LSU-Alabama BCS title game is another win for SEC
One of these coaches will hold the BCS trophy. But the SEC already has won it. (AP photo)
NEW ORLEANS – If it is true, as Socrates once said, that, “Envy is the ulcer of the soul,” every other college football conference in America has been speed-eating Tums for the past six years.
LSU and Alabama play in the BCS championship game on Monday night in the Superdome. But this is sort of like two gladiators battling for the right to be viewed as the favorite son of the emperor. The emperor already has won.
This will make six consecutive BCS titles won by SEC schools. It will make eight championships in the 13 years the game has been played, far exceeding the closest member of the lower class (the Big 12 with two).
One would have to go back to the early 1900s of Ivy League domination to find a conference with such a run. But to wax on about the greatness of Princeton, Yale and Harvard football is sort of like referencing the Tyrannosaurus rex ruling over the animal kingdom. Ivy League football didn’t have a lot of competition back then, unless you count Ivy League crew.
The SEC is 7-0 in championship games. So the irony is it will take two conference schools playing each other for the first time for it to suffer its first loss. The SEC has redefined the blueprint for world domination.
When asked Sunday if he foresaw anything that could derail this train, LSU coach Les Miles said, “Not at this point.”
Feel free to add the words, “… in this decade” or “… in this century,” depending on your perspective.
This is what the 2011 SEC media guide cover looked like. It will need to be updated for next season.
SEC commissioner Mike Slive knew the passion and culture of college football that existed in his conference. He recognizes the SEC’s mega-millions television contracts have enabled athletic departments to lure the best coaches and build Taj Majal-like practice facilities. The obvious ripple effects: better recruits and more wins.
But even he admits this streak was unfathomable. It’s stupid-great. It’s Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, UCLA’s 88 straight wins in men’s basketball and Edwin Moses’ 122 straight hurdles wins great. The six straight titles will have been won by four schools (LSU, Alabama, Florida, Auburn) but that doesn’t diminish the run’s significance.
“It’s one of those records that I think will never be broken,” he said. “I’m an optimist by nature, but I don’t think anybody can have expectations of this. I remember a few years ago thinking, ‘Wow. We won two straight.’”
Slive’s reading list last summer included an appropriate book: “”56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports.”
“That’s when I realized this is a record that in many ways is as phenomenal as DiMaggio’s record, and just hard to imagine in the future,” he said.
Then again: “We could break our own record.”
LSU has a good chance to be a preseason No. 1 next season. Alabama won’t be far behind.
Clearly money is a huge factor, but as Slive points out, “We’re not unique in our ability to develop significant revenue. At least one other conference has been able to do that.”
Slive didn’t come out and reference the Big Ten by name. It’s not polite.
Alabama defensive coordinator and former Georgia safety and Kirby Smart also referenced the conference’s high profile coaches, but said the reason for the conference’s success goes beyond that. “Regionally, high school football, in my opinion, is so great in the SEC states,” he said. “My dad’s a high school coach, and I’ve always believed that. … Everybody talks about the [defensive] line, but there are other skilled players. In the South, if you’re a really good athlete, you may play cornerback. That’s not necessarily true everywhere else — they’re [wide receivers].”
Since the AP poll started in 1936, the previous conference title streak of three was held by the SEC (1978-80) and the Big Ten (1940-42). That has been obliterated. The titles have elevated the conference in the eyes of the nation’s top recruits.
Recalling his days as a high school recruit, Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw said his top three signing choices all were recent national champions from the SEC.
“I just felt like my main thing was to get to an SEC school if I wanted to be remembered,” he said. “You know what I’m saying?”
Upshaw is playing in his second BCS title game in three years. Safe to conclude he chose well.
By Jeff Schultz
Follow me on Twitter (@JeffSchultzAJC). Friend me on Facebook (Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC).
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
417 comments Add your comment
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:04 pm
Oregon was ranked #1 and had the #1 Offense in the country
Wow, I missed this gem. No Oregon was not #1 and you will have to explain to me how a team can be the #1 Offense in the country without playing a game.
Flounder
January 8th, 2012
10:05 pm
Somehow, some way … this is Headley Lamar’s fault.
Alphare
January 8th, 2012
10:05 pm
Dawg48,
yes, the first game means nothing, just like Packers lost to Falcons in the regular season last year.
