What would it take for the SEC to have its best College World Series ever?
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
Go figure that a historically dominant Tennessee team didn’t reach Omaha, yet there’s still a possibility for the SEC to have its best College World Series ever.
Well, if you asked those outside of Knoxville, they’d probably tell you a lack of orange in Omaha is probably the conference’s biggest victory. We won’t debate that today.
What is actually worth debating is what it would take in order for this to be the SEC’s best College World Series ever. It’s possible, and not just because the SEC has half the field (and 3/4 of the field if we’re including future SEC teams Oklahoma and Texas). It’s not about simply the amount of teams in the field. Remember, the SEC also had 4 teams in the field in 2019, 2015, 2004 and 1997. The 1997 College World Series is actually the only one of that group that’s even up for the title of “SEC’s best College World Series ever.”
Why? Just like in football, I think we can only call it an all-time great College World Series is if its an all-SEC title game. There were 4 such instances of that:
- 1997 — LSU vs. Alabama
- 2011 — South Carolina vs. Florida
- 2017 — Florida vs. LSU
- 2021 — Vanderbilt vs. MSU
To a certain extent, it’s irrelevant what happens in the title series. At least if we’re discussing the SEC’s best College World Series ever.
So let’s take it a step further with those 4 series. How many SEC teams made it to the semifinals in each?
- 1997 — 2 (LSU, Alabama)
- 2011 — 3 (South Carolina, Florida, Vanderbilt)
- 2017 — 2 (Florida, LSU)
- 2021 — 2 (Vanderbilt, MSU)
Ding, ding, ding! We have our winner. The 2011 College World Series is the bar to reach. In addition to having an all-SEC title series, we’d need to see the SEC put at least 3 teams in the semifinals.
Obviously if the SEC puts 4 teams in the semifinals in 2022, shut it down. The discussion is over.
That’ll be a challenge with Auburn and Ole Miss facing off in the opening game, but hey, never say never. After all, we’re talking about a conference that just sent 4 teams to Omaha and its best team wasn’t one of them.
The SEC coaches in the field have all been to Omaha before, and they have a combined 21 victories in Omaha (Butch Thompson has 0, Mike Bianco has 2, Dave Van Horn has 8 and Jim Schlossnagle has 11). Of course, none of them has the most important victory. Nobody has a national title to their name.
Then again, that didn’t matter last year when Chad Lemonis led MSU to the university’s first national title in a team sport. Six of the past 8 CWS champions were led by managers who had never won it all. That trend will continue in 2022 because no manager left in the field has a title. Van Horn is the only manager in the field who finished as a runner-up.
Without Tennessee, the field does truly feel wide open. As of Tuesday morning, FanDuel’s odds to win it all suggest this thing can go a number of ways:
- Stanford: +450
- Texas: +450
- Notre Dame: +550
- Arkansas: +550
- Texas A&M: +550
- Auburn: +700
- Ole Miss: +1000
- Oklahoma: +1200
That suggests the field is certainly different than 2011 when South Carolina entered as the defending champs in the midst of a 55-win season, wherein it didn’t lose a single game in the postseason. That year, there were 5 teams who entered the field with 50-plus wins. This year? Nobody in the College World Series has 50 wins yet. There’s parity galore. Shoot, there’s even parity within the SEC teams remaining in the field:
The four-way head-to-head records?
Texas A&M: 5-4
Arkansas: 5-4
Ole Miss: 4-5
Auburn: 4-5— Nick Suss (@nicksuss) June 14, 2022
Maybe the “up for grabs” feel to this year’s CWS benefits the conference with the most depth, or maybe that sets up well for a team like Notre Dame that hasn’t been to Omaha in 20 years. Lord knows that didn’t hold the Irish back from walking into Knoxville and pulling off the upset of the year. Perhaps in a very un-football-like development, Notre Dame is about to break more SEC hearts en route to a title.
