The SEC and some truth about college ball

[bowery4]

• I often wondered about the validity of rankings and this sheds some light on it, interesting read. BTW valid topic since Buddy has leaned on SEC drafts the last 2 years so much.
  
• http://www.thepostgame.com/commentary/201208/better-without-em-northern-manifesto-southern-secession-chuck-thompson-sec-bcs
  

 

sorry SDS I think I may have messed up with the tags, don't know why it didn't work right.

[djsabres]

Look at the amount of players the Sec puts in the NFL. The NFL doesn't draft biased on an ESPN consperacy. Of the games the SEC looses its not the power houses, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Arkansas. It's the lower tiered teams and the dominate in basketball.

What the writer also doesnt mention is the teams the Sec has to play back to back to back. Boise may beat Georga once but their next game isn't against LSU with Alabama next.

Kyle William

Darius

Stevie

George Wilson

Shepard

Gilmore

Almost half our starting D is from the SEC

[bowery4]

Look at the amount of players the Sec puts in the NFL. The NFL doesn't draft biased on an ESPN consperacy. Of the games the SEC looses its not the power houses, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Arkansas. It's the lower tiered teams and the dominate in basketball.

What the writer also doesnt mention is the teams the Sec has to play back to back to back. Boise may beat Georga once but their next game isn't against LSU with Alabama next.

Kyle William

Darius

Stevie

George Wilson

Shepard

Gilmore

Almost half our starting D is from the SEC

 

I don't disagree with you but he really does have some points.

[DrDawkinstein]

I don't disagree with you but he really does have some points.

 

Every conspiracy theory "really has some points". And since the BCS has stuck to the ranking system over the decades, they open themselves up to this type of talk.

 

But for someone to deny the SEC has been the best conference, or deny it has the best players and teams, simply means they havent been watching college football over the last 8 years.

 

I cant say it has always been the best, or that it always will be the best. But right now, and in the recent past, it is a step above. There are good players and good teams in other conferences, but the level of competition in the SEC truly is superior.

Edited August 18, 2012 by DrDareustein

[NoSaint]

Look at the "not dominating" records in the bowls to prove DrDs point. When the top of the SEC plays the top of another conference with a meaningful game - the SEC is killing them.

 

For instance 6-10 against the big 12 regular season and 21-8 in the bowls.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2012 by NoSaint

[bowery4]

I kind of think that some of these points have to do with the really good teams in the SEC as compared to the whole of the SEC but I do believe that it is the strongest of the college divisions. I just found the article interesting and wondered what others thought about it. I am not really very interested or up on college ball that much. I am actually kind of neutral on his conclusions but interesting use of stats and examples anyway.

[NoSaint]

I kind of think that some of these points have to do with the really good teams in the SEC as compared to the whole of the SEC but I do believe that it is the strongest of the college divisions. I just found the article interesting and wondered what others thought about it. I am not really very interested or up on college ball that much. I am actually kind of neutral on his conclusions but interesting use of stats and examples anyway.

 

You can use stats to back up any claim. This guys sole goal is to make the south sound silly for its beliefs. It's no surprise that with some digging and ommissions he was able to paint whatever he wanted.

[justnzane]

You can use stats to back up any claim. This guys sole goal is to make the south sound silly for its beliefs. It's no surprise that with some digging and ommissions he was able to paint whatever he wanted.

It doesn't take a lot to make the south sound silly. There is some validity to his statements as the preseason polls create a sense of bias from the onset, and from there the polls do matter in the BCS. Really the best way the SEC could prove itself would be to have the NCAA expand the national championship tourney to at least 8 teams. This way the SEC could show that it is truly king or if Big 12 teams, Boise, TCU, or some other team has a rightful claim.

[cjatcreek07]

Sec has won the last 7 of 8 college championships or something like that, that's proof enough that the SEC is dominating college football these days

[Mark Vader]

I don't know what this guy's beef is with the SEC, his arguments sound more like that college football needs a playoff system.

 

Too be fair, the SEC does have it's flaws. When was the last time Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State or Vanderbilt did anything meaningful? Also, where has Tennessee been these last few years?

 

Nevertheless, the SEC's strong teams have proven their superiority many times.

 

I'm a Michigan fan and support the Big 10, but I do not delude myself in thinking that the Big 10 is better than the SEC.

 

In time the dominance of the SEC could change, but until then they are the premiere conference in college football.

