5 stats that the 'SEC bias' crowd will hate entering 2023
You know that guy.
The “SEC bias” guy is the worst. OK, I suppose there are a handful of people that are worse to get stuck in a conversation with — I’ve always hated “one-up” guy — but if you’ve encountered “SEC bias” guy, you know what I mean.
He’s defensive. He’s unaccountable. He’s bitter.
Play Underdog For Heat-Celtics Game 6! Who ya got?
...
I’ll let you in on another secret.
He’s in denial.
He’s in denial of where the SEC sits heading into 2023. That is, riding 4 consecutive national titles by 3 different programs. That is, riding a streak of 17 consecutive years of having the most players selected in the NFL Draft. That is, having 19 teams in the past 17 national championships.
Those 3 stats, you might already know. But next time “SEC bias” guy corners you at the bar, hit him with these 5 stats that he’ll hate:
1. In the past 4 years, the SEC is 14-2 in New Year’s 6 bowl games
Well, excluding that time when Alabama and Georgia faced off in a national championship at the end of the 2021 season.
That’s probably the part of this current national championship streak that gets lost in the shuffle. Think about that. During this 4-year stretch, the SEC’s elite teams have gone 14-2 on the New Year’s 6 bowl stage. That’s strong. Like, the type of strong that would probably justify a 9-3 SEC team earning a New Year’s 6 bowl berth instead of a 10-2 Big 12 team that comes from the conference that just got its first Playoff game victory this past season.
The 2 SEC losses in that stretch came in the 2021 Sugar Bowl when Ole Miss lost Matt Corral to an injury in the first quarter against Baylor — my guess is the Bears probably still would’ve won that game — and when Florida’s decimated roster was dismantled by red-hot Oklahoma in the 2020 Cotton Bowl. At full strength, sure, both Ole Miss and Florida probably still were going to be in a tough spot. Still, though.
Look at the SEC’s mark in New Year’s 6 bowl games from 2019-22 compared to the other Power 5 conferences:
- SEC — 14-2
- Big Ten — 5-4
- Big 12 — 5-4
- Pac-12 — 1-4
- ACC — 1-6
To recap, the SEC has more New Year’s 6 bowl victories in the past 4 years (14) than the rest of the Power 5 combined (12). Yowza.
2. The SEC champ played in the national championship in 16 of the past 17 years
Wait, what? For real?
Read it and weep:
- 2006 Florida (beat Ohio State in BCS National Championship)
- 2007 LSU (beat Ohio State in BCS National Championship)
- 2008 Florida (beat Oklahoma in BCS National Championship)
- 2009 Alabama (beat Texas in BCS National Championship)
- 2010 Auburn (beat Oregon in BCS National Championship)
- 2011 LSU (lost to Alabama in BCS National Championship)
- 2012 Alabama (beat Notre Dame in BCS National Championship)
- 2013 Auburn (lost to Florida State in BCS National Championship)
- 2014 Alabama (lost in CFP semifinal)
- 2015 Alabama (beat Clemson in CFP National Championship)
- 2016 Alabama (lost to Clemson in CFP National Championship)
- 2017 Georgia (lost to Alabama in CFP National Championship)
- 2018 Alabama (lost to Clemson in CFP National Championship)
- 2019 LSU (beat Clemson in CFP National Championship)
- 2020 Alabama (beat Ohio State in CFP National Championship)
- 2021 Alabama (lost to Georgia in CFP National Championship)
- 2022 Georgia (beat TCU in CFP National Championship)
That 2014 Ohio State team really was a unicorn.
When we say that the SEC Championship is the closest thing to a national championship, it’s because of a number like that. It’s crazy to think that in 3 of the 7 years that the SEC champ didn’t go on to win a national title, it was because it faced another SEC team in the title game. Crazy, I know.