Obviously, that scenario would eliminate 2022 from any discussion about the SEC’s best College World Series ever. The SEC’s apex would’ve been heading into the weekend.
But more likely is that the national champ comes from the SEC for third consecutive time. The last instance of a conference claiming 3 consecutive titles with 3 different teams was … never (remember that Arizona State and Arizona were part of the WAC in the 1970s). If an SEC champion wins it all this year, well, that stat is coming to an SEC Twitter account near you.
All signs point to the SEC continuing to flex in Omaha. Will it be a historic flex?
There’s definitely a chance.
Win games. Simple as that.
The fact that Tennessee is out makes it pretty good from my seat.
^^^ This x1000
Gwhite disagrees with you.
Oh no, Ron! Your jealousy is showing!
Yeah, I’m really jealous…
Thank the good Lord!
“What would it take for the SEC to have its best College World Series ever?”
Win games.
Docgator–I commented elsewhere that when I watch the Paul Finebaum show I turn the sound off. I should have noted the similarity of that to reading an O’Connor article viz., I read O’Connor’s opening line (despite the fact that it almost always makes my skin crawl) then skip to the comments which, to my mind, are usually pretty good. In contrast to the Finebaum rubbish, I seldom wonder what the latter’s article is about. Both remind me of that Gainsville Sun writer from a few years ago who managed a career as a sports writer with no discernable talent for writing. Remember him? The one who wrote one-word paragraphs?
As far as how the Gators’ 2022 season might go, I have no expectation at all. All I know is what I read on SDS and similar sources which, as you know, doesn’t amount to much. But there is one thing I’ll be looking at–the game-to-game variation in team performance. I think that is a good indicator of coaching quality. If the Gators can reduce game performance variability from last year, then I think we are going in the right direction. All that would remain to be done in that case would be to increase player performance quality.
But either way, it’s always been great to be a Gator and never more than now!
1. Pat Dooley
2. Great to be a Gator!
3. If you are referring to baseball in 2022, we’re already sitting at home on the couch watching the others. If not, then this article was about those SEC teams not sitting at home on the couch watching the others.
Pay attention! My remarks have nothing to do with this article, and if they’re taken to be referring to the 2022 baseball team, then they are nonsensical. They are not nonsensical.
Got it. Just floating through the site looking for a random place to drop an opinion. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming….
Texas with the second to best odds to win is comical.
Gotta play to the teasippers.
They’ll blow a bunch of $$$ on saxeT to win…
I wish my Hogs would knock them out of it, but that would mean they made the championship games.
Hoping they get knocked out early.
Im praying for a UTA/TAMU matchup so yall can give them a great southern welcome to the SEC. haha
Hopefully nobody does the horns down this tournament. Might be thrown in the Nebraska State Pen.
The SEC can’t put 4 teams in the 2022 semifinals. 3 SEC teams are in the same bracket, while the other (A&M) is alone in the other bracket. So, 3 SEC teams is the most that could be in this year’s semifinals.
You gotta slow down. Conner can only take so much common sense at one time and keeping one foot in front of the other while walking is already enough of a challenge for him.
Neat!
You figure the writer would know that
It has now been 4,907 days since Florida won a football national championship.
Posting random sheet totally unrelated to the topic at hand is the work of a dumb and obsessed troll. Good job
Hey you guys had this whole website. I’m just returning the favor best I can
Slightly less time than the last time you got laid!
Time and a place. This isn’t it.
Let’s hope so. All they have to do is win and it will take care of itself. Good luck to all the teams and bring it home.
The only SEC team left I wouldn’t mind see win it is A&M. The sooner the rest go home the better for me.
Sure, more maroon aggies, I get that. Last year, my attitude was that I hoped MSU made it to the finals and I was 50/50 on who I wanted to win it. Since the Dogs clearly outplayed Vandy last year, I thought we got the right champion. This year, I’m glad you’re team is sitting at home.
