SEC BIAS IN THE BCS?

[ahommell]

I read this great column earlier today and have been debating its merits all day with some friends down here in dixie. They want to hear none of it.

Think it is worth some discussion? Is Notre Dame screwed if we win out and others do as well?

Read here.

 

[irishog77]

You bet. Florida and LSU's movement are prime examples of this from yesterday's poll(s).

 

[UmphreakDomer]

love that article/excerpt.

 

[Green Goblin]

Florida/LSU/Auburn exposed this.

Also, look at Georgia and Louisville. Georgia was top 5 at the start of the season and despite struggling with Buffalo at home they didn't budge an inch....from the top 5!

Louisville struggled with UNC, who comes from an AQ conference with good players, and won but dropped several places despite a win in the game.

Florida struggled with Bowling Green! Lsu barely beat Auburn who barely beat UL Monroe who beat Arkansas who beat Auburn. So I'm left to believe all these teams are about as good as each other...which is not that good. Yet when Florida barely eeked out a win over a LSU that has been slipping because they look so meh, Florida instantly took over their spot at #4. I'm sorry that is total BS.

I think ND could handle Georgia, LSU, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas this year. Only SCar and Alabama would be tough ones.

 

[irish o'phile]

Six straight NCAA championships will do that. Until someone beats the SEC, they deserve the respect/bias.

 

[Anchorman]

I think ND could handle Georgia, LSU, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas this year. Only SCar and Alabama would be tough ones.

Good lord. Don't drown on the Kool-Aid.

 

[Dizzyphil]

I think ND could handle Georgia, LSU, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas this year. Only SCar and Alabama would be tough ones.

We still have Stanford, BYU, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, BC, Wake, and USC.... I think we have enough to worry about than an SEC foe who we think we can 'handle'. We need to be able to say we can 'handle' what we have now rather than try and take on the SEC.

Diz

 

[ClausentoTate]

I don't think there's any doubt that the top 2-3 teams of the SEC are hands down the best in any given year. Maybe a USC or Oregon or Texas can beat them if all things go their way, but there isn't always another team that can do it. It's a product of being in the South, grey shirting, paying players, no academic requirements above the minimum, etc. I would also say they have the elite coaching staffs in the business as well. They pretty much have it all.

That said, there is an obvious bias in the conference as a whole. Especially this year. Few big out of conference matchups each year means that each SEC team is highly ranked by the time they get to SEC conference play. Then, if they lose, they only lost to highly ranked teams and don't fall as far. The end product is a lot of mediocre teams that are more highly ranked than they should be. These rankings get carried over to the next year and the cycle repeats.

A good example is Georgia this year. They will play two mid to upper-tier teams in SC and UF. The rest of the UGA schedule is pretty unimpressive. They'll probably finish top 10 and in the BCS and possibly even talk national title if SC loses and they beat UF.

Why don't more conferences do that then? They do. The ACC has been dominated by VT for a while and they have never been a very good football team. Not top-SEC caliber anyway. They're the best in their division, though, and play nobody out of conference (and if they do they lose). It pretty much guarantees a top 10 spot. FSU is a good example for this year.

What if they all beat eachother multiple times? This actually has come close to happening multiple years in a row. There has always been a controversial game-changing call in the big SEC games and it's pretty exclusively for the higher-ranked team. We can all debate but my tin-foil hat is always on when I watch big SEC games.

The SEC championship game pretty much guarantees a spot in the NCG every year. With this formula it will always be a two Top 8 team matchup and the winner will always go. ESPN has a major contract with the SEC and will promote the heck out of them to make this happen.

The coaches poll is the biggest piece of BS out there. The majority only watch their conference opponents' games and the bias in those is skewed toward conferences like nobody's business.

I hate the SEC. I legitimately believe we could beat pretty much all of them except Bama. I also think this is a down year for CFB as a whole, especially the ACC, Pac 12 and Big 10.

 

[IrishLax]

We'd wreck LSU. They'd be lucky to make it across midfield. #truth

Would probably get beat by Florida. I said coming into that Florida-LSU game that LSU was the most overrated team in the country... and let's be serious, if not for a couple great individual efforts by LSU on key plays, Florida maybe wins that game by 3-4 TDs. LSU has one of the worst offenses in the entire country... incredibly mundane and predictable... and they don't have the same world-beater defense as they did last year.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

If we win out and USC wins 9 or more we're playing in the NC, no doubt in my mind. The media frenzy would be unreal with an undefeated Notre Dame team.

There is such a tough road ahead but the staff has the kids buying in one week at a time.

 

[ND NYC]

what would happen to the NC matchup if an undefeated sec east team defeats an undefeated bama in the sec champ game?

like last yr---they both get to go to it right?

this is why i was vs bama even making the nc game last yr.

 

[Cackalacky]

If we win out and USC wins 9 or more we're playing in the NC, no doubt in my mind. The media frenzy would be unreal with an undefeated Notre Dame team.

