re: Is there a consensus #2 football program in the SEC, historically?

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it's funny that you put utmost importance on national titles but flippantly dismiss SEC titles.

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I don’t. All are subjective. But obviously a national title is worth way more than a conference title. National titles and AP poll performance are the best measuring stick for program success because it includes all teams.

When Oklahoma joins the SEC, they will on Day 1 be the second best program in the SEC and it won’t be close to whoever is #3. Obviously they don’t have any SEC Titles because they haven’t yet played in the SEC.

Texas A&M and Arkansas are better all time programs than Ole Miss. Yet the Rebels have 5 SEC Titles to their zero.

This is why SEC Championships is a factor to consider, but should never be the main factor.

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There are a whoooole lot less variables when it comes to winning the SEC title

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You’re wrong. It’s just as, and possibly more subjective, thanks to the varying schedule strengths played by teams throughout SEC history.

Compare 1972 Auburn with 1981 Georgia

1972 Auburn played (final AP ranking noted):

#7 Alabama (10-2)- won
#8 Tennessee (10-2)- won
#11 LSU (9-2-1)- lost
NR Georgia (7-4)- won
NR Florida (5-5-1)- won
NR Ole Miss (5-5)- won
NR Miss St (4-7)- won

We finished 6-1 but did not win the SEC because even though we beat them head-to-head, Alabama finished 7-1 because they played an extra game against Vanderbilt (3-8).

Meanwhile look at 1981 Georgia:

NR Tennessee (8-4)
NR Florida (7-5)
NR Auburn (5-6)
NR Ole Miss (4-6-1)
NR Vanderbilt (4-7)
NR Kentucky (3-8)

Georgia did win the SEC Title despite beating zero ranked teams. They didn’t have to play Alabama or #3 in the standings Miss St (8-4).

Georgia got an SEC Title. Auburn did not. Yet anyone would say 1972 Auburn was a far more impressive team. Obviously this proves SEC titles are highly subjective from year to year, and even within individual years as 1972 shows.

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UGA's SEC titles in 1980, 1981, and 1982 saw tyhem go undefeated in the SEC. As in, not a single other SEC program defeeated us during that time frame.

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Yes, we’re well aware. And it’s Exhibit A on why not all SEC Titles should be looked at with the same value. Georgia won three consecutive SEC titles playing 18 conference games and yet only beating 1 team that finished ranked in the AP poll, #14 Auburn in 1982.

This literally proves my point of what I said earlier in this thread, a couple days ago. Georgia has played BY FAR the easiest historical conference schedule of the Big 6 programs and it’s not close.

This fact has to be considered when weighting programs for all time strength which is why simply looking at SEC titles is not taking in the big picture.