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The State of the SEC in August 2008
Posted on 8/4/18 at 10:59 pm
Posted on 8/4/18 at 10:59 pm
10 years ago we still had only 12 teams in the Southeastern Conference with the following head coaches:
Alabama: Nick Saban (7-6 record)
Arkansas: Bobby Petrino (first season)
Auburn: Tommy Tuberville (80-33 record)
Florida: Urban Meyer (31-8 record)
Georgia: Mark Richt (72-19 record)
Kentucky: Rich Brooks (25-35 record)
LSU: Les Miles (34-6 record) [reigning national champions]
Mississippi State: Sylvester Croom (17-30 record)
Ole Miss: Houston Nutt (first season)
South Carolina: Steve Spurrier (21-16 record)
Tennessee: Phillip Fulmer (146-45-1 record)
Vanderbilt: Bobby Johnson (20-50 record)
You wanna talk about parity in the league when it comes to last decade? Take a look at these statistics. The SEC had seven head coaches within its ranks that year that had won at least one SEC title (Nick Saban, Tommy Tuberville, Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Les Miles, Steve Spurrier, and Phillip Fulmer). It also had five head coaches that had won a national championship (Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Les Miles, Steve Spurrier, and Phillip Fulmer).
The coaching quality in the SEC in 2008 was unparalleled in the long history of the conference.
Going into the 2008 season, there were six SEC teams ranked in the pre-season AP Top 25 Poll:
Georgia - #1
Florida - #5
LSU - #7
Auburn - #10
Tennessee - #18
Alabama - #24
The previous month, the coaches got together with the press in Birmingham for the annual SEC Media Days. At the end of the week, the media predicted the following results for the conference:
SEC Eastern Division
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt
SEC Western Division
1. Auburn
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi State
5. Ole Miss
6. Arkansas
SEC Champion: Florida
It's really interesting, looking back on those final weeks of the 2008 preseason and remembering that we were just days away from the start one of the greatest dynasties the college football world has ever seen.
Alabama: Nick Saban (7-6 record)
Arkansas: Bobby Petrino (first season)
Auburn: Tommy Tuberville (80-33 record)
Florida: Urban Meyer (31-8 record)
Georgia: Mark Richt (72-19 record)
Kentucky: Rich Brooks (25-35 record)
LSU: Les Miles (34-6 record) [reigning national champions]
Mississippi State: Sylvester Croom (17-30 record)
Ole Miss: Houston Nutt (first season)
South Carolina: Steve Spurrier (21-16 record)
Tennessee: Phillip Fulmer (146-45-1 record)
Vanderbilt: Bobby Johnson (20-50 record)
You wanna talk about parity in the league when it comes to last decade? Take a look at these statistics. The SEC had seven head coaches within its ranks that year that had won at least one SEC title (Nick Saban, Tommy Tuberville, Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Les Miles, Steve Spurrier, and Phillip Fulmer). It also had five head coaches that had won a national championship (Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Les Miles, Steve Spurrier, and Phillip Fulmer).
The coaching quality in the SEC in 2008 was unparalleled in the long history of the conference.
Going into the 2008 season, there were six SEC teams ranked in the pre-season AP Top 25 Poll:
Georgia - #1
Florida - #5
LSU - #7
Auburn - #10
Tennessee - #18
Alabama - #24
The previous month, the coaches got together with the press in Birmingham for the annual SEC Media Days. At the end of the week, the media predicted the following results for the conference:
SEC Eastern Division
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt
SEC Western Division
1. Auburn
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi State
5. Ole Miss
6. Arkansas
SEC Champion: Florida
It's really interesting, looking back on those final weeks of the 2008 preseason and remembering that we were just days away from the start one of the greatest dynasties the college football world has ever seen.
This post was edited on 8/4/18 at 11:16 pm
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Posted on 8/4/18 at 11:37 pm to RollTide1987
Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State was coming off of a Two Game Win Streak over Alabama. And he was coming off of Mississippi State's Liberty Bowl Victory over UCF(see Auburn, we defeat UCF).
It's so interesting to see how bad 2008 was for him. Loses to Louisiana Tech, loses 3-2 to Auburn, gets decimated in the Egg Bowl. Yet somehow defeats Bobby Petrino and Arkansas in his last victory.
With Croom the question has always been was 2007 a fluke. He started off getting embarrassed at home to LSU like 52-7(I stopped watching early). But he was able to win 7 games by pulling off nailbiters at home against Alabama and Ole Miss while getting a crucial Pick 6 to defeat Auburn in Jordan Hare. He even went up to Lexington to defeat one of Kentucky's better teams in recent memory.
But all of those games were just as close to Mississippi State loses as they were to wins. And that just adds to the lure of the weirdness of 2007 CFB Season.