Meanwhile, the winner of the Big Ten Championship game, which began in 2011, has only had its champion reach the title game twice in those 12 seasons. The Pac-12 Championship also began in 2011, and 2014 Oregon was the lone champ to reach the title game while the Big 12 champ hasn’t played in a national title game since 2008 (remember that Kansas State won the conference title last year in that thriller against eventual-national runner-up TCU).
The ACC had its champ play in the national title game 5 times in the past decade, but the conference is just 0-2 in the Playoff in the past 3 seasons (2020 Notre Dame played in the ACC that season).
That point would’ve quieted “SEC bias” guy during all those years when he demanded that non-SEC conference championships should matter more than an 11-1 mark from an SEC team.
3. No head coach willingly left the SEC for another Power 5 job during the Playoff era, which is a much different story for everyone else
The last time we saw a coach leave the SEC for a Power 5 job outside of the conference was after the 2013 season when James Franklin made the understandable move from Vanderbilt to Penn State. Before that? Lane Kiffin left Tennessee for USC after the 2009 season. To recap, the only instance in the past decade in which an SEC coach left the conference directly for another Power 5 head coaching job without getting fired was going from Vandy to Penn State.
During the Playoff era, every other Power 5 conference watched multiple coaches willingly go outside of the conference for new jobs.
Oregon alone had 2 coaches leave for Power 5 jobs in Florida in the past 5-plus years. After 2019, the Pac-12 also watched Mel Tucker leave Colorado for Michigan State while Mike Leach left Washington State for Mississippi State.
Jeff Brohm just left Purdue for Louisville, which marked the first time a Big Ten coach left for another job since Gary Andersen left Wisconsin for Oregon State after the 2014 season. But in addition to Jimbo Fisher leaving Florida State for Texas A&M in 2017, the ACC also saw Brohm’s predecessor, Scott Satterfield, leave Louisville for Big 12-bound Cincinnati to replace Luke Fickell, who left for Wisconsin. After 2021, Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for USC.
Why is that significant? It’s hard to argue that you’re a true destination conference if you have coaches making moves outside of the conference. It’s not that every SEC job is elite. The SEC does, however, have teams like Kentucky and Ole Miss that are now paying their respective coaches north of $9 million annually.
Money talks. The SEC doesn’t let others come in and poach its coaches. You either get fired (with a hefty buyout) or a raise. There’s no in between.
4. The last time another conference had more first-round picks than the SEC was … 2015
Everyone knows about the total draft pick streak that dates to 2007, but “SEC bias” guy probably just says that’s a byproduct of having a 14-team conference (he also makes no mention of the fact that the ACC and Big Ten have also been a 14-team conference during the Playoff era).
But there’s no bias in picking someone in Round 1. Sorry. You can’t get to that level without being freakishly talented. The SEC has owned the Round 1 title (or at least a share of it like this year) in each of the past 7 NFL Drafts. In 12 of the past 15 NFL Drafts, the SEC had the most guys picked in the first round.
And if you believe that someone like Anthony Richardson is drafted simply because he played in the SEC, might I remind you that unproven college quarterbacks like Daniel Jones (ACC), Jake Locker (Pac-12) and Josh Allen (Mountain West) all got that kind of love.
The first-round numbers over the course of the last 7 NFL Drafts suggest “SEC bias” probably isn’t fueling front offices to make life-changing decisions:
- SEC — 66
- Big Ten — 32
- ACC — 30
- Pac-12 — 23
- Big 12 — 13
I don’t think you can chalk that disparity up to “SEC bias.”
5. Even if you took out Alabama … the SEC still has more than twice as many national titles as any other conference since the start of the BCS era
You know that “SEC bias” guy and “it’s just Alabama” guy are best friends. It’ll stop them in their tracks to realize that even if erased Alabama from the SEC and just made the Tide an independent, the SEC would still have more than twice as many titles in the BCS/Playoff era as any other conference.
Look it up on the NCAA website. I’m not lying. Remove Alabama from the SEC’s total and here’s your breakdown of NCAA-acknowledged national champions since the beginning of the BCS era (1998-present):
- Non-Alabama SEC — 9
- Alabama — 6
- ACC — 4
- Pac-12 —2
- Big 12 — 2
- Big Ten — 2
- Ind. — 1
Shoot, you can make Alabama and Georgia independents and the SEC would still comfortably own the national title crown since the start of the BCS era.
