By Shane from Centerpoint
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive should send a special thank-you note to Urban Meyer and Houston Nutt. He could add Mark Richt to the list as well. Those three head coaches helped salvage the nation’s perception that the SEC is America’s toughest football conference. He could also acknowledge Gene Chizik and Bob Petrino, who were at least able to deliver a “W”, even if their teams struggled to defeat a couple of bottom-feeders. But Lane Kiffin, Steve Spurrier, Les Miles, and Rich Brooks all let him down, while leaving a negative impression that displayed more pretender than contender.
Give the Florida Gators credit. They didn’t tank after losing the SEC title game like Alabama did last year. Super Timmy and his “Fighting Tebows” blasted Cincinnati like they had them at home and were paying them money. Actually, Tebow’s precision performance was the best of his career and left America with no doubt that he is the best college player to ever step on the gridiron.
The Ole Miss defense dominated one of the Big 12’s most productive offenses, holding Oklahoma State to just seven points. Little Dexter McCluster out–ran the entire Cowboy defense all day. He is concrete proof that “speed kills”. Jevan Sneed is a “turnover waiting to happen”. He proved that an SEC team could dominate a Big 12 opponent even with a mistake-prone quarterback.
Georgia finished the regular season strong by beating the ACC champ, Georgia Tech. Then they gave a strong bowl performance by whipping yet another Big 12 team, the Texas A&M Aggies. Georgia stood tall for the SEC.
Auburn’s contest with Northwestern was one of the strangest football games I’ve ever seen. Auburn eventually won the game, but did they display the characteristics of a tough SEC squad? No! The game looked like a West Coast special, with two PAC 10 teams playing. It just seemed like Auburn won using smoke, mirrors, and trickery instead of SEC might. And, in the end, Northwestern missed three straight field goals to hand the victory to Auburn.
The same goes for the Arkansas Razorbacks. What in the world were they doing locked in a shoot-out with a conference USA team? Is this the same team that took Florida to the wire? I guess Bob Petrino forgot to add defensive game–planning to his bowl–practice schedule.
Nonetheless, the last two teams did join the other three in the victory column – where it counts.
The other four SEC bowl participants embarrassed the entire conference by getting whipped worse physically than on the scoreboard.
Tennessee allowed the ACC’s third-best team to slap them around. Virginia Tech had its way with the Vols, thoroughly dominating Lane Kiffin’s boys in every phase of the game. Kiffin took his team and the SEC’s image a few steps backwards by appearing so weak.
LSU was outmatched in the mud. It was apparent from the beginning that Penn State wanted to win more than the Tigers did. LSU did not fight like an SEC team should. As usual, Les Miles appeared clueless. Truthfully, the conference should expect more from LSU. I hope the Tiger fans do.
South Carolina is perhaps the most disappointing loser of all. Watching Steve Spurrier get shellacked by a Big East basketball school was painful, to say the least. The saddest part about the game was the fact that the Gamecocks weren’t even competitive.
As far as Kentucky is concerned, why do we really care? Do they really care? The football program already plays second fiddle to the basketball team at Kentucky, so what does a little bowl loss mean? Kentucky should join the Big East where they belong.
Kentucky’s coach Rich Brooks is holding a news conference today to perhaps announce his retirement. Perhaps Steve Spurrier should do likewise.
In summary, when the nation’s bowl committees give the SEC enough respect to place their teams in ten bowls, the league’s teams should be very good. So far, only three fit the description. Two others did hold on to survive, and saved face by winning their games.
Nevertheless, the other four losses cancel four of the wins, leaving the SEC one game above .500.
Alabama’s national championship victory will only raise the record to 6-wins and 4-losses. Simply put, sixty-percent does not meet SEC standards, nor does it help their status in next year’s pre-season polls.
Shane writes a weekly column for the Call News and the Capstone Report.
It is because the league IS DOWN! Nobody has benefitted more from this than Bama. Bama has a good team, but the SEC is weaker than its been in 10 years. There was very little dropoff from Bama to Florida. Even though Bama blew them out, the two teams are close. After that, it starts dropping off badly.
As for your usual shot at Auburn, enjoy it. Cameron Newton is coming in next year. Chizik is getting Auburn back to respectability. Auburn will compete for the West next year and we are going to kick Bama’s ass.
HOOK EM HORNS AND WAR EAGLE!
And its “Snead” not “Sneed.” retard.
Anyways…
Good luck to the Tide tonight!
Bring another one home for the SEC!
