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SEC "Not as Good as You Think"
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:22 pm
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:22 pm
In 2012, for instance, the SEC was able to even its BCS bowl record against the Big Ten at 19-19 when the Florida Gators beat Ohio State in the none-too-partisan Gator Bowl. The game was played in Jacksonville. No bowl games are played in Ohio.
So, if the SEC plays other conferences about even, why do SEC teams keep winning national championships?
That answer, of course, is the BCS and its corporate underwriters, who have created a reliable business model for determining national champions that is in all respects a self-fulfilling prophecy designed to protect its primary investment.
The BCS business plan works like this: preseason rankings typically include two, three, or four SEC teams among the nation's top ten, more than from any other conference. From the outset, this bias for SEC teams builds into the system a near insurmountable advantage.
Start the season with two of the top four teams being from the SEC, as was the case in 2010 with Alabama and Florida, and in 2011 with Alabama and LSU, and the conference is virtually guaranteed to be represented in the title game -- and this is an important point -- even if neither of those two schools end up winning the conference.
""To be the best, so goes to the old sports adage, you've got to beat the best. But since only SEC teams are consistently declared the best, only SEC teams get the chance to prove themselves against "the best."
It's a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Does the SEC get favorable rankings because it's so good? Or is the SEC so good because it gets favorable rankings? I argue for the latter.""
LINK
So, if the SEC plays other conferences about even, why do SEC teams keep winning national championships?
That answer, of course, is the BCS and its corporate underwriters, who have created a reliable business model for determining national champions that is in all respects a self-fulfilling prophecy designed to protect its primary investment.
The BCS business plan works like this: preseason rankings typically include two, three, or four SEC teams among the nation's top ten, more than from any other conference. From the outset, this bias for SEC teams builds into the system a near insurmountable advantage.
Start the season with two of the top four teams being from the SEC, as was the case in 2010 with Alabama and Florida, and in 2011 with Alabama and LSU, and the conference is virtually guaranteed to be represented in the title game -- and this is an important point -- even if neither of those two schools end up winning the conference.
""To be the best, so goes to the old sports adage, you've got to beat the best. But since only SEC teams are consistently declared the best, only SEC teams get the chance to prove themselves against "the best."
It's a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Does the SEC get favorable rankings because it's so good? Or is the SEC so good because it gets favorable rankings? I argue for the latter.""
LINK
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Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:26 pm to Meaux Bettah
quote:
the SEC gets favorable rankings because it's so good
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:26 pm to Meaux Bettah
Do you think if SEC teams played more teams from out of conference, regardless of rankings, that they wouldn't win most of those games?
While the ranking system is probably flawed, the SEC wins when they are put on the line because they are better at football.
While the ranking system is probably flawed, the SEC wins when they are put on the line because they are better at football.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:26 pm to Meaux Bettah
What did you expect from a guy with this as his motto?
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:28 pm to Meaux Bettah
If only LSU had played some of the better teams from other conferences last year. Then we'd have some comparison of the relative strength of the conferences...
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:30 pm to Meaux Bettah
Let's ask the aggies what they think after the season.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:32 pm to Meaux Bettah
Amazing how people that argue that the SEC isn't the best right now always bring up stats from late 90's. The SEC became really dominant in the mid 00's. I would love for them to show the SEC records against OOC since 2006 when the NC streak started. I think that would be a better representation of where the SEC is compared to others, but bad writers report bad things and will continue to do so I guess.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:32 pm to Meaux Bettah
SEC Rant Board?
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:32 pm to Meaux Bettah
quote:
the SEC was able to even its BCS bowl record against the Big Ten at 19-19
say again..the Big 10 is 12-13 in BCS Games and the SEC is 16-7. If anything the Big10 sends more frauds up into the BCS to get thier weak azz kicked.
Highest Winning Percentages By Conference
Conference
Percentage (Record)
Mountain West .750 (3-1)
Southeastern .696 (16-7)
Western Athletic .667 (2-1)
Pac-12 .611 (11-7)
Big East .500 (7-7)
Big Ten .480 (12-13)
Big 12 .474 (9-10)
Atlantic Coast .133 (2-13)
Independents .000 (0-3)
This post was edited on 8/14/12 at 3:33 pm
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:34 pm to Meaux Bettah
Adios.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:34 pm to Crow Pie
I was wondering when this article would make it to the rant.
I think the argument is interesting and makes some valid points. But he overlooks the fact that the best team in the SEC has beaten the best team from other conferences often...
