1. The SEC has rested on its past achievements for too long and we believed our own headlines too much.

2. We went 7-5 in bowl season with the bottom half winning all of their games. So top to bottom as a conference we were probably still the strongest conference in the nation. Only the PAC had a better record in the bowls among major conferences. Alabama, Auburn, and L.S.U. all could have won their bowls with a break here or there so the top half of the West wasn't as bad as everyone made them out to be for their abysmal bowl season, but neither were they nearly as strong as we thought they were.

3. Every Western division school would have been a lot better with a stronger defense. If there was anything un-SEC like this year it was the lack of defense. Nutt may have said QB play, but our quarterbacks weren't that bad, but when an SEC school gives up 20 plus points per game something is lacking with our defensive emphasis. When Alabama gives up 44 to Auburn and 42 to Ohio State and much of that on the ground then they aren't the dominant Alabama squads we are used to having. If the SEC is to regain its prominence on an annual basis we must distinguish ourselves from the rest of the nation on that side of the ball as we have in the past.

4. Missouri is fitting in just fine. Tennessee is going to be a force to be reckoned with once again. Georgia will not miss Gurley and should they get better QB play they will be nationally prominent again soon. The Gamecocks and Gators should be better next year. Maybe the signs are in place for the balance to return to both divisions of the conference in 2015.

5. Let's turn our attention now to hoops. Kentucky is freakishly good this year. Florida if it can learn to finish the last 3 minutes of a game will again be competitive and the Aggies and Hawgs are looking much better. I think SEC basketball will still only have a couple of top teams by the end of the year but I think the middle of the conference will be improved.

6. When autonomy is defined, the cost of participation in the P4 or 5 is established, then I believe we will have the long awaited end of realignment. We'll see.

7. I hope you all have a blessed and prosperous New Year!

P5 Conference Bowl Records by Division

SEC East 5-0
Pac 12 South 4-1
Big 10 East 4-1
Pac 12 North 2-1
ACC Atlantic 2-3
ACC Coastal 2-4
Big 12 2-5
SEC West 2-5
Big 10 West 1-3

I agree that the SEC's greatest strength has been its defense. Those 275 lbs mutants who could run a 4.5/40 time. That asset has been marginalized by the targeting rules, spread offense and hurry up play. In that regard I think the SEC has been behind in either shifting to the new offensive paradigm or advocating for some type a rule change to benefit the defense.

That Arkansas is fixin to be really good.

Random SEC Thoughts:

1. Despite the bowl record, the SEC West was the best division in any conference this year. It was not what it was made out to be at points ("best division ever") and was not nearly as strong at the top as it seemed, but it was very deep and if you replay some of those bowl games or change match-up the results would have been better.

2. I think we are getting closer to seeing parity restore between the SEC East and West. The west was dominate in play this year, but things are pointing up for several east teams.

3. It was a great year for Ole Miss and Mississippi State despite the disappointing endings. If I had to guess, I'd say that's short lived with both dropping back down some.

I learned that a coach can kick a five star wide receiver off the team and still win the division.

(01-08-2015 09:18 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  I learned that a coach can kick a five star wide receiver off the team and still win the division.

Five star talent, Two cent head.

(01-08-2015 09:31 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  

(01-08-2015 09:18 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  I learned that a coach can kick a five star wide receiver off the team and still win the division.

Five star talent, Two cent head.

Lol... so true. Congrats on beating the Longhorns. Made my day!

Parity is a bad thing.