Well my friends, the regular season is complete and the resumes of our beloved (and hated) conferences await only the bowl games. There is no more helium to pump into the SEC for the moment, as time and time again they prove to be a fraud. This weekend was no exception. Despite pulling in the very best of the recruiting classes (according to the subscription hungry geeks) year after year, employing the very best coaches money can buy, receiving beyond delusional support from the media, and putting more butts in the seats (from those who buy into the fraud), the best the SEC can do in the end is identify as below average in the PWR 5 landscape. Consider the individual cases of Ole Miss and GT. The Rebel Bears enjoyed weekly rankings in the top 20 and took forever to drop out, even after the losses continued to mount. They finished 5-7 and looked ridiculous along the way, with the only exception being a drubbing of the Bulldogs which served as "evidence" of their true strength. Even a loss (albeit a close one) to the Tide served as proof of excellence. The Jackets, on the other hand, finished 8-4 and never once sniffed the top 25. Bear in mind, I am not making the argument that we should have either. In truth, GT has a chance to wiggle back in with a bowl victory, I imagine. At that point we will have earned it. Such is life in the two conferences. Even losses in the SEC are viewed as prestigious as the great assumption of "dominance" continues. ACC schools must defeat the presumption of mediocrity before even being considered worthy of displacing one of the media darlings. The "post regular season" resumes are below. I'll let you all decide who has the better conference.
vs NON PWR 5: SEC 21-5, ACC 16-5
vs FCS: SEC 11-0, ACC 12-1
vs PWR 5 (+ND): SEC 6-8, ACC 12-8
HEAD to HEAD: SEC 3 wins, ACC 6 wins
From the evidence presented, apparently, the thing the SEC knows how to do best is play "bully" against lower level programs and poke their chest out. When they have a chance to pick on somebody their own size, they just don't have the MOJO. It's no wonder why they schedule 6 fewer games against their own level than the ACC does.
At this point, the only hope remaining for the SEC is to have a stellar bowl season. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were an SEC fan. I forget how many ACC vs SEC match ups there are during bowl season, but they will need close to a clean sweep just to pull things even. Have no illusions folks, regardless of what happens, the drum beat will go on for the Special Ed Conference.