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by erniefreeman from Memphis, Tennessee

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Who's #1, SEC or Big Ten
Dec 30, 2007 | 9:03 AM
Category: Sports
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I'm talking football. 

Over the past couple months, I've had two spirited "discussions" about whether the Southeastern Conference is the best football conference in the United States of America.  The last exchange happened Saturday at my house with a University of Tennessee graduate who insists the SEC is tops.  He's not the only one.  Most, if not all of the pin headed so called experts on ESPN say the SEC is best too.  Now, my position is that there is no significant difference in the level of play in the power conferences like the Pac Ten, the Big 12, the ACC or the Big Ten.  The question many people throw out when trying to determine who's best is "what would happen if this team from so and so conference played in the SEC?"  Well, the answer is we don't know.  Full disclosure, I am a Michigan State University graduate.  I don't think the Big Ten is best, but I can't prove that it is not.

There are two challenges in this debate: 1. Define best.  2. Prove one is better than the other. 

Hit me with your best shot sports fans.  I want to know why so many people simply accept this flawed notion as truth.

I've heard much of the anecdotal evidence of SEC superiority in football:  "SEC has the better athletes."  What do you mean better?  "They have more players in the NFL."  They have more teams.  "They beat the Big Ten in head to head bowl game matchups."  Really?  Check last season's bowl matchups.  "Florida crushed Ohio State."  That means Florida was better than Ohio State. 

If you love the SEC, tell me why it's the best football conference in America.  Maybe you can get Beano Cook to blog with us, he seems to know a lot about football. 

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Member Comments Total Comments: 28
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crzy0037 read my blog
Jan 2, 2008 | 2:27 PM

Ernie, the players in the SEC are the best. They are big, bulky and they play smash mouth football.
Did you watch the Georgia - Hawaii game last nite? Perfect example.
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 2, 2008 | 3:07 PM

Watched a little crzy0037 (is that your real name?) but this post is about SEC versus Big Ten. Georgia put in on Hawaii though.
crzy0037 read my blog
Jan 2, 2008 | 4:05 PM

Yeah Ernie that's my name - I'm a little crazy and 37 lol!
I watch a lot of football and I guess being from the South I have to go with the SEC.
crzy0037 read my blog
Jan 2, 2008 | 4:06 PM

PS - I love you on Good Morning Memphis! Your comments are great!
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 2, 2008 | 4:16 PM

Don't be trying to butter me up.
Side note...I can't believe how many typos I post on this site.
Anyway, being from the south is great, but I'm looking for some hard cold facts that the SEC is better than the Big Ten in Football. One of my friends presented as proof yesterday that "everybody knows it." That was his proof. I almost had security toss him from the Freeman compound at that point.
MrSPOYALD read my blog
Jan 2, 2008 | 9:52 PM

Through the January 1, 2008 Bowl games; here you go:

SEC: 6-2
Big 12: 4-2
Pac-10: 3-2
Big Ten: 3-4
ACC: 2-5
Big East: 0-2

If you dont want go on the records just wait to the 7th and when LSU dump stomp Ohio then you will see. I dont know what you define as the best last time I check the rode to almost any college championship is thru the SEc not the big ten...Who has the National Championship in B-ball and football...
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 3, 2008 | 4:54 AM

That proves Florida was the best team LAST YEAR. Doesn't prove SEC is best conference. If LSU beats Ohio State, it will prove that LSU is better than Ohio State. Don't you think? Where's the proof?
maredwalker read my blog
Jan 3, 2008 | 7:50 AM

You can't really say that one conference is better than all the others simply based on this team beating that team. If that's the case, then C-USA is is the second best conference for basketball in the nation because the Tigers are #2, and UNC is #1, making the ACC the best basketball conference.

And in college football, there is not a clean-cut National Champion, and there never will be until they have a playoff like they do in basketball, baseball, soccer, etc...
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 3, 2008 | 10:51 AM

Generally, I agree marekwalker. Let me say this about ACC basketball compared to the Big Ten. In the nine years of the ACC-Big Ten challenge, the ACC has won every single time. And while that might not be proof positive that the ACC is better than the Big Ten in hoops (whatever better means) it's pretty darn convincing. That's the kind of convincing evidence I'm looking for in the SEC being the best football conference. I just don't see the evidence. All of the conversations I have with people on this top usually ends with them saying something like, "come on Ernie, you know the SEC is best." No, I don't. Show me.
maredwalker read my blog
Jan 3, 2008 | 12:46 PM

Using some people's logic, you could say that the WAC was better than the Big 12 with Boise State's victory over Oklahoma last year, or the Big East is better in football than the Big 12 with WVU's victory over Oklahoma last night.....

