TigrisAzure 0 Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2005 > November > 01 > Entry SEC goes from All-Mighty to overrated By Terence Moore | Tuesday, November 1, 2005, 06:33 PM The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Terence Moore Better late than never for NFL to back N.O. SEC goes from All-Mighty to overrated This Floptober truly haunting for Braves Vick can't outrun expectations Alas, nobody cares about the White Sox Sorry to burst those bubbles the size of Steve Spurrier’s ego, but when it comes to The All-Mighty SEC in college football, there is the myth, and then there is the reality. Here’s the myth: That there still is such a thing as The All-Mighty SEC in college football. As for the reality, this is the most overrated and overhyped conference, division or league in sports. You do have the All-Mighty ACC in college football right now. Courtesy of solid teams from Virginia Tech, Miami, Florida State and Boston College at the top and the competitive likes of Georgia Tech, Clemson, Maryland and Virginia in the middle, the ACC is what the SEC used to be, and that is a conference whose strengths aren’t exaggerated. “Well, you know what? I think what you’re saying is obvious,†said Bill Curry, an expert on this subject. Not only is he an ESPN analyst for the sport, but he was a head coach in the ACC (Georgia Tech) and in the SEC (Kentucky and Alabama). “The SEC is going to win a bunch, but it’s not going to dominate Michigan and Texas and Notre Dame, not like it used to. It’s a conference [the SEC] that has lost its luster, and I don’t see how anybody could even begin to argue that point.†I mean, Tennessee? Long before the Volunteers exposed themselves as frauds earlier this season, it was clear that they hadn’t a quarterback. Nobody ever will confuse Erik Ainge or Rick Clausen with anybody good. Still, courtesy of the myth, the Volunteers were ranked No. 3 by preseason polls. Now they aren’t even the best team around the Smokies. In case you haven’t noticed, historically putrid Vanderbilt has more victories (four to three) than the Volunteers. Plus, Tennessee is a Saturday trip to Notre Dame away from sliding two games below .500. Elsewhere, after all of that whining around the SEC over the prospects of having another Auburn this season (an undefeated team without a shot at a national championship), consider two things: First, Georgia showed that it is D.J. Shockley and a bunch of talented but complementary players. Without the injured Shockley, the Bulldogs collapsed against an inferior Florida team with significant flaws, especially on offense. Second, Alabama hasn’t lost, but Alabama joins Florida and Tennessee among the many SEC teams that can’t score. Alabama averages fewer points per game than such powers as Navy, Tulsa and Louisiana Tech. Speaking of powers that aren’t, you have South Carolina. Even so, the Gamecocks just won at Tennessee for the first time ever. The great Spurrier aside, they shouldn’t win at Tennessee. (And how good is LSU, since the Tigers choked in Death Valley to a Tennessee bunch that choked to South Carolina?) South Carolina is among the slew of athletically challenged SEC teams in most seasons. Which brings me to more of the myth: That the reason why the traditional SEC powers have so many patsies on their schedule (LSU played North Texas last week and has Appalachian State this week for homecoming) is because the conference schedule is so brutal. There are 12 SEC teams, and the only thing brutal about half of them (South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt) is the way that they’ve played in recent years. So when did The All-Mighty SEC in college football vanish? “I think it began to happen when all of that cheating became public, and after it was proven and was documented and people started to go on probation and losing scholarships,†Curry said. “Not only did that hurt the teams that were doing the cheating and got put on probation, but it hurt everybody. At that point, a lot of good football players were lost by the SEC to other conferences. That’s because parents started to say, ‘Well, gee, I don’t want you to go somewhere that has that kind of a reputation.’ “ Earlier this decade, Curry predicted such an exodus from the conference during an SEC media day. Former commissioner Roy Kramer was so furious that he demanded that Curry justify his remarks to Kramer’s security chief. “I told [Kramer] that I’d be glad to, so I started documenting things right and left, and the guy never called me back again,†Curry said. Guess the guy knew Curry would become omniscient. Permalink | Comments (300) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech / ACC, Terence Moore, UGA / SEC Comments By wcoastjere November 1, 2005 07:03 PM | Link to this where is curry coaching now after that spectacular stint at kentucky?