SEC = AVERAGE OR AWESOME

[Jnecker4cy]

Over the last number of weeks I have seen many a SEC game where a below. 500 or right at .500 team has come oh so close to beating CFP teams or teams being considered for the CFP. Is the league just that good? Or overhyped and average?

IMHO they are not better than the other power conferences top to bottom. Many of the offenses in the SEC are awful, makes us look great. Just not sold on then getting 4, 5 or even 6 teams in the playoff.

Thoughts on how tough the SEC is?

By the way no clue why my first part is in italics.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I think the draft shows that they have the best talent, but that doesn’t always translate to the best teams, and they benefit a lot from bias

 

[Gonzo]

IMO they're going to be exposed again for the third straight year. I think their rankings have been inflated all year long and that's what everyone uses to justify how good the conference is. The Alabama team I watched tonight is going to get splattered against the best teams from the B1G and I think Texas Tech would roll them.

 

[NATEizKING]

College football doesn't play enough games out of conference to be able to compare how good teams are. College basketball is easy. College football is the dumbest sport I can think of in it's setup.

 

[Peter]

Teams like Alabama, LSU, and Georgia can’t hoard talent anymore with the transfer portal. NIL has also evened the playing field with programs like Vanderbilt stepping up with huge donors. The demand for top flight coaches will also bleed the blue bloods dry before long. Can’t pay a coach 50+ million buyouts every three years after you run them off for an 8-4 season.

 

[Rural]

Teams like Alabama, LSU, and Georgia can’t hoard talent anymore with the transfer portal. NIL has also evened the playing field with programs like Vanderbilt stepping up with huge donors. The demand for top flight coaches will also bleed the blue bloods dry before long. Can’t pay a coach 50+ million buyouts every three years after you run them off for an 8-4 season.

Watch them.

 

[Die4Cy]

You know how, when someone tells you repeatedly out of the blue about their strong Christian values, you know it is doubtful? It's the same thing with saying you're the best at college football.

 

[flycy]

I think the draft shows that they have the best talent, but that doesn’t always translate to the best teams, and they benefit a lot from bias

There's bias in the draft as well. As for the main topic, the SEC has been over hyped for a long time. They play soft schedules with only 8 league games and absolutely the weakest non con foes as their money allows them to buy the worst teams. Until recently the bottom teams were no threat whatsoever. They've benefitted from the top one or two teams being strong and a format that favored them getting teams in the championship game and now play offs. Leagues are so big top teams often don't play each other. There head to head against other conferences is rarely anything special and gets ignored by the media's when it's bad. So yes overhyped. They'll have the most teams in the playoff which will give them the best odds to win.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

The gap is manufactured by the networks. Most good teams in every conference are capable of beating good teams in other conferences. Like most years, the lines separate the good from the elite. The inability to establish run games is such a difference maker.

Texas A&M was getting slobbered over all year, but they played a lot of mid teams close. Seeing Texas handle them wasn't a huge shock. Ohio State looks like the most complete team I've watched all year. I'm excited to see them play Indiana to see which style of play comes out on top.

 

[pourcyne]

The SEC is overrated. This website registered out of Tempe, Arizona, says so.

The Sec is Overrated

The SEC is overrated. The Southeastern Football Conference is overrated. CFP Big10 Playoff. Is the SEC overrated?

thesecisoverrated.com

 

[cyups2323]

The $ec is far and away the best conference and it's not even close. Just asked em, they'll tell ya.

 

[ISUalways]

The SEC people in charge have a smart vision. They don’t let the top teams play each other and schedule appropriately. No other conference could get away with only playing 8 conference games for this long because of the backlash. Next year will be more interesting when they go to 9 conferences games.

 

[MeanDean]

For playoff consideration, every SEC team should be rated with 1/2 of an extra loss and 1/2 fewer wins, due to the fact that they only play 8 conference games.

Someone inform the committee of this fact.

 

[Die4Cy]

There's bias in the draft as well. As for the main topic, the SEC has been over hyped for a long time. They play soft schedules with only 8 league games and absolutely the weakest non con foes as their money allows them to buy the worst teams. Until recently the bottom teams were no threat whatsoever. They've benefitted from the top one or two teams being strong and a format that favored them getting teams in the championship game and now play offs. Leagues are so big top teams often don't play each other. There head to head against other conferences is rarely anything special and gets ignored by the media's when it's bad. So yes overhyped. They'll have the most teams in the playoff which will give them the best odds to win.

