Schnauzer
Pretty Sure You are Wrong
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2009
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Read their list and tell me if you are smelling what I smell:
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. LSU
5. Michigan
6. Oklahoma
7. Notre Dame
8. Florida
9. Auburn
10. Oregon
Before I say what is on my mind, please understand what I am NOT saying...
1. I am NOT saying the SEC is not the best power five football conference. They probably are.
Okay. So, now my opinion: This seems to play out every year: ESPN (and others, but particularly ESPN) comes out with pre season power rankings or rankings in general, and these rankings always seem to be VERY top heavy in SEC teams. They love their financial ties to the SEC and they just can't get enough of the SEC.
Then the season plays out. The SEC schools typically play a heavy dose of weak non conference opponents and even when they do play other power 5 teams, these matchups are often in favorable neutral sites.
As that season plays out, because they have so many teams sitting in top ranking positions, losses to each other don't hurt much and wins help a great deal.
This guarantees their 1 or even 2 loss teams (at least in the days of the BCS) are in the running for playoff spots while other power 5 conferences have teams that have to go undefeated to make it, or sweat through even a single loss.
Then as bowl season arrives, the "playoff" is typically the SEC champs vs the field in the days of the BCS or perhaps half the 4 team field being SEC contenders now that four teams get in.
The bowls play out. It typically turns out that the SEC is mortal after all as their teams go back and forth with opponents in similar finishes in their conferences. Perhaps the SEC does okay, perhaps it is about even, or perhaps like last bowl season they actually do quite poorly. Losses are written off as "exhibitions" after the grueling SEC schedule and wins are paraded as proof the SEC is head and shoulders above the rest of the country.
Then, rinse and repeat - it is time for preseason power rankings and half the top 10 is again SEC.
Again, not saying it isn't a great football conference and is in fact from top to bottom probably the best. But what I AM saying is they are not so much better that they deserve these ranking boosts to start every season, which all but guarantees the self-fulfilling prophecy that they should dominate the playoff field. All in all the power five conferences are fairly close to one another and are competitive with one another. Please... create a playoff system that rewards each power five conference champ and leave it at that. I hate seeing this rerun every year.
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. LSU
5. Michigan
6. Oklahoma
7. Notre Dame
8. Florida
9. Auburn
10. Oregon
Before I say what is on my mind, please understand what I am NOT saying...
1. I am NOT saying the SEC is not the best power five football conference. They probably are.
Okay. So, now my opinion: This seems to play out every year: ESPN (and others, but particularly ESPN) comes out with pre season power rankings or rankings in general, and these rankings always seem to be VERY top heavy in SEC teams. They love their financial ties to the SEC and they just can't get enough of the SEC.
Then the season plays out. The SEC schools typically play a heavy dose of weak non conference opponents and even when they do play other power 5 teams, these matchups are often in favorable neutral sites.
As that season plays out, because they have so many teams sitting in top ranking positions, losses to each other don't hurt much and wins help a great deal.
This guarantees their 1 or even 2 loss teams (at least in the days of the BCS) are in the running for playoff spots while other power 5 conferences have teams that have to go undefeated to make it, or sweat through even a single loss.
Then as bowl season arrives, the "playoff" is typically the SEC champs vs the field in the days of the BCS or perhaps half the 4 team field being SEC contenders now that four teams get in.
The bowls play out. It typically turns out that the SEC is mortal after all as their teams go back and forth with opponents in similar finishes in their conferences. Perhaps the SEC does okay, perhaps it is about even, or perhaps like last bowl season they actually do quite poorly. Losses are written off as "exhibitions" after the grueling SEC schedule and wins are paraded as proof the SEC is head and shoulders above the rest of the country.
Then, rinse and repeat - it is time for preseason power rankings and half the top 10 is again SEC.
Again, not saying it isn't a great football conference and is in fact from top to bottom probably the best. But what I AM saying is they are not so much better that they deserve these ranking boosts to start every season, which all but guarantees the self-fulfilling prophecy that they should dominate the playoff field. All in all the power five conferences are fairly close to one another and are competitive with one another. Please... create a playoff system that rewards each power five conference champ and leave it at that. I hate seeing this rerun every year.