…actually think last 2 weeks showed conference is down with lack of offense…arkansas’s showing against usc was significant…compare sec teams against arkansas….tennessee could pull doldrums up some with win against the golden domers…only undefeated alabama scored 1 touchdown in 2 weeks…hardly national championship caliber…georgia without shockley is very average…florida leaks too much[see what they do against fsu]…lsu might be the best team at this point but they are far below their 2 years ago team/auburn also at least a notch down…ol bawl coach may catch up sooner than everyone thought…perish the thought By Rick November 1, 2005 07:11 PM | Link to this Great article Terence. But no one in Bulldawg and SEC country gonna buy it. By geechee November 1, 2005 07:31 PM | Link to this Terence, I’m glad I can get in here early and get out cause we both know how explosive this is going to get. But I’m sure you are used to it by now. One thing I could point out however is that much of the top programs in the SEC are in transition. This is, we have been told by everyone, a rebuilding year at UGA. New coaches ate LSU and UF. This is what, Shula’s second year at ‘Bama and Spurrier’s first at SC. How much longer can Fulmer hold out at UT? It has to be considered a rebuilding year of sorts with Auburn and who knows what might happen at Arkansas if McFadden turns out to be the second coming of Herschel. By geechee GO CRUCH the YANKEE HOARD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerOne 1,152 Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 this in line with Coach TT comments about how the SEC has dropped the ball in the TV markets. The ACC is now dominant in the large markets. He wanted / on Tv tonight. If the were to expand who would they now go after? The conference hasn't done anything lately to prove it's claim. However did beat Va Tech but lost to Ga Tech we can't do that anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigermike 3,053 Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 I would have to say that the ACC made moves to get Miami, Virginia Tech & Boston College. The SEC picked up Arkansas & South Carolina. I have nothing against either SC or ARK, but they ain't Miami or Virginia Tech. Miami & Boston College are huge TV markets and a big reason for the success of the ACC. But from top to bottom I still think the SEC is a better football conference than the ACC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weagle98 119 Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 But accroding to his own article then the ACC was utter crap until 2 years ago when they picked up Miami, VT, and recently BC. Before that they were a nothing confrence. And its not like the SEC has gone down hill because we don't know how to play football. Bammer has been on probation, Florida lost an excellent coach, and Tenn should be better than they are. If I'm not mistaken LSU won the MNC 2 yrs ago, and AU went undefeated last year even beating the mighty ACC champ. 7 SEC teams have had 10 win seasons over the past 5 yrs, while the ACC has 4 teams that have had 10 wins. Why is BC heralded as such a strong team? They are 7-5, 8-4, 9-4, 8-5, 9-3 over the past 5 yrs not bad but not exactly powerhouse either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthLink02 8 Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 Honestly, though I don't agree with several of his statements about UGA or other SEC teams..... I think the SEC has lost some of its luster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigrisAzure 0 Posted November 3, 2005 Author Share Posted November 3, 2005 Well right now according to "Tide Talk" Auburn is Alabama most balanced opponent this year- Offense and Defense rankings! I guarantee you Alabama would like losing to both LSU and AU about as much as they would assisting Steve Irwin in The Australia Zoo with his 18 foot "Salties" (Salt Water Croc's)!! LOL Auburn was robbed 2004 however I do not know if anyone could have knocked off SC last year. In a little while I'm going to post what ND said today about LSU/ALA.. I DO NOT DESIRE AUBURN TO CHANGE ITS UNIFORMS = Classy as it gets allready!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAR EAGLE!!! 0 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Is it just me, or does anyone else get dizzy reading Tigris posts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietfan 233 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Just a train of thought, if hypothetically we wanted to add new teams: What TV markets are/were open to SEC teams? Currently, I'd guess Houston or Memphis---but are the Div. 1-A programs in those two cities really going to elevate the SEC's standards? Earlier, I suppose we might have tried to get FSU or Miami, but FSU has no TV market, and would we really have want either of those two "prison" programs in the SEC? (and I don't think they wanted us because they knew the SEC was too tough). The biggest TV market in the South--Atlanta?..been there, done that with Ga Tech and they dumped us. CTT was probably right about the ACC having the TV markets, but geographically could we have done much different? I still think we play better football! