I Pure, Straight Hate The SEC, But Goddammit, Do I Respect It

[J.B. TexasEx]

As a counterpoint to yesterday's "Why the SEC is Bullshit" article, here's another R-rated take from @TotalFratMove's, Roger Dorn.  I begrudgingly agree, but still think it's laughable for also-rans to claim Natty's won by Alabama.  SEC SEC SEC!   <_<

http://totalfratmove.com/i-pure-straight-hate-the-sec-but-goddammit-do-i-respect-it/

If the title wasn’t clear enough, let me be crystal: if Al-Qaeda miraculously fielded a competitive, college football team to start the 2014 season, and if its administration somehow threw a bunch of money at Kim Jong-un to table his craziness crusade and coach these gridiron terrorists, I would be legitimately torn on whether I’d pull for Al-Qaeda or for any SEC football team that lines up against it, even harmless Kentucky. I’d likely lean toward Al-Qaeda, simply because I tend to support the underdog, and those terrorist training camps pale in comparison to that of the physically demanding college football player’s. After a diligent security screening and IED pat-down, let Al-Qaeda take the field and put up a fight against its SEC counterpart. May the least dishonorable regime win.

I “throw the remote across the room when Mississippi State beats a non-conference team†hate the SEC. It’s bad. And I should be embarrassed. I pure, straight hate the SEC, but goddammit, do I respect it. I respect the Southeastern Conference enough to represent them in a counter response to my cohort’s article yesterday, “Why The SEC Is Bullshit.†You want to know what else I hate? Myself, for defending this evil conference. F@#K the SEC. F@#K me.

Knox brings up preseason polling and the predetermined, built-in advantage that SEC teams have before the first ball of the season is snapped. He’s right–they are given preseason favor over teams from outside the conference with similar abilities and/or previous season résumés. Underrated teams have a more difficult time climbing the polls than top 10 teams do with sustaining their positions. Here’s the thing, though: they’ve earned that respect. Is it fair that 24th-ranked Whogivesaf##k State would match up well with an eighth-ranked SEC West team? No, it’s not really “fair.†But when that eighth-ranked SEC team has a similar previous season record as Whogivesaf##k State–against superior, in-conference competition–AND it handily won last season’s bowl game at a neutral site, the ranking is justifiable.

Speaking of bowl games, let’s take a look at the SEC’s bowl records over the last 10 years. The general idea of bowl games is to match two teams from different conferences that are similar in abilities.

2013/2014: 7-3
2012/2013: 6-3
2011/2012: 6-3 (One loss was to a conference opponent, when LSU fell to Alabama in the BCS National Championship.)
2010/2011: 5-5
2009/2010: 6-4
2008/2009: 6-2
2007/2008: 7-2
2006/2007: 6-3
2005/2006: 3-3
2004/2005: 3-3

Over a 10 year span, the SEC has a combined bowl record of 55-31, and it never dipped below .500 in any given season. That, assholes, is impressive. It also provides quantitative evidence that SEC teams play a superior brand of football than other conferences. Note: I could have left off the ’04 and ’05 seasons to make my numbers look prettier, but eight is too arbitrary. Ten it is.

The next point regards the notion that the SEC is so good and deep that conference losses are written off as “Just two heavyweights beating up on each other–someone had to lose, right?†Well, yeah. That’s basically right. The SEC is talented (look at recruiting rankings and NFL drafts for evidence). The SEC is deep (look at its recent bowl records). SEC teams do play rather pedestrian non-conference games, but SEC blowhards defend these gimmies by saying their conference games are all so tough that they deserve a few layups. It’s a semi-hollow argument, but I’d say the same shit if I was an Alabama fan. The SEC West is downright brutal. Getting maximum effort from your team for 12 games straight is a monumental task. Alabama needs the week two Florida Atlantic and week three Southern Miss games to stress-F@#K and clear its head before taking on Florida in week four (bad example currently, but UF is usually a very tough team).

Should Arkansas be penalized in the rankings for losing to LSU, ‘Bama, UGA, and Auburn as much as Southern Cal should be for losing to Colorado, UCLA, ‘Zona, and Oregon State? No. Clearly not.

