A long, bye-week post for a long, long bye-week
On November 16, 2006 the top two teams in the country, undefeated Ohio State and undefeated Michigan, took the field for a game that ESPN had assigned its own countdown clock for what seemed to be at least half of the season. It was hyped ceaselessly as the game of the century, and after OSU came out on top in a thriller, the calls immediately came for a rematch for the championship game. Well, we all know what happened next. In a grim preview of the championship game, USC demolished Michigan in the Rose Bowl. One week later OSU went down in embarrassing fashion to an Urban Meyer monster, and the myth of SEC greatness was born.
The next seven championships were won by four different SEC teams, a streak both long enough and varied enough to back up any claim of greatness. However, in the six years since FSU ended that streak, the SEC has won only twice, and both of those victories belong to Alabama. In fact if we go back to the arrival of Nick Saban, the only SEC team to win a championship was the Cam Newton led Auburn Tigers who had to come back from a 24-0 deficit to edge out the Tide, 28-27. The point of this rundown is simple, since Saban took over in Tuscaloosa the SEC has been riding Alabama’s coattails. The chants of “SEC! SEC!” are merely an easier and less embarrassing way for fans in Gainesville, Athens, or even –hilariously—Knoxville, to chant “At least Alabama is good!”
2018 demonstrated definitively to what extent Alabama has come to dominate the SEC and also hinted at the weaknesses of the conference that are now beginning to be revealed. So, what exactly happened in 2018? First, Alabama absolutely destroyed the conference. Alabama tore through the regular season with an 8-0 conference record beating their opponents by an average of 32.6 points with no team coming within three touchdowns of the Tide. Put it this way. If Alabama had beat any B1G team by 32 points, the result would have been used by the SEC cheerleaders to assert the superiority of the entire conference. However, when Alabama runs roughshod over their own conference . . . “SEC! SEC!” In the SEC championship game somebody finally put up a fight. Although UGA came up a touchdown short against Alabama, many people were convinced this showing by the Bulldogs was good enough to prove they too belonged in the CFP. The clamor for a rematch sounded familiar. In fact it sounded just like the OSU-Michigan rematch talk from over a decade earlier, and what happened next was also familiar. UGA lost to Texas in their bowl game and Clemson demolished Alabama in the championship game by 28 points, one more point than the historic beatdown Urban Meyer put on our beloved Buckeyes.
But the reaction to these losses has not been quite the same. Alabama, of course, has been ensconced in the top 2 since the season began because . . . Alabama. The media responded to the UGA loss with a collective “Wow! Texas is back!” The Longhorns parlayed that win into being one of the most overrated teams of the off-season, and the loss didn’t hurt Georgia at all. In fact, after their Sugar Bowl loss to Texas, naturally UGA started the season ranked seven spots ahead of the Longhorns at number 3 because, well, Alabama, somehow.
A quick look at the 2019 season so far shows the consequences of building this house of cards. Since Texas beat UGA last year, Texas must be good. So when LSU beat Texas this year, the Tigers must be really, really good. What’s that? Maryland beat Texas last season too? And the season before? Oh, well SEC! SEC! Also, since UGA has only lost to Alabama by a total of 10 points in their last two contests they must be great. It therefore follows that if the Bulldogs only beat Notre Dame by a touchdown, two things must be true. First UGA must still be great because, again somehow Alabama, and ND must be even better than we thought because they kept it close with an SEC powerhouse. Wait, you say that Michigan just beat that same ND team by 31 points. Um, SEC? SEC?
This year there is a good chance that Alabama and LSU both make the CFP. In fact I’d say that it is likely. With any luck they will both get beaten down by OSU. If such a result occurs, will it finally knock over the SEC house of cards? Will the new narrative be built around Ohio State? Is it time to start chanting “B1G! B1G!”