I think the largest thing is that ESPN has a huge contract with the SEC, and therefore they talk about them more, and recruits see them more. They get better recruits, and then win more...leading to better recruits
I think the argument is interesting and makes some valid points. But he overlooks the fact that the best team in the SEC has beaten the best team from other conferences often...
I think the largest thing is that ESPN has a huge contract with the SEC, and therefore they talk about them more, and recruits see them more. They get better recruits, and then win more...leading to better recruits
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:40 pm to Buckeye06
The contract with ESPN started after the SEC's run began. The contract was a result of the SEC's success, not the other way around.
Before the current run, it was the Pac 10/Big 10 getting all of the love. Then Florida demolished Ohio St.
Before the current run, it was the Pac 10/Big 10 getting all of the love. Then Florida demolished Ohio St.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:41 pm to Meaux Bettah
This article fails to take into account that in the BCS ERA the SEC has had in most years 2 teams that quallified for BCS bowls and with the exception of Alabama/ Utah and Arky/ Ohio St. the SEC has won it's match ups. These game are by design meant to put top tier teams against each other. So when we get down to the next tier of bowls we are seeing the 3rd or 4th team in the SEC go against 2nd Big 10 ( cap one) 5th SEC against 2nd ACC ( Chick Fil A) 3rd or 4th SEC against 2nd Big 12 ( cotton). Also many top tier teams from other conferences will not schedule LSU, Bama, Fla. because they do not want to agree to a home and home series. ( Verge has a very tough job). We threaten legal action with AZ St and Va Tech to get them to give a return game. When top level SEC plays top level any other conference it is not even close. After Auburn went undefeated in 2004 and got snubbed for the title game things started to turn around in how the SEC was viewed nationally. If we are going to make a comparison lets look at 1vs1 2vs2 3vs3 and no 1 from any conference vs 8 from SEC. Lets compare apples to apples and not apples to pig slop.
This post was edited on 8/14/12 at 3:44 pm
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:45 pm to Buckeye06
the records against other conferences is invalid. for a while, USC and Arky played every year.
you cant take the best of the PAC - 10 vs middle of the road SEC as a test of which conference is better.
thats just a terrible test of conference strength.
you cant take the best of the PAC - 10 vs middle of the road SEC as a test of which conference is better.
thats just a terrible test of conference strength.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:46 pm to KingofthePoint
quote:only after UF beat Ohio State did ESPN even realize we played football down here.
The contract with ESPN started after the SEC's run began. The contract was a result of the SEC's success, not the other way around.
Before the current run, it was the Pac 10/Big 10 getting all of the love. Then Florida demolished Ohio St.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:46 pm to OXID11
quote:
3rd or 4th team in the SEC go against 2nd Big 10 ( cap one
You know the Big X has had 2 teams in the BCS almost every single year since it began...more than the SEC.
I think the article is good and makes valid points with the circle jerk mentality, but when these other good teams play the SEC in big games, they need to win to end the aura.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:47 pm to OXID11
quote:
If we are going to make a comparison lets look at 1vs1 2vs2 3vs3 and no 1 from any conference vs 8 from SEC.
yes... this
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:48 pm to Crow Pie
quote:
the SEC was able to even its BCS bowl record against the Big Ten at 19-19
Funny that the author talks about favorable matchups in these games for the SEC when the exact opposite is usually the case. You need only look back at the 2010 bowl season to see how ridiculous his claim is. Alabama finished 4th in the SEC West that year yet had to play Big Ten co-champion Michigan State. The 5th place team in the SEC vs. AT WORSE the 3rd place Big Ten team. Yeah, that's a real even matchup.
Alabama won 49-7 anyway despite the uneven matchup. Mississippi State who finished 5th in the SEC West that year manhandled Michigan 52-14. Georgia, who lost to both LSU and Arkansas last year and was behind Alabama as well was the 4th best SEC team last year. They had to play arguably the 2nd best Big Ten team (MSU did beat Michigan after all). I could go on and on but I think it's very clear who is getting the "favorable matchups" between the SEC and the Big Ten and it ain't the SEC. Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:48 pm to Buckeye06
quote:so that kind of invalidates his point, doesn't it?
You know the Big X has had 2 teams in the BCS almost every single year since it began...more than the SEC.
Big Ten has placed teams in the BCS 25 times... SEC, 23.
Posted on 8/14/12 at 3:53 pm to Buckeye06
And how is Ohio State's record Vs SEC in BCS era and remember you had to vacate the Arky game
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