BCS is a 2-team playoff system, what do you not understand?
ylojkt
January 8th, 2012
10:05 pm
Count me among those who are not very interested in seeing these two teams play again, I bought in to the hype for the first game and it was the most boring game I can remember watching in the last few years. In the third quarter my son looked at me and said “I thought this game was supposed to be great, this is crap.” I told him then that both teams were just playing not to lose, instead of playing to win and that was why it sucked. Wait for the fourth quarter, said I, and maybe they’ll start to open it up; they never did and it was a joke.
I believe we’ll see the exact same game this time, both teams scared to open up the playbook and content to kick field goals and trade punts (out of bounds when Bama kicks) until we have all gone past caring because we’re watching such a snoozefest. They didn’t want to lose a shot at the Natl Championship game then, and they won’t want to lose the Natl Championship game now.
If it had been LSU – Ok St, I promise you it would be a more entertaining game and more people would watch. The BCS is broken and this matchup should be the straw that breaks the camels back.
Derek
January 8th, 2012
10:05 pm
GT Bob, wow already 5 pages of comments, seems popular to me. Oh and as far as GA being the runner up in the SEC , they may be the 4th or 5th best. LSU, Alabama, Arkansas and perhaps SC are better. LSU or Alabama will be 1-2 and Arkansas will be either 4 or 5. That’s only because they didnt get a BCS bowl against OK St or Oregon/Stanford. Maybe GT can beg to come back to the SEC, and will let you fight it out for the lower third of the conference.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
If that’s true, then why didn’t bama play in last year’s championship game?
I said the Bama name has the highest factor. It doesn’t quite override 3 losses though.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
GT Bob, wow already 5 pages of comments, seems popular to me.
Yeah, thanks to me. I really need to start asking for a salary from the AJC.
01HAWK
January 8th, 2012
10:07 pm
Misty From Macon…………………………………You mean IRRELEVANT. They are terrible. They will not even get a NIT invitation.
When Paul Hewitt takes George Mason to the NCAA tournament this year I guess GT will have egg on their face.
BAMA just beat the 2 top schools in JAWJA in basketball…………………….Was not close in either game.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:08 pm
Maybe GT can beg to come back to the SEC
Why in the world would GT want to be back in the SEC?
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:10 pm
When Paul Hewitt takes George Mason to the NCAA tournament this year I guess GT will have egg on their face.
There is nothing Paul Hewitt could do to make GT fans regret getting rid of him. I wish him the best though.
01HAWK
January 8th, 2012
10:10 pm
GT could not compete in the SEC. Lower tier in basketball and football in the :
ALL……………………………………CISSY……………………………CONFERENCE
Misty From Macon
January 8th, 2012
10:11 pm
They were preseason #1; but you’re right, when they played LSU they were #3. Great save though — you totally refused to answer to the validity of my total post, and jumped on the Oregon rankings. You missed (ha, ha) the point about OU being an offensive powerhouse and ws still beaten by LSU, but you sure picked up on the #1 — I guess you GTers aren’t as dumb as you look. Just not very athletic.
With the first week of the college football season now behind us, the Oregon Ducks have dropped ten full spots from the No. 3 team in the nation to the No. 13 team in the nation.
01HAWK
January 8th, 2012
10:12 pm
That sure was a WHALE of a hire you got for the basketball team. Talking about someone that was not even a household name.
Alphare
January 8th, 2012
10:15 pm
ylojkt,
BCS NC is not about your liking to watch it or not, not about rematch either, it’s all about 2 best teams fighting for the ultimate title.
Alphare
January 8th, 2012
10:17 pm
BTW,
Tebow as a QB is a whole lot more successful than Matt Ryan.
Misty From Macon
January 8th, 2012
10:17 pm
Why in the world would GT want to be back in the SEC?
……. and get beaten down and embarrassed every Saturday?
Finished your sentence for you, don’t thank me. I like to help the foresaken and the needy.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:18 pm
That sure was a WHALE of a hire you got for the basketball team. Talking about someone that was not even a household name.
Outside of Coach K is any coach in America a household name? Actually, im not even sure Coach K is. You overestimate the popularity of college basketball.
Derek
January 8th, 2012
10:18 pm
GT might want to come to the SEC as a practice squad, lol, oh is everyone aware out of 14 teams in the SEC 10 have won the football championship…
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:22 pm
Finished your sentence for you, don’t thank me. I like to help the foresaken and the needy.
