Since it's inception there have only been a few occasions where the SECCG really seemed to be decided before the game was played.....not even a handful.....maybe 2 or 3 of them at most. This year I can honestly say why bother to play the game. No way in hell the SEC East Champ can get within 3 TDs of either Bama or LSU in Atlanta. South Carolina if they have found a Qb could be the best bet to win the East or perhaps Georgia but seriously.....would either have a ghost of a chance? Uh uh....no way would the Tide or Tigers be threatened by either. And for those of you tired of watching the SEC play for the BCS national title..........I have news for ya......it's same ol....same ol for 2011.
In 2001 LSU won the West with a 5-3 conference record. They lost to Tenn 26-18, Florida 44-15 and Ole Miss 35-24. Tennesse kept improving through the season and beat the Gators in Gainesville 34-32 to win the East. Tennessee had one loss and had improved steadily though the season, they were a heavy favorite in the Championship game. LSU won 31-20. And of course you remember the first SEC Championship game where a Gator team that had been beaten badly during the regular season by Tenn, Miss State and FSU took eventual National Champ Alabama to an interception for a td late in the 4th quarter that beat the Gators 28-21. They play the game because both teams earn the right to be there.
True on 1992.....but the team with no chance....still lost. 2001 was an unusual year and I have commented many times how the 9-11 attacks and criminal behavior by Darnell Dockett kept one of Steve Spurrier's best teams out of the SECCG. to wit: UF 44 - LSU 15 Tenn was decent.....but not near what this year's Alabama and LSU seem to be.
8) re: "Those who're tired of seeing the SEC in the championship game." Maynard G. Krebs: You rang? We're not tired of seeing Alabama or LSU who have great teams this year. We're tired of the automatic invite to teams in those years where the SEC champ has one or even TWO losses...
I have to agree with JO'Co it's mainly that there seems to be a sense of entitlement that any SEC champion deserves to be in the BCS Champ game.
Having watched my team get destroyed by both I do think LSU and Bama could very well be the #1 and 2 teams in the country. That said....as a fan I want to see an unbeaten OU or Wisconsin or Stanford take on the winner of Bama-LSU.
:idea: I would like to see that too, because this year the SEC obviously has two great teams, with a probability that one will eliminate the other. The other teams out there aren't out of the woods yet either. Oklahoma still has to play a very good Okie State team on the road. They also have road games with K-State and Baylor, as well as Texas A&M at home. Wisconsin still has Penn State at home, with road games at Michigan State, Ohio State and undefeated Illinois... Stanford isn't out of the woods yet either. The Trees have to come to Los Angeles to play USC, and still have to play Oregon, one-loss Washington and a very talented and improving Notre Dame in the finale. All of these teams aren't going to finish undefeated and there's still a lot of football left to play...
Yikes....you might be looking at a debate of a one loss Bama or LSU trying to slide into the BCS Title game over a one loss Wi., Stan. or OU and an undefeated Boise. I think Boise is just plain out. I also think much to everyone's chagrin that it could be an all-SEC BCS if one of those other three don't run the table.
That "all else being equal" thingy is still at work in the BCS. Until another conference can go in and knock off the SEC Champion in the BCS all things will not be equal. The way for a Stanford or a Wisconsin to make things unequal with a one-loss LSU or Bama is win em all. If one of those two team's only defeat is a close nail biter of a loss to the other we could have a problem that I don't want to see either.
First off, either LSU or Alabama will have 1 loss. November 5 assures us of that. Second; Okie State is "very good". I just want to establish a baseline here. Apparently Penn State is a substantial opponent, as well as Ohio State and "an undefeated Illinois". Third: USC, Oregon, Washington and "an improving Notre Dame" will all establish Stanford as a contender? LSU has beaten Oregon, and Alabama has beaten Penn State by pretty good margins, so I just wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page so far. 8)
I just remember back to 2006 when you SEC guys were saying there was no way that Ohio State/Michigan loser should play in the BCS game over the Gators. It was the same #1 vs #2 matchup, both teams were loaded with stars and had demolished their opponents. Many were saying that if it was a very close game that Mich shouldn't fall from #2 since it was on the road...Dave esp was against it and in fact recounted how he was traumatized by Big10 fans taunting him in SE Michigan. Shoe on the other foot now.
You're missing the point Terry. I didn't want to see it then....and I don't want to see it now. If Stanford, OU or Wisc. barely loses one to a good opponent and then solidly win their conference title game then they can probably stave this scenario off. I think OU will probably make this a moot point though by winning em all anyway.
:? kp, Not sure that I understand your analysis and I'm sure that you didn't understand mine. I didn't list the games to be played as "proof" that anyone was a contender. I just listed some games to show that there's still a lot of football to be played. Stanford is a good example. The Trees aren't a contender, because they play Oregon, USC or Notre Dame. The Trees are a contender, because they've only lost one game in the last two years against all opponents, including bowl games. How many has Alabama lost over that same period? I wouldn't climb up too high on your horse just yet. I have Alabama as my personal #1 right now, but the end of the season might be different...
If you remember in 2006 Michigan was ranked ahead of the Gators until the last vote. The voters didn't let it happen then and they won't let it happen now. In my humble opinion. JO'Co I have to disagree with your statement about automatic bids to the SEC with 1 or even 2 loss teams. The times the SEC has made it with one loss teams they were deserving teams and not automatic and by the way they won. The two loss team, that's because we were out of one loss teams that were deserving. Other than that I agree with your analysis. No SEC rematch in the championship game.
JoCo, You need to read my posts because I too think you misunderstood. I am not as high on the Alabama horse as you assert. As a matter of fact, I think we are not quite as strong as many think. Also, I stated earlier, I think a team needs to win their conference in order to play for a national championship. I just wanted to establish that the SEC has played a pretty decent out of conference schedule. Some folks have questioned the quality of some of those OOC teams and I wanted to emphasize that they were some quality opponents in there. That's all. 8)