Why SEC Isn't As Great In Football As You Think

• OneBuckeye

  

  http://www.thepostgame.com/commentary/201208/better-without-em-northern-manifesto-southern-secession-chuck-thompson-sec-bcs
  
  Some highlights.
  

  To SEC apologists who claim that the SEC's overall winning records in bowl games is evidence of success in "games that matter" against "quality opponents," I offer the counter-argument that because bowl game pairings are more easily manipulated than regular-season games, and because SEC teams frequently play in bowls near home stadiums, they often result in more favorable match-ups for SEC teams.
  
  n 2012, for instance, the SEC was able to even its BCS bowl record against the Big Ten at 19-19 when the Florida Gators beat Ohio State in the none-too-partisan Gator Bowl. The game was played in Jacksonville. No bowl games are played in Ohio.
  So, if the SEC plays other conferences about even, why do SEC teams keep winning national championships?
  That answer, of course, is the BCS and its corporate underwriters, who have created a reliable business model for determining national champions that is in all respects a self-fulfilling prophecy designed to protect its primary investment.
  The BCS business plan works like this: preseason rankings typically include two, three, or four SEC teams among the nation's top ten, more than from any other conference. From the outset, this bias for SEC teams builds into the system a near insurmountable advantage.
  Start the season with two of the top four teams being from the SEC, as was the case in 2010 with Alabama and Florida, and in 2011 with Alabama and LSU, and the conference is virtually guaranteed to be represented in the title game -- and this is an important point -- even if neither of those two schools end up winning the conference.
  To be the best, so goes to the old sports adage, you've got to beat the best. But since only SEC teams are consistently declared the best, only SEC teams get the chance to prove themselves against "the best."
  It's a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Does the SEC get favorable rankings because it's so good? Or is the SEC so good because it gets favorable rankings? I argue for the latter.
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  [URL="http://www.thepostgame.com/commentary/201208/better-without-em-northern-manifesto-southern-secession-chuck-thompson-sec-bcs"]My argument is simply that if you look at results on the field -- not guesswork from writers, network suits, and BCS computers -- teams from the major conferences, and some schools from smaller conferences, are actually a lot more evenly matched than most fans believe.
  
  Despite being approximately equal to other conferences in most quantifiable categories, the SEC and other southern schools are unfairly presented with championship opportunities and favors on what is far from a level playing field.
  

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• sleeper

  

  I've been saying this for years. You can't fix stupid, not now and not ever.
• mella

  Playoffs! Playoffs! A playoff system at a neutral site will answer this question. SEC teams should travel north after mid Oct and put their money where their mouth is. Big 10 teams and other conferences have no problem traveling south and west. The home field advantage for bowl games is obviously slanted toward SEC teams and PAC 12 (whatever they are now) teams. Remove this advantage with neutral site playof games.
• Pick6

  

  That article doesn't bring up anything that hasn't been brought up on this site and many others before IMO
• Azubuike24

  

  I'll offer this. How many bowl games have the SEC been "out-slotted" by other conferences? I'd venture to say a good majority of them. The B1G is also victim of this, at least 1/3 of the time I'd say. All of the other conferences are constantly over-slotted in bowl games.
• Rotinaj

  

  It's obvious the SEC has been the best conference as of late but it's definitely closer than most think.
• Speedofsand

  

  LOL. What problems and why would it solve them in week 4? What does it have to do with the SEC being great in football every day of the year?
• cats gone wild

  Rotinaj;1249655 wrote:It's obvious the SEC has been the best conference as of late but it's definitely closer than most think.

  I agree. Its so close, that in the last 6 years the SEC hasnt won every title and hasnt had better bowl records, . And it runs in cycles. They wont be the best for long.
  
  I guess the SEC's close to .700 winning percentage in BCS games and having 5 different teams that have won titles in the BCS (3 teams with 2 titles) compares to a conference that has one team that has played for a title in the BCS era, right?
  
  With how the Pac12 and Big12 have added teams, they might be tougher, but in the last several years it hasnt been close at all.
• sleeper

  

  The B1G has more titles, more wins, more Heisman winners, more all-Americans, and a winning record against team SEC despite playing a vast majority of those games in the South.
  
  B1G best conference, SEC flash in the plan conference. Let me know when the SEC plays by the rules and actually has to have academic standards.
• Terry_Tate

  

  There is not a doubt in my mind that if you take away Oversigning the SEC isn't near as dominant and is probably on level with the Pac 12 and Big 12 and B1G. Nick Saban and Les Miles are good coaches, but letting a coach essentially cut their mistakes can make them look way better than they really are.
• Pick6

  

  Terry_Tate;1249796 wrote:There is not a doubt in my mind that if you take away Oversigning the SEC isn't near as dominant and is probably on level with the Pac 12 and Big 12 and B1G. Nick Saban and Les Miles are good coaches, but letting a coach essentially cut their mistakes can make them look way better than they really are.