While Knox acknowledges that the SEC’s national title run from 2006 to 2012 was unprecedented, he seems to gloss over just how incredible this accomplishment truly is. In 2013, there were 124 FBS teams in the country. Of those 124 teams, only 14 of them belonged to the SEC. And for SEVEN years in a row, the national champion came from that 14-member conference. I don’t buy the “ball bounced their way that game,†or “_____ should have been in that game instead of _____,†or †it took a miracle drive to win,†or “if not for that injury†arguments. They’re weak and circumstantial. After the dust settled, those SEC teams were in those games, and they won them, SEVEN f##kING YEARS IN A ROW. And hey, I was in the stands when Colt McCoy went down in the first quarter against Alabama. It was brutal. Had he stayed in, would Texas have won? I believe so. Does it matter? No, not one bit. McCoy went down and Texas lost, fair and square. The history books will reflect that. It hurt, but that’s football.

His next point is about Texas A&M and Missouri’s early success in the SEC. Texas A&M has been a perennial dumpster in the Big 12 since the ’90s. Mizzou had some success, although it has very little hardware to show for it. This is the one point I have difficulty countering. Their success has me somewhat baffled. Was Manziel just that good? Did he take a Big 12 doormat and turn his team into a formidable SEC power all by himself? The 2013 and 2014 NFL Drafts say that A&M actually had some really impressive, top-tier talent on that team. Perhaps the Aggies’ talent finally peaked after settling into its new, southeastern home. Maybe its success all came from Manziel’s right arm. Maybe it was an anomaly, and A&M’s about to be hot garbage again. I honestly don’t know. The SEC East had a pitiful year (by SEC standards) in 2013. South Carolina was good. Georgia was average. Then there was 50 feet of dogshit after that. We’ll call Mizzou’s 2013 SEC East title a product of bad SEC football. Mizzou was the best team in the shitty half of the country’s premier conference, which is still respectable.

Thanks to FSU, the SEC squawking is down a few decibels right now. I expect it to pick up soon, however, because the season begins in less than a month and the SEC will once again return to its dominant form on the field. Just as Wes Mantooth–after placing behind the Channel 4 News Team in the ratings and losing to them in the back alley brawl where Brick killed a guy–respects Ron Burgundy, I respect the SEC.

I still f##king hate it, though.

 

[echeese]

I love the SEC. . . . .

Love watching their games, love the passion. . . . .love the fact they despise the agroids already. . . 

Love the fans (had a great time with the Bama fans before and after the 2009 game)

I don't want to join the SEC. . .I want to see the BigXII get better .. . .I still think our best answer is merging with the ACC and playing a pod system. . . . 

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I don't want to join the SEC. . .I want to see the BigXII get better .. . .I still think our best answer is merging with the ACC and playing a pod system. . . . 

A 24-team league with 4 pods of 6?  How do we accommodate Notre Dame?

I don't see it happening, but never say never.  I still believe the P5 is going to align into a special "Football Division" with 65-80 teams (after another round of expansion).  These teams will be split geographically much like the NFL into 4 super-conferences with 2 divisions each.  CFB playoffs will be expanded to 8 or 16.

Just my prediction, but perhaps politics and anti-trust laws will prevent it from happening?  

 

[streettopeschel]

i don't hate the sec. i hate the media knob-slobberers who don't recognize their weaknesses. the have doormats too, but act like every game is bama/lsu.

and the whole manziel 'did it against a nick saban defense' thing drives me nuts, like they're the 85 bears. trevor knight did it too, but you don't hear much about that.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

i don't hate the sec. i hate the media knob-slobberers who don't recognize their weaknesses. the have doormats too, but act like every game is bama/lsu.

and the whole manziel 'did it against a nick saban defense' thing drives me nuts, like they're the 85 bears. trevor knight did it too, but you don't hear much about that.

Agree, it's mostly the "media knob-slobbers" who have propped up the SEC; Paul Finebaum, Clay Travis, everybody at ESPN.  But, they have a well-oiled propaganda machine in Birmingham too.  And their scheduling with cupcakes in November?  Top notch

Simplest solution is to beat 'em on the field.  Last year's performance against a mediocre Ole Miss didn't help ours or the Big 12's case.

 

[echeese]

A 24-team league with 4 pods of 6?  How do we accommodate Notre Dame?

I don't see it happening, but never say never.  I still believe the P5 is going to align into a special "Football Division" with 65-80 teams (after another round of expansion).  These teams will be split geographically much like the NFL into 4 super-conferences with 2 divisions each.  CFB playoffs will be expanded to 8 or 16.

