SECond To None

College football

SECond to None: Southeastern Conference rules
Home to the past four national champs, league stakes claim as best in the land

Written by PAUL NEWBERRY
The Associated Press

Posted on 08.12.10

ATLANTA — Excuse the Southeastern Conference if it views the national championship race as a private affair — neighbor against neighbor, battling it out through the fall until there are two teams left standing, setting up a final showdown in Atlanta on the first Saturday in December.

Oh sure, there’s still that little formality known as the BCS championship game. But down in Dixie, that extra contest is viewed as nothing more than a chance to really rub it in, just in case anyone wishes to defy this indisputable gospel:

When it comes to college football, the SEC is SECond to none.

“Every team in the conference takes pride in being in the SEC, and we’re not afraid to say that,” Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams said. “We feel like we’re in the best conference, and that’s where the best competition is. Not to take anything away from great teams in other conferences, but that’s just how we feel as a conference.”

The case is compelling.

The past four national champions have come from the conference: Florida, LSU, Florida again, then Alabama last season — a streak of dominance unmatched in the 74-year history of The Associated Press rankings, much less the far-shorter history of the Bowl Championship Series.

The past two seasons, Alabama and Florida faced off in the SEC championship game ranked No. 1 and No. 2, their Georgia Dome showdown serving as a de facto national title game, even if both had to wait another month and win one more time to be officially crowned.

“In football, it’s about winning,” Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker said. “There’s obviously talent in other conferences, but if you want to go by winning, I think we’re it.”

No argument there.

Last season, the SEC had the best outside record among the six BCS conferences (47-10, .825), easily outpacing the next-best Big East (36-10, .783), as well as the two leagues generally considered its main challengers, the Big Ten (36-15, .706) and Big 12 (39-17, .696).

To those who think the SEC beefs up its out-of-conference credentials against cupcake opposition, that argument was snuffed out by a 15-8 mark against schools from other BCS leagues. The Big East (11-9) was the only other conference to finish above .500 in that category, while the Atlantic Coast Conference (12-15), Big Ten (9-11), Pac-10 (9-11) and Big 12 (8-10) lagged far behind.

LSU senior safety Jai Eugene notices a striking contrast when the Tigers play outside the conference.

“There is a difference in game speed,” he said. “Everything moves a little faster in the SEC. Also, the SEC is definitely more physical.”

What makes the SEC the nation’s top college football conference? Here are a few theories:

• Tradition. Everyone knows that success tends to breed more success, and no league has a deeper group of teams that have been to the mountaintop. Half of the SEC’s 12 members have captured at least one Associated Press national title, led by Alabama with seven. In fact, four different schools (Alabama, Florida, LSU and Tennessee) have finished No. 1 in the AP poll during the past 12 years.

• Coaching. The best are drawn to the SEC like moths to light, spurred by the chance to win championships and the willingness of schools to dole out big money in hopes of keeping up with their neighbors. Nick Saban left the NFL for a $4 million-a-year job at Alabama and needed all of three seasons to lead the Crimson Tide back to the top. Urban Meyer is an offensive mastermind who restored the tradition established at Florida by Steve Spurrier.

• Big money. The SEC is rolling in dough, thanks to huge television packages (a $2.25 billion contract with ESPN, a $55 million-a-year deal with CBS) and some of the largest stadiums in the country, which are generally filled to capacity. Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium and Alabama’s Bryant-Denny hold more than 100,000, Georgia’s Sanford Stadium and LSU’s Tiger Stadium seat more than 92,000, while Florida, Auburn and South Carolina all have facilities that can accommodate at least 80,000.

• Talent, talent and more talent. Some of the best high school football in the country is played in the SEC’s backyard. Florida has a bountiful recruiting base in the Sunshine State, while Georgia seldom has to venture outside of its boundaries to put together one of the nation’s top teams. Alabama and Louisiana also churn out plenty of top prospects each year, many of whom choose to play close to home.

• Leadership at the top. The past two guys running the conference office — former commissioner Roy Kramer, current commish Mike Slive — are wily administrators who’ve used their power and influence to keep the SEC at the head of the pack.

• Passion. The Deep South certainly doesn’t hold a monopoly when it comes to loving football, but one could make a compelling argument that no other region has such an affection for the college game. Major league sports were a relatively late arrival, allowing the fan base to remain monolithic in its affections.