SEC: The most overrated conference in America. says my friend

[CEDeoudes59]

this is his argument:

THIS IS NOT MY ARGUMENT, ALTHOUGH I AGREE WITH MOST OF IT THIS YEAR.


Before you people get your panties in a bunch, read the following:

Saying the SEC is the best coference in the country is common among fans in the SEC. The evidence proves otherwise...

Several SEC teams play seven home games a season. They usually bring in a bunch of lousy out-of-conference teams from C-USA, the Sun Belt, or some non-BCS conference. When they do bring in a team from a good conference, its usually a bottom-dweller from that conference. (i.e. Arizona or Duke). As a result of such easy schedules, a number of SEC teams enter conference play undefeated. As a result of that, they're ranked higher than teams with losses (whether those losses came against good teams or not). Then, when all the teams in the conference beat up on each other, they use that as evidence that they're all good teams. Its a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Take LSU for example: When people ask how Auburn and Florida have proven themselves, the answer is usually that they beat LSU. What does beating LSU prove? LSU is ranked in the top 15 because they only have two losses. Aside from their two losses, they haven't beaten a winning team (except Louisiana-Lafayette). LSU hasn't proven that they're good-- they've proven they aren't absolutely horrible by not losing to some of the worst teams in D1. Therefore, beating LSU doesn't prove anything.

The only way one conference can prove superiority over another is by beating teams from the other conferences in question. The Big Ten has done that. Ohio State won at Texas. Michigan won at Notre Dame. The SEC hasn't been able to do that. If anything, its been the opposite. The only team undefeated in SEC play is Arkansas, and they got destroyed at home by USC.

SEC proponentsl argue two things. 1) the non-conference teams they play aren't that bad, and 2) conference games are so tough that they can't afford to play good non-conference teams.

1) SEC fans will point to the fact that So. Miss and UCF (UF's first two opponents) are both bowl teams. That's true. It's also true that they play in a lesser conference and don't have the talent to compete with the big schools. Florida was favored by more that 20 points in both games. Neither win proved anything about the quality of Florida.

2) What makes you so sure playing through the SEC schedule is difficult? Is the fact that no team usually emerges undefeated proof the conference play is better there that anywhere else? As established above, there is no way to gauge whether all these teams are good or just average. The conference has manipulated the polls by playing nothing but lousy teams all year, so those aren't helpful either. How do we, then, ultimately prove which conference is the best?

Bowl games. Conferences play against conferences when the teams have had all year to improve. In theory, if the SEC is the best it should be able to prove that during bowl season. They haven't been able to.

In fairness, the SEC has done okay in bowls. Last year, they had a few winners: LSU over Miami, UF over Iowa, Alabama over Texas Tech. They also had a few bad losers: UGA fell to West Virginia. Wisconsin beat Auburn. South Carolina lost to Missouri. The SEC hasn't had the best bowl record among the top conferences in any of the last five years.

I'm sure you crybaby SEC fans will have excuses for all of this, but it speaks for itself. The only thing the SEC excells at is talking about how great they are. They never actually prove it on the field. That's why it's overrated.


---
USC-50
Arkansas-14, at Arkansas

Colorado (1-6)-13
UGA-14, at UGA

Wofford (D1-AA)- 20
S. Car.-27, at SC

Air Force- 30
Tenn.- 31, at Tenn.

And these are the good SEC teams?

[warnerve]

I actually think you are making a very valid point here that gets overlooked...SEC fans are loyal though, expect this thread to grow to a few pages and possibly get intense

[CEDeoudes59]

For me, Florida and Tennessee are legit.
And VERY LEGIT. Gators are for real and the Vols should be top 8

LSU is a fraud
Auburn is nearly a fraud
Georgia is worse than a fraud, they are a complete joke.
Arkansas is decent, but looks better because Auburn is highly overrated.
South Carolina is okay, no real business in the top 25 though.
Same with Alabama.

Vandy, Mississippi, Miss St., Kentucky are the SEC cupcakes and are as lousy as any 4 of the worst teams in any major conference.. maybe even the Big East too.

This year, the SEC is overrated.

[gators52]

Retaliation is coming soon. However what do you consider the top two conferences in the nation? 1. Big Ten 2. ?

[warnerve]

I dont even know about big ten, ohio state is def the best IMO and Michigan is a good team despite not looking so great the last few weeks, but after that I dont have a whole lot of faith in them. I didn't mean to imply that I believed the SEC wasn't good, just that he made a good argument as to whether they are as good as people say they are. Gators52, anyone who is saying florida isn't a legit team has some explaining to do

[Jason Pegg]

Retaliation is coming soon. However what do you consider the top two conferences in the nation? 1. Big Ten 2. ?

Its not important what the second best conference is; only that The Big Ten is number one. Never forget that. LOL



Jason

[CEDeoudes59]

again, this wasn't my argument but I think the Big Ten is better than the SEC this year.

[CEDeoudes59]

I do respect Tennessese for demolishing California, and both programs for scheduling that game.
Regardless of the opponents rankings, I respect Florida schedule - Florida does play FSU as well, for what it is worth.

No respect for Auburn or LSU. LSU plays Tulane. and Auburn plays Buffalo for an out of conference game. What a f_cking joke.

