Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

[bkrich83]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

I thought this was a good post and I thought a similar comparison with the Big 12 would be interesting...wow:

- Baylor @ SMU (win)
- Iowa State @ Tulsa (toss up)
- Kansas @ Rice (win)
- Oklahoma @ Notre Dame (toss up)
- OSU @ UT Arlington (win)
- Texas @ BYU (win)
- Texas Tech @ SMU (win)

Those are the road games...that's it. Home games include world beaters North Dakota State, South Dakota, LA-Monroe, LA-Lafayette, William & Mary, Georgia State, and Lamar.

I've never taken the time to look at other conference's OOC, but that is pitiful...the SEC can do better scheduling OOC, but I am willing to bet it's still as good or better than the other conferences.

Big 12 is world renowned for it's weak OOC practices. Of course there aren't a bunch of people declaring the Big 12 to be superior to everyone else in every facet of college football.

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

No excuse for playing FCS teams. None.

Can't remember the last time an SEC team left the region to play a non neutral site game.

LSU/Washington in '09 and Bama/Penn St in '11 is it unless i'm forgetting some.

[Sportsforever]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

Big 12 is world renowned for it's weak OOC practices. Of course there aren't a bunch of people declaring the Big 12 to be superior to everyone else in every facet of college football.

I am sick of the SEC is best crap...Alabama, Florida, and LSU are strong programs...that's it. Take them out of the SEC and this isn't a discussion (and no, Auburn and Georgia don't make the cut in my book). Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, etc are great programs as well...not their conferences.

I did a quick perusal of the B10's OOC schedule this year...it may be worse than the Big 12's (although it does have some bigger names on the schedule).

[BigDofBA]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

LSU/Washington in '09 and Bama/Penn St in '11 is it unless i'm forgetting some.

I forgot about those but I prefaced my statement by saying LSU and Bama actually play people so I'm not surprised it was those two teams that actually traveled. OU traveled to Washington in 2008 but I didn't even mention it because a game like that really isn't even a big deal for OU's OOC scheduling.

Bama is the only SEC team I can ever remember traveling to Norman.

As for the Big 12 OOC comparison, I totally agree. It's absolutely pathetic. With that said, I have never argued Big 12 superiority. The only time I ever said the conference was really good was 2008 and that was when the league had three top 10 teams.

The Big 12 might be the worst it has ever been this year. As an OU fan, I don't really care. OU football can stand on its own tradition without the need for other teams to carry the flag.

The SEC teams that go on the road this year will get rolled. Maybe Georgia wins at Clemson but even then I think it will be a tight game.

[bkrich83]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

I am sick of the SEC is best crap...Alabama, Florida, and LSU are strong programs...that's it. Take them out of the SEC and this isn't a discussion (and no, Auburn and Georgia don't make the cut in my book). Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, etc are great programs as well...not their conferences.

I did a quick perusal of the B10's OOC schedule this year...it may be worse than the Big 12's (although it does have some bigger names on the schedule).

Agreed. You need to talk to your brethren. The my conference is the greatest BS seems to emanate from one particular region of the country.

I cant wait for the SEC chants as LSU is beating up on Furman.

[bkrich83]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

I forgot about those but I always prefaced my statement by saying LSU and Bama actually play people.

Bama is the only SEC team I can ever remember traveling to Norman.

As for the Big 12 OOC comparison, I totally agree. It's absolutely pathetic. With that said, I have never argued Big 12 superiority. The only time I ever said the conference was really good was 2008 and that was when the league had three top 10 teams.

The Big 12 might be the worst it has ever been this year. As an OU fan, I don't really care. OU football can stand on its own tradition without the need for other teams to carry the flag.

Remember the Ole Miss fan (I think it was Ole Miss) saying coming in at the bottom of the SEC was better than finishing at the top of another conference?

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

I forgot about those but I prefaced my statement by saying LSU and Bama actually play people so I'm not surprised it was those two teams that actually traveled. OU traveled to Washington in 2008 but I didn't even mention it because a game like that really isn't even a big deal for OU's OOC scheduling.

Bama is the only SEC team I can ever remember traveling to Norman.

I believe LSU has a series lined up with OU towards the end of the decade that i'm looking forward to if doesn't end up being dropped.

[BigDofBA]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

I thought this was a good post and I thought a similar comparison with the Big 12 would be interesting...wow:

- Baylor @ SMU (win)
- Iowa State @ Tulsa (toss up)
- Kansas @ Rice (win)
- Oklahoma @ Notre Dame (toss up)
- OSU @ UT Arlington (win)
- Texas @ BYU (win)
- Texas Tech @ SMU (win)

Those are the road games...that's it. Home games include world beaters North Dakota State, South Dakota, LA-Monroe, LA-Lafayette, William & Mary, Georgia State, and Lamar.

ULM has beaten Alabama, Arkansas, and took Auburn to overtime...