Sorry, “SEC bias” guy. You need a new hill to die on.
As a Dawg fan I hate to say this but since 2007, the success of the SEC is because of Nick Saban.
He came and he conquered and forced the rest of the SEC to get better making the conference what it is today.
I will take it a step further and say Phil Fulmer forced the rest of the SEC to get better. Fulmer consistently beat Alabama every year which forced Bama’s hand to get Nick Saban. Also Fulmer had a run of success against Florida and Ron Zook that caused UF to go out and get Urban Meyer. The rest they say is history.
Spurrier over Fulmer.
Fulmer beat Spurrier in 2001 which knocked UF out of a possible NC chance and into the NFL
Sure. Let’s go with that.
Indeed, thanks for agreeing
Spurrier owned them during his time at Florida and has a 14-10 record against them including his time at South Carolina and a win while he was the Head Coach at Duke. Yeah, he beat Tennessee at Duke. No, it wasn’t a basketball game. Fuller was 5-12 vs the Gators
Mike, fantastic work. I applaud your efforts considering that I currently generate more than $36,000 each month from just one straightforward online business. Even though these are the most fundamental jobs related to internet br-04 operations, you can start earning a solid online income with as little as $29,000.
.
.
Change the Connection—————————>>> richworks1.blogspot.com
Definitely Spurrier over Fulmer. Spurrier changed football in the SEC, Fulmer=not.
And it ain’t close.
Fulmer couldn’t beat Spurrier with Peyton as his QB.
entire article is Ogara trying to fool you into believing he isn’t a Big10 simp…
Fulmer’s heyday (or period of dominance) was in the 90’s. He had a few good years in the early aughts but the programs dominance was clearly winding down by the time Saban landed at Bama. It’s interesting because we all know Saban was at LSU prior, but his run there didn’t send the shock waves through the conference like his run at Bama did. I’m with Red and Black on this one. Saban being at Bama has turned the conference into what it is today and has been the last 15 or so years.
How so? Saban made Alabama great, and he certainly helped develop Kirby at UGA. He’s done nothing to impact any other team in the East. He made LSU a power prior to 2007. He’s done nothing to impact any team positively in the West.
Booches…Great post !
Cash jobs for every American to earn and work online. earn over $15,000 a month while working from home. m26 I made $18,521 from this job in my spare time after college. His light work and stable income are impressive. You don’t need any skills for this to work, you just need to know how to copy and paste things online.Sign up today by following details on this page…Wellwork1.blogspot.com
Fulmer went on a tear from 95-98 and had that 2001 outlier. Other than that, Tennessee was very beatable and nobody was afraid of them.
My point ultimately is that Fulmer dominated throughout his time against Bama which forced them to hire Saban. Had Fulmer not just utterly dominated Bama, Saban would have not been hired.
Wasn’t Fulmer hired in 1992? That means Bama has as many championships during his time at Tennessee as Tennessee
More Tennessee trying to inflate their relevance
Fulmer dominated Alabama because of endless probation and coaches named Mike. Long before Fulmer Bama dominated TN. Even with Fulmer recruiting advantages and his constant stool pigeon antics against several SEC teams he underperformed championship wise. Saban got him fired after a few years of losing to Bama.
Vol fans always seem to confuse reality with real.
Well, during that “tear” he lost to Spurrier 3 out of 4 times.
Fulmer didn’t force the SEC get better, Spurrier did. Look at Spurrier’s record vs Florida. Spurrier SEC East titles vs Fulmer’s.
Agreed. Heck I’d give Tom Osborne credit too. When Nebraska beat Florida in 95 Spurrier buckled down and took the Gators to the next level in the following years.
Osborne taught Spurrier that to win a NC offense wasn’t enough. He had to field a great defense too.
