SEC Football - as good as the media thinks?

larryallen73 · September 2, 2008 1:10AM

I am a west coast guy. Born and raised in LA. Though I am a huge UCLA fan I was more happy about the victory over Tennessee last night because I am so sick of SEC fans and the media telling us how great the SEC is and then saying stuff like, "the Pac 10 is just USC at the top and a bunch of second rate schools...." UCLA is not a great team but they beat Utenn last night. UCLA will still end up 6-6 and Tenn will probably end up 8-4 but I want some respect out here. Slightly changing subjects I have been to SEC football games, in fact been to at least two games at Neyland, and I know SEC fans are FAR superior to our lackluster west coast fans. I wish our fans were better out west but we have a lot of other stuff going on and thus college sports is not a big deal to us by and large. I think in fan passion SEC wins hands down but I would like to think in level of play on the field the disparity between the SEC and the Pac 10 (and others) is not as great as SEC fan and the media likes to think. This is just one game but I also notice each year the Sangarin ratings rank the Pac 10 as a better conference than the SEC, or at least neck and neck. I wonder if Sangarin is right!? Just my thoughts.

Walt · September 2, 2008 1:57AM

Tenn is NOT UGA, UF or LSU. Those are the teams that no one out west plays. The PAC 10 has done a good job steping in and playing
a few SEC teams when they are not good. If you really want to prove yourself, play the three elite teams.

Walt

TNVOL · September 2, 2008 2:12AM

Congrats to your Bruins. I never thought it would be that close of a game. Great game to watch to start the season. Bottom line was that Tennessee was outcoached and UCLA just wanted it more - especially the third string QB who came back from a terrible first half (4 picks) to look like a Heisman candidate in the second half. Hopefully we can get it together and use this game as motivation for the tough road ahead of us and make it a decent season.

As far as the SEC versus PAC-10 debate its hard to say. As I follow Tennessee and SEC sports I'm a little biased. So I'll leave the debate to others.

css23 · September 2, 2008 4:36AM

Larry, Im an SEC guy so Im biased, I think the respect you are looking for will only come with year in and year out winners. The fact is (and I know many get sick of hearing it) the SEC has 4-6 legitimate National contenders every year. I dont view the Pac 10 as "second rate" at all but in order for the conference to gain the media spotlight they need more teams to step it up.

Morgoth · September 2, 2008 4:48AM

That was a real sloppy game from both sides, I don't think predicting future performance of either team should be based on that game.

alpemomo · September 2, 2008 4:55AM

The reason the sec is so recognized is that the 3 top teams they put out are as good as any top 3 teams in any conf HOWEVER the middle of the pack teams are only a TD away from the ellite teams.

We are discussing Tenn losing against a very pumped up UCLA in LA in OT and Tenn is considered a lower tiered team. Look at the last two NCAA BCS games with the SEC and you will see that the teams that come out of the SEC every year are battle tested.

Again I am not saying that the SEC teams are better than USC or the Big Ten champ - merely that the second tier of the SEC is almost as strong as the first tier and that's why the SEC is considered to be the best conf in NCAA

larryallen73 · September 2, 2008 5:16AM

I think the respect you are looking for will only come with year in and year out winners.

I agree with most of what people are saying. As to this point I particularly agree and am glad that UCLA's 3 non-conf games are ALL against top 25 teams (Tenn, BYU and Fresno State) while LSU, GA, etc... play Troy State, Georgia Southern, Northern/Central/Western nobody, etc.... If the Pac 10 teams start consistently doing well with their tougher non-conf games hopefully that will earn them some credit... plus, of course beating the SEC when they the SEC is nice enough to schedule a Pac 10 game.

RonBurgundy · September 2, 2008 5:21AM

Answer to the question: Except for Florida, no.

RB

Goot · September 2, 2008 8:23AM

Top to bottom, SEC > Pac 10 and any other conference.

edit: I'm not an SEC fan either.

edmundfitzgerald · September 2, 2008 8:50AM

The SEC is better top to bottom then any conference in the nation year in year out.

Please reread what I just said...."from top to bottom".

Florida crushed Hawaii
Alabama crushed Clemson
Georgia beat Georgia Southern
LSU beat Appalachian State (same school that beat Michigan last year)
S. Carolina beat NC State

And only UCLA beat Tennessee

So the SEC was 5-1 against out of conference opponents last week. So top to bottom, they prove
that they are the best conference in the land. Just look at last years bowl season and beyond.

