ESPN: The SEC is a shell of its former self, and Alabama will reap the benefits

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BleedGopher

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per ESPN:

Auburn, which was supposed to be Alabama's biggest challenger in the SEC West, lost to Clemson two weeks ago and needed a fourth-quarter touchdown to pull away from FCS foe Mercer on Saturday.

LSU, which fired former coach Les Miles because he didn't beat the Crimson Tide enough, lost its first SEC game this season under coach Ed Orgeron by 30 points.

And Florida and Tennessee, which combined for three field goals in the first three quarters at the Swamp on Saturday, finally surrendered to the law of averages and at least put a dramatic ending on what was largely an unwatchable rivalry game.

Three weeks into the 2017 season, and as SEC play hits full stride this coming weekend, the gap between the No. 1 Crimson Tide and the rest of the league is just as wide, if not wider, than ever before.

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal.../sec-looks-alabama-crimson-tide-not-much-else

Go Gophers!!
 

SEC coaches just aren't big names anymore. Saban and then the rest.
 


Judging from the chatter I hear down here in Auburn, I really don't see Ol' Gus keeping his job after this season. I wouldn't be shocked to see Chip Kelly end up at Auburn for 2018.
 

But "SEC, SEC, SEC!"

I find it very weird when Alabama fans chant that because they've been carrying the conference. Why give other conference mates credit for your success?
 


MaxyJR1 said:
SEC coaches just aren't big names anymore. Saban and then the rest.
Click to expand...

I was just thinking that. Saban and the rest.

Kevin Sumlin was supposed to bring it, be a contender, but he's all but done at A&M. McElwain hasn't proven anything yet, although he's good at losing to Michigan and may or may not have an attraction to sharks. Kirby Smart hasn't proven anything yet. Butch Jones is a meme but not a very good coach. Coach O hasn't proven much of anything at LSU, and if last weekend was indicative he won't be there long. Malzahn? Hot seat. Bert sucks. Whoever is at Vandy or Kentucky or Missouri won't matter unless they can pull a miracle season and then they might just bolt to a better job. Dan Mullen is probably the next best but he's in Starkville so won't get noticed unless he has Dak Prescott (or a player of similar caliber).

Meanwhile, other major conferences have at least a couple major names coaching, the kind of names that ESPN and Fox love to fawn over. The B1G has at least three star-caliber coaches in Harbaugh, Meyer and Franklin and other guys that have seen major success and are immediately recognizable at their school like Ferentz and Dantonio. The ACC has Dabo, Jimbo and Petrino. Pac12 has Shaw and Petersen (and maybe Taggert, Helton after this season).

The SEC will catch up - and they still have the coach of all coaches in Saban - but what we're seeing now is, I think, evidence that the other conferences did a lot of work to hire the right guys to catch up and surpass the SEC over the past decade.
 

I'm surprised at ESPN's honesty.
 


Gopher07 said:
I was just thinking that. Saban and the rest.

Kevin Sumlin was supposed to bring it, be a contender, but he's all but done at A&M. McElwain hasn't proven anything yet, although he's good at losing to Michigan and may or may not have an attraction to sharks. Kirby Smart hasn't proven anything yet. Butch Jones is a meme but not a very good coach. Coach O hasn't proven much of anything at LSU, and if last weekend was indicative he won't be there long. Malzahn? Hot seat. Bert sucks. Whoever is at Vandy or Kentucky or Missouri won't matter unless they can pull a miracle season and then they might just bolt to a better job. Dan Mullen is probably the next best but he's in Starkville so won't get noticed unless he has Dak Prescott (or a player of similar caliber).

Meanwhile, other major conferences have at least a couple major names coaching, the kind of names that ESPN and Fox love to fawn over. The B1G has at least three star-caliber coaches in Harbaugh, Meyer and FLECK and other guys that have seen major success and are immediately recognizable at their school like Ferentz and Dantonio. The ACC has Dabo, Jimbo and Petrino. Pac12 has Shaw and Petersen (and maybe Taggert, Helton after this season).

The SEC will catch up - and they still have the coach of all coaches in Saban - but what we're seeing now is, I think, evidence that the other conferences did a lot of work to hire the right guys to catch up and surpass the SEC over the past decade.
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Fify


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 



During the BCS era, the SEC was pretty much guaranteed a spot in the championship every year. Even if their conference champ had two losses. It was all of college football playing each season to get a shot at the SEC champion. I was very happy to get the 4 team playoff and I would be even more happy if it expanded to 8 or 16.

BCS and the polls felt rigged and the constant ESPN backing of the league made their college football content unwatchable for me.
 

GophersInIowa said:
But "SEC, SEC, SEC!"

I find it very weird when Alabama fans chant that because they've been carrying the conference. Why give other conference mates credit for your success?
Click to expand...

I was at the Vandy upset of K-State this week and the crowd had the SEC chant going after the final stop. Everyone was laughing during the chant. It has become more tongue and cheek lately especially at Vandy. It was funny to see the Kansas St fans take the salt in the wound seriously. I know I would have been hurting after that loss too.
 


I'm also surprised ESPN would say this.

Normally we are getting ready for a season of 6 SEC teams in the top 10 or some other crap like that. Good to see Michigan beat Florida, etc., to take the wind out of the SEC sails a bit.

When it comes to coach recognition, the Big Ten seems to be at a good spot.
 




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