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The South-Beastern Confernece
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By David Getz, College Football Columnist
Another year, and the same rankings are force-fed down our throat. A few years ago, the hype surrounded the Southern California Trojans and their mighty arsenal of talent out West. Throw in an NCAA investigation and some probation tagged on, and the Trojans are short a Heisman, a National Championship, and a consistent top-5 ranking.
In 2006, it was all about Ohio State and Michigan. Presumably, the winner would win the title, right? After an epic win against the Wolverines, Ohio State was pummeled in Glendale, Arizona, ending any doubt that maybe Michigan and Ohio State should have had a rematch for the trophy.
This season, supposedly nobody will be able to stop Oklahoma’s potent passing attack, featuring returning stars Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles. Never mind the fact that the Sooners lost two stud linebackers, they can simply outscore their opponents.
Year-after-year, we hear about these “other” great teams that will be sure to hold up a crystal football at season’s end. Year-after-year, this dream dies hard as another team from the Southeastern Conference adds to the trophy case.
Nobody expected the Gators to crush the Buckeyes in 2006, certainly not after Ted Ginn Jr’s opening kickoff return for a touchdown. After the first score, Florida simply outscored the opposition 41-7 the rest of the way.
In 2007, Ohio State was poised to return to the top of the mountain. Surely Jim Tressel’s bunch would avenge the Florida loss with a win over the Gators’ SEC brother, LSU. A quick 10-0 lead by the Buckeyes evaporated under a defensive assault and quick striking Tiger offense, as the Bayou Bengals cruised to a 38-24 win.
Florida, Alabama, and Auburn have continued the trend the past three seasons. Last year’s championship win for Auburn over the Oregon Ducks was easily the SEC’s closest scare of the five games, but the trenches were owned by the War Eagles throughout the night.
Why should we assume it is Oklahoma’s turn? The Sooners have become poster children for losing big games ever since Bob Stoops seemed to associate himself with the nickname “Big Game” Bob.
Ever since Oklahoma’s magical championship ride in 2000, and Rose Bowl win over Washington State in 2003, the Sooners have had a rough stretch in BCS Bowls. Stoops’ teams lost the 2003 and 2004 season’s BCS Title Games to LSU and USC, respectively. The Tigers and the Trojans slowed down the highly touted Oklahoma offense. Boise State made history in the Fiesta Bowl in January of 2007 by knocking off who else, but Oklahoma. Bill Stewart’s signature win for the West Virginia Mountaineers was in the same bowl game, but a year later…and also a solid 20-point win.
At the conclusion of their 2008 campaign, Oklahoma returned to the BCS Championship, only to fumble away opportunities against the Florida Gators in a 24-14 loss.
Finally, the Sooners bucked the trend last year with a huge win over the Connecticut Huskies, arguably one of the more laughable BCS conference champions since the inception of the system.
These are just the postseason losses, most of which came in an ugly manner. Stoops has also been unable to maintain his wizardry of the Texas Longhorns. After winning five in a row over their nemesis down south, Oklahoma is just 2-4 against the ‘Horns since 2004.
Oklahoma’s schedule also features one less roadblock with the absence of the Big XII Title Game. However, this is also one less opportunity for them to leap up in the BCS standings late in the year.
Oregon can certainly benefit from the addition of a championship game in the Pac- 12. The Ducks return tons of talent on offense, but face an early test against LSU in Arlington, Texas. The Ducks’ last test against an SEC school showed how dominating the trenches could lead to victory…for the opponent that is. September 3rd in Cowboys Stadium should give us an early indicator as to where Oregon sits with the true title contenders.
These trendy picks surely won’t cause the big and bad SEC to lighten up. The SEC West, the toughest division in college football last year, features three top-flight teams heading into 2011, and the defending champion ISN’T one of them.
Alabama and LSU, along with Arkansas, should slug it out for division supremacy. The survivor is rewarded with a date against the champion from the East in Atlanta. While this wasn’t a challenge for Auburn last year, who knows when Georgia or Florida could suddenly awake and play to their potential?
Last season, Alabama, LSU, and Mississippi State hammered their opponents in bowl games. The Tide destroyed Michigan State, while the Bulldogs scored at will against Michigan. LSU followed suit by cruising against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
That was the same Alabama team that blew a three-score lead against eventual champion Auburn, the same LSU team that can’t keep time at the end of a game…or consistently move the ball on offense, and the same Mississippi State team that…wait, it’s Mississippi State.
This follower of college football will believe-it-when-he-sees-it. Words will be eaten if Oklahoma finally gets it done in the championship, or if Oregon raises a banner in Eugene.
Maybe TCU or Boise State shocks the world? Perhaps a Big Ten (plus 2) team emerges and rolls down Bourbon Street with the crystal in hand?
Maybe so…but smart money says go with the SEC. Five years and four teams is too much to ignore heading into 2011.
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