RonBurgundy · September 3, 2008 1:04AM

LOL at using results against the likes of GA Southern and Hawaii to demonstrate SEC superiority.

markj111 · September 3, 2008 1:28AM

The depth of the SEC is what sets it apart. USC might be the best team, and the Big Twelve has some outstanding teams. The last two years The OSU was destroyed by teams that struggled sometimes in the SEC. Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee. One of those teams is the sixth best team in the conference. Arkansas has Petrino as a coach, and South Carolina has Spurrier-either one can be good in any given year. Maybe this year will be different, but year-in and year-out the SEC is best.

On the other hand, if my kids were good enough to play D1 football, I would prefer that they attend Duke, Vanderbilt, or Northwestern.

If you do not live in the south you would have difficulty understanding how fanatical some people are. I live in Birmingham, and Alabama football is a subject in the local call-in show 365 days a year. A sportswriter for the local paper once said that if he had trouble thinking of a subject for the daily column, he would just write about Labama football.

MPeter · September 3, 2008 1:40AM

I'm sure we've all heard the same arguments................or excuses.

"the SEC plays such a tough conference schedule that they have to schedule easy non-conference games"

"the SEC always gets kicked in the final rankings, because they have to play that one extra Conference Championship game"

"the winner of the SEC should always get a birth in the National Championship game"

"nobody can survive and go undefeated in the SEC"

"if a Big Ten team played a season in the SEC, they would end up with four losses"

We've all heard those before. The media pumps up the SEC, because they draw more fans. More fans equals higher ratings. Higher ratings equals more advertising dollars.

All conferences have a few good teams at the top. If you took the top half of the PAC-10, Big12, Big10 and SEC, made them play in the regular season........well, you would have some pretty good football games. Nobody could predict the outcome in favor of one conference.

The top to bottom argument doesn't really favor the SEC. Where have Vanderbilt, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky and Mississippi State been on a consistant basis? That's half the conference!

larryallen73 · September 3, 2008 1:53AM

Here are the end of year, 2007, conference rankings by Sagarin at USA Today. They have SEC at the top with Pac 10 second. Looks like the Mountain West may move above the Big Ten soon!?

CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS

1 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 81.99 81.83 ( 1) 12
2 PAC-10 (A) = 79.47 79.63 ( 2) 10
3 BIG 12 (A) = 78.62 78.35 ( 3) 12
4 BIG EAST (A) = 77.46 77.12 ( 4) 8
5 ATLANTIC COAST (A) = 75.21 74.98 ( 5) 12
6 BIG TEN (A) = 74.63 74.17 ( 6) 11
7 MOUNTAIN WEST (A) = 70.95 70.84 ( 7) 9
8 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 61.74 61.79 ( 8) 4
9 WESTERN ATHLETIC (A) = 61.29 61.72 ( 9) 9
10 SOUTHERN (AA)= 60.50 59.92 ( 11) 8
11 CONFERENCE USA (A) = 59.54 60.06 ( 10) 12
12 COLONIAL (AA)= 59.52 59.33 ( 12) 12
13 SUN BELT (A) = 59.19 59.25 ( 13) 8
14 MID-AMERICAN (A) = 58.37 58.51 ( 14) 13
15 GATEWAY (AA)= 56.05 54.35 ( 16) 7
16 GREAT WEST (AA)= 54.99 54.75 ( 15) 5
17 PATRIOT LEAGUE (AA)= 45.91 44.39 ( 20) 7
18 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 45.46 45.48 ( 17) 8
19 BIG SKY (AA)= 44.85 45.37 ( 18) 9
20 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 43.90 44.41 ( 19) 8
21 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 41.03 41.10 ( 21) 5
22 SOUTHWESTERN (AA)= 40.04 39.01 ( 23) 10
23 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 39.80 39.46 ( 22) 10
24 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 36.80 37.23 ( 24) 10
25 PIONEER (AA)= 35.38 35.17 ( 25) 8
26 I-AA INDEPENDENTS (AA)= 30.86 30.28 ( 27) 4
27 NORTHEAST (AA)= 30.85 31.36 ( 26) 7
28 METRO ATLANTIC (AA)= 21.98 20.47 ( 28) 4
29 ***UNRATED*** (**)= -90.00 -90.00 ( 29) 1

Goot · September 3, 2008 5:35AM

<< 
If you do not live in the south you would have difficulty understanding how fanatical some people are. I live in Birmingham, and Alabama football is a subject in the local call-in show 365 days a year. A sportswriter for the local paper once said that if he had trouble thinking of a subject for the daily column, he would just write about Labama football. >>

This is so true. So many people talk about when "football season" is........it's 365 days/yr down here!