That is part of it, but really what benefit would there be for GT to go to the SEC? I really can’t think of one. I think that is why the SEC couldn’t get any ACC teams when they were trying to find a 14th team. They had to settle with Missouri.
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:27 pm
Anyone that isn’t excited about this game doesn’t love football!
Misty From Macon
January 8th, 2012
10:28 pm
They couldn’t get a 14th team from the ACC mainly because the ACC didn’t want to get beaten up every weekend. FSU may make a comeback — I really don’t see either them or Miami being down for long; and VT should consider a better OC if they want to stay in the chase.
As for benefit, try garnering your team MILLIONS in TV deals and bowl appearances. The only benefit for the SEC to grab an ACC team would be for the SEC to grab Duke; and that’s because Duke is a basketball powerhouse and also makes their conference MILLIONS in TV deals and Sweet 16 appearances.
Oh and this is for you:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1010128-college-football-conference-rankings-for-2012
Conference Rankings for 2012.
Derek
January 8th, 2012
10:29 pm
Uhhh Missouri would kick most of the ACC in football and probably basketball too
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:31 pm
They couldn’t get a 14th team from the ACC mainly because the ACC didn’t want to get beaten up every weekend.
Yeah right. ACC teams are scared so they didn’t move. Give me a break. Your millions of dollars argument is useless too. College athletics are a drop in the bucket for most schools financially. Getting a few million more from ESPN would barely matter.
Misty From Macon
January 8th, 2012
10:32 pm
I was hoping that the SEC would get Louisville to come join us. Louisville’s football coach is the old Gator’s Defensive coach AND Louisville has a serious basketball team that i think will probably win it all this year.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:33 pm
Uhhh Missouri would kick most of the ACC in football and probably basketball too
I agree, but Missouri isn’t exactly a big name, has never won a Big 12 championship, and openly admitted that they preferred the Big 10. Congrats on that great get.
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:33 pm
GTBob, I never heard of any ACC teams getting invited to the SEC. I remember speculation about VT and Clemson, but nothing but blogged BS about tech. Tech was in the SEC and left because they thought they were too good to share revenues and tried the ND route and failed miserably and wanted back in only to be justifiably denied. I hope they never get accepted back into the SEC where the money and the clout is where it’s at. Suck it tech fans! Enjoy the safe confines of the ACC that you have only won a couple of times.
Wreckmaniac
January 8th, 2012
10:34 pm
The 10 SEC practice teams should be congratulated on getting the two title contenders ready. Mark Richt and others should be proud of running a top-notch practice team program.
Misty From Macon
January 8th, 2012
10:35 pm
College athletics are a drop in the bucket for most schools financially. Getting a few million more from ESPN would barely matter.
GTBob either your psychotic, haullinogenic, mentally deficient, or just some guy who has WAY too much time on your hands. Colleges ALWAYS need money.
Either way, I’m out. Have a great day.
Wreckmaniac
January 8th, 2012
10:35 pm
Calvin Johnson and now Damarius Thomas. Is Tech becoming the resource for NFL receivers ?
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:36 pm
It’s interesting that you call the team that absolutely OWNS your team a “practice team”. LMFAO loser!
Wreckmaniac
January 8th, 2012
10:37 pm
Any goober would know that the SEC would prefer Clemson over A and M and Missouri. Thats obvious.
Wreckmaniac
January 8th, 2012
10:38 pm
Are there roads to Missouri ?
ylojkt
January 8th, 2012
10:38 pm
Alphare, I’m not of the belief that Alabama is one of those two, nor are a lot of other fans. After watching the Stanford – OK State game, all I wished for was that Ok State had gotten the nod instead of Bama. The computers had this one right.
The system is broken, period, and this game proves it. All the conferences have split into divisions so that they can send a conference champ to a BCS game. If you dilute the conference championship to put a non-conference winner against a conference winner in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, especially when they didn’t even win their division, then you are feeding us crap and it shows.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:38 pm
I hope they never get accepted back into the SEC where the money and the clout is where it’s at.
GT has no interest at all in the SEC just like most teams. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Even Virginia Tech shunned the SEC. lol.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:40 pm
Colleges ALWAYS need money.
Not enough to throw away the values of the school and put themselves in a bad situation.
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:41 pm
“Any goober would know that the SEC would prefer Clemson over A and M and Missouri. Thats obvious.”