There is such a tough road ahead but the staff has the kids buying in one week at a time.

Its not inconcievable that 2 SEC teams meet in the championship again this year. Based on remaining schedules we could get lucky if LSU beats Alabama and we win out and Oregon loses. A lot of things have to happen for us to make a NC game, but I expect us to be ranked higher than #7 in the BCS rankings next week.

 

[Folsteam_Ahead]

Its not inconcievable that 2 SEC teams meet in the championship again this year. Based on remaining schedules we could get lucky if LSU beats Alabama and we win out and Oregon loses. A lot of things have to happen for us to make a NC game, but I expect us to be ranked higher than #7 in the BCS rankings next week.

i agree. and if we end up in a situation where nd, bama, and oregon are all undefeated...you know that we'll be on the outside looking in. i don't see us competing with bama or oregon though. the matchups remind me of the 2005/2006 period when we played teams like osu and lsu.

 

[IrishMoore1]

If a 12-0 Irish team gets left out of the championship game, there would an outcry of chaos. The media and the fans would absolutely roast the BCS for making such a decision.

 

[UmphreakDomer]

Six straight NCAA championships will do that. Until someone beats the SEC, they deserve the respect/bias.

respect and bias are not synonymous. deserving respect is one thing based upon play. bias should never be given, ever. if you are biased--you are a fan. there is no room for it, especially in journalism. it rejects objectivity by definition.

again, if the table is set with bias involved or built in, then the system is as flawed as shaving points or any other scandalous behavior. if it boils down to who controls the money and where the money is going, its not fair. its not balanced.

you are sort of correct by offering that it will continue until they get beat. but, as the article states--it is possible that when the playoff comes, there could be 4 SEC teams going against each other, based upon the bias that the SEC is the elite, even though, within head to head match-ups, they really arent.

 

[Bubba]

If a 12-0 Irish team gets left out of the championship game, there would an outcry of chaos. The media and the fans would absolutely roast the BCS for making such a decision.

There can only be 1 undefeated SEC team at season's end (Bama, SC or Fla). There can only be 1 big12 undefeated (WVU or KSU). Only 1 possible Pac12 (Oregon or OSU).

Even if there are 3 other undefeated teams (one out of each of those three conferences), The computers and our strength of schedule probably get us in the NC game. I would think that only Oregon might have a shot at being ahead of us in the BCS standings if we are undefeated.

Am I missing something in my analysis?

 

[ALLGATOR]

I think ND could handle Georgia, LSU, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas this year. Only SCar and Alabama would be tough ones.

is this a joke?

 

[UmphreakDomer]

Allgator--whats your take on the article?

 

[ALLGATOR]

Allgator--whats your take on the article?

There are some valid points but the truth of the matter is the SEC has really good football teams. I honestly don't understand why people care so much about the rankings until the end of the season because it typically works itself out. If some team goes undefeated and doesn't get in the NC game then they have a reason to complain about it. The most egregious thing we have seen in the BCS era is the 2004 Auburn team being left out of the NC game but nobody wants to talk about that right?

People cried about last year but everybody knew LSU and Bama were the two best teams in the country Oklahoma state lost to Iowa state.

 

[Grahambo]

is this a joke?

I sure hope so because I would not sign up for that at all.

 

[johnnykillz]

We Can Personally End the Bias...

We Can Personally End the Bias...

With an SEC opponent getting their *** whooped by us.

Until then, we are the mercy of the formidable conference they have assembled and marketed to ESPN and CBS Sports.

It's just like how there will be another ND bias if we keep destroying and win a couple of Nattys.

Bottom line: build it and they will come.

 

[irishfanjho15]

There are some valid points but the truth of the matter is the SEC has really good football teams. I honestly don't understand why people care so much about the rankings until the end of the season because it typically works itself out. If some team goes undefeated and doesn't get in the NC game then they have a reason to complain about it. The most egregious thing we have seen in the BCS era is the 2004 Auburn team being left out of the NC game but nobody wants to talk about that right?

People cried about last year but everybody knew LSU and Bama were the two best teams in the country Oklahoma state lost to Iowa state.

Just for your information, this has been talked about in at least two different instances in the last couple months on this site.

 

[johnnykillz]

I want Florida.

I think we crush them in a bowl game.

 

[ALLGATOR]

Just for your information, this has been talked about in at least two different instances in the last couple months on this site.

well good to know that some ND fans are looking at the whole picture. Random but the one game I would have loved to see this year is ND vs Tennessee.

 

[Grahambo]

I want Florida.

I think we crush them in a bowl game.

well good to know that some ND fans are looking at the whole picture. Random but the one game I would have loved to see this year is ND vs Tennessee.

Honestly? I would like Alabama to see how we stack up against the #1 team in the land for the past year or two. Not saying I would expect a win but just want to see where we stack up against the absolute best.