“Phil Fulmer forced the rest of the SEC to get better.”
HAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHH gasp HAHAHAAHHAHHAHHAH gasp HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
1st no coach caused Bama to hire Saban. Bama and bama fans expect success and when they don’t have a coach who has that, they hire another one that they think will. But, if any coach had an effect on that process it was Tommy Tubberville, not fat Phil.
Saban has certainly contributed to the success of the SEC more that any other going back to 2000 when he signed with LSU. Two conference titles and a national championship in five years with the Tigers. LSU became a national power because of him. The run of SEC dominance actually started in 2006 when UF won the title, and then LSU, UF, Alabama, Auburn, and then Bama twice more for seven consecutive seasons of SEC national championships split amongst four different programs. That’s dominance. The latest streak of four in a row is pretty sweet too.
Saban’s trajectory at LSU was typical of a good SEC coach. It was that side trip he took to Miami that made him the GOAT. It was there he learned how an NFL personnel office evaluated talent and prepared the GM for the draft and free agent signings. He also learned how analysts broke down film and assisted players with practice and coaches in developing game plans.
He then verified all that back-office staff didn’t count against the NCAA on-field assistants limit and sold “the process” to Alabama’s AD. The rest, as they say, is history.
So, it was his few years in Miami that taught Saban how the NFL evaluated talent, to prepare the GM for the draft, to break down film, and how coaches assisted with the gameplans. It was not all the years he spent in the NFL as an assistant and DC that taught him these things. Funny history.
You might be a bit off on the trajectory thing. Since the SEC went to a championship game in 92, I believe only two coaches have won two conference titles and a national title in their first five years, Saban and Meyer. Saban did it twice. Has every other SEC hire over that entire time been bad?
Saban may have known about NFL staff support when he coached at LSU. He never had such a support staff at there.
Saban made it a condition of hire for Alabama to pull him out of Miami and it made all the difference for him and now for Smart.
50% of Little Nicky’s success was Kirby Smart, hence the fall off and downward trending since Kirby left Bama.
Little Nicky is the consummate salesman, Kirby is the consummate strategist and tactician.
The fact you believe this is quite humorous. I appreciate the laugh. You’re such a good troll that you’ve actually convinced yourself of such an absurd take.
“50% of Little Nicky’s success was Kirby Smart”
That is absolutely true. Bama’s defense has been bad since Kirby left Tuscaloser.
“The fact you believe this is quite humorous. ”
Stats don’t lie, goat raper.
If you repeat a lie long enough people will begin to believe it. That’s TDOW’s philosophy.
AFAN
Has Bama been as consistent and overall as good since Kirby left? Did Saban ever have to search for an “identity” while Kirby was on staff? Why does Bama not prioritize and excel on the LOS like they did when Kirby was there?
Did Kirby learn from Saban, of course Kirby did. But what most people don’t realize is how much of a coach Kirby was when he started with Saban. Kirby was coaching in high school with his father while he was also a player. Ditto at UGA under Ray Goff and Jim Donnan. Both Goff and Donnan, along with many former teammates, have talked about how Kirby was coaching at UGA when he was an ALL-SEC player. In just Kirby’s 2nd year as a college coach he was the DC for Chris Hatcher at Valdosta St. Then Kirby was a GA under Bobby Bowden while earning a masters. Next, Kirby is with Saban at LSU and working under Muschamp. Kirby was a natural born coach and is an extremely cerebral person, Kirby is one of the smartest, high-IQ guys in college football.
Again, Kirby learned from Saban but Kirby also brought a lot to the table such as toughness, dogged determination, the ultimate task manager, being ahead of the change curve, setting the highest standards and culture etc. Before Kirby ever meet Saban he had grown-up under and worked for a HS coaching legend in Georgia, 3 coaches who have won National Championships and 2 coaches that are currently in the College HOF.
Kirby was the ultimate right-hand-man at Bama for Saban and Saban’s staff hasn’t been the same since Kirby left. The statistical and anecdotal evidence is undeniable.
