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

[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.

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.

Vegas and "inside men" right?

lol.....

 

[AgMarauder04]

Vegas doesn't like to lose money. They are incredibly good at keeping it. They have the best record for predicting games, etc based on odds. They don't care about polls, etc. Just a interesting point.

 

[Saunders]

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.

It isn't just about "cheating" it's about bending the rules.

Teams like Bama that have upwards of 30 "staff" members that are an extension of the coaches or oversign like nobody's business have an enormous advantage.

 

[Saunders]

Vegas doesn't like to lose money. They are incredibly good at keeping it. They have the best record for predicting games, etc based on odds. They don't care about polls, etc. Just a interesting point.

Vegas bases their odds entirely on public perception. That's how the system works. You can talk about lines and being favored all day, but the facts are, in the BCS era, the SEC is hovering around .500 against other conferences.

They probably could improve that mark, but they won't travel. When you have teams like Florida that haven't played a non-con game outside of the state in 20+ years... yeah.

 

[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.

It isn't just about "cheating" it's about bending the rules. Teams like Bama that have upwards of 30 "staff" members that are an extension of the coaches or oversign like nobody's business have an enormous advantage.

It's one thing to oversign, but if they don't qualify, that's actually a pretty smart decision. Don't really know much about the coaching, but if it's not against the rules, then who are we to argue? They use the resources they have to win. That's the point, right?

 

[Landlord]

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.

Personally, I didn't. You can look back at my posts if you want, but I thought we were a good football team and didn't expect to beat Georgia, but was convinced we were capable of it. I was one of the few.

Also, the hail mary was South Carolina.

 

[Count 'Bility]

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?

11 months ago we had Georgia on the ropes for 3 quarters.

The gap is NOT as wide as they want you to think. Fact is, the SEC is NO BETTER as a whole than any other conference. Every conference has their 1-3 elite teams, their middlers, and their bottome dwellers. Northwester beat two SEC teams last year straight up. Nebraska pushed Georgia and Michigan pushed South Carolina. The only thing I see is that the SEC's 1-3 elite teams (which I think is only 1 this year) is/are better than everyone else's. I know the arguement is out there for Florida St now, but just watching Bama, and seeing Florida St (and even Oregon and their "we want Bama" campaign-which was totally laughable even before Stanford), I still dont know how Florida St beats Bama. Theyre just a freight train right now. Everything Nebraska was in the 90's. I guess I'll believe it's possible when I see it. But Saban, with over a month? Good night.

 

[BIG ERN]

Alabama vs Ohio State

Auburn vs Wisconsin

Texas A&M vs Michigan State

Missouri vs Nebraska

LSU vs Minnesota

South Carolina vs Iowa

Georgia vs Michigan

Ole Miss vs Penn St

Vanderbilt vs Indiana

Florida vs Northwestern

Tennessee vs Illinois

Mississippi State vs Purdue

Kentucky

Arkansas

 

[AgMarauder04]

Alabama vs Ohio State

Auburn vs Wisconsin

Texas A&M vs Michigan State

Missouri vs Nebraska

LSU vs Minnesota

South Carolina vs Iowa

Georgia vs Michigan

Ole Miss vs Penn St

Vanderbilt vs Indiana

Florida vs Northwestern

Tennessee vs Illinois

Mississippi State vs Purdue

Kentucky

Arkansas

Unsure on: Auburn, A&M, Georgia, Miss St., Mizzou, Tennessee,

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

Alabama vs Ohio State----Alabama wins, but closer than many think

Auburn vs Wisconsin----I'll take Wisconsin here whose only real loss is to Ohio State. They beat Auburn.

Texas A&M vs Michigan State----Michigan State because A&M's defense is terrible. side note---how fun would this game be?? Johnny Football vs. that Defense

Missouri vs Nebraska----Nebraska wins this

LSU vs Minnesota----LSU (shouldn't they be higher here??)

South Carolina vs Iowa---South Carolina, but Iowa makes it a game thru 3

Georgia vs Michigan---Georgia healthy again, they beat Michigan easily.

Ole Miss vs Penn St---I just think Penn State would do well with this matchup against all that youth.

Vanderbilt vs Indiana---Indiana would score many, many points in this game.

Florida vs Northwestern---Wildcats getting healthy, they win here.

Tennessee vs Illinois----Tennessee wins this one, I think

Mississippi State vs Purdue---Mississippi State's payroll wins out

Kentucky

Arkansas

I think this conference is evenly matched. Alabama is better than everyone, but the rest is meh.

 

[Redux]

The SEC plans out their season brilliantly and favorably. They decide which two teams are going to be the best each season based on momentum and recruiting. They then inform the media which two theyve decided upon plus three or four more that will be necessary as ranking boosters.

BAma has best recruiting and momentum so they are #1 obviously

Georgia had a strong finish last season and a strong returning QB so theyre #2

Toss in LSU Florida S.Carolina and A&M and youve got a pretty good stranglejold on the top 25

Now Georgia aand Florida plummet so Mizzou and Auburn fill the void. SEC Presence remains untouched.

End result the preseason, inseason and post season "rankings" are all configured into "proving" the SECs strengths

 

[Zaimejs]

What a great topic. My nephew was just complaining about this on Sunday. I think the Preseason ratings just need to go away. No ratings should be posted until conference play begins. Then coaches and everyone can look at records and compare like opponents and come up with an unbiased ranking. Hell, it might even be fairer to have voters look strictly at records and results and rank teams that way... see how it all plays out.

Great article. I had no idea ESPN paid that much money to the SEC. Money sucks and ruins everything.

 

[StPaulHusker]

What a great topic. My nephew was just complaining about this on Sunday. I think the Preseason ratings just need to go away. No ratings should be posted until conference play begins. Then coaches and everyone can look at records and compare like opponents and come up with an unbiased ranking. Hell, it might even be fairer to have voters look strictly at records and results and rank teams that way... see how it all plays out.

Great article. I had no idea ESPN paid that much money to the SEC. Money sucks and ruins everything.

It would be difficult for doing the ratings once conference play starts because some teams play conference games early in the year. What should have happened is with the introduction of the BCS, rankings should not have come out until then which is like week 6.

The problem is the TV contracts trying to promote teams and their matchups prior to then. If the casual football fan sees Clemson vs South Carolina in week 2, as opposed to #3 Clemson vs #5 South Carolina, which game looks more appealing?

 

[Ric Flair]

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.

Excuses are for losers. I'm not calling you a loser. I'm suggesting that we are (or used to be at least) better than this nonsense.

Some of you sound like Missouri or K-State fans used to back in the old Big 8 days. Good teams make their own luck.

The SEC's seven national titles in a row speak for themselves.

 

[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.

Excuses are for losers. I'm not calling you a loser. I'm suggesting that we are (or used to be at least) better than this nonsense.

Some of you sound like Missouri or K-State fans used to back in the old Big 8 days. Good teams make their own luck.

The SEC's seven national titles in a row speak for themselves.

2011 was bullsh#t and its hard to argue otherwise. 2012 Bama had a loss and wouldnt have been in if not for the Buckeyes bowl ban they shouldve taken the year before. Those are facts