The SEC claimed the most bowl-eligible teams of any of the FBS’s 10 conferences in 2014, but was it the nation’s best conference throughout the bowl season?
There are a number of ways to answer that question. The SEC amassed seven bowl victories this season, more than any other conference in the nation. However, its .583 bowl win percentage trails three other conferences in that regard: Conference USA, the Pac 12 and the FBS’s independents.
The SEC also lacks the signature bowl win that other conferences can boast about all offseason. The SEC’s most convincing win was Georgia’s 37-14 victory over Louisville in the Belk Bowl, and other contenders for that title include Missouri’s win over Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl or Texas A&M’s win over West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl.
The conference’s three highest-ranked teams entering the bowl season — Alabama, Mississippi State and Ole Miss — all lost their respective postseason games. Other conferences earned much more resounding and impactful bowl wins, relative to their conference’s prominence on a national stage.
Here’s a rundown of how each conference fared this bowl season, and which games represented the league’s best bowl win and worst bowl loss. Decide for yourself how the SEC stacked up against the rest of the nation this postseason.
| Conf. | Bowl Teams | Bowl Rec. | Win % | Best Win | Worst Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAC | 5 | 2-3 | .400 | Memphis > BYU | Cincinnati < Virginia Tech |
| ACC | 11 | 4-7 | .364 | Georgia Tech > Miss St | UNC < Rutgers |
| Big Ten | 11 | 6-5 | .545 | Ohio St > Oregon | Illinois < Louisiana Tech |
| Big 12 | 7 | 2-5 | .286 | TCU > Ole Miss | Oklahoma < Clemson |
| C-USA | 5 | 4-1 | .800 | Marshall > N. Illinois | UTEP < Utah State |
| Ind. | 3 | 2-1 | .667 | Notre Dame > LSU | BYU < Memphis |
| MAC | 5 | 2-3 | .400 | Toledo > Arkansas St | Northern Illinois < Marshall |
| MWC | 7 | 3-4 | .429 | Boise St > Arizona | Fresno St < Rice |
| Pac 12 | 9 | 6-3 | .667 | Oregon > Florida St | Washington < Oklahoma St |
| SEC | 12 | 7-5 | .583 | Georgia > Louisville | Ole Miss < TCU |
| Sun Belt | 3 | 1-2 | .333 | Lafayette > Nevada | South Alabama < Bowling Green |
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