Just my prediction, but perhaps politics and anti-trust laws will prevent it from happening?  

16 is not logistically feasible. . . .

8 with round 1 being the division winners playing for the conference title works. . .which is also why 5 conferences doens't work. . . 

I have worked on a break down but yes, a 20 team conference playing pods works. . . even 24 where you have 5 Pod games (pods of 6 teams each) and 2 cross pod games vs your other division pod then 1 each cross pod games with the  2 other division pods .. . .it also reduces the chances of the conference title game being a rematch . .. .still leaves a marquee OOC game plus 2 minor OOC games .. . 1 or 2 vs a Tier 2 team. . . 

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

16 is not logistically feasible. . . .

8 with round 1 being the division winners playing for the conference title works. . .which is also why 5 conferences doens't work. . . 

I have worked on a break down but yes, a 20 team conference playing pods works. . . even 24 where you have 5 Pod games (pods of 6 teams each) and 2 cross pod games vs your other division pod then 1 each cross pod games with the  2 other division pods .. . .it also reduces the chances of the conference title game being a rematch . .. .still leaves a marquee OOC game plus 2 minor OOC games .. . 1 or 2 vs a Tier 2 team. . . 

I doubt UT joins a league where Notre Dame gets preferential treatment.  Maybe it can happen IF the domers join the ACC as a full-time member.  The hardest part will be determining who goes into what pod, but it can be done.

Obviously, our 6-team pod is easy; UT, Tech ,BU, OU, OSU, & TCU.  What about the other 3 pods? Where is ND going and who gets the 7-team pod? 

 

[echeese]

I doubt UT joins a league where Notre Dame gets preferential treatment.  Maybe it can happen IF the domers join the ACC as a full-time member.  The hardest part will be determining who goes into what pod, but it can be done.

Obviously, our 6-team pod is easy; UT, Tech ,BU, OU, OSU, & TCU.  What about the other 3 pods? Where is ND going and who gets the 7-team pod? 

BigXII/ACC merge is dead in the water. . . .Pods was what would have happened if we had gone to the Pac 2-4-6-8

I'm actually building a projected model of a potential Super D 1 conference based on geography and traditional powers . .. 

I'm going to write it up and send it to Darrell to publish (or not)....

 

[SFlonghorngirl]

I love more OOC matchups. 8 divisions with 8 teams each. 4 legit OOC matchups each season.

 

[Bevostuntdouble]

i don't hate the sec. i hate the media knob-slobberers who don't recognize their weaknesses. the have doormats too, but act like every game is bama/lsu.

and the whole manziel 'did it against a nick saban defense' thing drives me nuts, like they're the 85 bears. trevor knight did it too, but you don't hear much about that.

 Good God thank you! The vast majority of their conference are "doormats!" But somehow they are only judged by their top teams... Other conferences, in discussion, are brought down by the lesser teams in their conference... While in the SEC the "doormats" are wrongly talked up... Perennially, the SEC fields 2 exceptional teams... Just like most conferences. 

 The SEC plays better D than most of the country, yes. So when I comes to bowl time, from what I have witnessed, offenses tend to struggle after the break much more than the D's. So it stands to reason that teams with better D's fair better in the post season. 

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

 

The SEC plays better D than most of the country, yes.

Dude, read my "Why the SEC is Bullshit" post from yesterday!  \m/

http://www.hornsports.com/forums/topic/7575-why-the-sec-is-bullshit/

 

[Bevostuntdouble]