The genius of the CFP plan is that they know that SEC teams are vulnerable but the whole thing works if they rank them high at the start, keep them there through a loss or two on a questionable schedule, and then schedule them home games in the playoff due to a lofty ranking built around vibes. I was originally a big fan of the idea of the CFP but it is a made for TV joke of a championship.

 

[AlaCyclone]

The SEC people in charge have a smart vision. They don’t let the top teams play each other and schedule appropriately. No other conference could get away with only playing 8 conference games for this long because of the backlash. Next year will be more interesting when they go to 9 conferences games.

The 8 game vs. 9 game part is legit, but the SEC has always tried to have as many quality matchups as possible with the power teams unlike the B1G which seems to try to intentionally avoid them.

For example in the old division setup, they divided the 6 historical powers (Alabama, Auburn, LSU in the West / Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee in the East) with 3 in each division + a permanent rivalry with one of the other power teams (Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia and LSU-Florida). So, at a minimum, all of the historical six powers were playing two others in their division + another from the other division.

Even now without divisions, they prefer these teams to play each other. Alabama, for example has played @ Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and @ Auburn this year + Oklahoma from the new teams.

It's becoming harder and harder with the influx of new teams, but they actually do try to match up as many of the big teams to play each other as possible especially the old historical six who all enjoy playing each other.

 

[Cyhops]

Only the best teams play the fewest in conference games each year, and schedule a patsy in week 10 in place of that missing in conference game.

 

[JEFF420]

No reason for them to get more than 3 teams in the playoffs

 

[1SEIACLONE]

The SEC has the best collection of talent of all the leagues, but I am not sure they have the best league overall from top to bottom. When they are playing 3 cupcakes at least a year and some 4 teams, it's hard to say if they are better than teams in the other leagues. This idea being floated by Paul Finebaum that they deserve 5 or 6 teams is a little overboard. Like any other league the SEC has very good teams at the top, and teams like Kentucky, Arkansas and Miss. State at the bottom that would struggle getting wins in other conferences also. The hype machine for the SEC is off the wall, being lead by ESPN, which adds a lot to their league.

 

[AlaCyclone]

IMO they're going to be exposed again for the third straight year. I think their rankings have been inflated all year long and that's what everyone uses to justify how good the conference is. The Alabama team I watched tonight is going to get splattered against the best teams from the B1G and I think Texas Tech would roll them.

For once I like the I State logo. Well played!

Alabama might get splattered this year, but it won't be because of how they played @ Auburn - which is just a historically tough place for Alabama to play. 'Bama doesn't sweat @ LSU, @ Georgia, @ Florida or @ Tennessee much (look up their all-time records), but they use Voodoo dolls and such @ Auburn. Just one of those things. Auburn takes that game very seriously and always plays UP vs. Alabama @ Auburn. Alabama rarely has an easy time @ Jordan-Hare Stadium. It's like a religious revival to them. Good on them.

As for Alabama this year, they have issues. Mainly, they cannot run the ball well, and they struggle adjusting during the game. They usually have a good game plan, execute it well in the first half, then just get bogged down in the mud in the second half. They can win certain game (like @ Auburn last night) on talent, but they will not go far in the CFP this year (if they beat Georgia and make it). Just not a historically great Alabama team team this year. I already consider this year a success with wins over the main rivals (Tennessee, LSU and @ Auburn) and making the SEC CCG.

Usually, winning the SEC CCG would be a minimum goal, but this year with this goober of a coach, they are just fortunate to be there.

As for the other SEC teams in the CFP, I hope they all lose.

Just my onion as one who has been watching Alabama football up close and personal since 1971.

 

[c.y.c.l.o.n.e.s]

As much as I hate to admit it, the SEC is probably more awesome than average. Their record vs other power 4 teams at 12-5 shouldn’t be ignored.

I think that Texas Tech is proving that the SEC model of paying many millions of dollars to put togther a 4 and 5 star roster means that the upper half of the SEC would likely compete for the top of the big 12 in any given year.

That doesn’t mean that I give a rats’s @$& which SEC or B1G school wins the national championship. Much like last year, once the teams that I can relate to (Tech or BYU and maybe a couple others) are eliminated, it’s on to basketball for me.