Next year, I hope your attitude is to learn to form a complete sentence and to get off your cousin.
Hotty Toddy!
The best team in college baseball almost never wins it all in Omaha. MSU wasn’t the best team overall last year nor this year after winning it. But I get it, Omaha means something but what you do during the regular season just means more. That is what recruits look at.
“The best team in college baseball almost never wins it all in Omaha.”
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the best college baseball team is the one with the trophy at the end of the CWS.
It’s really not that hard to understand.
“Omaha means something but what you do during the regular season just means more.”
Somewhere on another planet that comment makes sense. On Earth not so much.
What? You are truly reaching. The best team in college baseball is determined by who has the trophy at the end. That’s why they play the tourney, knuckle dragger. Take your ball and go home. Tennessee lost.
Everyone point and laugh @gwhite.
The best team is the one who won the last game of the season. You are definitely a Homer and your posts show your last name to be Simpson.
Darth is correct. Same thing in football
That’s pretty reckless of you mister.
I want to see an SEC team win it. I want an all SEC finals.
Of the SEC teams in play TAMU is my least favorite but I rather have them win it as opposed to a non SEC school
Thats like, your opinion man
Well…for me…if Arkansas wins it, it will be the greatest SEC performance.
But…I’m biased, so there is that.
Never apologize for being biased towards your team.
Never apologize for being biased.
What do you think about apologizing Ronnie, didn’t quite get that
“What do you think about apologizing Ronnie, didn’t quite get that”
You can thank SDS for that. It wouldn’t let me post so I changed up my comment thinking a word was getting moderated.
I 100% agree. So, there will never be a better SEC showing than last year’s.
The greatest SEC performance was TN all season. But with whose in Omaha, with the best chance to win it from the SEC. A&M, maybe AU or the Hogs. I hope an SEC team. But my baseball mind worries mostly about Stanford and maybe ND down the list.
“The greatest SEC performance was TN all season.”
And no one outside of Knoxville remembers or cares.
congrats on the regular season trophy.
Tennessee’s regular season and record is irrelevant, much the same as an B1G football teams. They are simply the top ranked loser.
You play the games to make and win the CWS. They didn’t, so their season is worthless. End of discussion. Recruits and players don’t care about regular season games. Recruits and players care only slightly more about SEC title games. What they care about is getting to the majors and winning where they are. Tennessee is no more likely to put a player in the majors than any other school and as of today, their chances of winning are 0. Right now, there are 8 schools better positioned than Tennessee, and hundreds in their same boat.
Nobody cares about Tennessee or will remember their best season in 5 years except as the footnote on a better future SEC teams season. Nobody remembers the runners up in this league.
Another detail about 2011, the only losses by a SEC team during that CWS was only from other SEC teams.
What would it take for the SEC to have the best college world series? TENNESEE! LOL The SEC is good anyway with or without TN. But we do realize if an SEC team wins it, it could be a team TN swept. We know one thing for sure, it won’t be a team better than TN, sorry Auburn.
***Yawn***
Vols watching from their couches as the best teams go head to head to see who wins the Natty…
“We know one thing for sure, it won’t be a team better than TN, sorry Auburn.’
AU doesn’t give a rats @$$ about your opinion, ma’am. Have fun watching AU from your couch.
Every team in the CWS is better than Tennessee. If Tennessee was the best team they would still be playing. You know what is more important than regular season wins? Tournament wins.
Why is a must now for the writers to embrace OU and Texas as future members of the SEC every time they are recognized. Technically nothing is a absolute in that situation, I’m sure Texas and OU will shore up their end, but they haven’t. So, as of today Texas and OU just split revenue with other Big 12 schools, and reports are now saying 2024 SEC debut. Please, so can we just leave out “2/3 if you include OU and Texas” for the next year or so! Don’t think any real SEC fan gives a rats rear end about fantasy future non facts.
Sorry, it’s 3/4
If Tennessee was a little better it could have been 7 of 8.