jakez4ut
Patience... It's what's for dinner
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- Jul 7, 2005
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as if we needed more proof, we got it last night.
I'm not one of these SEC elitists out there always proclaiming the SEC is best regardless, i've called it when we were down, and we've been down recently, but there's not another conference that stands the test of time like the SEC does. there's not another conference that has as much top level comepetition like the SEC has. there's not another conf. that has 5 different coaches with national titles currenlty coaching in this league (Fulmer, Meyer, Miles, Saban and Spurrier).
but just for giggles, for anyone that still has questions as to why everyone thinks, eh, knows, the SEC is the best conf, here it is:
Competition with in the league. Moreover, it's the competition from the middle to the top that really makes it. people say we beat up on each other cause it's true. and in some leagues while that sounds nice, in this league, what that means is that 6-7 teams each year have a legit shot at the SEC title. and 6 times that champion has won an National title in the last 16 years (.375, think of it as a batting average). and thos 6 titles have come from 4 different teams (LSU twice, FL twice, Bama, TN).
there's simply not another conf. that has that kind of competition w/in it's own league.
Pac 10--USC and...............?
big 10--OSU and Mich..........
big 12--(this year not withstanding) OU and TX
Big East--WVU
ACC--FSU was the perrennial champ for over a decade, and now, the league is a hodge podge of mediocre teams.
sure there were upsets this year and good stories in KS, MO, SFl, UConn, Wake etc....but these things don't stand the test of time like the SEC does.
when a team or program or two dominate a league for extended periods of time, i think the case can be made that that is over all detrimental to that league. Look no further than the Big 12 and Big 10 for evidence. while the top of each league is very good, the 2nd tier is a long ways off. Not so in the SEC.
KY beat LSU. TN beat GA. GA beat FL. MSU beat Aub. Ark beat LSU. FL beat TN. SC beat GA. and these things happen every year. the phrase "anyone can win on any given Saturday" does hold true in the SEC. and it's not just the occaisional upset we're talking about here. when these things happen, conf. titles are on the line.
since the SEC split in to divisonal format 6 different teams have won the SEC: TN, FL, Bama, Aub, GA, LSU. 8 teams have appeared in the SEC title game, the only ones to not make an appearance: Vandy, KY, Ole Miss, Sout Carolina. 9 teams have at least won a share of the divison, the only ones to not do so: Vandy, KY and South Carolina. The only SEC team to not go to a bowl game over that time span is Vandy.
there's simply not another conf. that boasts that kind of competition year in and year out for tops in the league.
So when people talk about the SEC being the best, this is why. When people down play other leagues compared to the SEC this is why. When we say our strength of schedule is good because of the conf. games we play, this is why. when we say we're better than the Big 10, this is why. when you look at recruiting rankings and you see 6, 7 or 8 teams in the top 20 year in and year out, this is why. When you watch NFL games on Sunday and see NFL rosters littered with former SEC players, this is why. when we say winning the SEC title still means something, this is why.
there's a reason why Michigan, OSU don't get all that excited about conf. titles. they know what we know. it just isn't that big of a deal.
So, if you needed more proof, then you got it last night, but for the rest of us, we know it, we've always known it, and for the forseeable future, it will continue to be true. the big 10 has Mich/OSU. the big 12 has the red river shootout. The Pac 10 ahs "the game". the SEC has the Iron Bowl, the Third Saturday in October, the World's Largest Cocktail Party, the Oldest Rivalry in the South, the Egg Bowl.
and that doesn't even include games like TN/FL, TN/GA, FL/LSU, LSU/Bama, Aub/LSU, Aub/FL.....we have big games every weekend. everyone else has a big game once or twice a season. so to the rest of the college football world, i simply say......
S E C. S E C. S E C.
Here's to hoping we get back on top of it sooner than later. Go Vols, and congrats to the Bayou Bengals.
I'm not one of these SEC elitists out there always proclaiming the SEC is best regardless, i've called it when we were down, and we've been down recently, but there's not another conference that stands the test of time like the SEC does. there's not another conference that has as much top level comepetition like the SEC has. there's not another conf. that has 5 different coaches with national titles currenlty coaching in this league (Fulmer, Meyer, Miles, Saban and Spurrier).
but just for giggles, for anyone that still has questions as to why everyone thinks, eh, knows, the SEC is the best conf, here it is:
Competition with in the league. Moreover, it's the competition from the middle to the top that really makes it. people say we beat up on each other cause it's true. and in some leagues while that sounds nice, in this league, what that means is that 6-7 teams each year have a legit shot at the SEC title. and 6 times that champion has won an National title in the last 16 years (.375, think of it as a batting average). and thos 6 titles have come from 4 different teams (LSU twice, FL twice, Bama, TN).
there's simply not another conf. that has that kind of competition w/in it's own league.
Pac 10--USC and...............?
big 10--OSU and Mich..........
big 12--(this year not withstanding) OU and TX
Big East--WVU
ACC--FSU was the perrennial champ for over a decade, and now, the league is a hodge podge of mediocre teams.
sure there were upsets this year and good stories in KS, MO, SFl, UConn, Wake etc....but these things don't stand the test of time like the SEC does.
when a team or program or two dominate a league for extended periods of time, i think the case can be made that that is over all detrimental to that league. Look no further than the Big 12 and Big 10 for evidence. while the top of each league is very good, the 2nd tier is a long ways off. Not so in the SEC.
KY beat LSU. TN beat GA. GA beat FL. MSU beat Aub. Ark beat LSU. FL beat TN. SC beat GA. and these things happen every year. the phrase "anyone can win on any given Saturday" does hold true in the SEC. and it's not just the occaisional upset we're talking about here. when these things happen, conf. titles are on the line.
since the SEC split in to divisonal format 6 different teams have won the SEC: TN, FL, Bama, Aub, GA, LSU. 8 teams have appeared in the SEC title game, the only ones to not make an appearance: Vandy, KY, Ole Miss, Sout Carolina. 9 teams have at least won a share of the divison, the only ones to not do so: Vandy, KY and South Carolina. The only SEC team to not go to a bowl game over that time span is Vandy.
there's simply not another conf. that boasts that kind of competition year in and year out for tops in the league.
So when people talk about the SEC being the best, this is why. When people down play other leagues compared to the SEC this is why. When we say our strength of schedule is good because of the conf. games we play, this is why. when we say we're better than the Big 10, this is why. when you look at recruiting rankings and you see 6, 7 or 8 teams in the top 20 year in and year out, this is why. When you watch NFL games on Sunday and see NFL rosters littered with former SEC players, this is why. when we say winning the SEC title still means something, this is why.
there's a reason why Michigan, OSU don't get all that excited about conf. titles. they know what we know. it just isn't that big of a deal.
So, if you needed more proof, then you got it last night, but for the rest of us, we know it, we've always known it, and for the forseeable future, it will continue to be true. the big 10 has Mich/OSU. the big 12 has the red river shootout. The Pac 10 ahs "the game". the SEC has the Iron Bowl, the Third Saturday in October, the World's Largest Cocktail Party, the Oldest Rivalry in the South, the Egg Bowl.
and that doesn't even include games like TN/FL, TN/GA, FL/LSU, LSU/Bama, Aub/LSU, Aub/FL.....we have big games every weekend. everyone else has a big game once or twice a season. so to the rest of the college football world, i simply say......
S E C. S E C. S E C.
Here's to hoping we get back on top of it sooner than later. Go Vols, and congrats to the Bayou Bengals.
