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re: 16 of the last 17 national titles have been won by schools in the Deep South
Posted on 1/11/23 at 6:41 am to USCGamecocks
Posted on 1/11/23 at 6:41 am to USCGamecocks
quote:
It’s semantics but Florida isn’t the Deep South. Still a pretty incredible stat although I wish South Carolina hadn’t won any (but looks like Dabo is on the decline).
The folks that make Florida the deep south in terms of football ain't the same folks who make 99% of everything east of I-95 and south of Jacksonville who make that small geographical but densely populated area New Jersey and not the deep south. Most of the people who make up the football world in Florida are about as deep south as deep south gets. The same insult could tossed at South Carolina because Manhattan South (Charleston) is very similar to what makes people say Florida ain't the deep south.
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Posted on 1/11/23 at 8:02 am to Krampus
College football absolutely is a regional sport but has anyone considered why?
I was at a night before the game press party in Lexington, Kentucky, in another life, and ... I'll give you the name, those who've been around a while will know it ... David Housel was there offering his opinions on why college football is so big in the South.
He said it's because the South is the only region of this country that was ever conquered ... let's not sully this by discussing the reasons or whether spirits were ever conquered, it's historical fact that the South was physically conquered ... and that college football became over the years a way not so much to keep fighting the Civil War, but to prove we are just as good as people in other regions of the country who continue to look down at us and consider us inferior.
Before you laugh or pull out the flame throwers, look at history. It may surprise you given the hatred that the fan bases have for each other now, but when Alabama headed west via train for the 1926 Rose Bowl, there were people at every friggin' station throughout the Deep South cheering and celebrating and wishing the Tide well.
Because at that point, we were only 61 years removed from the Civil War and the people of the Deep South knew what Alabama going to play in the Rose Bowl symbolized.
And IMO that attitude has lingered in the generations since ...
I was at a night before the game press party in Lexington, Kentucky, in another life, and ... I'll give you the name, those who've been around a while will know it ... David Housel was there offering his opinions on why college football is so big in the South.
He said it's because the South is the only region of this country that was ever conquered ... let's not sully this by discussing the reasons or whether spirits were ever conquered, it's historical fact that the South was physically conquered ... and that college football became over the years a way not so much to keep fighting the Civil War, but to prove we are just as good as people in other regions of the country who continue to look down at us and consider us inferior.
Before you laugh or pull out the flame throwers, look at history. It may surprise you given the hatred that the fan bases have for each other now, but when Alabama headed west via train for the 1926 Rose Bowl, there were people at every friggin' station throughout the Deep South cheering and celebrating and wishing the Tide well.
Because at that point, we were only 61 years removed from the Civil War and the people of the Deep South knew what Alabama going to play in the Rose Bowl symbolized.
And IMO that attitude has lingered in the generations since ...
Posted on 1/11/23 at 8:02 am to Mulkey Man
quote:
You would think California, with 40 million people, and Texas, with 30 million people, would have juggernauts. Cali just doesn't care about college football and Texas is a clusterfrick, but still.
May have to do with the fact that Texas has 100x the number of institutions of higher learning than Louisiana. Wait- LA doesnt even have one.
I imagine if there was one major “college” in Texas, Fall would be all about who the runner up would be this year.
Props to the state of Florida by the way.
Posted on 1/11/23 at 8:53 am to Krampus
Solution: break up the SEC and spread the teams out amongst all the other conferences? 
uhhhhh....no.
uhhhhh....no.
Posted on 1/11/23 at 8:54 am to truth22
quote:Nah...they're all in on HS ball and the NFL.
May have to do with the fact that Texas has 100x the number of institutions of higher learning than Louisiana
Posted on 1/11/23 at 9:04 am to SummerOfGeorge
Correct me if I am wrong (off the top of my head) but there have only been 27 different national champions since the A.P. poll started:
Florida
Georgia
Tennessee
Alabama
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
I believe the SEC schools above all have multiple national titles except Ole Miss and Arkansas.
Washington
USC
BYU
Colorado
Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Ohio State
Michigan
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Clemson
Florida State
Miami
Notre Dame
Army
Georgia Tech
Minnesota
Iowa
I believe Michigan State and TCU have won one also. And Princeton, Penn, and Harvard before that.
Not sure about: Oregon, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Arizona State, Kansas, Wisconsin, Navy, Illinois, Yale, and Northwestern.
Florida
Georgia
Tennessee
Alabama
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
I believe the SEC schools above all have multiple national titles except Ole Miss and Arkansas.
Washington
USC
BYU
Colorado
Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Ohio State
Michigan
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Clemson
Florida State
Miami
Notre Dame
Army
Georgia Tech
Minnesota
Iowa
I believe Michigan State and TCU have won one also. And Princeton, Penn, and Harvard before that.