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUloggerhead 2,253 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Why is it if a team like UT is "exposed for a fraud" it's the team's fault? The team didn't rank themselves. Bill Curry & this tool of a sportswriter have it all backwards. It's the other way around -- all the people doing the ranking are frauds. They never get it right and constantly change their rankings every week. They have no clue who the best teams are during the pre-season but they go ahead and rank them anyway. And when a particular team doesn't match THEIR OWN predictions, then the team is labeled an underachiever. WTF? Heaven forbid that the rankers should be labeled incompetent for ranking a team in the top 10 that didn't manage to stay there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarheeltiger 0 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 When the SEC expanded to 12 teams there were overtures to other teams with more broad based name appeal then SC and Arky. FSU was the most noted of these but declined because the SEC was so tough. I remember there was discussion about Texas at the time and I feel sure that Miami was courted. The ACC does have better market and "name" appeal. This year the ACC is probably stronger than the SEC. The PAC 12 is up. The Big 10 is down (except for PSU). These things are cyclic. A best case scenerio that copuld happen to the SEC this year? (this is going to be very hard to write) Bama to go undefeated - especially if VT loses and USC/Texas don't. The situation with us last year brought a LOT of attention to the SEC - especially the UGa, Bama, and SEC Championship game. (Does anyone have any ratings on these games last year compared to previous years?) And PLEASE don't get me wrong - I am more concerned about AU than the SEC so I am NOT suggesting I want Bama to win out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigrisAzure 0 Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 I say bring back Georgia Tech and Tulane to the S.E.C. !! Tualne especially if The Saints leave New Orleans. That is what weaken The G.R.E.E.N.-W.A.V.E.!! JUST A THOUGHT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aumoore 0 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Part of the Problem as I see it is the SEC fans in general. We are too quick to pull for the Non SEC team against our own SEC brothern. I pull for Auburn first then whover can help Auburn move up in the ranking and then any SEC school against any other conference team. I hope the "horrible" Tennessee team puts it together and mops the floor with ND. If that happens then maybe people will rethink how week the SEC is. Oh yeah Terrence Moore is the Black Version of Finescum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebody 0 Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 I say bring back Georgia Tech and Tulane to the S.E.C. !! Tualne especially if The Saints leave New Orleans. That is what weaken The G.R.E.E.N.-W.A.V.E.!! JUST A THOUGHT 195003[/snapback] Tulane was pretty much irrelevent before the unfortunate events from Katrina (remember their president led the whining against the "bcs" conferences excluding the lower echelon 1A's from the big money bowls). As a private school, it has no more hometown following than Vandy does in Nashville. As far as the Atlanta market, UGA is the most significant draw. Tech can't even sell out their 50,000 seats, and just does not have that same broad-based appeal in the state. They run ads on the sides of buses here trying to drum up interest in "the team in your own backyard". Besides, Bobby Dodd's arrogance in leaving the SEC decades ago precludes their return. (That "independent" thing worked so well for them, too!) I am not so sure that BC and Miami are really that big of a deal anyway in terms of their respective markets. People in beantown are too busy with trying to make this a socialist state to worry about football, and very few of them are BC alum. As for Miami, did you see their attendance numbers in that other thread a few days back? Having teams in "bigger markets" won't help - the SEC already has at least two games a week on nationwide broadcasts, which accesses all of the markets already. The thing that helps is having schools with their large and passionate fan bases, who will tune in to the games. For the ESPN's of the world, it's not how many TV's that matters, it's how many TV's are on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AURaptor 1,126 Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 Terrence is one of many reasons why I don't subscribe to the AJC. Those who compare him to Finescum are pretty close to the mark. Terrence doesn't even have enough guts to come on the radio to talk about some of his absurd articles. He says he'll show up, if he gets paid for it. Hogwash. Chris Dimino ( 790TheZone ) has interviewed every living Heisman Trophy winner, just about every living MLB Hall of Famer, along w/ a list of sports celebs longer than your arm, and Terrence wants to be paid? TM is a moron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthLink02 8 Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 Georgia Tech left the SEC thinking they were god's gift to college football, ala ND of the South Screw them. Let them rot in the ACC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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