Number of NCs for Saban with Kirby – 4 in 8 years
Number of NCs for Saban w/o Kirby – 2 in 7 years
UGA fans never cease to amaze. Y’all continually have to convince yourselves of these absurd takes over and over again. It’s quite humorous. Insecurity at its finest.
Well Dawglb you forgot the 2003 NC Saban won at LSU without Kirby as DC. I know, it is easy to lose count when Saban has so many.
That is not true Saban has won 2 titles without Smart, even beating Smart in the national title game
Kirby also has 2 titles without Saban, also beating Saban in the national title game. So they won 4 together at Alabama and 2 each after. Saban is the goat, but Kirby is worthy of significant recognition.
Saban was won 3 titles without Kirby as DC. 2003 LSU as well.
Red and Black…quite true. Thanks for posting some SEC reality for all of us.
Who got better?
It didn’t begin in 2007. It started with Sabin when he was at LSU beginning with the 1999 season. His first NC was at LSU in 2003 after he rebuilt what had become a weak program during the 1990’s. Sabin didn’t hit his stride at Bama until 2009. In between were the championship seasons of Florida in 2006 and 2008, and LSU’s 2007 NC.
If you think any other conference is better there’s something wrong with you. When I scout players for the NFL SEC guys automatically get a boost just for playing in the SEC, cause that’s how difficult it is on a weekly basis
SEC is clearly the best. No thanks to Tennessee of course
You finally talk because your team won and now y’all won’t shut up. Even if it’s people like me who never doubted them anyway. Come up with something productive to talk about not just “tEnNeSseE sUcKs”
UT won nothing last year and their fans overran this site. So much delusional tra$h talking.
Not me so leave me tf alone I’m tired of the bs I want real conversation
Want in one hand and take a giant
s
h
i
t
in the other one and let me know which one fills up first chump.
Eagerly awaiting another article full of information we already know.
I think ChatGPT is writing all the SDS articles now.
Nah, the spelling would be much better.
And it would have more actual facts.
The SEC Bias claim is reinforced by bowl match-ups and every team outside of the SEC whenever they beat an SEC team. For the SEC team it’s a game. For the other teams it’s program-defining moments. I’ll never forget watching a dark-horse National Championship NC state team ranked low 40s at the time play #65+ Vandy in a bowl game and it was like they’d won the Superbowl.
I didn’t pay attention last season, but watch the bowl match-ups. The SEC teams will generally be placed against much better ranked teams.
“Like”
I guess that’s true as a general rule. I’ve noticed SEC teams playing higher ranked teams in bowls. But I’ve also noticed SEC teams playing lower ranked teams. In recent years, LSU mopped the field with the likes of Purdue, Louisville, Texas Tech. Kansas State was ranked higher, and it showed. It’s an interesting point. Someone should prove it or disprove it, but you’re probably right.
My bad. Louisville was ranked higher than LSU in 2016, when LSU beat them. And both teams were unranked when Kansas State beat LSU. In the last 10 years, LSU was 2-1 against higher ranked opponents and 4-1 against lower ranked opponents. They didn’t play a bowl game in 2020, and both teams were unranked in 2021. I don’t know if LSU was typical for an SEC team, but they played more bowl games against lower ranked opponents.
It is because the SEC usually has their best team in the playoffs, sometimes their top 2. Then the next best is tied to the Sugar bowl. That is the SEC’s top 2-3 teams locked in and playing highly ranked teams. It leaves the lesser SEC teams for the non-NY6 games. Most conferences will have their top team in the NY6 game, some their second best, leaving at worse their 3rd best for non-NY6 games. Sometimes the SEC has their 3rd best in the NY6 games and then start the lower bowls with their 4th best.
I understand that. But LSU’s rankings in the last 10 years, before the bowls, were 16, 23, 20, 20, 17, 11, 1, unranked, unranked, and 17. And yet they still played mostly lower ranked teams in bowl games. Makes me wonder about the SEC as a whole, but I don’t have the energy to research it.