It's so interesting to see how bad 2008 was for him. Loses to Louisiana Tech, loses 3-2 to Auburn, gets decimated in the Egg Bowl. Yet somehow defeats Bobby Petrino and Arkansas in his last victory.
With Croom the question has always been was 2007 a fluke. He started off getting embarrassed at home to LSU like 52-7(I stopped watching early). But he was able to win 7 games by pulling off nailbiters at home against Alabama and Ole Miss while getting a crucial Pick 6 to defeat Auburn in Jordan Hare. He even went up to Lexington to defeat one of Kentucky's better teams in recent memory.
But all of those games were just as close to Mississippi State loses as they were to wins. And that just adds to the lure of the weirdness of 2007 CFB Season.
Posted on 8/5/18 at 11:03 am to RollTide1987
quote:
It's really interesting, looking back on those final weeks of the 2008 preseason and remembering that we were just days away from the start one of the greatest dynasties the college football world has ever seen
I remember sitting in my BIL’s (UGA fan) kitchen a couple hours before kickoff of the Opener vs Clemson and him telling me that we had unrealistic expectations. “The Bear Bryant days are over. There is no way one team dominates the SEC year in and year out”.
Posted on 8/5/18 at 11:07 am to Donkeypunch
I would have been in that same camp as your BIL.
I don't think Bama fans expected this type of dominance/luck.
What Saban has been able to do is extraordinary. It's one thing to expect a duplication of the LSU success. But I don't think the SEC was prepared for this.
I don't think Bama fans expected this type of dominance/luck.
What Saban has been able to do is extraordinary. It's one thing to expect a duplication of the LSU success. But I don't think the SEC was prepared for this.
Posted on 8/5/18 at 11:08 am to RollTide1987
2007: SC is 6-1, ranked top 10 (and beat a UK team ranked in the top 10 itself). SC finishes 6-6 and misses a bowl game.
2008: we make the outback bowl with a 7 win team, no show the Iowa game and Spurrier almost quits then and there. Just before the likes of Gilmore, Lattimore, Jeffrey, and eventually Clowney join the team. Non of which would have happened had Spurrier left then.
2008: we make the outback bowl with a 7 win team, no show the Iowa game and Spurrier almost quits then and there. Just before the likes of Gilmore, Lattimore, Jeffrey, and eventually Clowney join the team. Non of which would have happened had Spurrier left then.
Posted on 8/5/18 at 11:43 am to The Winner
I was at the 2007 LSU-State game. It was 45-0. However, if you were really watching the LOS, our DL and defense overall played really well that night. You laugh and say really. LSU only had 347 yards of total offense. We had horrific QB play (Michael Henig had 6 interceptions and throw in a fumble) along with just an inept offense that skewed that game. I actually left DWS that night feeling like we were going to be a good team because we matched LSU at the LOS really on both sides of the ball. We just had no QB and WR’s who could get separation.
Our defense was top notch that year, very stout and despite a terrible offense it was not a fluke season. In the SEC offense is glamorous and looks good but your defense is a must in order to win more games than you lose.
2008 was certainly very disappointing. Losing to La Tech and missing an EP against UK in the 4th Quarter to lose 14-13 and then the beat down in the Egg Bowl. I agree that a change was appropriate but Croom righted the program from the pit we were in in 2002-03-04-05 and left CDM in a good situation roster wise and with the superb 2009 recruiting class that was committed and then signed.
Our defense was top notch that year, very stout and despite a terrible offense it was not a fluke season. In the SEC offense is glamorous and looks good but your defense is a must in order to win more games than you lose.
2008 was certainly very disappointing. Losing to La Tech and missing an EP against UK in the 4th Quarter to lose 14-13 and then the beat down in the Egg Bowl. I agree that a change was appropriate but Croom righted the program from the pit we were in in 2002-03-04-05 and left CDM in a good situation roster wise and with the superb 2009 recruiting class that was committed and then signed.
Posted on 8/5/18 at 11:47 am to The Winner
Before you speak on Auburn and UCF please go look at the overall history between the two.
Posted on 8/5/18 at 11:52 am to RollTide1987
Mizzou started the season ranked 4th. I believe it was the only season since 1970 in which we were ranked every week. All other years we either lost our ranking (Warren Powers years) or gained it (2007, 2013, 2006, etc.)
It was also the first time we experienced consecutive 10 win seasons
The Aggies, on the other hand, were starting a new coach (Mike Sherman) after Franchione resigned in shame
It was also the first time we experienced consecutive 10 win seasons
The Aggies, on the other hand, were starting a new coach (Mike Sherman) after Franchione resigned in shame
Posted on 8/5/18 at 11:55 am to RollTide1987
quote:
#10 Auburn
LOLOLOLOL
Posted on 8/5/18 at 1:21 pm to RollTide1987
Here Comes the Sun
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