Goot · September 3, 2008 5:47AM

<< 

The top to bottom argument doesn't really favor the SEC. Where have Vanderbilt, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky and Mississippi State been on a consistant basis? That's half the conference! >>

What conferences are better top to bottom? You can't just give me half the story.

edmundfitzgerald · September 3, 2008 6:53AM

<< LOL at using results against the likes of GA Southern and Hawaii to demonstrate SEC superiority. >>

Well then, see national championship games the last two years

See bowl records too

Sincerely,
The Ohio State University

markj111 · September 3, 2008 7:12AM

<< 

<< 

The top to bottom argument doesn't really favor the SEC. Where have Vanderbilt, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky and Mississippi State been on a consistant basis? That's half the conference! >>

What conferences are better top to bottom? You can't just give me half the story. >>

Five of the bottom six are good at times-particularly Arkansas. South Carolina has Spurrier, and Kentucky has been better lately. Only Vandy is consistently down. Even Mississipi State won a bowl game last year. Five coaches in the SEC have won National Championships, and Tubberville got screwed a few years ago when he was 13-0.

edmundfitzgerald · September 3, 2008 8:49AM

Trivia question............

Which conference had 5 teams finish in the Top 15 last year, had one team win the national championship, and
had the Heismann Trophy Winner ?

coinkat · September 3, 2008 10:22AM

The SEC has an excellent Football tradition. Is it the best conference? At a specific time, it has been the best conference and it likely will be again. The whole dialog of which conference is best really is a complete waste of time. I can say this with a high degree of confidence because on any given day, any team can win and that is what makes College football what it is... unpredictable and last season I think illustrates my point... not many can say they predicted Kansas, Missouri and Illinois to win all be ranked at the end of the season. No one predicted a Stanford upset of USC...

I missed the UCLA-Tennessee game. To answer your question, the Pac 10 is better than most folks think, however, I don't think this is the season where that impression is going to change. I seriously doubt that any team will likely finished undefeated. I think if the Missouri defense plays well, they have the best shot at finishing unbeaten and likely playing against USC for the National Championship.

VitoCo1972 · September 3, 2008 2:38PM

i am neither an SEC fan nor a PAC 10 fan, but here's how I would break it down. The SEC is the toughest conference in America because you'll have 6 teams in the top 25 any given year. And if you are (for example) Georgia, you'll usually have to play at least 3 Top 15 opponents every year. That's tough. Sometimes 4 or even 5 in crazy years.

The PAC 10 is probably the best conference top to bottom because even the dregs - Wazzou, Oregon St, Arizona and Stanford are good every 5 years - and at least can sneak into the Top 25 or a bowl game every so often.

The conference that is really garbage is the Big 10. That conference has become so soft and stuck with offenses that are 10 years behind, it's ridiculous. Maybe Rodriguez will change that at Michigan, but aside from OSU (who has been HAMMERED in the National Championship game the last 2 years) Michigan, Illinois, Penn St, Michigan St and Iowa are mediocre at best and would all secretly take 8 wins if you guaranteed it to them at the beginning of this season.

Goot · September 3, 2008 9:19PM

<< 

The PAC 10 is probably the best conference top to bottom because even the dregs - Wazzou, Oregon St, Arizona and Stanford are good every 5 years - and at least can sneak into the Top 25 or a bowl game every so often.
>>

The only SEC team that doesn't have a good season every once in a while is Vanderbilt. The rest, Ole Miss, Miss St., Arkansas, Kentucky, etc. have all had pretty good seasons within the past few years.

MPeter · September 4, 2008 5:20AM

I'm just going to lay this out there, because this argument will go on until the end of time. Everyone has their favorite conference and opinions on which is the best. We can predict, talk about it and whatever else, but there is no way of really knowing. The rankings can't tell you anything, because a ranked Tennessee just lost to an unranked UCLA the other night. Last year App. State beat Michigan. I remember watching Wisconsin roll over Arkansas and Auburn in consecutive bowl games when they said the Big Ten didn't have the speed to keep up with the SEC.

VitoCo1972........You called the Big 10 garbage, soft and stuck with offenses that are 10 years behind. 9 of those 10 offenses that played this past weekend put up over 400 yards or more and 30 or more points. No other conference did that. The one you thought would change that (Michigan) was the team that didn't! They didn't all play FCS teams either. They spread it around to the PAC-10, Big12, BigEast, ACC, MAC, Mountain West.......

Going back to the original posted question. I don't think SEC Football is as good as the media thinks. In fact, watch the Central Michigan at Georgia game this weekend. It will be close!

coinkat · September 4, 2008 9:36AM

I am not sure that the concept of any team winning on any given day is getting through here...