  Agreed. And the SEC really does cheat no matter who naive you want to be about it. Heard this directly from a former Miss St recruiting coordinator
• Rotinaj

  

  Pick6;1249815 wrote:Agreed. And the SEC really does cheat no matter who naive you want to be about it. Heard this directly from a former Miss St recruiting coordinator

  Lol the whole conference cheats? Or is it just LSU and bama? Did he admit that he cheated? I'd like to hear more about this cheating going on.
• Pick6

  

  Rotinaj;1249816 wrote:Lol the whole conference cheats? Or is it just LSU and bama? Did he admit that he cheated? I'd like to hear more about this cheating going on.

  The whole conference. He never admitted he cheated, but he also never elaborated on what the cheating is.
• cats gone wild

  Pick6;1249815 wrote:Agreed. And the SEC really does cheat no matter who naive you want to be about it. Heard this directly from a former Miss St recruiting coordinator

  I heard it directly from the former Iowa assistant coach that the Big 10 cheats. The Big 10 cheats, no matter how naive you want to be about it. I know that theres one school school about 60 minutes south of Mansfield who has the most secondary violations in the whole country.
  
  Now I agree that Bama and AUB cheat because of so many things they have pulled, but others I cant say that they have.
• Terry_Tate

  

  Pick6;1249815 wrote:Agreed. And the SEC really does cheat no matter who naive you want to be about it. Heard this directly from a former Miss St recruiting coordinator

  
  I don't doubt it. I think the SEC West is worse than the East. But to be fair, I think every big time program cheats in one way or another. Auburn, Bama, LSU and them just take it to another level
• Rotinaj

  

  Terry_Tate;1249858 wrote:I don't doubt it. I think the SEC West is worse than the East. But to be fair, I think every big time program cheats in one way or another. Auburn, Bama, LSU and them just take it to another level

  What level is that? Paying players? Worse?
• cats gone wild

  I like how LSU's name keeps getting brought up but nothing to back that up.
• Terry_Tate

  

  Rotinaj;1249867 wrote:What level is that? Paying players? Worse?

  
  I would guess somehow they're getting paid. I think Ohio State, USC, and others have stuff going on that are probably not too much money but are extra "incentives" and Auburn and Alabama probably have the same thing just for more money. But honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they just get a bag of cash somehow. With how commits have gone from Auburn to Alabama and vice versa nothing would surprise me.
• cats gone wild

  Terry_Tate;1249869 wrote:I would guess somehow they're getting paid. I think Ohio State, USC, and others have stuff going on that are probably not too much money but are extra "incentives" and Auburn and Alabama probably have the same thing just for more money. But honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they just get a bag of cash somehow. With how commits have gone from Auburn to Alabama and vice versa nothing would surprise me.

  Does it really matter who pays more? Its wrong period, no matter the amount of $.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  The SEC is number 1, but I'd agree, that it is closer than many think. The Pac-12 and Big 12 are usually right behind them in total depth.
  The The SEC does benefit from oversigning, games close to home, and creampuffs early.
  
  They also have had the ability to win titles in their own backyards usually.
  The SEC also benefited from the fall of USC. We never got to see a really good USC team vs. a top SEC team.
  
  One team in particular is riding on the "SEC is strong" mantra to high rankings: Georgia. They are 6, which is a joke, and will probably stay 6 as they don't play the big three in the conference.
  
  I really hope USC can play them at the end of the year, so we can see this matchup.
• Big Gain

  It's 70 miles. That University has the largest athletic department, more sports, than any other NCAA school. That University has BY FAR the largest Compliance Department of any NCAA school. The most sports, the most athletes, the most coaches, the most compliance people doing their jobs well, watching the most athlete's and coaches in the most sports naturally leads to the most secondary violations. If Ohio State wasn't reporting a lot of secondary violations the NCAA would come knocking on Ohio States door wondering why more weren't being reported.
• Speedofsand

  

  Florida is in the SEC and Florida has not oversigned or cheated.
• xKoToVxSyNdRoMe

  

  Pick6;1249820 wrote:The whole conference. He never admitted he cheated, but he also never elaborated on what the cheating is.

  Not saying you are right or wrong but you think he may just be pissed because his school gets molestered by the others on the field and in recruiting?
• cats gone wild

  ptown_trojans_1;1249896 wrote:
  The SEC also benefited from the fall of USC. We never got to see a really good USC team vs. a top SEC team.
  
  
  I really hope USC can play them at the end of the year, so we can see this matchup.

  USC, lol. In 14 BCS years they have ZERO titles to show for it. They cheated to get the one they got (that got stripped). And this year is laughable. They have NO depth at all and they werent that impressive last season. They always get hyped and they play a weak schedule this year.
• believer

  

  cats gone wild;1250038 wrote:USC, lol. In 14 BCS years they have ZERO titles to show for it. They cheated to get the one they got (that got stripped). And this year is laughable. They have NO depth at all and they werent that impressive last season. They always get hyped and they play a weak schedule this year.

  With Towson, Idaho, and North Texas on LSU's killer schedule, it looks like USC is in good company.