http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/alabama-crimson-tide-aub...
Now, after consecutive disappointing postseasons, we're hearing a slew of excuses from SEC coaches why they're no longer dominating the rest of the country. Which is not only insufferable, but patently absurd
Great article about what we all really were thinking anyway.
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The chickens have come home to roost on the SEC. They can peddle being 'worn down' all they want, but nearly the entire SEC West got throttled in bowl games this year after 3-4 weeks rest. I wonder how long they can continue to push the narrative that they're the greatest conference in college football if they have a couple more post-seasons like last year and continue to schedule cupcake non conference games.
"Your chickens have come to roost, Bobby Boucher! Your chickens have come to roost!" -Mamma
Interesting.
An Alabama fan once told me they consider Atlanta "The Bama Dome." Kind of makes me hope FSU hurts their feelings in 2017. Kind of, but not quite (ugh).
Then again, it would be fun to see something like this again:
I don't like Jimbo, but while we're in the ACC, we need to root for ACC teams over SEC teams every time they play (maybe except for LOLUVa).
This. I have been saying this for 10yrs. I can't hardly think of the last big time game featuring an SEC team on the road, not since LSU got spanked in BBurg. They just don't travel and want to act like they are tough.
I dont see why coaches from other conferences shouldn't use some of these comments to their advantage. Tell the kids your recruiting "Look, the NFL and everybody else remembers your performance in big games late in the season. If you go to the SEC, and the SEC coaches have stated this, you will wear down and underperform in bowl games which is your last chance to make an impression."
Not only that, but would you want to be worn down, injured, and damaged from such a "brutal" conference for 2-3 years before you even get to the NFL, potentially shortening what pro career you may have.
I don't necessarily believe this, but I see how it could be used for recruiting?
I doubt it. Opposing coaches are probably pointing to the recent postseason results and saying, "look, the SEC isn't all that anymore. You can go through your season overrated every year and fall on your face, or you can go to a program that you'll actually fit better (*ahem* Hand *ahem*), likely beat an SEC team in the postseason, get a degree that's actually worth something, and then be every bit as likely to go to the NFL." Or something to that effect.
I don't know if I'd mention Hand.
This is a guy who chose the 3rd team at Alabama over being the Chosen one at VT and starting team at any top 25 team
You got to think every HC told him how much better they are that he would start right away. Considering this year he is behind A'Shawn Robinson, the 2016 NFL Draft's Top DT and a redshirt JR Dalvin Tomlinson
That's exactly my point. Go ask French what he thought of Hand from a scheme fit perspective. It's insane. He would've been an absolute monster here, but no one even knows who he is in Tuscaloosa.
The excuses are getting ridiculous. SEC fired the first shots, openly discussing 7 in a row at every opportunity. The rest of the conferences kept their heads down, kept grinding, and bounced back. Then after a couple of bad years, the SEC comes back chirping again, when everyone else moved on and is ready / excited to compete with more parity across the conferences. Look at Beamer's comments from media day; doesn't talk about other teams or conferences; he talks about how VT needs to improve.
Learn to be modest, focus on your team, and most importantly just stop whining. These coaches openly act like children; way to set an example for your guys on the team.
I love this article! I have noticed Alabama never faces a non-conference opponent except on neutral sites. Can't stop reading this! How could you even come up with excuses for bowl games when you have 3-4 week rests from your last game, oh and top recruiting classes each year!
They can point out that they have x number of schools in the top 25, but hey fail to mention that not all of them belong there. Its the ESPN bias IMO and it isn't going to stop anytime soon. Fact is, because of 3 games last year the west got waaay over rated and it showed in bowl season. Hell it started to show when Auburn got smacked down by UGA (who lost to GT BTW).
Well when everyone in your division starts out "ranked" in the top 25 of the preseason polls, and then you only play teams in your division, every loss is a "good loss" and every win is a "great win". It's a self-fulfilling prophecy that ESPN is only too happy to accept.
Preseason rankings are ridiculous. I'd love if a major sports company came out with rankings only after the 4th week
That's not true. They've played such powerhouse as Charleston Southern, Western Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern right before the Iron Bowl so they get so beat up they can barely suit up.
Something tells me Osu78 may stick around for a while after Labor Day has come and gone. Would welcome it, been a great addition to the discussions thus far. Legs on legs. BTW watching the OSU / Oregon game, that's how badly I need football back; got no dog in this fight...
Easy on Ga. Southern. They did put up the most rushing yards on alabamas defense that year.
Didn't play the powerhouse team of Duke for a home and away about five years ago? See they played a power 5 team on the road.
The comments are pretty ridiculous as well. SEC homers are reading the article as it saying the SEC sucks. However, it doesn't say that. It says the coaches are making excuses as to why they have performed poorly in the post-season the past couple of years. I wonder what Bama's excuse against OSU was last year?? I hope they do start to drop. They will eventually though. Everything comes in waves.
Well you know how it is with the Crimson tide. Pretty regular cycle, I've heard.
I've always wondered why anyone would willing choose a mascot synonymous with you know...
Only way this would have been better is if it was written by the person with the Signature, "Period. End."
I find it a breath of fresh air that Fox published an article like this. I feel like ESPN would NEVER venture into that territory
Agreed, this is the first somewhat negative article I have read in years from a reputable site.
As far as Im concerned, ESPN is a sinking ship unless they make drastic changes. You cant keep feeding the masses b.s. and expect them to not catch on
Well when the masses have a very significant portion of fans rooting for the teams you're fluffing, you can get away with it much longer than you should...
ESPN isn't going to die on the SEC mountain, they're going to die on the NFL mountain. That contract cost them so much money they are now getting outbid by everyone else for basically every other sport that matters. Soccer just went to Fox. ESPN no longer carries Auto Racing in any major aspect with NHRA going elsewhere. The NHL is long gone. Baseball is driven by the MLB Network, and weaning itself off ESPN.
And not only that, but ESPN is blatantly being played as the puppet of the NFL. They've become the league's mouthpiece putting out fluff and puff article after fluff and puff article, completely turning the cheek during a time when the league couldn't look worse. And it is turning people off... in droves.
Interesting take. I wonder how the ACC views its partnership with ESPN down the road.
Probably not strongly. if the ACC was smart, they'd look to ditch ESPN and move all-in on a subscription based streaming service, like Netflix and Amazon Prime, for everything. We're nearing a tipping point where people are going to be cutting the cable cord in droves, and ESPN has not only been slow to adapt, they're completely adamant against it. They built their empire on forcing all cable subscribers to pay $35/month for ESPN regardless of whether or not they use it, and once that well dries up, they're in a world of trouble.
I agree, thats a great perspective Alum. I hadn't realized how far in the hole ESPN actually was. I dont think theyre going anywhere any time soon, but damn theyre in a worse position than I thought
Ironically I just stumbled upon this relevant article:
http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/27/9045639/espn-direct-consumer-sales-eve...
Fox isn't doing it as a gesture of bold journalism. They're doing it becaude the SEC is the flagship offering for their primary competition, ESPN. Same reason ESPN is so quick to throw shade on the B1G.
Let the I.O. Games begin.
Regardless, I will enjoy it
Yup. Should be pretty entertaining.
To be fair, they did post something similar a few days ago.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/103987/sec-coaches-digging-a-deepe...
SEC coaches, especially Saban, whine about the B1G's satellite camps while they consistently over-sign recruits. SEC = "Sign Everyone Conference".