Not sure about: Oregon, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Arizona State, Kansas, Wisconsin, Navy, Illinois, Yale, and Northwestern.
Posted on 1/11/23 at 9:31 am to InkStainedWretch
quote:
He said it's because the South is the only region of this country that was ever conquered ... let's not sully this by discussing the reasons or whether spirits were ever conquered, it's historical fact that the South was physically conquered ... and that college football became over the years a way not so much to keep fighting the Civil War, but to prove we are just as good as people in other regions of the country who continue to look down at us and consider us inferior.
Before you laugh or pull out the flame throwers, look at history. It may surprise you given the hatred that the fan bases have for each other now, but when Alabama headed west via train for the 1926 Rose Bowl, there were people at every friggin' station throughout the Deep South cheering and celebrating and wishing the Tide well.
Because at that point, we were only 61 years removed from the Civil War and the people of the Deep South knew what Alabama going to play in the Rose Bowl symbolized.
The Civil War may have had an influence somewhat why CFB is supreme in the south but not for those reasons.
Look at history post Civil War and the economies never recovered until recently to be honest. It has only been the last 3 or 4 decades you see the economies in the south growing. Jobs moving here to avoid the unions, better living conditions, better weather, and many other things. Hence why so many places in the south are ranking as some of the best to live.
With that being said do to economic reasons college football has the following and support it does because the lack of pro football or sports in general for so long. I grew up in the south and there were the Falcons, Saints, and 2 teams in FL. That was it for pro football. Hell why do they think the Braves have such a large following being the only MLB team in the south.
The north, midwest, and west economies were centered around cities unlike the south, with the exception of Atlanta, were centered around the state. In those other areas pro teams represented the city people lived in where in the south college teams do. Just a different mindset not some the south will rise again BS.
quote:
And IMO that attitude has lingered in the generations since .
IMO people we these types of theories have lingered way to long.
This post was edited on 1/11/23 at 6:20 pm
Posted on 1/11/23 at 9:51 am to TideWarrior
I actually don’t disagree with a thing you said. But there are multiple factors. I don’t think Housel was wrong, I don’t think you are wrong.
Posted on 1/11/23 at 10:12 am to SummerOfGeorge
This can’t be true. My big 10 friends told me the sec is overrated
Posted on 1/11/23 at 10:22 am to USCGamecocks
quote:
It’s semantics but Florida isn’t the Deep South.
North Florida is South
South Florida is North
North Florida feels like Georgia and Alabama.
Posted on 1/11/23 at 10:28 am to SummerOfGeorge
I'm seeing a correlation here...
Posted on 1/11/23 at 10:47 am to RolltidePA
quote:
is severely unhealthy for college football as a whole
Why? Give 3 strong reasons why college football is worse off for this. Serious -- not trying to be argumentative. I really don't see why anything but meritocracy is healthy for college football.
I think "parity" in the NFL has been bad for that league. so why would it be good for college football?
Posted on 1/11/23 at 6:24 pm to InkStainedWretch
quote:
I actually don’t disagree with a thing you said. But there are multiple factors. I don’t think Housel was wrong, I don’t think you are wrong.
I agree to the point that there is this animosity from southerners towards the rest of the country that still exists but reconstruction forward caused most of that. As mentioned earlier the south is still in a recovery phase so to speak. So anytime anything from the south is successful against those on the outside it is widely celebrated.
In regards to sports the south mainly finds its success in college sports.
Posted on 1/11/23 at 6:49 pm to TideWarrior
In terms of INTEREST in college football, a state like Utah loves its two major teams bigtime. Try living with the fans of FCS teams like the ones in Montana or both Dakotas. Those guys love their teams. There is plenty of interest in college football in many places. But its the Southeast that is producing the best teams. That has been the case since 2000. It was NOT that way so much in the 20th century.
Posted on 1/11/23 at 7:15 pm to truth22
May have to do with the fact that Texas has 100x the number of institutions of higher learning than Louisiana. Wait- LA doesnt even have one
1939
1939
Posted on 1/11/23 at 8:00 pm to GeorgeWest
quote:
But its the Southeast that is producing the best teams. That has been the case since 2000. It was NOT that way so much in the 20th century.
But the fan support in each state has been that way forever in the south. Sports give something to support and with the lack of pro sports for so long in the south it is not hard to understand why colleges have such a loyal fan base in the south and other states without pro teams.
I would like to see the research on HS talent over the last 50 years. Why is the south developing so much more talent with smaller populations for the most part?
Posted on 1/11/23 at 8:23 pm to AwgustaDawg
quote:
Haas a lot to do with the fact that kids, even today, can play outside in the swath of the US where high school football is played at the highest level...Florida through SC to LA, year round, and still do more so than they do in colder climates. Go by any elementary school in that swath anytime of the school year and the play grounds will be full of kids...when most of the year outside of that swath they are in the school house because the weather prevents them going outside.
Swath
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