Is SEC Proving to Be Overrated?

[WhatsHisNuts]

I would agree that, without a doubt, the SEC is the best overall conference in the country. However, the teams are not that much better, and the myth about SEC speed is just that.

The SEC is 5-2, but it really isn't all that impressive when you consider that they haven't beaten any bowl opponent (Colorado, UCF, Clemson, FSU, Wisconsin) by more than a TD.

The Arkansas blow out is explainable, but I'd like for one of the SEC touts to explain how Florida lost to a team that lost to a 1-AA team? It was practically a home game against a mediocre/bad Michigan team. Where was the SEC speed? Don't tell me that this was a young Florida team because speed doesn't increase with age, and this is Michigan team lost to a 1-AA team and was smoked by a good (not great) Oregon team.

The SEC is a tough conference (the toughest) but this SEC dominance talk is unjustified IMO.

 

[Corley1011]

Who cares?? They are winning... You also have to remember that the opponents are getting a month to prepare for them too... Florida's pass D has been terrible all year...

 

[bjfinste]

I've thought for two months that the SEC was in a real down year. I put a high premium on how teams actually look on the field when I watch them play, and the SEC is just not as impressive as I'm used to seeing in past years.

 

[geauxtigers]

I would agree that, without a doubt, the SEC is the best overall conference in the country. ....The SEC is a tough conference (the toughest) QUOTE]

That's all the talk is. Anyone who is a rational observer, leaves it at that. You said it. I don't think even its proponents try to spin the league as so dominant that its middle and lower level teams can dominate anyone, that's dumb.

One thing I will say about those close wins though is the SEC teams have experience in those close games. If you watch a lot of SEC football, you see multiple games decided on the last play every single week, more than in the other conferences, it's a war. That they win close games like that when outside the conference is not necessarily an accident. And a couple of those teams had big leads at various points before letting them get close. SEC teams were underdogs in a couple of the ones they won, Florida wasn't flattering today I'll admit.

Anyway, I'm not unbiased, IMO it's the best conference, produces the most NFL players, has some tough venues, but I go no further than that. But as we saw today, the best teams from other conferences can certainly compete and beat the best teams from the SEC.

BTW, that six degrees of separation stuff is useless, you can't use one game, the first of the season to draw conclusions about teams that play them five months later. That's like saying Arkansas was better than Florida last year because they beat Auburn (who beat Florida). JM2C, GL.

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

Who cares?? They are winning... You also have to remember that the opponents are getting a month to prepare for them too... Florida's pass D has been terrible all year...

I care. Misconceptions represent opportunities. If the SEC is overvalued, that can be a money maker in future bowls (2008 season).

 

[Cie]

The Arkansas blow out is explainable, but I'd like for one of the SEC touts to explain how Florida lost to a team that lost to a 1-AA team? It was practically a home game against a mediocre/bad Michigan team. Where was the SEC speed? Don't tell me that this was a young Florida team because speed doesn't increase with age, and this is Michigan team lost to a 1-AA team and was smoked by a good (not great) Oregon team.

Happy New Year, GMROZ. I realize your post is meant to stir up discussion. I don't buy your angle, though.

For the record, here are my top 3 conferences this season:


SEC
Big XXII
PAC-10

I'm curious, who, outside of a few wackos on message boards, touts the SEC as dominant? I think there is one SEC tout at MJ's, 2 max. As far as I can tell, the SEC is looked upon as a close 1 over the PAC 10 this season according to national media.

 

[Toledo Prophet]

Happy New Year, GMROZ. I realize your post is meant to stir up discussion. I don't buy your angle, though.

For the record, here are my top 3 conferences this season:


SEC
Big XXII
PAC-10

I'm curious, who, outside of a few wackos on message boards, touts the SEC as dominant? I think there is one SEC tout at MJ's, 2 max. As far as I can tell, the SEC is looked upon as a close 1 over the PAC 10 this season according to national media.

The whole conference question is for good discussion, but we can only really provide mythical answers....too bad the bowl comittees aren't keen enough to know about these arguments....as a fan, I am very bummed we did not get a USC-UGA bowl matchup.....that would have at least given us some answers either way.

 

[Cie]

I care. Misconceptions represent opportunities. If the SEC is overvalued, that can be a money maker in future bowls (2008 season).

I appreciate the angle that you are trying to use. For the most part, I try to stay on that side of things. I fade teams off of big wins, etc., based on misconceptions. Of course, I strayed from this today with Florida, and wound up getting my butt kicked.

This season, you would be 2-4 ats fading the SEC in bowls. I am leaving out Kentucky, whose line moved from -1 to -9 and back to -7 as a result of suspensions. UGA and LSU can go down--leaving you with an opportunity to almost break even.

I would recommend you cap the games individually and locate the misconceptions on that level. IMO there are far more profitable misconceptions on the team level, than there are on the conference level. GL however you decide to proceed...

 

[Cie]

The whole conference question is for good discussion, but we can only really provide mythical answers....too bad the bowl comittees aren't keen enough to know about these arguments....as a fan, I am very bummed we did not get a USC-UGA bowl matchup.....that would have at least given us some answers either way.

After watching LSU/UGA play several times, and watching OU/USC a couple of times each, I think USC and Okie are the top 2 teams nationally. I would rank the teams as follows:

USC
Okie
LSU
UGA
Ohio St

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

I appreciate the angle that you are trying to use. For the most part, I try to stay on that side of things. I fade teams off of big wins, etc., based on misconceptions. Of course, I strayed from this today with Florida, and wound up getting my butt kicked.