I respect Arkansas a ton for taking on a HEALTHY USC team on opening day the past two years. The just got completely demolished in both games but credit Houston Nutt (coach, ark) for not letting his team get discouraged. I still believe when healthy, USC can be #2 in the nation. Ohio St. is #1 no questions asked.

I not going to beat a dead horse here but USC plays: Nebraska, Arkansas and Notre Dame for out of conference matchups. Not to mention, Cal, Oregon and Washington St are good teams.

That's not bad.

It's actually good when you see that West Virginia's toughest matchup is agaisnt Eastern Carolina.

I don't think there is anyone right now who doesn't think West Virginia is a fraud. But it doesn't matter. Their season is over. Time for their gross kids to drink crappy beer and get even more fat.

[jmh80]

I don't respect Florida all that much - because they took Miami off the schedule after we beat the living sh*t outta them in 1987 (save for the home and home in '02 and '03).

That is total BS. The 3 FLA teams all should play each other EVERY year - not piss and moan about how tough their conference is.

[gators52]

I don't respect Florida all that much - because they took Miami off the schedule after we beat the living sh*t outta them in 1987 (save for the home and home in '02 and '03).

That is total BS. The 3 FLA teams all should play each other EVERY year - not piss and moan about how tough their conference is.

JMH your really starting to make me dislike Miami fans, maybe we dont want to play you for fear of getting cleated to death and **** slapped by a helmet. However we are playing you guys in 09 i believe and i'm not sure if there are plans for games after that or not. Also how can you say it's U'F's fault and not Miami's for not scheduling the games?

[jmh80]

That's the word from Cane Mutiny. Spurrier and the AD didn't want UM on the schedule - the SEC was too tough.

Meanwhile - the FSU game remained???

Yeah - 2009 in the Swamp and then 2013 in the OB (not sure if that'll be bought out or not by the Gators - I'm skeptical).

[jmh80]

Petrino is a very, very good coach - better than Tressell or Carr.
But - his D is just bad. Bad, bad, bad.

I would expect L'ville to score points against either OSU*/Mich - but they'd get beat by at least 3 TD's.

[gators52]

Polls on the Ohio State and Michigan Scout boards, too pretty savvy football places, have Florida, then Auburn, then Texas as 1, 2 , and 3 scariest teams to play in the National Championship.

The Texas O has been impressing me lately...but that Defense...if they step up they could be a very scary team if they somehow make it to the NC, highly unlikely though.

[jmh80]

Who knows RD, who knows - with the right calls by the refs, anyone can win a national title.

Colt McCoy has really been playing well.
Nebraska shoulda beat Texas though. Callahan was too aggressive going for it on that 3rd down IMO. But - I guess if you wanna pull the upset of a top 5 team and you are unranked - you gotta pull out all the stops.

[jmh80]

double post

[jmh80]

No - we aren't getting John L. Smith.

We have worse right now...

I have no clue RD.

[Iron Warrior]

Good points were made CED. I think the SEC is good but the Big 10 with Michigan and The Ohio State University are much better. OSU b!tch slapped a very good Texas team and Michigan raped the Cryin' Irish in front of touchdown Jesus.

The SEC is in a way like Mike Tyson when he thought he was the better then he was because he never fought a true great fighter. The SEC is realizing that sh!t gets kind of hard when you play the USC's. I'm not trying to take anything away from them because they do have good teams, but what I'm saying is they aren't as good as they think they are, like iron Mike.

[jmh80]

Top to bottom in 2006 - they are the best conference. Are their top 2 better than Michigan/OSU* - probably not. But, FLA/AU/Ark are close.

The thing I don't like about the big 10 is that wacky schedule - and no conference championship.
The Pac 10 should be taken to task on that too.
Buncha pansy-azzes.

Yeah - I know, the Big 10 wanted the Domers to be that 12th team (and maybe that happens to finally give a Big 10 title game).

Until the Big 10 and Pac 10 get championship games - they'll always be less tough in my mind.
Further - until I can figure out the scheduling in the Big 10 every year - they'll be less tough in my mind. (For instance, didn't Iowa skip Michigan the year that they went to the Orange? How does that happen??? I don't understand.)

Anyway - like I said, top to bottom the SEC is the toughest. But - that doesn't give 'em a free pass for scheduling Buffalo and NW Louisiana for non-conference. (I think Tennessee is exempted from that - having played Miami and Call the last few years OOC.)

[gators52]

I think there is too much talk about scheduling hard non-conference games. If your in a major conference (except the big east and maybe big 12) your going to have a tough conference schedule. In the area of the BSC and a no playoff system, what reason do these teams have to schedule tough teams? If you lose a game your most likely out of a NC bid. If you lose two your almost out of a BCS bowl bid. Also with the expansion of a 12 game schedule it makes it even harder to win all your games.

JMH made a great point about conference championships. I think all conferences should have them. I'd rather win a conference championship than win a BCS Bowl (except for the Natl title game) in the SEC. If your a team in a weak conference (big east, big 12 and pac 10 (normally it's pretty weak, this year it's pretty good)) then you should schedule a tough non conference game to give your team some credibility.

[DieTrying]

Normally I would laugh at this but I do agree that the SEC is weaker this year than normally. Going into the season I don't think anyone would have argued that the Gators has the toughest schedule in the country.

BTW- According to gatorzone.com, the Gators play Miami in 08