Spurrier says only SEC division games should count (really?)
Neither Steve Spurrier nor Rex Ryan have been known as coaches who conform. That can be good or bad. (AP photo)
Let me preface this by saying that I actually like Steve Spurrier. He is a great coach, he changed the SEC with what he accomplished at Florida and he doesn’t cheat (although “suspending” former quarterback Stephen Garcia five times without forcing him to actually miss a game certainly set new standards for enabling and being disingenuous).
But Spurrier’s latest idea is beyond looney.
The South Carolina coach is about to make a wonderful self-serving proposal. He believes the SEC’s division champions — the participants in the conference championship game — should be determined not by the teams’ conference records but by just results within the division.
I’m sure the fact that the Gamecocks will play SEC West teams LSU and Arkansas in 2012 while Georgia plays only Auburn and Mississippi has nothing to do with this brainstorm.
It’s shocking, really, that Spurrier didn’t come up with this idea in 2008, when Georgia played Alabama and South Carolina played Mississippi.
Wait a minute . . .
Spurrier apparently will make this pitch at the SEC spring meetings in Destin, according to SI.com. He spun this as only getting the idea after taking pity on Tennessee and Florida last year.
“Last year, it wasn’t fair for Tennessee and Florida,” he told SI.com. “They both played LSU and Alabama. Us and Georgia didn’t. So, us or Georgia almost had to win the division simply because of the schedule.”
It’s not a completely baseless argument. Every SEC team doesn’t play each other. Therefore, there are going to be inequities every year.
The problem is that no other sport at any other level determines division standings by division-only results. (Division records comes into play in tiebreaker scenarios.) Further, even if such a rule was adopted, it wouldn’t prevent other inequities. For example, how do you weigh the fact that Georgia’s first SEC game in 2012 is at Missouri and is the Tigers’ first conference game (which will be kind of hyped), while South Carolina gets Missouri two weeks later at home (and following games against East Carolina and Alabama-Birmingham).
Also, I suspect that if a scheduling glitch after conference expansion hadn’t knocked Alabama off of Georgia’s schedule, Spurrier might not be making this pitch. Just saying.
By Jeff Schultz
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272 comments Add your comment
MattDawg
April 18th, 2012
5:39 pm
To typical UGA homer: you sthu your coach is the one whining about his schedule. You don’t hear Eicht whining, or Saban after he had to play every sec game after that team had a bye week. Just win against Arkansas and Auburn and you would have been in. You don’t win those you don’t deserve it, so sthu go wipe Spurriers tears.
goodnight Irene
April 18th, 2012
5:39 pm
Makes sense to me.
TampaGator
April 18th, 2012
5:41 pm
Come on now, Stevie boy. You are much better than that!
P.S. What the heck happened to that left knee there, Stevie boy? Golf at the Columbia Country Club is a rough game, I guess.
TampaGator
April 18th, 2012
5:44 pm
Screw this easy schedule crap. Georgia beat who they had to beat last year. SC and Florida didn’t. The same applies this coming year. Georgia will have a tough schedule again soon….unless the SEC continues to add teams.
JB
April 18th, 2012
5:46 pm
Georgia has opened the last two years with pretty tough games. Check the openers of Cocks and Gators. Yep, Barber colleges.
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
5:47 pm
@Mattdawg….UGA got screwed outta the National title in 2007, but we Ain’t whining nearly as much as USC is about there scheduling. Just win and it ain’t a problem is it?..
If UGA had followed the advice you offered in your last sentence, you wouldn’t have gotten “screwed” in 2007. Probably saved you the embarrassment of being the first SEC team to lose a BCS title game. Ohio State would have spanked that behind.
Tony Barnhardt Sez
April 18th, 2012
5:47 pm
@evil empire Exactly! BTW, what was the most impressive win last year for the Dawgs?? Vandy on the road? Oh, I guess their win vs Auburn…
They lost ALL games vs the BIG boys – Boise St (embarrassment to the SEC), USC, LSU & Mich St. (another embarrassing loss)
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
5:48 pm
“Beat Auburn last year Mrs Stevie and you go to the SEC Championship game. ”
And get their a$$es stomped like the dawgs.
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
5:49 pm
Spurrier is still superior to UGA and UGA coaching.
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
5:49 pm
Did UGA beat USC last year?
No
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
5:50 pm
“And UGA fans just whine and whine when everyone around them league calls them out for playing the weakest SEC schedule once again all the while losing player after player get suspended for playing games with Betty Crocker.”
UGA fans always cry because they know that UGA is a second tier football school and has been since 1980. The 1980 team wasn’t even that good.
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
5:51 pm
“South Carolina lacks the tradition and winning history of other SEC programs”
As does UGA.