[NoSaint]

 

It doesn't take a lot to make the south sound silly. There is some validity to his statements as the preseason polls create a sense of bias from the onset, and from there the polls do matter in the BCS. Really the best way the SEC could prove itself would be to have the NCAA expand the national championship tourney to at least 8 teams. This way the SEC could show that it is truly king or if Big 12 teams, Boise, TCU, or some other team has a rightful claim.

 

If the teams are sneaking into bowl games because of espn bias, that's where they should be taking a beating. They'd be in games against teams that earned their way in, and would in theory be better than them.

Edited August 18, 2012 by NoSaint

[Mr. WEO]

I don't think I've seen anyone write the SEC is the best "top to bottom".

 

ANyway, this is a silly analysis about bias from a book written about an author's bias against his subject. The best teams in the SEC are consistently the best teams in the nation. Sure, I wouldn't mind giving Boise and TCU a better shot at the championship and I welcome a playoff system. But really, the Big 10? Where are Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State these days? The best team in the Big Ten is now Mich St.

 

You could make the argument that the PAC12 is as good a conference as the SEC (at the top anyway). USC may have challenged for the championship last year but they were on suspension (did ESPN arrange that?). Oregon has a chance every year it seems.

 

This guy's whole premise seems to turn on the polls--preseason and in season--and that they are manipulated in favor of the SEC. By whom?? The BCS rankings are made up in part by the Harris interactive and the USA Today Coaches polls which have nothing to do with ESPN, yet he is blaming ESPN for all of this.

[vincec]

Sec has won the last 7 of 8 college championships or something like that, that's proof enough that the SEC is dominating college football these days

Did you read the article?

 

Just asking.

[cjatcreek07]

 

Did you read the article?

 

Just asking.

Nope

[Cynical]

• I often wondered about the validity of rankings and this sheds some light on it, interesting read. BTW valid topic since Buddy has leaned on SEC drafts the last 2 years so much.
  
• http://www.thepostga...hompson-sec-bcs
  

sorry SDS I think I may have messed up with the tags, don't know why it didn't work right.

 

I read as much of this article as I could stomach, and it was pretty evident the guy is a freaking idiot on so many levels, it's a wonder he still remembers how to breath.

[Acantha]

The BCS rankings are made up in part by the Harris interactive and the USA Today Coaches polls which have nothing to do with ESPN, yet he is blaming ESPN for all of this.

Considering that ESPN has only had complete rights to the SEC for a couple of years, it's a pretty lame argument.

[Ramius]

The guy's a kook, because there's no grand conspiracy. The SEC is good, and the best conference in college ball right now. But his arguments about polls and rankings in general do have some merit. SEC teams are perceived as good, resulting in higher initial rankings, resulting in more "quality wins" for other SEC teams, even though those teams aren't necessarily as good as their rankings. Every SEC conference game isn't a "tough game", or a "quality win/loss" as some would have you believe. There are some crap SEC teams.

 

To me, there should be no polls released until 5-6 games into the season so we can see what teams really are.

[Gordio]

The guy's a kook, because there's no grand conspiracy. The SEC is good, and the best conference in college ball right now. But his arguments about polls and rankings in general do have some merit. SEC teams are perceived as good, resulting in higher initial rankings, resulting in more "quality wins" for other SEC teams, even though those teams aren't necessarily as good as their rankings. Every SEC conference game isn't a "tough game", or a "quality win/loss" as some would have you believe. There are some crap SEC teams.

 

To me, there should be no polls released until 5-6 games into the season so we can see what teams really are.

 

Yep, you hit the nail on the head. Noone can make an arguement that the SEC is not the premier conference. If they try they are really grasping at straws the last 7-8 years. IMO the SEC is usually extremely top heavy where they usually produce one dominant team per year(sometimes 2 as was the case last year & some of the Tebow years with Florida/Alabama) The SEC does have a big advantage by being rated so high in the preseason polls. It allows a team in the SEC that are ranked in the top 5 or so to lose one game & still be picked for the National Championship. As far as the middle pack of the SEC I think as those mid tier bowls show on New Years Day(Capital One/Outback/Gator) the Big 10 holds their own against those teams. This year I think the SEC is loaded. Georgia/South Carolina out of the east & LSU/Arkansas/Bama out of the west all have hopes to reach the NC. Even teams like Florida/Auburn/Tenn look like they are going to be pretty strong. It will be interesting this first week as Clemson plays Auburn & NC St plays Tenn. Both of those games are in Atlanta. I kind of like the ACC in both those matchups. Anybody else is as excited as I am for the start of College Football? I love this time of year!!!!!