SEC bias guys love the “SEC SEC SEC” chant :)
It’s rather interesting. Kirby Smart talked about how the line between winning and losing is incredibly thin at the highest levels when he took over UGa. It’s a couple plays here and there. In fact, he’s been on both sides of it in Athens. Georgia had Bama bear in that 2017 NC but they bust the coverage a couple times (most notably “2nd and 26”) and they get nothing but an L. Last year, Ohio State was absolutely boat racing a Georgia D that had no answers (my usual trolling aside, Bennett and Bowers carried them that game by keeping them in it). Buckeye WR gets hurt, and Ryan Day still doesn’t have a NC. Little things.
Little things.
–
I don’t think people appreciate how much luck and / or those little things make enormous differences. My favorite example is Alabama being out of contention (2015?) until Arkansas, in OT, lobbed an absurd backwards pass in desperation on 4th and 29 or so. They ended up getting 1st down and winning against Ole Miss IIRC, and that play was why Alabama won the NC that year. One play in a game they weren’t even playing in.
CrimsonFalstaff…Good analysis of the “Little things” than can win a National Championship. Yes Ohio State was beating the Dawgs until the OSU receiver was knocked out of the game, and 95% they would have won, if not for that one “‘Hit”. Was it targeting ? Of course.
LOL…OK. You forgot Metchie and Williams fnckhead.
S
H
I
T
H
E
A
D
You guys remember when Brandon Miller delivered that piece to off that lady and when Jalen Carter made his friend do his best Paul Walker impression??
When I spin it that way, it don’t sound to bad being mediocre in Knoxville.
True. If not for a couple of injured WRs, Kirby has zero rings.
If not for the LACK OF DEPTH and development of replacements… there you go, I fixed it for you…lack of depth and development didn’t cause us not to win, did it?
Seems like that statement really bothers you which means you’ve thought the same thing. It’s ok to acknowledge the real truth of it all.
And it seems you are still in denial that Saban failed Gump nation in having those 4 hotshot TOP100 WR recruits ready to play when Williams went out…or that Ryan Day had a 5* and 3 high 4* WRs sitting on the bench when Harrison went out and none stepped up. Amazing how Kirby had his second and third teamers ready to plug and play isn’t it?
It’ll catch up one of these days.
This isn’t about me. You’re here again trying to convince yourself that UGA didn’t get a lucky bounce, or should I say injury, for Kirby to get his rings. Nothing wrong with a little fortune. I know deep down you know it’s true too. No need to continually deny and convince yourself otherwise.
^You are Absolutely 100% correct, joshua…nothing lasts forever. The view from the top of the mountain is fleeting, it should be enjoyed. Just glad we had a chance to view it…
Leg, it was a heck of a run. It might be coming to the end. Saban still has a few left in him. He ain’t done. But there’s no team that I would want in my opinion to pass the torch to than UGA. A Saban disciple in Kirby and a fellow SEC team. The SEC flag is still flying strong. Can’t wait to see more Alabama vs UGA games. Hopefully for a long time.
Shake it any way you want to fit your narrative, Standard. We had injuries and bad calls, especially in the 2017 and 2021 seasons and almost went 2 for 2 in natties, it happens. Less transfer portal and more internal development I say…it used to be what Saban did best. Kirby does it best now, deal with it.
Joshua, you are right, I’d rather see any team and even Bama win it all than I would a Clemson or USCwest or BucknutU. Sadly the pristine 14-2 CFP SEC record (excluding 2017 UGA-UA) contains two losses by Bama.
This isn’t my narrative. This isn’t about me. You know it’s true and deep down it kills you. You’re getting closer to acknowledging it and I commend you for that.
“Sorry, “SEC bias” guy.”
well I’m sorry too, Connor, you big10 simp…
It seemed like he was calling himself out… which seemed odd.
STATS SEC FANS HATE:
USC would of won in 07 and 08 had there been no bias on a one loss USC team.