FSU's Jimbo Fisher proclaims ACC Best Conference

#2
#2
If Alabama loses to the top two ACC teams in consecutive games I'll start to believe it (Clemson in NC game, FSU to open 2017). I'll give the ACC their due... they are a strong conference right now with a few bottom feeders. It wasn't too long ago they were 5-13 in BCS bowls.
 
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#5
#5
bamawriter said:
At the moment, he's right. However, one year is not a trend.
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Saban had a good take on it - said that FSU (and Clemson too, although it wasn't mentioned) was built like an SEC team. Two schools in the South that have access to fertile recruiting grounds, shouldn't surprise anyone that they're successful with the right coach.

Miami looking like it may join those two in a year or two.
 
#6
#6
Jimbo isn't wrong.

The question is how long will he be right, and who other than FSU and Clemson can be taken seriously as a national contender.
 
#7
#7
Lawrence Wright said:
Jimbo isn't wrong.

The question is how long will he be right, and who other than FSU and Clemson can be taken seriously as a national contender.
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As true as that is.. who else besides Bama can be called a contender in the SEC? Unless someone from the East catches lightning in a bottle this year it's gonna be Bama and then everyone else.

I think Bama's run has hurt the conference some as a whole. Some of that talent that used to get spread around a little more evenly is now ending up in Tuscaloosa.

We need another coach in the SEC that can at least challenge Saban consistently and make it more than a 1 horse race every year.
 
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#8
#8
SDV said:
2 good teams doesn't make your conference the best
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It's better than what the SEC has at the moment, which is one good team. They have a long, long way to go before raising the ACC's overall reputation to that of the SEC's, but at the moment the argument he's making is completely reasonable.

Personally I think the Big 10 has been the best, deepest conference the last couple of years, but I see how an argument can be made for the ACC. It certainly hasn't been the SEC.
 
#9
#9
05_never_again said:
Personally I think the Big 10 has been the best, deepest conference the last couple of years, but I see how an argument can be made for the ACC. It certainly hasn't been the SEC.
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And what's the common denominator between the ACC and Big 10? They both have better coaching, top to bottom, than the SEC.
 
#10
#10
bamawriter said:
And what's the common denominator between the ACC and Big 10? They both have better coaching, top to bottom, than the SEC.
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Absolutely.

A great question to ask is "who is the second best coach in the SEC?" I honestly don't know. An argument can be made for 3-4 different people.
 
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#11
#11
05_never_again said:
Absolutely.

A great question to ask is "who is the second best coach in the SEC?" I honestly don't know. An argument can be made for 3-4 different people.
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But none of them could be considered elite or dominant. They may be good.. but until someone unseats Bama that's about as far as it goes.
 
#12
#12
He's right. At this point, the top teams in the ACC and Big 10 are almost as good or on par with Bama, but the rest of those conferences are better top to bottom than the SEC. The only fans in the SEC that are satisfied with the state of things are from Bama. Take Bama out of the conference and the SEC would be really fun to watch this year. It is completely wide open.

While all programs do what they can to win, I'm hopeful at some point it will reach critical mass to the point the SEC needs to take a closer look at what is really going on in Tuscaloosa with boosters, cars, cash, etc.
 
#13
#13
buckfama said:
But none of them could be considered elite or dominant. They may be good.. but until someone unseats Bama that's about as far as it goes.
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Right, but by definition there can always be a "second best" coach in the conference, even if that coach is awful.

I can see arguments for McElwain, Malzahn, Freeze (yes, despite NCAA trouble), and Mullen. Malzahn is the only other coach to have an SEC title and McElwain and Malzahn are the only other coaches to have division titles, so I suppose it has to be one of them realistically.

The jury is still out on Kirby, but depending on how he does this year and next he could enter that conversation. I suppose you could make one for Sumlin, but it'd be a stretch.
 
#14
#14
05_never_again said:
Right, but by definition there can always be a "second best" coach in the conference, even if that coach is awful.

I can see arguments for McElwain, Malzahn, Freeze (yes, despite NCAA trouble), and Mullen. Malzahn is the only other coach to have an SEC title and McElwain and Malzahn are the only other coaches to have division titles, so I suppose it has to be one of them realistically.

The jury is still out on Kirby, but depending on how he does this year and next he could enter that conversation. I suppose you could make one for Sumlin, but it'd be a stretch.
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Freeze or Mullen would be my picks, and Butch could move into that group also but it hinges on what he shows me this year.