But, then again, you could say that C-USA is better than the WAC because East Carolina beat Boise State this year....and so on it goes!

These days, you can't really claim any conference is the BEST because there is so much 'parity' among teams! Ask Michigan about how they feel about Appalachian State!
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 3, 2008 | 2:29 PM

And Maredwalker, I am still loving that Appy State win over michigan. I had a guy at work today, and I'm waiting for him to weigh in say "the SEC is ten times better than the Big Ten." Not just better, but ten times better. Now that's smack talking, which is cool, but again, no data to back it up. Not that he could back that up. So, maredwalker is the voice of reason on the sports blogs...is that what I'm hearing? Come on folks, let's get it heated up. Where's Greg, Matt, Marcus and Kristin?
maredwalker read my blog
Jan 4, 2008 | 8:20 AM

Match them up team-by-team and have a 'play-off'. Number one from the SEC -vs- Number one from the Big Ten, and so forth....until all have played.

Then, when all the games have been played, see which conference wins the most games. I'd be willing to bet that it'd still be 'unsolved'!!!
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 4, 2008 | 1:14 PM

Although that will obviously never happen, that's what I envision as a really good test of this "which conference is best" argument. From a logistics standpoint, that would probably be almost impossible to pull off, but I guess if both leagues wanted to make an attempt. Probably easier in hoops, like the ACC-big ten challenge, where the ACC has never lost...therefore strongly indicating that ACC teams are ten times better than Big Ten teams. Okay, maybe not ten times, but definitely better. But I digress. maredwalker...so far, on this, you are the voice of reason. You and me.
maredwalker read my blog
Jan 7, 2008 | 6:01 AM

Maybe we should host our own sports show!
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 7, 2008 | 5:17 PM

I like that. I will talk to some people.
MrSPOYALD read my blog
Jan 7, 2008 | 9:45 PM

Its 24-10 LSU and the best well now its 30-10 but if Ohio State is the best the Big Ten has to offer and they are now 0-8 soon to be 9 against the SEC is the clear winner... SEC has back to back championship in football when is the last time the Big Ten did that? Next year I am going to say the road to Championship will come thru SEC...
MattStark read my blog
Jan 7, 2008 | 11:05 PM

Ernie-

Sorry I didn't get to you earlier, I thought this was a political blog, I didn't realize you were a Sports Department wannabe. I'm sure I can pull some strings and at least get you a spring internship (us former weekend guys gotta stick together).

I can't break down your SEC/Big 10 debate with facts and figures (I mean I could, but I don't want to spend that much time on it), but I will say this.

For the 2nd straight year, the best team in the SEC beat the crap out of the best team from the Big 10. That's a fact.

Take from that what you will. The SEC has now won 2 straight National Titles (don't get me going on the playoff talk).

Arguement over.

Did you ever get a partner for your Go Fish game?
MattStark read my blog
Jan 7, 2008 | 11:29 PM

To follow that up EMan-

Check out one of the many sportscenter re-runs with the college football gang. No one does it better than them, and to a man they all talked about how top to bottom (and especially on top) the SEC is better than the Big 10.
erniefreeman read my blog view my photos
Jan 8, 2008 | 5:35 AM

Well, we know the top team in the SEC is better than Ohio State, again. There is no disputing that. But that doesn't prove the hypothesis. Opps, this is the sports blog, should I be using hypothesis? Congrats to the Bengal Tigers!
maredwalker read my blog
Jan 8, 2008 | 8:58 AM

It was a good game last night. I had predicted LSU by 10, so they did better than I expected! Good job by LSU....they obviously wanted to win more than OSU. Does it prove that the SEC is the better conference? I still don't think so, and I'll just say that I'm a Florida Gators fan, but I still don't think that you can claim superiority like that.

I'm a believer in 'on any given day, any team can beat any other team'. As a coach myself, it all comes down to preparation, motivation, and desire! In last night's game, it appeared that LSU was better prepared, better motivated, and had the greater desire.
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erniefreeman

Co-Host of the Emmy Award winning Good Morning Memphis on Fox-13, and a member of the Fox-13 News I-Team, I also make the best mac and cheese in the world. Just ask Valerie Calhoun. After an 18 month layoff, I resumed my golfing pursuits April 26th, 2008. I think I'm going to resume saying, "it is what it is." If I'm hanging out in Memphis I'm at Onix on Main Street and EP's Delta Kitchen on Beale Street. If you have a cell phone, I will send this text message: How about those New York Football Giants! all year long. I recently stopped drinking coffee, and life without it is fine.

Member Since: 10/3/2006


 

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