aint cheatin you aint tryin"

 

[Saunders]

2012 -Bama lucks back into title game after Oregon and KSU lose on same night. And Ohio State Banned from bowl.

2011 - Okie State Big 12 Champ held out in favor of Bama that didnt win its division for a BS all SEC West title rematch

2010 - Boise St blows their shot with a missed FG and Auburn escapes Oregon via Dyers infamous Dyer isnt down run.

2009 - 5 Teams finish undefeated. Texas escapes us to lose Mccoy in the first quarter and be ineffective against Bama.

2008 - Oklahoma flexes its weaknesses against Florida after the 3 way Big 12 South tie that couldve gone to Texas.

2007 - An awful year for rankings. Everbody lost and lost alot. Ohio State and LSU limp into title game that was up for grabs.

2006 - Florida starts the trend and the nightmare continues this season.

2006 (Big Ten) and 2008 (Big 12) were easy cases for rematches in the BCS title game... yet it took until 2011 with 2 SEC teams for that to happen. One of those teams wasn't even the best team in it's own division, yet was crowned national champion. My 3 year old can see through that bad logic.

 

[Saunders]

Line Up every conference, from #1 on down, and see how the results play out. SEC #1 vs B1G #1, SEC #2 vs B1G #2, etc. You'll see SEC win most of those.

The numbers from the BCS era do not agree with your assertion whatsoever.

 

[AgMarauder04]

You know, the whole "they're cheating" cry gets kind of tiring. To assume that a) The SEC is cheating or b) No one else cheats is naive.

 

[AgMarauder04]

Line Up every conference, from #1 on down, and see how the results play out. SEC #1 vs B1G #1, SEC #2 vs B1G #2, etc. You'll see SEC win most of those.

The numbers from the BCS era do not agree with your assertion whatsoever.

Which ones? If it's just overall record, that is teams like Tennessee vs Oregon as much as Alabama vs nobody. Not a true representation. You REALLY want to know the best indicator?

VEGAS.