In the wake of SEC Media Days, everyone’s favorite SEC pundit, Paul Finebaum, provided a rather unexpected soundbite on Tuesday afternoon. “Overall, I think the SEC may be overrated” said Finebaum, who was asked about the most overrated team in the SEC west.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJVsif6J7e0
Finebaum, whose talk show appears on the SEC network and is syndicated on radio stations across the country, makes a living talking about SEC football. For him to say that the conference on which he makes his living is overrated is certainly surprising. Nevertheless, it’s his job to say what he thinks, whether it’s pro-SEC or anti-SEC.
So is he right? Is the SEC in decline? Is it really possible that the SEC champion doesn’t end up in the college football playoff as he seems to imply in the video?
He is right to an extent. The SEC certainly isn’t as dominant as it was as recently as three or four years ago. From 2006-2012, the SEC won every National Championship. Since then, the ACC and Big 10 have each claimed one, respectively.
However, the SEC has always at least been in the mix, with Auburn losing to FSU in the championship game in 2013 and Alabama making the 4-team playoff in 2014 before losing to eventual champion Ohio State.
Even over the last two championship-less years, the SEC finished with seven out of the top ten recruiting classes in 2014 according to 24/7 Sports and five out of the top ten in 2015. In addition, the SEC tied with the PAC-12 for most schools in the AP top 25 at the end of the 2014 season and outnumbered the PAC-12 in the top 15 4-3.
Beyond those numbers, what sets the SEC apart more than anything else is its depth. A conference like the Big-10, for example, is very top-heavy. Teams like Ohio State, Michigan State, and probably soon-to-be Michigan are as good as the best teams in the SEC. However, teams like Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, and Indiana would likely lose 9 out of ten times against any team in the SEC, right down to the bottom (except perhaps Vanderbilt).
So while the SEC is overrated, it’s only overrated to the extent that some people place it on a pedestal way above all the other conferences. It’s still the best conference in college football no doubt; it’s just not as far above that rest as it used to be.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