 IMHO... Let me start by saying I HATE THE SEC(south eastern criminals). I don't understand how so few of you don't feel the same way. hahaha... What ESPN and the media has done for them is basically taken all the work away from the coaches. Why recruit in the SEC when ESPN will gladly do it for you. They get more play, from top to bottom, than anybody else. And all we do is feed that nonsense every time they are talked about like an untouchable conference. They lose plenty. I hate them because every year an SEC team has won a title the rest of the division acts like they also won. You did not, and Saban isn't busting that crystal ball down and sending everybody a piece. Why would any kid want to go to any other conference to play when there is an entire country promoting the SEC. I have lots of SEC fan buddies and as soon as their team starts to suck ass they hop on the LSU/Bama bandwagon... These buddies want to know why none of their players stay in-state. Why would they?! You live in MS and are an Ole Miss fan but you're cheering for Bama/LSU! Thats just in the southeast... Every time the media entertains the idea that the SEC is this division sent here by the gods to show the rest of the country what football is all about IT DRAWS KIDS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY IN! Thus hurting programs around the country... For gods sake this hype is actually giving teams like UK and Ole Miss a chance! There is no reason on Gods green earth why OOS 5 stars would be signing with Ole Miss besides the fact America has made even the SEC bottom feeders appealing. UK has just as many 4 star 2015 commits as we do. Apparently everybody has adopted a "stars don't matter" outlook, but I don't agree. THE University of Kentucky came up with 10 4 star players in 2014 while the absolutely better in every aspect imaginable Longhorns came up with 6. UK pulled 10 4 star recruits and they have only won 22 games in the last 5 years. That is just a small example. Bama is the only school in that division that has earned the hype they have. The rest are year to year at best and nowhere near locks to do anything! The media campaign is a very important one that has the power to sway so many kids. Its to the point I don't even get mad at the kids anymore... Why did they choose an SEC team? Because year round the only division that is talked about is the SEC. Kids wanna go to the NFL so they are gonna go to the hot schools, schools with the most exposure... HOW BOUT WE STOP MAKING EVERY SEC SCHOOL A HOT SCHOOL. That is BIGGEST reason why I hate the SEC. The only other point Ill make about why I hate the SEC but its predicated on the on the same principle of my first hate... Preseaon polls. All the hype, all the slurping of the SEC makes it that much easier for them to stack the top 25 with SEC teams. 2 of the 5 SEC teams that began the 2013 season in the top 10 finished there. Its much easier to stay in the top 10 if you began there, than it is to break into the top 10 from the outside. 

 And lets be straight, the SEC East is GOD AWEFUL! And have been since the fall of UF. The SEC orchestrates their schedules well... Ill give them that. They never play TOUGH OOC games unless its the first game of the season(which gives them the whole offseason to prepare for one team!) or bowl games... Which to the point I made above, D's are generally more ready to hit the ground running than O's are to start the season or after breaks. Ill concede they have better D's but I feel pretty confident if you sprinkled legit OOC games into their seasons they would rack up some losses pretty quickly! I am 1000% down to eliminate conferences all together! Every year programs lobby and construct their own complete schedules. So when somebody says "X team has a terrible SoS," it is legitimately that programs fault. Bama had issues with A&M and OU because they aren't built to play against teams of that type. So imagine a world where Bama wasn't able to play in their comfort zone because they had to play a variety of different styles. There is a reason why Saban has a vested interest in trying to slow down the heightened pace teams are adopting, Bama can't play with them.

 Finally, though I maintain a legit hatred for the SEC, I am not saying they don't play good football or have good teams, they do... Im just tired of the whole lot getting cred and benefits from the success of the minority... None of the nonsense I wrote above was meant to target any posters before me. I work in SEC territory a lot of the time and have this argument with south easterners all the time, I get kinda heated about the subject. Angry rant over. 

Hook em today! Hook em tomorrow! Hook em forever! 

 

[Bevostuntdouble]

 

Dude, read my "Why the SEC is Bullshit" post from yesterday!  \m/

http://www.hornsports.com/forums/topic/7575-why-the-sec-is-bullshit/

 Bro I read it... And F'ing loved it(See my post there). Clearly I am biased a bit, but I personally feel the "why the sec is bs" post was by far more accurate. There are about 5 conferences in CFB that would've have been able to maintain that string of successes if they were afforded all of the things the SEC has(Ex:extreme media hype, preseason ranking favor, during season ranking favor, ZERO regard for the quality of persons entering our program). 

 

[Bevostuntdouble]

 

Dude, read my "Why the SEC is Bullshit" post from yesterday!  \m/

http://www.hornsports.com/forums/topic/7575-why-the-sec-is-bullshit/

 The absolute best and most telling point made in the first article you posted is the reality that Mizzou and A&M entered the SEC with Big 12 players, meant to play vs Big 12 teams, and were immediately competitive. Immediately more competitive than SEC teams that have been playing SEC schedules year in and year out. But all measures both of those teams have been a resounding success breaking into the SEC. To me that debunks so much of the nonsense by the second article you posted and what SEC fans would have you believe.