As for the SEC, it is a good conference as is the Pac10 and Big Ten. Last year Michigan solidly trounced Florida and they were the heavy favorite... Penn State beat Auburn. Tennessee beat Wisconsin in a close game and the game that everyone is focusing on is the LSU win over Ohio State. Seems that the SEC and Big Ten were 2-2 in Bowl competition last season.

As for the Big Ten being behind the times offensively, I think that is an inaccurate factual account of what has transpired... Hayden Fry introduced some pretty cool offensive formations at Iowa in the 1980s. How many folks here recall when Illinois quarterback Dave Wilson threw for 621 yards against Ohio State in 1980 or it may have been 1981. Mike White did alot to modernize the Big Ten offensively as did other coaches such as Gary Barnett at Northwestern. The problem is Iowa and Illinois never captured the attention of sportwriters the way Ohio State and Michigan do which is really unfortunate. If Ohio State or Michigan had a QB that threw for 600 yards in a game, that player would be treated like it was the second coming of Christ.

To move off topic for a moment, but yet to illustrate my point, how many Heisman votes did Mendenhall get last year even though he rushed for over 1600 yards? The answer is simple... not enough. Juice Williams could walk on water this year and not finish in the top 5 in the Heisman voting and why do you suppose that is? Because he does not play at USC, Ohio State or Michigan

larryallen73 · September 5, 2008 12:14AM

Going back to the original posted question. I don't think SEC Football is as good as the media thinks. In fact, watch the Central Michigan at Georgia game this weekend. It will be close!

The line is 24 on that game. I will be curious what happens.... I will root for Central Michigan for the fun of it but....

edmundfitzgerald · September 5, 2008 1:09AM

<< 

The line is 24 on that game. .... >>

SEC haters think 24 point losses are close games

They also think a 6th ranked SEC team like Tennessee should not lose
to a 5th ranked Pac-10 UCLA team on UCLA's HOME TURF

Let alone having to go into overtime to do it

MPeter · September 5, 2008 1:57AM

Vanderbilt 24 - (24) South Carolina 17

SEC fan - "That just shows how powerful the SEC is from top to bottom. Even our lowest teams can beat top 25 opponents."

Everyone else - "Wow...a Steve Spurrier coached, top 25 SEC team loses to a team that hasn't had a winning season since....well, 1982! I guess maybe that SEC team wasn't deserving of that top 25 ranking. Maybe a bit OVERRATED!!!"

So it looks like Vanderbilt is leading the SEC right now!! haha

Goot · September 5, 2008 5:54AM

<< Vanderbilt 24 - (24) South Carolina 17

SEC fan - "That just shows how powerful the SEC is from top to bottom. Even our lowest teams can beat top 25 opponents."

Everyone else - "Wow...a Steve Spurrier coached, top 25 SEC team loses to a team that hasn't had a winning season since....well, 1982! I guess maybe that SEC team wasn't deserving of that top 25 ranking. Maybe a bit OVERRATED!!!"

So it looks like Vanderbilt is leading the SEC right now!! haha >>

Well since South Carolina wiped the floor with NC St., 34-0, the week before I think they were pretty deserving of being top 25. NC St. isn't a powerhouse but they're a decent BCS team and to beat them 34-0 is saying something.

edmundfitzgerald · September 5, 2008 6:20AM

<< 

So it looks like Vanderbilt is leading the SEC right now!! haha >>

It also looks like Vanderbilt in the past two years produced the best NFL qb of any other college.
Matt Leinart, Vince Young, and Jay Cutler were the first three QB's picked in the draft.
It looks like the kid from Vandy is the best of the bunch. Not bad for an SEC doormat

edmundfitzgerald · September 5, 2008 6:24AM

For those who don't know, Jay Cutler plays for the Broncos.
He had a 120 qb rating against the Cowboys in his last pre-season game.
Had a 117 qb rating in the one before that.
Played every game for the Broncos last year, and has much better stats then Young and Leinart.