Freeze is good but won't be around long.

I feel Mullen is a good coach but will never get a chance to show what he can really do as long as he is at MSU. He should have taken a job at a smaller school in another conference and try to move up from there. He is like the rest of the SEC.. stuck in Saban's shadow.

I think McElwain has used up his luck his first 2 years in the east. If he doesn't recruit better he will be gone in 2 years. How can an offensive coach struggle so badly recruiting QB's? It's wierd.

We all know Butch's weaknesses.. if he can fix them he might be able to complete at that level..

Muschamp? Nope

Ogeron? Nope.. already failed at ole Miss..

Bielema(sp) nope.. Still hasn't figured out that recruiting is key in SEC..

Mahlzan? He is so streaky and inconsistent. When he is good.. he is really good. When he is bad.. he is as bad as anyone else in the league..

I really think Kirby is gonna fail. No proof just a gut feeling.

No one else even belongs in the conversation imo.
 
#15
#15
Freeze. That gimmicky offense just works. Mullen, not much success. Basically one great year with top notch QB.
 
#16
#16
buckfama said:
I feel Mullen is a good coach but will never get a chance to show what he can really do as long as he is at MSU. He should have taken a job at a smaller school in another conference and try to move up from there. He is like the rest of the SEC.. stuck in Saban's shadow.
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Either that, or left Miss St after the 2014 or 2015 seasons. It would have made a lot of sense for him to depart along with Dak. Would've looked bad and he would have taken heat for it, but could have been a good career move.

However, he does appear to have found him a new QB in Fitzgerald, so maybe he can rebound this year with 7 or 8 wins. He'll never surpass the success they had in that 2014 campaign though.

Getting them ranked #1 in the nation for 3 straight weeks (derailed only after losing to Bama by 5) and ultimately winning double digit games is basically the equivalent of winning multiple national titles at another, bigger school.
 
#18
#18
It's taken 2 generational QB's to beat an SEC team on the very last drive for them to win championships. I don't feel they're the best conference.
 
#19
#19
RDU VOL#14 said:
It's taken 2 generational QB's to beat an SEC team on the very last drive for them to win championships. I don't feel they're the best conference.
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Ha, but you can't really dismiss it because of that, can you? I mean, the generational QBs in question did go to play in their conference and not the SEC. Despite both guys playing high school ball in the shadow of a big SEC school's campus.

You can also make the same statement about Auburn's 2010 title that kept the SEC's streak alive.
 
#20
#20
It wouldn't take much to move the argument back in favor of the SEC. Talent is more abundant in the SEC overall, but the HCs are just flat out struggling to get their programs over the top.
 
#21
#21
It is all decided on the field. For the SEC to reclaim the top spot, all we gotta do is win our OOC games. Especially the OOC games against Power 5 opponents, those are the ones that really move the needle.

SEC dominated on the field, top to bottom, both during the regular season and in bowls, until 2016. Last year. Last year, we collectively did the dying cockroach thing.

2016 Power 5 versus Power 5 results:
  • ACC - 20-11 (65% win rate)
  • PAC - 10-8 (56%)
  • B10 - 10-11 (48%)
  • SEC - 11-14 (44%)
  • b12 - 6-8 (43%)
So it's a really easy formula. Get back to winning most all our OOC games, and get recognized as the best conference again, as we used to practically every year of the BCS and CFP era prior to 2016.
 
#22
#22
TUSKtimes said:
It wouldn't take much to move the argument back in favor of the SEC. Talent is more abundant in the SEC overall, but the HCs are just flat out struggling to get their programs over the top.
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ACC has better coaches right now.

Outside of Saban the SEC has no elite coaches.

Richt would easily be the SEC's second best coach had he stayed at UGA. Best case he's the ACC's third best coach right now.
 
#23
#23
Lawrence Wright said:
ACC has better coaches right now.

Outside of Saban the SEC has no elite coaches.

Richt would easily be the SEC's second best coach had he stayed at UGA. Best case he's the ACC's third best coach right now.
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Which is how I see it. Petrino and Richt have shifted the balance of power right now. We could have begun to reload somewhat with a Jimbo Fisher at LSU or even Tom Herman but they apparently liked their odds elsewhere.

Still, talent is talent and there are some HCs with enough moxie and determination who will quickly reload at College Station, Baton Rogue, down on the Plains, etc.
 
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