This season, you would be 2-4 ats fading the SEC in bowls. I am leaving out Kentucky, whose line moved from -1 to -9 and back to -7 as a result of suspensions. UGA and LSU can go down--leaving you with an opportunity to almost break even.

I would recommend you cap the games individually and locate the misconceptions on that level. IMO there are far more profitable misconceptions on the team level, than there are on the conference level. GL however you decide to proceed...

This is what I was getting at. If the value isn't there on a conference level, then the lines are relatively accurate on the whole and you need to approach each game as you would any other.

I am trying to stir things up in hopes that someone will bring something to the table that's worth keeping in mind for next year.

I do think that this 'SEC speed' thing is a misconception. The teams, on the whole, are just better. Perhaps there is still a way to take advantage of this SEC speed misconception, but right now, I'm not sure what that formula is.

 

[Skipper]

SEC is 6-2 Str. up and 6-2 ATS spread this bowl season. I don't think you are making ANY money betting against them.

You wanna take OSU, go ahead:0corn

 

[dlvlsu]

Georgia can go down?? Easiest win yet!! called a drilling and money maker!! I wont even start on this subject prove is all in the "W's" i am making big money betting on the SEC Who cares how you rank what!! If you thought Georgia could lose the game to Hawaii tells me how much you know about football and the SEC!!! Geez

 

[3 Seconds]

1. SEC
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2. BIG 12
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3. Who cares.

 

[dawgball]

Is anyone else enjoying Herbstreit's jealousy flooding every comment he is making through this bowl season?

I think the SEC is a good conference and probably the best this year by a slight margin.

I just hate it that we didn't get to see USC-UGA play. I think it would have been a smash mouth slug-fest. Unfortunatley, I also think we would have lost. But it's the kind of game that would have had everyone's interest.

As to the point made above, it would be hard to say the SEC was overrated going into the bowl season with its ATS record so far. This is regardless of who the opponent is because they are consistently covering the spread.

 

[Statman02]

Conference Bowl records:

Conferences vs. Non-Conference Opponents
Rank Conference Name Non-Conf. Record Pct.
1 Sun Belt 1-0-0 1.000
2 Mountain West 4-1-0 0.800
3 Southeastern 6-2-0 0.750
4 Pacific Ten 4-2-0 0.667
5 Big Twelve 4-2-0 0.667
6 Big Ten 3-4-0 0.429
7 Big East 1-2-0 0.333
8 Atlantic Coast 2-5-0 0.286
9 Western Athletic 1-3-0 0.250
10 Conference USA 1-4-0 0.200
11 Independents 0-1-0 0.000
12 Big West 0-0-0 0.000
13 Southwestern 0-0-0 0.000
14 Mid American 0-1-0 0.000

 

[dlvlsu]

Those stats dont reflect strength of teams faced etc So they are useless!!

 

[ballsweat]

No problem with the SEC>>>

No problem with the SEC>>>

what I have a problem is with the perception that I keep hearing that the Rose Bowl actually chose Illinois.

Now this is simply an opinion but I truly believe the Rose and Sugar chose such mismatches at the urging of the BCS. Think about the repercussions if any of the talked about good teams actually played each other alongside the supposed title game.

You guessed it, a potential split ala 2003. I am an SC fan but just imagine if UGA played SC and beat SC then LSU squeaked by OSU. There really could be a split. The same could be said if it was VTech, Okie. I think the key parameter is that OSU would have to lose because an OSU victory would legitimize their victory.

I have no real tangible issue to not think LSU should be in the game, nor do I have one for USC, VaTech, Okie, or UGA. The breaks just came down in LSU's favor.

I hate the whole conspiracy thought, but this really smells of one.

Just ask yourself, other than the title game, which of the Top 6 play each other?

 

[Cie]

Saw this elsewhere, seemed like a copy belonged in here....


SEC #10 Alabama vs. Big 12 #7 Colorado.
SEC #9 Miss State vs. Conference USA #1 UCF
SEC #8 Kentucky vs. ACC #6 FSU
SEC #6 Arkansas vs. Big 12 #2 Missouri
SEC #5 Florida vs. Big 12 #3 Michigan
SEC #4 Auburn vs. ACC #4 Clemson
SEC #3 Tennessee vs. Big 10 #4 Wisconsin
SEC #2 Georgia vs. WAC #1 Hawaii
SEC #1 LSU vs. Big 10 #1 Ohio State

 

[CWood97]

The Arkansas blow out is explainable, but I'd like for one of the SEC touts to explain how Florida lost to a team that lost to a 1-AA team? It was practically a home game against a mediocre/bad Michigan team. Where was the SEC speed? Don't tell me that this was a young Florida team because speed doesn't increase with age, and this is Michigan team lost to a 1-AA team and was smoked by a good (not great) Oregon team.

Not sure what game you watched NYD, but if you know anything about football, you know that the Michigan team that ass ended the gators was not the same one that mailed it in vs Appy State and Oregon.

As far as "SEC speed" it's a myth. SEC teams are often very good, it doesn't mean they are faster. NFL combine results have consistently shown that SEC players are no faster than the guys from other major conferences.

 

[Skipper]

CWood - even as an SEC fan, I agree that there are fast guys in every conference, just like the Big 10 used to have the perception that their OL and DL are much bigger and stronger.

Competition is tough in every conference and I agree that the SEC speed is not such a big deal, however there is no doubt that talent and depth in the SEC is the best.

I think bowl records are often overrated, but I just had to jump on with the PAC 10 wise guys who said they were going to "fade" the SEC in this years bowl games. They are losing a crap load of money if they went that route