Is the 2015-16 SEC the most overrated conference in NCAA FB?

[Yard Dog]

http://www.kmaland.com/sports/martin-daily-blog-monday-september-th/article_c51911a2-5ae5-11e5-b5de-7f4dedab817a.html

If ESPN would just focus on teams rather than what conference these teams play in then guys like me wouldn’t have to do this. But they do, so I’m doing this…

-Sixth-ranked Auburn – sixth ranked!! – had to go to overtime to beat Jacksonville State. Jacksonville State! Here’s all I know about Jacksonville State: They aren’t an FBS school. They didn’t win any games in last year’s FCS playoffs. Yet, they almost – and probably should have – beat the SIXTH-RANKED team in the nation. Many have pointed this out, but Auburn did very little to earn that ranking. They thought a shiny new defensive coordinator and a hyped new QB would solve all their problems from last year. How’s that going?

-Toledo – TOLEDO!! – went on the road to beat No. 18 Arkansas. The Hogs were ranked 18th because this was supposed to be the year everything came together after they were so close a season ago. And then….well, Toledo. By the way, Cyclone fans, enjoy that road game this week.

-This isn’t that bad, but the way it happened is…Tennessee blew a two-touchdown lead at home in the fourth quarter and lost to Oklahoma in overtime. Oklahoma isn’t a great football team, but Tennessee isn’t either. Just because they beat the ever-living snot out of a dreadful Iowa team in a bowl game, pollsters thought they were on the up and up. Naaaah.

-Missouri, which is ranked 21st, trailed Arkansas State at half and had to come back to beat them by a touchdown. That’s Arkansas State not Arkansas, who – if you’ll remember – lost to Toledo at home.

-Florida trailed in the second half and needed to hang on to beat East Carolina at home. Afterwards, Jim McElwain acted like a dang fool.

-LSU and Mississippi State played in Starkville on Saturday night, and it was just a terrible game. I mean, it was a close game, and it was somewhat eventful. However, it was a terribly played game. Both teams did so many stupid things to lose it, and eventually Mississippi State did. HAIL STATE!

Last week, the SEC had 10 teams ranked. Now they have seven. That still seems like too many.

[catastrophe]

Maybe Jacksonville State and Arkansas State are just underrated and Toledo should be ranked in the top 25? 

[stunted]

they are usually the best conference, and should get the benefit of the doubt

[Belvis Noland]

They'll continue getting hyped because they pass the "eye-test."  they've got the most talented players. 

Over the past five drafts, SEC has had 241 draft picks, ACC 169, Big Ten 154, Pac12 150, Big 12 124

[stunted]

They'll continue getting hyped because they pass the "eye-test."  they've got the most talented players. 

Over the past five drafts, SEC has had 241 draft picks, ACC 169, Big Ten 154, Pac12 150, Big 12 124

SEC - 17 per team
ACC - 12 per team
Big 10 - 11 per team
Pac 12 - 12.5 per team
Big 12 - 12.4 per team

math checks out. SEC usually by far the best, usually Pac 12 and Big 12 are equal, with ACC not far behind and Big 10 sucking a big one. not counting teams added or subtracted but that would muck up this perfectly aligned narrative.

['taterblast]

overall, the SEC has kicked the big 12's ass, most notably winning the Cotton Bowl basically every year for the last decade, except for Mizzou beating Arkansas and hey guess what conference they're in now. i don't get why this has to be repeated so often. yes, hearing about the SEC is annoying, but they have proven to be the best conference with the largest and most passionate fan base. get over it.

[Yard Dog]

If anything I am concerned this means that the SEC won't "beat each other up" in conference play as much as was predicted. So we will have an undefeated SEC team and a one loss SEC team in "serious contention" to make the playoff.

[sonofdaxjones]

I would have considered ECU beating Florida the mildest of upsets and that's only because ECU has a new starting QB.

[MakeItRain]

Auburn and Missouri staying in the top 25 is hilarious. Missouri even gained a spot in the coaches.

[scottwildcat]

Auburn and Missouri staying g in he top 25 is hilarious. Missouri even gained a spot in the coaches.

this is just nuts.

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

overall, the SEC has kicked the big 12's ass, most notably winning the Cotton Bowl basically every year for the last decade, except for Mizzou beating Arkansas and hey guess what conference they're in now. i don't get why this has to be repeated so often. yes, hearing about the SEC is annoying, but they have proven to be the best conference with the largest and most passionate fan base. get over it.

u right

['taterblast]

overall, the SEC has kicked the big 12's ass, most notably winning the Cotton Bowl basically every year for the last decade, except for Mizzou beating Arkansas and hey guess what conference they're in now. i don't get why this has to be repeated so often. yes, hearing about the SEC is annoying, but they have proven to be the best conference with the largest and most passionate fan base. get over it.

u right

i'm still going to make fun of the SEC on twitter from time to time, though

[Yard Dog]

I realize it is early, and because of all their past success they should "get the benefit of the doubt" but they just haven't looked all that impressive this year yet.

I had a conversation with an SEC homer the other night and he said that it wasn't because of the players the SEC recruited, but because of the coaches they have. His example was Urban Meyer who he named the "savior of the Big 10". I countered with Les Miles and the conversation kind of fizzled out.

[Rage Against the McKee]

It's just too bad LSU backed out of the McNeese State game after playing them for just a few minutes. That one would have gone down to the wire.

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

overall, the SEC has kicked the big 12's ass, most notably winning the Cotton Bowl basically every year for the last decade, except for Mizzou beating Arkansas and hey guess what conference they're in now. i don't get why this has to be repeated so often. yes, hearing about the SEC is annoying, but they have proven to be the best conference with the largest and most passionate fan base. get over it.

u right

i'm still going to make fun of the SEC on twitter from time to time, though

obviously

[MIZMAW]

No SEC teams with a loss are ranked.  Two SEC teams won this weekend and dropped in the AP.  I guess I don't see the glaring pro-SEC bias in the polls.   

[Katpappy]

I would have considered ECU beating Florida the mildest of upsets and that's only because ECU has a new starting QB.

It was USF (South Florida), Dax.  That is if your talking about the game last Saturday.

[Katpappy]

Auburn and Missouri staying g in he top 25 is hilarious. Missouri even gained a spot in the coaches.

this is just BULLnuts.

[sonofdaxjones]

I would have considered ECU beating Florida the mildest of upsets and that's only because ECU has a new starting QB.

It was USF (South Florida), Dax.  That is if your talking about the game last Saturday.

I believe you're thinking of FSU, because that was ECU vs Florida on ESPN . . . or maybe that wasn't Jim McElwain melting down on his guys after the throat slash.

ECU QB fumbled in the red zone going in to try and tie the game.

[catastrophe]

No SEC teams with a loss are ranked.  Two SEC teams won this weekend and dropped in the AP.  I guess I don't see the glaring pro-SEC bias in the polls.   

Preseason rankings are necessary (to make otherwise irrelevant early games interesting), but they are stupid in that voters are either too lazy or unwilling to re-evaluate the entire field from week to week. If Auburn didn't have a 6 next to its name in week 1, there certainly wouldn't be anything there now.

By no means is it just an SEC thing, but the system is horribly self-perpetuating. Even those teams that get "sorted out" by the end still lend a false credibility boost to the teams that beat them.