 

[johnnykillz]

Alabama's lack of standards make them a tremendous opponent.

A football farm.

But it's a real cop out.

Because "team" is the remarkable thing people will see when we make it back. We will make it back.

Maybe this year.

But my money is on 2013. And thereafter.

Bama we comin'!

And the pain train is acoming too.

 

[ALLGATOR]

Alabama's lack of standards make them a tremendous opponent.

A football farm.

But it's a real cop out.

Because "team" is the remarkable thing people will see when we make it back. We will make it back.

Maybe this year.

But my money is on 2013. And thereafter.

Bama we comin'!

And the pain train is acoming too.

Bama wont be there next year

 

[Grahambo]

Alabama's lack of standards make them a tremendous opponent.

A football farm.

But it's a real cop out.

Because "team" is the remarkable thing people will see when we make it back. We will make it back.

Maybe this year.

But my money is on 2013. And thereafter.

Bama we comin'!

And the pain train is acoming too.

Predictable, I know:

 

[IrishLax]

Yes, the SEC is completely overrated as a "top to bottom" conference almost every year. The reason why is actually quite simple.

1. Every year the SEC has at least 1 world-beater team that is the best team in college football by a large margin. Some years they have 2. Which means when those two teams show out in the BCS and kick the crap out of their championship game and/or sugar bowl opponent it validates the conference. As the article points out... the weird thing is when Alabama loses to Utah or Arkansas to Ohio State... somehow the narrative is "other team got lucky" or "wow what shocker!" or something to that effect.

2. Most SEC teams play NO ONE outside of conference. It's really a joke. Florida plays FSU, South Carolina plays Clemson, etc.... but that's usually it. There are almost always at least 2-3 pure cupcakes on every SEC team's schedule. Therefor, at the end of the year, their records are always inflated.

3. The bottom half of the SEC is often a joke.... just like the bottom half of any conference. So the top 4-5 teams every year finish with somewhere near 7 automatic wins. Just look at Georgia this year... Buffalo, FAU, Vandy, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech.... that's 8 teams who SUCK. Those are all seriously crappy teams. Georgia plays EIGHT of them. That means even if Georgia was totally average... they would get a minimum of 8 wins... and the kicker? They get lauded for their oh so tough SEC schedule... what a farce.

To take is a step further, the top of those 8 games they get two against average Missouri and Tennessee teams... and then two legit games against Florida/South Carolina. So they can go 0-2 against legit teams and still finish 10-2 with credit for "playing a tough schedule." Compare that to ND... who has to play at least five legit teams (Stanford, USC, Oklahoma, Michigan, Michigan State) plus three average teams (BYU, Miami, Purdue) and then four bad teams (Pitt, Boston College, Wake Forest, Navy). It's ridiculous. And once they start objectively weighting SOS in the playoff formula it'll finally count against these guys.

 

[irishfanjho15]

Yes, the SEC is completely overrated as a "top to bottom" conference almost every year. The reason why is actually quite simple.

1. Every year the SEC has at least 1 world-beater team that is the best team in college football by a large margin. Some years they have 2. Which means when those two teams show out in the BCS and kick the crap out of their championship game and/or sugar bowl opponent it validates the conference. As the article points out... the weird thing is when Alabama loses to Utah or Arkansas to Ohio State... somehow the narrative is "other team got lucky" or "wow what shocker!" or something to that effect.

2. Most SEC teams play NO ONE outside of conference. It's really a joke. Florida plays FSU, South Carolina plays Clemson, etc.... but that's usually it. There are almost always at least 2-3 pure cupcakes on every SEC team's schedule. Therefor, at the end of the year, their records are always inflated.

3. The bottom half of the SEC is often a joke.... just like the bottom half of any conference. So the top 4-5 teams every year finish with somewhere near 7 automatic wins. Just look at Georgia this year... Buffalo, FAU, Vandy, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech.... that's 8 teams who SUCK. Those are all seriously crappy teams. Georgia plays EIGHT of them. That means even if Georgia was totally average... they would get a minimum of 8 wins... and the kicker? They get lauded for their oh so tough SEC schedule... what a farce.

To take is a step further, the top of those 8 games they get two against average Missouri and Tennessee teams... and then two legit games against Florida/South Carolina. So they can go 0-2 against legit teams and still finish 10-2 with credit for "playing a tough schedule." Compare that to ND... who has to play at least five legit teams (Stanford, USC, Oklahoma, Michigan, Michigan State) plus three average teams (BYU, Miami, Purdue) and then four bad teams (Pitt, Boston College, Wake Forest, Navy). It's ridiculous. And once they start objectively weighting SOS in the playoff formula it'll finally count against these guys.

Every time you write this much and make this much sense, two things happen.

1. SEC fans can't read it

2. SEC fans start chanting, "SEC....SEC....SEC...."