MattDawg
April 18th, 2012
5:56 pm
I guess the biggest question is why are USC fans even in our blogs. USC a winning tradition since Marcus Lattimore. Truth hurts don’t it? UGA 46-16-2 vs USCe
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
5:59 pm
dumb dawgs let me remind the blogging audience: the opponent’s winning percentage for the 1980 dawgs was .374…the best teams in the conference that year were Bama and Miss State, neither of which UGA played (deja vu). They won the Sugar Bowl against a Notre Dame squad who had just tied a GTech squad who finished 1-10-1. Winning when everyone else is down. That really is “the Georgia way”.
MattDawg
April 18th, 2012
5:59 pm
UGA football 2 national titles and 12 SEC titles. USCe football 0 national titles 0 SEC titles.
1eyedJack
April 18th, 2012
6:00 pm
Bill Stanfill could still sack him.
JB
April 18th, 2012
6:00 pm
Dumb Dawgs…………..We have some hardware in our case….for SEC play. NC and several SEC titles.
Last time I looked, Carolina is storing supplies in their trophy case.
MattDawg
April 18th, 2012
6:01 pm
Losing consistently that is the USCe way. How is that overall record against Clemson?
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
6:03 pm
@ Mattdawg…Maybe i’ll go to the library and read about those great Georgia football teams of the last century. I bet there are some articles in encyclopedias about those storied squads. Probably some cool black and white photos accompanying the stories. I love history.
@tony barnhardt sez
April 18th, 2012
6:04 pm
Kinda funny that you would downplay Auburn to make your point, considering Auburn beat South Carolina, but were blowed out by UGA. If South Carolina had won the Auburn game, they would have been the Eastern champ. If UGA had played the second half like they did the first half against Alabama in the SEC championship, with just a little bit of offense, they could have been the SEC champions. If Alabama had been denied the opportunity to play for the NC, since they didn’t win their conferance, then we would have a different NC. I’m no LSU fan, but they got screwed on that deal.
@tony barnhardt sez
April 18th, 2012
6:06 pm
Pardon me for putting Alabama in the SEC game instead of LSU.
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
6:07 pm
“We have some hardware in our case….for SEC play. NC and several SEC titles.”
Yep, and UGA should be proud of their championship 32 years ago. Fact is, UGA can’t compete with the big boys of the SEC West.
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
6:08 pm
“If UGA had played the second half like they did the first half against Alabama in the SEC championship, with just a little bit of offense, they could have been the SEC champions.”
Shoulda coulda woulda
Fact is, UGA lost.
Dumb Dawgs
April 18th, 2012
6:09 pm
“I guess the biggest question is why are USC fans even in our blogs. USC a winning tradition since Marcus Lattimore. Truth hurts don’t it? UGA 46-16-2 vs USCe”
I’m not a USC fan but my guess would be that they are here because the topic is about their head coach. WHat that has to with UGA is beyond me.
Question is: Why are UGA fans commenting on a blog about USC?
MattDawg
April 18th, 2012
6:10 pm
@typical uga homer. Guess we will just show you on your home field. Get ready to go back to losing. See you in the fall!
@Dumb, not really a, Dawg
April 18th, 2012
6:13 pm
Fact is, UGA lost. Yeah, so did South Carolna, LSU, and Alabama. I guess that makes all SEC teams a loser.
Beast from the East
April 18th, 2012
6:14 pm
Jeff,
I don’t agree with this idea, but let’s be fair. All coaches that come out and want change about anything have selfish motives. Remember when Saban said you should have to win your conference to be able to play for the NC? Changed his tune last year, didn’t he? That is how change comes about in many cases…selfish reasons. Not just because something “is the right thing to do”.
By the way, I love how the Head Ball Coach can still get under the Dawgs skin after all these years. The best (maybe only) way to shut Spurrier up is to beat him.
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
6:14 pm
I’m a USC troll
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
6:14 pm
no, just you.
@dumbdogs
April 18th, 2012
6:14 pm
Can’t comperte with the big boys in the west. won 5 of last 6 vs Auburn 3-1 vs bama, 3-4 vs Lsu since Richts arrival. 2nd in wins behind only LSU over past 12 years,
bawbie
April 18th, 2012
6:15 pm
fire Dave PERNO NOW. Cant believe diamond dawgs lost to f’” ing Furman……
Dabo
April 18th, 2012
6:16 pm
Watch out mutts but its gonna be three in a row against you too by the chickens!
