The first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff format has proved successful in many ways, but for the SEC, it was a tough season.
Despite being represented by Georgia, the SEC Champion, the conference saw only one of its teams – (first-year) Texas – make it to the semifinals.
Two of the other three teams who made it to the semis hailed from the Big Ten. The other (Notre Dame) was also a northern team.
As we know, the championship game ended up being Notre Dame vs. Ohio State with the Buckeyes getting the last laugh.
Many SEC fans were left wondering what exactly happened to their conference? After all, the SEC had grown used to dominating the college football landscape for so long.
This marked the second consecutive year that no SEC team has made it to the National Championship Game, a stark contrast to the Big Ten, which has now produced back-to-back national champs.
Appearing on McElroy & Cubleic In the Morning, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum expressed his disappointment with the SEC’s performance, calling it a heavy blow to the league’s reputation.
“When you don’t win the title, when you don’t go to the championship, when the champion ends up beating two of your schools, and your champion loses in the quarterfinals, it’s a big blow to the ego of a league that has thrived for more than 20 years on how big and bad and brawny and successful the SEC has been,” Finebaum bluntly said.
Following Ohio State’s title win, Finebaum officially declared the Big Ten as the new King of College Football.
“The Big Ten, at the moment, owns college football,” Finebaum said on ESPN’s Get Up. “There’s no way you can say it doesn’t. When you go back-to-back, that’s generational. In Ohio State’s case, they beat two SEC schools along the way.
“There’s a there’s an old saying that was emanated in 1828, when Andrew Jackson was elected President. A Senator from New York said, ‘To the victor, belongs the spoils,’ and that’s exactly where the Big Ten is.
“It’s an uncomfortable feeling for the SEC, which has owned the sport. But it’s a reality this morning.”
This year’s results have stung, but the SEC is determined to bounce back.
With powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and newcomer Texas still vying for SEC titles and College Football Playoff spots, next season promises to be as competitive as ever.
Meanwhile, Ohio State, coming off a dominant run to the national title, will aim to defend its crown next season.
What are your thoughts on the popular idea that the Big Ten has overtaken the SEC as the best conference in the country?
Some may call Finebaum a troll – but the fact of the matter is many share his opinion on the changing tide in the sport.
What are your thoughts? … Will the SEC break through (again) and produce a national champion next season???