Goot · September 5, 2008 6:37AM

NFL stats don't really apply to this........but it's true that the SEC produces the most NFL players out of any other conference.

edmundfitzgerald · September 5, 2008 6:47AM

This was the draft results the year Jamarcus Russell was taken #1 by the Raiders

First Round Picks by Conference

SEC 11

Big 10 6

Big East 5

Big 12 4

ACC 3

Pac 10 1

Independent 1

Mid-American 1

coinkat · September 5, 2008 8:02AM

Too bad Vany does not have Northwestern on the schedule this year

alpemomo · September 6, 2008 9:26AM

Going back to the original posted question. I don't think SEC Football is as good as the media thinks. In fact, watch the Central Michigan at Georgia game this weekend. It will be close!

yeah real close - 56-17

edmundfitzgerald · September 6, 2008 8:58PM

<< Going back to the original posted question. I don't think SEC Football is as good as the media thinks. In fact, watch the Central Michigan at Georgia game this weekend. It will be close!

yeah real close - 56-17 >>

Yeah, it was almost as close as the Oregon State - Penn State game

edmundfitzgerald · September 11, 2008 9:23AM

SEC players dot NFL rosters

September 11, 2008 1:28 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The record in BCS bowl games says it. So do the three BCS national championships over the last five years and the number of NFL draft choices.

But another indicator that the SEC plays the best football in the country can be traced to the 2008 NFL opening-day rosters. The SEC had more former players on NFL opening-day rosters (259) than any other conference this season. The ACC was second (254), followed by the Big Ten (227), the Pac-10 (178), the Big 12 (170) and Big East (87).

The SEC had five of the top 12 schools represented on NFL opening-day rosters. Georgia's 36 players led the conference, followed by LSU (35), Tennessee (34), Florida (30), Auburn (27), Alabama (18), Arkansas and Mississippi State (16), South Carolina (15), Ole Miss (14), Vanderbilt (10) and Kentucky (8).

Miami led all schools with 44 former players on NFL opening-day rosters. Florida State was second with 37.

The SEC has led the country in the number of players on NFL opening-day rosters since 2001.

larryallen73 · September 14, 2008 1:14AM

I must have mis-typed my original post. I meant to talk about how good the Pac-10 is in basketball not football.

Is it basketball season yet?

alpemomo · September 25, 2008 7:04PM

The SEC once again proves it has the best conf in NCAA followed by the big 12

Please leave the PAC 10 out of these conversations

MPeter · September 29, 2008 5:31AM

<< The SEC once again proves it has the best conf in NCAA followed by the big 12

Please leave the PAC 10 out of these conversations >>

Wonderful showing this weekend by the SEC!

larryallen73 · September 29, 2008 5:51AM

While I am still not sure the SEC is as good as the media thinks... I am sure the Pac 10 is having a very bad year and thus the Pac 10 is not in any conversation... except the question of if the Mountain West conf is better than the Pac 10 this year... which is very possible.

MPeter · September 29, 2008 6:13AM

I was actually making fun of them! I don't care what conference you're in, who you're playing.........if you walk in at halftime down 31-0, you are not deserving of any ranking!

markj111 · September 29, 2008 8:42AM

<< I was actually making fun of them! I don't care what conference you're in, who you're playing.........if you walk in at halftime down 31-0, you are not deserving of any ranking! >>

So the rankings are based on the halftime score of one game? That is beyond goofy.

MPeter · September 30, 2008 6:11AM

In the eyes of someone who is voting on the rankings.........YES! If you watched the first half of the Georgia vs Alabama game and saw how easily Alabama handled Georgia, you knew from just that one half that Alabama was a much better team. You didn't need to see the second half. That's why they are now ranked way above Georgia. Any team that gives up 31 points in one half and can't put up a point of there own is not worthy of even being in the Top 10.

Goot · September 30, 2008 9:12AM

<< In the eyes of someone who is voting on the rankings.........YES! If you watched the first half of the Georgia vs Alabama game and saw how easily Alabama handled Georgia, you knew from just that one half that Alabama was a much better team. You didn't need to see the second half. That's why they are now ranked way above Georgia. Any team that gives up 31 points in one half and can't put up a point of there own is not worthy of even being in the Top 10. >>

What do you think about Alabama then? They lost the second half 31-9.....

larryallen73 · September 30, 2008 9:29AM

What do you think about Alabama then? They lost the second half 31-9.....

Goot- I thought you are a high school kid? You aren't supposed to come up with such smart replies!

MPeter · September 30, 2008 1:24PM

HAHAHA!! Come on man, are ya serious? When you beat up a team so bad in one half, you tend to ease up a bit in the second. How hard do you actually think the Alabama defense was playing when they had a 31 point lead?

I compared that game to stomping a roach. You stomp it over and over, it appears to be dead, you lift your foot and it runs a few more feet before you give it one last stomp..........CRUNCH GOES GEORGIA!!! Better luck next year. From preseason #1 to probably a 3 or 4 loss team that may not even be ranked. I bet you'll never see those black jerseys again.

SEC Football - as good as the media thinks?

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