HOOK’EM HORNS; beat the dirty rotten Bammer Cheaters!
“For those of you who really don’t know me, I will sux anything that is orange, including a long horn, a clemson tiger and especially my favorite, anyone from the orange state of Tenneessee! I just love to sux because my football team does.”
This is a great example of the lack of intelligence and education that the Crimson TURD Nation has.
WHAT AN IDIOT THIS FOOL IS!
Aurox, I agree with you. At first I said Bama 36-10. But with all this time off, unless one team just has a bad game, this game will be closer than that. I still think we win because I think this team also remembers the Sugar Bowl, which was embarrassing(?).This team has been on a mission and focused all year and they won’t leave Cali without that Crystal Ball. I say 27-17. I thought the Auburn game was one of if not the best game of the bowl season. I’ glad they won, and now they have momentum for a strong February and finish of recruiting. RTR
DID YOU SEE ALL THOSE GIGEBOOS BAMMER
HAD? THEY HAD ENOUGH TO START A TARZAN MOVIE.I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY BLUE GUMS IN ONE PLACE IN MY LIFE.IS IT AGAINST THE LAW FOR A WHITE BOY TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT BAMMER?WHEN THE GAME WAS OVER THEY SHOULD HAVE TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND OPEN THE GIGEBOOS MOUTH. THE STADIUM WOULD HAVE SHINE. CONGRATS ON WINNING YOUR 8TH NC NOW YOU ARE TIED WITH NOTRE DAME.
WELL WELL. WE ALL SEE HOW WEAK THE SEC IS NOW DON’T WE! DAMN YOU GUYS ARE AMAZINGLY SMART…YOU SHOULD WIN A NOBEL PRIZE WITH ALL YOUR SMARTS!
HEY ODDSMAKER (AND ALL YOU OTHER SEC AND BAMA HATERS)….HOW YA’LL DOIN’!
Congatulations to Nick Saban for, in my opinion, proving he has now matched the classlessness of the Bama fans when he chose to tack on that meaningless touchdown with less than 2 minutes remaining at the end of the game when instead he could have done the classy thing and had McElroy neel on the ball and run out the clock.
Dream Weaver, thanks for the opinion. In my opinion, you are a douche
All you haters, just keep on hating. That means we are the best ! Enjoy your moral victories !
Speaking as an Auburn fan, I saw absolutley nothing wrong with scoring that last touchdown. If you can, do it.
When you can score at will, you can add fear to your arsenal. Just look at what Spurrier was able to do at Florida by running up the score whenever he had the chance. Florida had teams beat before they even took the field.
Anyhow, I didn’t see a bit of “throwing in the towel” on Texas’ part (to their credit.)
I’m glad that now, if you win the SEC, you have an automatic ticket to the NC game.
4 in a row for the conference! Congrats to Alabama!
What did I tell you guys…..Ingram wins the Heisman and Bama the National Championshipship…..The Tide takes it all….enjoyed the piece Shane…..RTR
I suspect that Spurrier allowed this defeat so that he could use it as a motivational tool in Spring practice. SC had nothing to lose. This season has been crap for the Gamecocks, in spite of beating the ACC Championship runner-up.
Next year represents Spurrier’s best chance to take SC football to it’s highest level in it’s history. TN and GA are both in the ditch and FL looks to be facing a down year. The ‘Ol Ball Coach was more than willing to lose a fifth tier bowl game in B’ham if it helps him get the most out of his big opportunity next season. Next year could very well be his last in Carolina — win or lose.
NC13RollTide,
Based on your comment you PROVE you are a douche. I gave the supporting reason for my opinion, but you, like most Alabama fans, can only curse or call someone names because you can’t intelligently express your own opinion or write an arugment to oppose someone else’s opinion who may be different than yours. If you are an example of what the University of Alabama is producing, then I guess a mythical football championship is all that you or the school will ever celebrate! Roll Tide Roll, faster than the sewage down an Alabama tollet bowl.
AUROX,
You are completely right, there was nothing “wrong” with Saban and Alabama scoring that last meaningless touchdown. It just was not the classy thing to do nor was it in good sportsmenship in my opinion. The difference in this game and the Florida games when Spurier was coaching was the his Florida teams dominated the opposing team the entire game which resulted in the final scores, he did not just run up the score with meaningless final touchdowns when he was able to just kneel on the ball to end the game. But I respect your opinion and supporting arguements. As least you had one, unlike NC13RollTide, who based on his name has to try to convince women there is more there than what is really there, if you know what I mean! 13-LMAO!