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With its 45-40 victory over Clemson in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday night, Alabama put the final exclamation point on a year that saw many question the strength of the SEC.
Now that the season is officially in the books, we can take a look at exactly how the conference stacked up against the rest of the nation — in particular, against the other power conference members.
The SEC finished the year 56-11 against nonconference foes for a .836 winning percentage. Of those wins, the conference finished 14-6 against the likes of the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Pac-12. Several out-of-conference losses, specifically for Arkansas and Ole Miss, had season-altering affects.
Here’s a look at how the SEC stacked up against the power conferences and beyond.
ACC
Record: 6-4
Wins: Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, N.C. State, North Carolina, Syracuse
Losses: Clemson, Florida State, Louisville (2)
Biggest win: Alabama over Clemson, national championship game
Alabama’s win over Clemson in the title game prevented the Tigers from joining Louisville as the only team to knock off two SEC programs (Kentucky and Texas A&M) this season. The Crimson Tide’s 45-40 win over Clemson is the SEC’s signature victory on the season, and does what no other team in the nation was able to do, defeat Dabo Swinney and Deshaun Watson (14-1). South Carolina’s win over border-rival North Carolina was the SEC’s out-of-conference upset of the year, as linebacker Skai Moore’s interception in the end zone sealed the game at 17-14 for the Gamecocks.
Big Ten
Record: 4-1
Wins: Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State, Wisconsin
Losses: Michigan
Biggest win: Alabama over Michigan State, playoff semifinals
Despite what Ohio State and its fans are crowing about after the national title game, the SEC won the season rivalry with the Big Ten, courtesy of a four wins in five tries against the neighbor to the north. Alabama doled out two of those losses, including a 38-0 beatdown of Michigan State in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. The Tide’s Week 1 win over Wisconsin was the only SEC-Big Ten matchup during the regular season as Tennessee downed No. 12 Northwestern in the Outback Bowl and Georgia held on against Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl. Michigan was able to land a jab, defeating SEC East champion Florida in the Citrus Bowl. Heisman-winning Tide running back Derrick Henry was the Big Ten slayer this year, rushing for 222 yards and five touchdowns against the Big Ten.
Big 12
Record: 3-2
Wins: Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
Losses: Oklahoma, Texas Tech
Biggest win: Ole Miss over Oklahoma State, Sugar Bowl
The SEC’s rivalry with the Big 12 this season might have packed more of a punch than the conference’s battles with Big Ten foes. Chad Kelly (Ole Miss) and Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) each earned defining wins over the Big 12 and SEC respectively during the 2015 season. The nation got a good look at Kelly (302 yards, 4 TDs) and Ole Miss, who disposed of Oklahoma State 48-20 in the Sugar Bowl. Conversely, Mayfield put himself on everyone’s radar with a gritty four-touchdown (3 passing, 1 rushing) performance in Oklahoma’s comeback win over Tennessee in September. Texas Tech served as severe blow to Arkansas’s postseason hopes with a win over the Razorbacks in Week 3. Leonard Fournette (212 yards, 5 TDs) and LSU avenged the Hogs with a 56-27 drubbing of the Red Raiders in the Texas Bowl.
Pac-12
Record: 1-0
Win: Texas A&M over Arizona State
Texas A&M — that is to say, Christian Kirk — pummeled Arizona State in the lone SEC-Pac-12 matchup this season. The freshman from Scottsdale, Ariz., burned his hometown team with a 79-yard punt return touchdown and a 66-yard catch-and-run for a score in the 38-17 Aggies’ Week 1 win.
THE GROUP OF 5 CONFERENCES
American Athletic
Record: 4-2
Wins: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, Memphis
Losses: Houston, Memphis
Memphis ruined Ole Miss’ playoff berth in Week 7 with the Rebels’ second loss of the season. The Tigers received payback in the form of a 31-10 loss to Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. In the SEC’s other loss to the AAC, Houston thumped a stout Vanderbilt defense 34-0.
Conference USA
Record: 9-1
Wins: Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State (2), North Texas, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso, Western Kentucky
Losses: Western Kentucky
Biggest win: LSU over Western Kentucky
Conference USA took a battering from the SEC this season, winning just one (Western Kentucky over Vanderbilt) of the 10 games against one another. LSU exacted revenge on the Hilltoppers — one of three teams, including Memphis and Texas Tech, to go 1-1 against the SEC — with a 48-20 win in Week 8. The irony is that the Tigers allowed 325 passing yards to Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty, who only needed 209 to beat Vanderbilt.
Mid-American
Record: 3-1
Wins: Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan
Losses: Toledo
Toledo’s upset win over Arkansas torpedoed the Razorbacks in Week 2, setting off a chain of events that led to a 1-3 start on the year for the Hogs.
Mountain West
Record: 3-0
Wins: Fresno State, Nevada, San Jose State
The West came east this year with no luck as Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M outscored Mountain West opponents 152-69 in the SEC’s three easy wins.
Sun Belt
Record: 8-0
Wins: Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, UL-Lafayette, La.-Monroe (2), New Mexico State (2), Troy
The Sun Belt never truly stood a chance this season against the SEC, dropping all eight of its contests as sacrificial lambs.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