Not when you consider TV markets which really is the target. A & M was a big pickup in terms of television and fan base expansion for the SEC. Missouri was also a good choice. We already have the state of SC covered so there was really nothing to gain with Clemson. VT would’ve been nice, but like I mentioned before, they were only mentioned in the blogosphere.
Alphare
January 8th, 2012
10:42 pm
ylojkt,
“especially when they didn’t even win their division”.
That’s because the 2 best teams happen to be in the same division. Actually with the old rule allowing tie game, they would be co-champ of West.
B. Thenet
January 8th, 2012
10:44 pm
How many players have Bama and LSU signed over the last 4 seasons, for 85 scholarship spots.
Despite the fact that the SEC is “cracking down” on oversigning, Bama now has more scholarship commits this recruiting year than they have available scholarships.
Of course they can go two deep on the DL, they probably recruit more in two seasons than most teams have on their entire roster.
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:44 pm
ylojkt, the two best teams in the country are playing for the title tomorrow. Okie St has no defense whatsoever. LSU or Bama would destroy those guys.
Wreckmaniac
January 8th, 2012
10:44 pm
Why would Tech want back into the SEC ? There’s no reason. The ACC owns the entire east coast market and all the money that goes with it. If the world wants to think that all of the wasteland that exists between Atlanta and Dallas can produce more money for football than the entire east coast, knock yourselves out. For Tech, going back to the SEC is like moving from the outhouse to the penthouse. SEC teams that have a clue will join the Big East.
Wreckmaniac
January 8th, 2012
10:46 pm
For TECH, moving back to the SEC is like moving from the penthouse to the outhouse.
01HAWK
January 8th, 2012
10:46 pm
GTBob……………………………………You absolutely have no clue.
VT’s AD Weaver says they have not been contacted by the SEC
SEC did not even call to inquire. The SEC did not want VIRGINIA TECH.
Wreckmaniac
January 8th, 2012
10:48 pm
Preston. Tex Am and Missou may add 10 additional TV watchers next year. There is no market for these teams except perhaps some fans in Houston.
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:48 pm
wreck, that was probably the most ridiculous post I’ve ever read on one of these blogs and I’ve seen a LOT of BS on here. LOL Congratulations! The Big East? Really? For tech, it would be moving from the outhouse (ACC) to the penthouse (SEC) though.
Alphare
January 8th, 2012
10:50 pm
ylojkt,
BTW, I don’t believe OSU is a conference champ this year with 10 teams in Big12. So that would disqualify them plus Notre Dame.
GTBob
January 8th, 2012
10:51 pm
SEC did not even call to inquire. The SEC did not want VIRGINIA TECH.
Right. All of the rumors and smoke were false. You believe what you want to believe. I still find it hard to believe that Missouri was the amazing school the SEC wanted. Especially after Missouri was turned down by the Big 10.
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:52 pm
If you don’t think the state of TX isn’t a very lucrative TV market for the SEC, then you need to go back to school and get yourself an education. Missouri will be pretty darn good too with the St. Louis and KC markets. The TV money is what everyone is after and the SEC is branching out.
Preston
January 8th, 2012
10:54 pm
oops, should’ve said IS a very lucrative…..
Bug Zapper
January 8th, 2012
10:58 pm
GT Bob……The ACC teams really have nothing to offer the SEC…..There are a couple of issues there….1st, the TV market is’nt there, hense the reason they went to Texas for that market with A&M and the St. Louis/ Chicago market with Missouri…..It’s all about money and we all know this….TV is the driving force…..2nd, Clemson and FSU, both of which are SEC type schools, have always wanted to join the SEC and still would if asked but the flagship universities, SC and Fla, in those states won’t allow it…POLITICS!…….right or wrong, money and politics drives football these days…..jus sayin theres more to it than the ACC schools standing pat…
01HAWK
January 8th, 2012
11:06 pm
SEC is the richest conference out there. Go and ask MIZZOU: GTBob…………..You still do not have a clue.
The report suggests Missouri could earn $17.16 million in Big 12 TV money in fiscal year 2012, compared to $19.25 million from an SEC deal.
It also envisions a far bigger “per member share potential” should a larger SEC — with millions of more eyeballs in Texas and the Midwest — renegotiate its top-tier TV rights — up to $12 million more per year.