If there was any doubt that the SEC is in fact

the best overall conference year in, year out, the coaching now present should remove all doubt. Good coaches want to challenge themselves, and look where they all go to do it.

Spurrier back at USC (following Lou Holtz), Urban Meyer coming to Florida to test his brand of football, Tuberville (I'm choking as I type this) does have an undefeated season under his belt now, Fulmer, Richt, Sly Croom leaves the NFL to go the MSU, Orgeron leaves a west coast national championship contender to coach in Oxford, MS, and even Nutty is no slouch. Now maybe Petrino, undoubtedly one of the finest offensive minds in football today. Only Shula (jury is still out on his ability) and Rich Brooks seem out of place (except for Vanderbilt, who doesn't really count). You'd be hard pressed to find a better group of football coaches in one conference. Looks like some high-flying offense may be returning to the south. Next year should be a fun year; let's hope we're in Atlanta when its all over with.:helmet: :thumb:

 

No question about it, the SEC is the head of the class when it comes to major football conferences, though the Big XII is a close second in recent years.


Screw overall bowl records: I measure conferences by the national titles and/or top 5 final poll finishes.


If OU wins (sorry, *when* OU wins) the Orange Bowl next Tuesday, the Big XII will pull ahead of the SEC in the number of national titles won since 1990. What gives the SEC the edge, though, is the fact its excellence is more spread out: the Big XII will have 5 national champs since 1990, but only 3 schools (Colo., OU, Neb); the SEC has 4 from 4 different schools (Ala, Fla, Tenn, LSU,with a slight chance of Auburn making it 5 from 5 this season).

Toss in Georgia in 2002 and you've had the past 3 SEC champions finish in the final top 3.

2001 was totally a SEC and Big XII year. The final AP poll, for example, had three SEC teams and four Big XII teams IN THE FINAL TOP TEN!

That, guys, is filthy!

 

Since 1990

http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/football_records_book/2004/2004_d1_football_records.pdf

# teams in top ten final ranking:
Big 12...........32
SEC..............29
Big Ten.........25

no other conference mattered (numbers-wise)

Nat'l Champs:
Big 12 .......4
SEC...........3
Big Ten......2

Yep, you're right.... there's undeniable proof that the SEC is simply smokin' everyone. You guys do pot, don't you?

 

Smokin your sad conference.

 

Your are shorting us a NC. 1992-AL; then Fla.; then Tenn.; then LSU last year. Regardless, I'm not talking about 14 years ago; I'm talking about the coaching talent being attracted RIGHT NOW. Plus, who did LSU beat for their NC; that's right Hawker45, the mighty Sooners of the Big XII.

Further, overall the Big XII is not very strong. It has one 800 lb. gorilla (OU) and not much else. OU dominates their conference schedule and doesn't have to play too many SEC teams. When they do, the results are underwhelming. Almost lost to a supposedly outmanned Bama team twice (needed a fake punt to do it last year) and then got simply manhandled by LSU in the Sugar Bowl a year ago. The SEC has taken on the best the Big XII has to offer and fared quite well.

:lsug:

 

Never said the SEC wasn't good....hell, I've got two kids that gradusted from SEC schools.... just aying there's a lot of folks playing some pretty good ball.

btw, your point on the coaches is fairly accurate. There were many upset B10er's when Zook went to Illinois.
Let's see DiNardo to Indiana and Zook to Illinois and we give you Saban to LSU in trade...... not a very smart move for the Big Ten...

 

What this tells me is that you have two, occasionally three good teams per year and seven or eight absolutely terrible teams and weak non-conference schedules to boot.

How else can you have so many finish in the top ten yet not win the national title? That's a bunch of 9-2 teams there, it seems.

How's this for a catchy conference jingle to use this bowl season:

The Big Ten: Settling Comfortably In That Little Gray Area Between Mediocrity and Greatness Since 1990.

PS-You guys up in corn country can count, right? Alabama + Florida + Tennessee + LSU = 4, not 3

 

Don't forget Auburn in '93... undefeated but under suspension... could have been a 5th.

 

You really don't want to start in on weak non-conference schedules, do you? Auburn screwed themselves with their dump schedule and Florida has a divII school almost every year... that's what Troy was supposed to be for you guys, but they wound up being actually good.... not by your design. No, this is not a street you should go down, for sure!

 

3/4ths of our conference make bowls every year. SC pulled out this year because of the fight.

8 of 12 teams almost every year.