SEC Football 33% of Top Ten, Nothing Else

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Written by Darrell Owenby

Sunday, 15 November 2009 15:42

No way I would have gotten this question correct in August:

By mid-November there will be a potential for TEN bowl eligible teams, how many of these teams have a better than .500 conference winning percentage?

When we made our pre-season predictions (which are very close to what you are seeing on the field), there was no way to predict three teams in the Top Ten and no one else in the Top 25 ... that is simply unfathomable, but is where the SEC is at.

This week's Top 25 is beyond the jump ...

USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll - Nov. 15, 2009

There they are: Florida, Alabama, and LSU all in the Top 10 with no one else to be found.

Several SEC teams have had their chances inside of the Top 25 this season, only to lose the following week and drop back out. Just ask Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina what that one feels like. Georgia was ranked in the pre-season and has struggled.

The SEC has nine current bowl eligible teams with potential of a tenth ... but look at the abysmal conference records. Florida is 8-0 in the SEC East and once you look beyond the Gators, the drop-off is beyond steep.

The rest of the division is a combined 11-23. Only Georgia (second in the East) has a winning conference record at 4-3.

The SEC West is more competitive than the East this season, but not by much. Alabama is 7-0 in the conference, LSU is 4-2 ... below these two teams, the combined record is 10-15. When the teams from the SEC go bowling, these records indicate, at least to me, a very down year for the SEC.

Do not be surprised to see the SEC only win three or four bowl games this season unless the pairings are very favorable.

How can I say that? Where are my SEC blue-yellow colors? I am looking at reality. Several of the teams that are bowl eligible simply are not that good ... even the top two teams look very beatable. While I have said there are no 'world beater' teams in the SEC (or the nation, for that matter) this season, one stat proves this point easily.

I receive several e-mails per week regarding my weekly picks ... yes, the requisite 'you don't know jack' emails are always clogging the inbox, but lately the same question keeps surfacing: how in the heck do you get from point A to point B when making your picks. Simple, I use several key stats, one of which is in plain sight: the Points Scored Column of the SEC standings.

For example, the Florida Gators have scored 221 points this season, while giving up 96. Alabama has similar stats of 182 points for and 64 against. Beyond the two top front runners, only two other SEC teams have out scored their opponents on the season (Ole Miss and LSU). That is it. The other eight conference teams have allowed more points than they have scored ... how weak does that make the league look? While I am not saying the SEC is the worst conference out there (and you should know by now, I am no team's homer), the stats indicate a very down season for the league as a whole. If an SEC team wins the BCS title and the entire league has had a down season ... we'll take it.

Comments (3) Add Comment

But bowl games are contracted.
written by olemisscowboy, November 15, 2009

With nine bowls contracted with the SEC, if your team have a winning record then they're going bowling.

Right now, Bama is the strongest team in the land, not just the SEC IMHO. The winner of the SEC Championship is going to the BCS title game too. The loser to the Sugar.

After that it's a litte fuzzy in a tiered fashion. The first tier and second tier should both be fun to see pan out. The next three bowls in the pecking order are Capital One, Outback and Cotton. Those games, depending on which teams win/lose remaining games should be decided among Ole Miss, LSU and Arkansas (mainly because I think the Cotton would be ecstatic to invite the Hogs).

Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina are all bowl eligible, and Tennessee, having only Kentucky and Vandy left to play, is also likely to be bowl bound.

That will fill all slots. And even the Papajohns.com Bowl, last in the entire pecking order, will be under contract to invite the least of SEC teams regardless of any other team out there that may appear more attractive.

I agree with the Cowboy, BUT......
written by JeffMM, November 16, 2009

While the bowl contracts help the league, we're talking about the 7th, 8th, 9th and maybe the 10th best teams in a conference. Honestly, how good does anyone think the SEC #10 against the Conference USA #5 will be?

Many of these bowl games need to be eliminated in my opinion.

I can remember when going bowling was a reward for a good season. Now it is a reward for winning 50% of their games. Some of these teams simply do not belong in a bowl game.

...
written by olemisscowboy, November 16, 2009

I agree Jeff. Many of these bowls are meaningless. I mean, who cares if their team goes to the International Bowl in Toronto???

The last bowl to have been created that I like and care if my team goes to is the Music City Bowl. Anything since then...eh...

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