Tuesday, January 05, 2010

The SEC in Bowl Games

While looking at the match-ups before bowl season started, I noticed a stunning thing. There was only one SEC bowl game scheduled where the SEC team had a better record than their opponent. That was the UGA game. There was also one game where the SEC team had the same record as its opponent. That is the BCS Championship Game.

I like the match-up in the BCS Champ game. The Big 12 South and the SEC are the only conferences/divisions that are legitimate national champions. Yes, I think Bammer will win, but the game is interesting, nevertheless.

Let's look at the other games so far, since we all know that both Texas and Bammer are undefeated.

Clemson (8-5) defeated Kentucky (7-5). Clemson was SECOND in the ACC and lost to GaTech in the ACC Championship Game. Kentucky was NINTH in the SEC. Clemson won this game in the fourth quarter.

Georgia (7-5) defeated Texas A&M (6-6). UGA was FIFTH in the SEC. A&M was NINTH in the Big 12. This game was the only bowl game that was loaded toward the SEC team. The game was never close, UGA pounded A&M. Demand your money back, folks.

VaTech (9-3) defeated Tennessee (7-5). VaTech was THIRD in the ACC. Rocky Top was SIXTH in the SEC. And yes, Rocky Top got the shit beaten out of them.

Auburn (7-5) defeated Northwestern (8-4). The Barn was EIGHTH in the SEC. NW was FIFTH in the Big 10(11). The game went to overtime.

Penn State (10-2) defeated LSU (9-3). JaPa was SECOND in the Big 10(11). Geaux Tigers were THIRD in the SEC. LSU was down by ten at the half and scored 14-6 in the second half. The slow start cost the Geaux Tigers. LSU should have won this game.

Florida (12-1) defeated Cincinnati (12-0). Da Gates were SECOND in the SEC losing only the National Championship Game to Bammer. Cincinnati was the champion of the Big Least and had no business playing anyone other than a PAC-10 team in any bowl game. Cincinnati is the new Rutgers and Da Gates hammered them like a ten penny nail.

Connecticut (7-5) defeated USC (7-5). UConn was FIFTH in the Big Least. The Cocks were TENTH in the SEC. This was actually a pretty good match-up. The Cocks are notoriously bad at the end of the season and did not even get on the field until the second half of their bowl game. This was to be expected, somewhat.

Ole Miss (8-4) defeated Okie State (9-3). Ole Miss was horrendously over-ranked at the beginning of the year and their season was not disappointing to anyone that knows footbaw. They were FOURTH in the SEC. Okie State's season was terribly disappointing and they still came in THIRD in the Big 12. Of course, this game was a blowout of epic proportions, too.

Arkansas (7-5) defeated East Carolina (9-4). Razorhogs finished SEVENTH in SEC play. East Carolina was the Conference USA Champion. Arkansas pulled this one out in OT.

So it stands now that the SEC is 5-4 in bowl games. Only two of which were marginally close match-ups with the SEC being over-matched in seven games. Does this seem silly to you? It shouldn't, because the SEC is by FAR the best footbaw conference in the nation. Learn it, live it, love it.

Please take the time to comment.

8 comments:

Basil said...

You know, I totally missed those points. I bow to your Spurrier knowledge.

Unrelated: It took me way, way too long, but I finally took your advise about making the comments on my little blog do the pop-up thingy. I'm a slow learner, but I'm a learner.

Paul Mitchell said...

Those inline comments only work properly for IE and we all know that IE sucks.

It didn't strike you as odd that the Conference USA champ was playing the Hogs? That is what tipped me off.

Anonymous said...

Football Schmootball

Paul Mitchell said...

CB, that would be my comment too if I lived out West. No footbaw to be had at any price out there, except for high school.

Andy said...

TD, I read your breakdown with interest. I have been quite disappointed with my SEC this bowl season. With a couple of exceptions, we have looked like crap.

Even though I hoped for it, I did not really expect for LSU to win. You are correct, we should have won that game, but I think the nerves got us.

But, I did expect Arkansas to kill ECU, and Auburn to destroy NWestern, and for Tennessee to at least catch the bus.

We had way too many weak sisters in the bowls this season. SC, KY, are just not that good.

5-4 is disappointing, and I believe it will end at 6-4. I haven't done the research, but I doubt that any conference had 10 bowl representatives. Heck, We Suck only missed eligibility by 1 win, I think (which they shoulda got over LSU. Sigh)

Maybe these teams play harder against us now. Or, maybe we're weaker from top to bottom. Dunno.

Of course, it could have been worse, witness the Pac-10.

Paul Mitchell said...

Andy, please do not make me witness anything from the PAC-10. I have no idea what sport they play, but it is not college footbaw.

I cannot be disappointed when the bowls are such lopsided match-ups. Of course, Florida and Cincinnati was lop-sided, but not the way that the BCS thought. The VaTech-Tenn game was just silly to me. I do not even know how that came about.

Andy said...

TD, I read your breakdown with interest. I have been quite disappointed with my SEC this bowl season. With a couple of exceptions, we have looked like crap.

Even though I hoped for it, I did not really expect for LSU to win. You are correct, we should have won that game, but I think the nerves got us.

But, I did expect Arkansas to kill ECU, and Auburn to destroy NWestern, and for Tennessee to at least catch the bus.

We had way too many weak sisters in the bowls this season. SC, KY, are just not that good.

5-4 is disappointing, and I believe it will end at 6-4. I haven't done the research, but I doubt that any conference had 10 bowl representatives. Heck, We Suck only missed eligibility by 1 win, I think (which they shoulda got over LSU. Sigh)

Maybe these teams play harder against us now. Or, maybe we're weaker from top to bottom. Dunno.

Of course, it could have been worse, witness the Pac-10.

Coffee Bean said...

Football Schmootball