Official 2012 College Football Season Thread

[FLMountainMan]

The ACC went 0-4 against the SEC yesterday. Clemson lost at home to USC's backup quarterback. FSU had the typical 4th quarter collapse, GaTech got asshammered by UGA, and Wake lost at home to Vandy.

 

[MrG]



so who's it gonna be vs. ND? Georgia or Bama?

I'm still not sure what I expect to happen, even when I do my best to put my bias aside. One thing I will say is that I don't anticipate a blowout.

That, and Georgia is coached by Mark Richt.

It's funny how the perception of Richt has changed over the years. When he first took over at UGA, he was viewed as a hungry, young coach with a knack for winning the big one. Now that's flipped, and he's perceived as a comfortable, long-term coach who can win everything but the huge game.

 

[Gibonius]

Six SEC teams in the top 10. Yikes.


It's kind of odd/unfortunate that the loser of the SEC championship isn't even going to get to go to a BCS bowl. You go from one win away from playing for the National Championship, to the Capital One Bowl or something because you have to play an extra game that somebody has to lose.

 

[edinatlanta]



Six SEC teams in the top 10. Yikes.
It's kind of odd/unfortunate that the loser of the SEC championship isn't even going to get to go to a BCS bowl. You go from one win away from playing for the National Championship, to the Capital One Bowl or something because you have to play an extra game that somebody has to lose.

Long term, it probably isn't healthy for college football to have this level of dominance from one conference. The solution is simple, however. The other teams have to be better.

Kinda feel bad for Florida (but not really). They beat FSU, FSU is going to beat Tech and then be Orange Bowl champs. Gators won't even get Chick-fil-A Bowl.
actually nvm they will get to a BCS bowl some of the predictions say.


Also, Go Dawgs (of UGA).

 

[MrG]



Six SEC teams in the top 10. Yikes.
It's kind of odd/unfortunate that the loser of the SEC championship isn't even going to get to go to a BCS bowl. You go from one win away from playing for the National Championship, to the Capital One Bowl or something because you have to play an extra game that somebody has to lose.

Of all the criticism the BCS receives, I've always thought this quirk was massively overlooked. The system penalizes teams for playing in their conference championship game, and that's really unfair.

Long term, it probably isn't healthy for college football to have this level of dominance from one conference. The solution is simple, however. The other teams have to be better.
Kinda feel bad for Florida (but not really). They beat FSU, FSU is going to beat Tech and then be Orange Bowl champs. Gators won't even get Chick-fil-A Bowl.
actually nvm they will get to a BCS bowl some of the predictions say.
Also, Go Dawgs (of UGA).

It's all a cycle. One day the SEC won't be The Conference and some other conference will get the press the SEC receives now. It certainly does seem like the SEC has poised itself for a lengthy run at the top, but I have trouble believing it's permanent.

Florida will play in the Sugar Bowl.

 

[edinatlanta]



It's all a cycle. One day the SEC won't be The Conference and some other conference will get the press the SEC receives now. It certainly does seem like the SEC has poised itself for a lengthy run at the top, but I have trouble believing it's permanent.
Florida will play in the Sugar Bowl.

yeah but you have to imagine they have at least two more seassons of dominance in them after this year. Is 10 years with a stranglehold of the championship good? I'd say we'll start to see some additional SEC backlash hurting the sport financially or a further decimation of other conferences if others don't up their game soon.

So, I was talking to a friend today and I mentioned that FSU was the other team that voted against raising the ACC exit fee to $50 million, so obviously they are keeping their options open... what about creating a new conference with FSU, Clemson, getting Notre Dame to finally join a conference and one other legit football school? Don't know who it would be, won't come from the SEC but I dunno, I think you're going to see national conferences or at least multi-regional conferences in the future.

 

[ChicagoRon]



Of all the criticism the BCS receives, I've always thought this quirk was massively overlooked. The system penalizes teams for playing in their conference championship game, and that's really unfair.

That's why they pressured the B1G and P10 to get a conf. championship game.

It's all a cycle. One day the SEC won't be The Conference and some other conference will get the press the SEC receives now. It certainly does seem like the SEC has poised itself for a lengthy run at the top, but I have trouble believing it's permanent.
Florida will play in the Sugar Bowl.

This is probably true. And again, it's only the top 3 or so teams in the SEC that are so dominant. THere have been recent years where the B1G and B12 were much deeper. Ironically, the NC game punishes conferences by having all their lower teams play in a one bowl higher than they should... which hurts the overall conference record (look at all the B1G teams that got hosed by OSU going to the NC game).

 

[RedLantern]



Long term, it probably isn't healthy for college football to have this level of dominance from one conference. The solution is simple, however. The other teams have to be better.
Kinda feel bad for Florida (but not really). They beat FSU, FSU is going to beat Tech and then be Orange Bowl champs. Gators won't even get Chick-fil-A Bowl.
actually nvm they will get to a BCS bowl some of the predictions say.
Also, Go Dawgs (of UGA).

Now I'm willing to accept that the top tier of the SEC is better than any other conference, but you have to admit that there is a feedback loop with respect to preseason SEC rankings and the SEC's soft OOC schedule. I'm getting tired of 6 SEC teams in the top 10 every preseason, then the SEC elite play cupcakes out of conference and Intra conference losses are chalked up to how "deep" the conference is and intra conference wins show just how "elite" the winner is while the loser doesn't drop far in the rankings because it's not a "bad" loss.