[BigDofBA]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

I believe LSU has a series lined up with OU towards the end of the decade that i'm looking forward to if doesn't end up being dropped.

In the next 8 years OU has series lined up with LSU, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Tennessee.

As a fan, I love to see my Alma mater play these games. You could take the easy way out and cruise to an easy ranking or find out if you're for real. I prefer the latter.

[BigDofBA]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

Remember the Ole Miss fan (I think it was Ole Miss) saying coming in at the bottom of the SEC was better than finishing at the top of another conference?

LOL. I do but I guess he had to hang his hat on something.

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

I am sick of the SEC is best crap...Alabama, Florida, and LSU are strong programs...that's it.

Georgia has eight 10-win seasons since 2002 and looks as strong as they ever have under Richt. I know preseason rankings mean dick but they're like top 5 right now bro. Way more hype than Florida or LSU. Bad timing leaving them out. And it's been a long time coming (eight years for Spurrier already) but I'd say South Carolina has become rather legit in recent years too.

But really, if SEC fan is honest with himself, it's Bama >>>>>> everyone else right now. The likes of Tennessee, Auburn, Miss. St., Kentucky, Vandy, and even Florida & Georgia are all muppets like the rest of us in Saban's kingdom.

[Sportsforever]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

Georgia has eight 10-win seasons since 2002 and looks as strong as they ever have under Richt. I know preseason rankings mean dick but they're like top 5 right now bro. Way more hype than Florida or LSU. Bad timing leaving them out. And it's been a long time coming (eight years for Spurrier already) but I'd say South Carolina has become rather legit in recent years too.

But really, if SEC fan is honest with himself, it's Bama >>>>>> everyone else right now. The likes of Tennessee, Auburn, Miss. St., Kentucky, Vandy, and even Florida & Georgia are all muppets like the rest of us in Saban's kingdom.

Sorry, but UGA has ALWAYS underperformed. I don't care about hype or even if they are better than UF or LSU right now, I'm talking over the 10-15 years. Even when they win the SEC, they go get destroyed by WVU...so no, I do not consider Georgia to be a great program. They are a bridesmaid at this point and until they show they can make the leap, I can't consider them better than that.

Agreed with the 'Bama comment though, but 4 years ago it was Meyer and Florida's world. It's cyclic...again, I'm not talking about just being solid 10-win every now and then programs, I'm talking about being legitimate title contenders nearly every year.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

Georgia has eight 10-win seasons since 2002 and looks as strong as they ever have under Richt. I know preseason rankings mean dick but they're like top 5 right now bro. Way more hype than Florida or LSU. Bad timing leaving them out. And it's been a long time coming (eight years for Spurrier already) but I'd say South Carolina has become rather legit in recent years too.

But really, if SEC fan is honest with himself, it's Bama >>>>>> everyone else right now. The likes of Tennessee, Auburn, Miss. St., Kentucky, Vandy, and even Florida & Georgia are all muppets like the rest of us in Saban's kingdom.

Agreed, UGA has to be in that the top tier. They've had a decade that most fans of most teams would kill for. Two BCS wins (I know one was against Hawaii, but at least it was the best Hawaii ever), and a good record in bowl games with wins against a lot of solid teams.

It does seem like it's 'Bama and everyone else right now. Didn't they just sign a projected 5 star QB in '15? It's ridiculous what's going on in Tuscaloosa. For the sake of the rest of us I hope he decides to retire/ is forced out because of old age sooner than Bobby Bowden did/was.

[SPTO]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

It does seem like it's 'Bama and everyone else right now. Didn't they just sign a projected 5 star QB in '15? It's ridiculous what's going on in Tuscaloosa. For the sake of the rest of us I hope he decides to retire/ is forced out because of old age sooner than Bobby Bowden did/was.

The only hope for the rest of the SEC/NCAA is if Saban gets bored and tries another shot at the NFL but I think he knows where his bread is buttered and will coach at Bama til he's too old to reach the players from a personal one to one basis. It's a bit scary to say this but Saban is poised to make fans (especially younger ones) forget Bear Bryant.

[BigDofBA]

Re: Is the SEC really that dominant or overrated???

What it really boils down to is the fact that the SEC has/had the two best coaches in the game.

Saban and Meyer.

You could argue that Saban is responsible for 5 titles and Meyer is responsible for 2 titles in the past decade.

Saban built LSU into what it is now. Les Miles couldn't even screw it up in 07 and won a title despite losing two games. Saban then won three titles at Bama and Meyer won two at Florida.

If those two guys had gone elsewhere, I doubt the conference would be what it is today.

Where were LSU and Bama before Saban? Where was Florida? Do people overlook this? I don't think it's a coincidence that the SEC got really strong when those two guys came aboard.

Note: I realize Bama is a traditional power but they had some rough years prior to Saban as did Florida in the Zook era.

Spurrier has always been a good coach.