re: When did the Big 3 from the West change?

quote:

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bullshite. every LSU fan knows that football started in 2003

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This.

No, football started in 2000. LSU is 123-34 (78% winning percentage) with 4 SEC titles, 5 SEC West championships, and 2 BCS titles since then. Everyone knows this!

As for Auburn, they have the potential and this time last year, they were the defending national champions. So, the OP is right. We can flame and attack all we want, but the truth is, Auburn is historically a top 15 program with the potential to be dominant at any point with the right coaching/recruiting. They are capable - much more so than Arkansas over the long haul.

However, I think that we are all down on Auburn because we know that they won with one of the greatest college players any of us have ever seen. Cam Newton was just dominant. Apart from Cam, Auburn has been average to bad under Chizik. And, this year doesn't look any better. Plus, we all know how you got Cam and we all know it was a dirty move with a player who had been dismissed at Florida.

If Cam doesn't steal a laptop, Cam brings Florida another national championship and Urban Meyer is possibly still there. That is how fragile Auburn's national title was.

Meanwhile, LSU has built a PROGRAM. They won't win it every year, but we all know that they will be consistently at the top. Losses will happen, but they will win 10 games more often than not and compete for a national championship every 3-4 years or so.

Alabama has also built a PROGRAM that is elite. They will be at the top every year and will win the whole thing regularly - although they seem to have a problem winning the SEC. :)

Arkansas, yeah, I agree. I don't get it either. They haven't won anything and got obliterated by the other two powers in the West. AND, they lost their coach, which was the whole reason they were competitive. He was building a PROGRAM, but got derailed. The jury is out on how Arkansas is going to respond.

Honestly, I see Arkansas and Auburn as the same with Texas A&M having the potential to join them as second tier SEC West teams.

So, my pecking order for the SEC West on a year-in-year-out basis is as follows in alphabetical order

Tier 1: Alabama/LSU

Tier 2: Arkansas/Auburn/Texas A&M

Tier 3: Miss. St./Ole Miss


From time to time, a team will move up one tier for a year and a team might move down for a year. But, it will correct itself the next year and to quote Barrett Jones, order will be restored. Of course, this could change, but it would need to accompany a coaching change and a 5-7 year historical shift.

This fits along with Stewart Mandel's explanation of how college football is right now, too.

The one thing that we know, however, is that Nick Saban has been at both schools that are in tier 1. LSU kept it going and is even more consistent since Saban left, but I have no doubt that Saban would have enjoyed the same success. Alabama's hire after Saban leaves will be crucial, but I have no doubt that they will hire a good one and keep it going as well.

If Saban would have been at Auburn from 2000-2004 and then if Auburn would have made a good hire to follow up, I have no doubt that you would see Alabama/Auburn in tier 1 and LSU in tier 2 along with Arkansas and A&M.

We just don't think that Chizik is a guy who is on the level of Saban or Miles. Criticize Miles all you want, but he is elite and has proven it. This league is too tough for him to be faking it in year 8 and still have his team at this level.