Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSouthern Pride
With depth and a wealth of talent to recruit from, it's no wonder the Southeastern Conference has become the best football conference in the country
By Matt Ehalt
Posted: 8/28/08, 1:23 AM EST Section: Football Guide
Conventional wisdom in college football says a two-loss team doesn't belong in the national championship game.
But Charles Bloom knows the Southeastern Conference doesn't follow the same guidelines as most conferences.
The associate commissioner of the SEC has seen over the past few years the conference become the best in the land. So when LSU made the national championship game with two losses last season, it was no shock to Bloom, even though no two-loss team had played for a national championship since the induction of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998.
"If you can win the SEC championship, odds are you can play for the national championship, and that says a lot about the league," Bloom said. "When people look at the pre-season magazines, there are a lot of people who say that a two-loss SEC team, depending on what happens elsewhere in the country, can compete for a national championship again."
With an abundance of quality players and teams, a coaching list that is second to none, and a great atmosphere for college football, the SEC has separated itself from every other conference in the land.
Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom has coached in the SEC more than 13 years and is in the process of rebuilding a Mississippi State program that had been floundering for years.
"Our conference is the toughest conference in the country," said the reigning SEC coach of the year at the league's summer media session in July. "We've got more national championships, we got more players in the pros. So our talent level in this conference in the best in the country. The quality of our coaches is the best in the country."
The achievements of the conference alone speak for itself. With LSU's 2007 national championship, the conference has now won three of the last six national titles. The SEC became the first conference to win consecutive BCS championships, and its seven bowl wins last year were also a record.
But Charles Bloom knows the Southeastern Conference doesn't follow the same guidelines as most conferences.
The associate commissioner of the SEC has seen over the past few years the conference become the best in the land. So when LSU made the national championship game with two losses last season, it was no shock to Bloom, even though no two-loss team had played for a national championship since the induction of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998.
"If you can win the SEC championship, odds are you can play for the national championship, and that says a lot about the league," Bloom said. "When people look at the pre-season magazines, there are a lot of people who say that a two-loss SEC team, depending on what happens elsewhere in the country, can compete for a national championship again."
With an abundance of quality players and teams, a coaching list that is second to none, and a great atmosphere for college football, the SEC has separated itself from every other conference in the land.
Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom has coached in the SEC more than 13 years and is in the process of rebuilding a Mississippi State program that had been floundering for years.
"Our conference is the toughest conference in the country," said the reigning SEC coach of the year at the league's summer media session in July. "We've got more national championships, we got more players in the pros. So our talent level in this conference in the best in the country. The quality of our coaches is the best in the country."
The achievements of the conference alone speak for itself. With LSU's 2007 national championship, the conference has now won three of the last six national titles. The SEC became the first conference to win consecutive BCS championships, and its seven bowl wins last year were also a record.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Ed Gunther
posted 8/28/08 @ 1:55 PM EST
"Yet from week to week, upsets were common due to the caliber of the competition from top to bottom."
This it the most overused, incorrect stat out there - the numbers just don't back it up. (Continued…)
Post a Comment