@Beast from the East
April 18th, 2012
6:17 pm
You know you are right. Didn’t hear very much out of Steve when he was with the Redskins. lol
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
6:25 pm
Fox, Richt, Perno…what a combo…
Score Check
April 18th, 2012
6:28 pm
Coach Sick Satan = SCUM
Tweak your knee and you are left twisting in the wind
Score Check
April 18th, 2012
6:28 pm
Coach SOS = JERK
Jesse Bentura
April 18th, 2012
6:31 pm
This is a UGA conspiracy to win the most games but not in the division.
saint simons
April 18th, 2012
6:35 pm
(((((((((((( 45-42 )))))))))))) hahahahahahahahahahaha!
Sautee Dawg
April 18th, 2012
6:40 pm
Spurrier crying early this year.
Remember his crying whenever Clowney was arrested for being in a club in downtown Columbia and him only 17 at the time. at 2 am.
Always cryin about something.
Garcia caught 5 different times but never severe enough to be suspended. Cry some more.
Didn’t have a decent qb or Garcia would have been suspended after the fist sign of trouble.
S.C. Auburn , Bama and UF never seem to have trouble with players getting into trouble.
Just a reflection of how clean a program these schools run.
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
6:44 pm
Sautee Dawg …Florida, Auburn, and Bama have titles in the last 5 years…just a reflection of what it takes to win championships…1980 was over 30 years ago….
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
April 18th, 2012
6:54 pm
The auburn fans are the most stupid football fans in the entire world no doubt but you UGA fans are only a few french fries away. How can any fan of a team that has won so little in their history continue to slam others for the same situation? You talk a great game no doubt but your trophy case doesn’t back that big mouth. Please continue. I assume some of you actually believe what you post.
WouldaShoulda
April 18th, 2012
7:03 pm
He wouldn’t be advocating this is SC had done their job and beat Auburn last year, either.
This is just Steve being Steve. He’s just trolling and he knows it.
Nub
April 18th, 2012
7:03 pm
The last 12 yrs UGA won the SEC twice ..and played for it 2 other times … Compare that !
typical uga homer
April 18th, 2012
7:33 pm
compare this: bama x2, florida x2, lsu x2, auburn x1, tennessee x1…bcs titles…uga x0…and lost it’s last two bowl games, lost last two games to south carolina…what’s to compare…maybe we could pull up kentucky or miss state, a couple of programs you may outshine…maybe…
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
7:34 pm
The last 12 yrs UGA won the SEC twice ..and played for it 2 other times … Compare that !
That’s not very impressive over 12 years.
bi-polar dawg
April 18th, 2012
7:34 pm
OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!
Blog Cop
April 18th, 2012
7:38 pm
Everyone ok in here?
Blog Cop
April 18th, 2012
7:41 pm
If all is well, i’m gonna watch a little playoff hockey. I’ll check back every little while or so to ensure safety on these blogs.
The Facts
April 18th, 2012
7:46 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg
April 18th, 2012
5:12 pm
The Facts-
So you want the best Conference in the nation to play 9 straight conference games after the first 3 weeks? Man the attrition rate would be through the roof. Injurys among your roster would amazing and then the SEC would rarely play for a MNC as other conferences would NEVER conform to that schedule as patsys in the middle of the year are essentially bye weeks. That post makes zero sense.
I PREFACED my comments by saying it would never happen. Perhaps you do not remember the same thing( The SEC will never have a team be National Champions) when the SEC Championship game was instituted. The issue is that teams schedule and place bye weeks prior to their tough opponents, or place cupcakes to save their players.
Doggie in NC
April 18th, 2012
5:20 pm
THE FACTS are you are 150 pounds soaking wet, you wet the bed, you are 35 and live at home with your grandmother and you sneak around the neighborhood at night, peeking in windows. PERV!
LOL! 185, no bed wetting problem, live on the beach in south florida, 48, live in my own home with my lovely wife, own a thriving business, employ 170 plus employees( and their average salary is 65k plus) and love my life.
Unlike you, I do not live in rural North Carolina, where “party lines still exist”, moonshining is a business, you and your mom share a “spit cup”, the two trucks out in the front of your house are on blocks, your house can be moved when the rental space is due, you comb your hair with your car’s dipstick, and your miserable barking can be heard down the holler after UGA beats another weak opponent, or your neighbors hear you crying after losing to another caliber team.
Have a good nite, and be says your prayers tonight that another UGA bulldog does not get arrested or does his impression of Emeril and puts some “BAM” into his next recipe.
The Factor
April 18th, 2012
7:50 pm
@GTBob
Still a Pinhead (living at home). Really? In 12 years playing for it 4 times? Let’s see…there are how many teams in the East and we have been there 4 times in 12 years? Well, all I can say, in THIS conference that isn’t too bad. If we had had been there 6 times (half), would that still suck? GT, you are pitiful and full of envy.