 

[Gibonius]



Now I'm willing to accept that the top tier of the SEC is better than any other conference, but you have to admit that there is a feedback loop with respect to preseason SEC rankings and the SEC's soft OOC schedule. I'm getting tired of 6 SEC teams in the top 10 every preseason, then the SEC elite play cupcakes out of conference and Intra conference losses are chalked up to how "deep" the conference is and intra conference wins show just how "elite" the winner is while the loser doesn't drop far in the rankings because it's not a "bad" loss.

The reasoning has become circular, but the bowl record does indicate that the SEC teams are appreciably better than anybody else at the top and then at least as good down through the ranks. SEC is significantly above .500 in bowl games for this whole streak.

It'll become moot with the upcoming playoff system anyway.

 

[Texasmade]



Six SEC teams in the top 10. Yikes.
It's kind of odd/unfortunate that the loser of the SEC championship isn't even going to get to go to a BCS bowl. You go from one win away from playing for the National Championship, to the Capital One Bowl or something because you have to play an extra game that somebody has to lose.

There's a rule in place where if you finish in the top 3 in the BCS you automatically get to go to a BCS game. This rule was put in place after what happened to K-State back in 1998 when they lost the Big 12 CCG to Texas A&M and went from BCS #1 to #3 but got passed up by everyone. They eventually landed in the Alamo Bowl, and which from their level of play during that game had a huge letdown.

But I don't feel too bad for UGa or Alabama. Ask any coach, player, or fan if they would rather be in Florida's position and practically guaranteed a spot in a BCS bowl or have a play in game for a chance to play for the BCS NCG. Everyone single one would rather be in UGa or Alabama's spot over Florida.

 

[Thomas]



What awful play calling at the end by Kiffin. I didn't see anything tonight to make me think that either SEC team would be beaten by Notre Dame.

I thought the same thing at the end - Kiffin just looked lost or disinterested. I don't know much about him, but I'm curious how he's landed the jobs he has.

 

[Gibonius]

Of all the absurd scenarios, Georgia Tech won their division and may have to apply for a waiver to be allowed to play in a bowl (if they lose to FSU they'd be 6-7). Good work, ACC Coastal!

 

[StephenHero]

The SEC is 8-1 in BCS National Championship games, with its lone loss coming to.........an SEC team. That's astonishing. Until somebody beats them, there should probably not be less than 5 or 6 SEC teams in the top 10 on any given week, despite if they've lost a few games among themselves. They're just that good, and I don't suspect that will change.

 

[ChicagoRon]



The SEC is 8-1 in BCS National Championship games, with its lone loss coming to.........an SEC team. That's astonishing. Until somebody beats them, there should probably not be less than 5 or 6 SEC teams in the top 10 on any given week, despite if they've lost a few games among themselves. They're just that good, and I don't suspect that will change.

Bullshit.


# SEC Records Win % SEC Championships Claimed National Championships
1 Alabama 814–320–43 .710 22 14
2 Tennessee 794–347–54 .687 13 6
3 LSU 734–390–47 .647 11 3
4 Georgia 748–400–54 .645 12 2
5 Auburn 718–405–47 .634 7 2
6 Florida 669–385–40 .630 8 3
7 Texas A&M 682–450–48 .598 0 3
8 Arkansas 679–456–40 .595 0 1
9 Mississippi 621–486–35 .559 6 3
10 Missouri 632–522–53 .546 0 0
11 South Carolina 555–542–44 .506 0 0
12 Kentucky 578–572–44 .503 2 1
13 Vanderbilt 565–574–50 .496 0 0
14 Mississippi State 507–544–39 .483 1 0

There are basically 4 teams in the SEC that are consistently successful. UT and Auburn have history, but they are bottom feeders right now. Florida was a non-entity during Auburn's true heyday. Arkansas, Ole Miss, USC, UK, Vandy, and MSU are perennial bottom-feeders that get lucky and occasionally beat the big boys, but they are not any more formidable than the middle-tier players in the B1G , P10, and B12.... I'd take a Wisconsin, Michigan State, Okla State over Arkansas, Ole Miss any day. SC has improved a lot since Lou Holtz and his protege the Old Ball Coach took over, so I'll leave them out of it... but I'd bet bottom feeders in the B1G and B12 over Vandy, UK, and Ole Miss. Sorry, but the bottom of the P10 is as bad as it gets outside the Big East and ACC.... I wouldn't go there.

And their non-conference schedules are laughable every single year, while teams like Southern Cal, Ohio State, Texas, Va Tech, Oklahoma, etc. are going after serious non-conference opponents (except for FL who plays FSU every and UM occasionally).

 

[RedLantern]



The SEC is 8-1 in BCS National Championship games, with its lone loss coming to.........an SEC team. That's astonishing. Until somebody beats them, there should probably not be less than 5 or 6 SEC teams in the top 10 on any given week, despite if they've lost a few games among themselves. They're just that good, and I don't suspect that will change.

How does the fact that the best team in the SEC each year is likely the best team in the country support the assertion that the SEC has 6 of the top 10 teams in the country at any given time?