On the first day of Christmas, the SEC gave to us:
A berth in the first playoff

The SEC absolutely dominated the BCS era. No conference even came close to matching the performance of the SEC, as it went 17-10 in BCS bowls, a .630 win percentage. The next best conference had a record of 13-8, a .620 win percentage, and only one other conference even had a winning record in BCS bowls. Oh, but let’s not forget the fact that 9 of those 17 wins accounted for national championships. Of 16 possible national championships, the SEC claimed 9. The SEC was King, and its dominance was clear.

As we move into the playoff era, the SEC will look to continue its supremacy in the new format. For much of the season, it looked like the conference could have two teams represented in the playoff. After seeing how the committee weighs factors, that scenario was probably unlikely, but the fact that it was possible had conference detractors up in arms. Conversely, coming down the stretch, there was a scenario where the SEC could have been shut out of the playoff, something that would have had fans (and some broadcasters) of other conferences celebrating. But, that of course didn’t happen.

Alabama will represent the conference in the inaugural playoff, giving the conference a chance to begin another reign in a new era. While fans of other SEC teams may not be able to actively “root” for Alabama, it would be a great statement by the conference to show it is in fact, still the best conference in the country, as proven by the playoff system.

So, on the first day of Christmas, we celebrate the fact that the SEC has one team in the playoff. Let’s hope that translate into a national championship for the SEC to hang its hat on in this new era of college football.