Two weeks ago, Ivan Maisel informed us that, “though it annoys to no end the rest of college football to hear it, the SEC is different. … There are plenty of…statistics and ratings by which to calibrate the primacy of the SEC. ‘In this league, there are legitimately 10 teams, maybe more, that can be Top 25 teams,’ [Tennessee linebacker coach Lance] Thompson said. … Above all, however, is the simple fact that the SEC has more big, fast players than the other leagues.”
But today? Maisel has rather abruptly changed his tune:
Perception no longer is reality in the Southeastern Conference. The SEC East went 0-for-Saturday, excluding South Carolina, which had the good sense not to suit up. And none of the losses made the East look good, with the possible exception of the gutsiness shown by Tennessee in its heartbreaking loss at LSU. Florida got embarrassed on national TV by Alabama. The other losses — to Connecticut, Colorado and Ole Miss — mumble for themselves. Alabama looks invincible. Auburn seems to mature every week. The rest of the league could swap uniforms with the Big 12, and we’d be none the wiser.
It’s almost like the conference was overhyped! Again! By people like… Ivan Maisel!
P.S. By the way, about those “legitimately 10 teams, maybe more, that can be Top 25 teams”… in order to get to 10, you’d need 4 of the following 6 teams to be ranked: Vanderbilt (1-3, just lost 40-21 to UConn), Ole Miss (3-2, lost to 1-AA Jacksonville State, gave Vandy its only win), Kentucky (3-2, crushed by Florida, lost to Ole Miss), Tennessee (2-3, destroyed by Oregon, need 2OT to beat UAB at home), Georgia (1-4, just lost to Colorado), and Mississippi State (3-2, no terrible losses, so might actually have the best resume of this sorry bunch).
If that motley crew doesn’t scream “BEST LEAGUE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM,” I don’t know what does.
The only thing in college football more overhyped than the SEC was Charlie Weis.
The SEC, its a BORE.
Ahhh, yes, the media hypers!
I feel bad for Ivan this week though. A Stanford alum shouldn’t have to see that.
Just watched a Youtube clip of the LSU-Tennessee finish, and I can only conclude, God hates the Volunteers.
Indeed. I’ve watched the finish to the Vols-LSU game several times in rapt fascination. I’ve never seen an ending mismanaged that badly by both teams. It’s like a car crash, in that you cant lose away.