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Idea of SEC ‘bias’ a bunch of hooey-sds

Before you read any more of this, know that the answer is “Watch the games.”

That’s the only thing that has to be mentioned regarding this whole idea of “SEC bias.”
They’re two words that really shouldn’t go together, like cigars and marathon running, Alabama and Auburn, shag carpeting and, well, anything.
For whatever reason the notion of SEC bias in college football has recently been gaining steam, as the rest of the country is obviously getting sick of seeing the conference dominate the sport.
The league has consistently been at the top of the recruiting rankings, won seven of the last eight national championships and routinely has the most players selected in the National Football League draft.
Five different SEC teams won a national title during the BCS era while the Big 12’s last championship was in 2005. The Pac-12’s only title of the BCS era was vacated. The Big Ten’s last crystal football was in 2002.
Conference records in BCS title games
*USC vacated its win in the 2005 Orange Bowl.
The gap between the SEC and everyone else was already vast, but this season in particular seems to have been just a little too much for some people to take. After Alabama and LSU played for the crystal football at the end of the 2011 season, they believed a playoff would make a repeat of that more difficult.
Instead, the initial rankings were dominated by the SEC West with: 1. Mississippi State, 3. Auburn, 4. Ole Miss, and 6. Alabama, with No. 11 Georgia in the East. It won’t end that way, of course, as the teams will knock each other off, but the reaction outside of the region was everything from outcry to lashing out.
This is what we call denial, by people who have obviously not been doing what was mentioned in the first line of this article, or paying attention to the league’s recent dominance.
So they mistakenly contend that the polls are biased even though the voters equally represent the various regions of the country.
They argue that the playoff selection committee is biased even though Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long is the only one on it from the SEC after former Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning took a leave of absence for a medical condition.
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher even fanned the flames a little during a recent interview with WABM-TV in Birmingham, Ala., when he blamed all of the negative attention the Seminoles have been receiving on “One, ESPN has money in the SEC, and two, we were so dominant last year.”
Right, nobody jumped on Johnny Manziel last season when he did idiotic things, and ESPN made Jameis Winston steal those crab legs from a local grocery store (and everything else …).
I guess he also forgot that ESPN has a 15-year, $3.6 billion deal with the Atlantic Coast Conference, which helps pay for his lucrative salary.
Additionally, ESPN and Fox have a $3 billion deal with the Pac-12, and a $2.6 billion contract with the Big 12. It’s even paying the Big Ten $1 billion through 2016-17, and had the broadcast rights to 33 of last year’s 35 bowl games.
It also is in partnership with Texas for The Longhorn Network, but funny you don’t hear anyone claiming UT bias.
No one points out that CBS has the rights to the biggest SEC game of the week, or that the Mississippi schools are probably the last ones in the league that ESPN wants to see in the payoff due to neither school being part of a major television market.
No disrespect intended to Ole Miss or Mississippi State, which are having remarkable seasons and have earned everything they’ve accomplished so far, but if either makes the title game the ratings wouldn’t be nearly as good as say Notre Dame vs. Ohio State. There’s a lot more money to be made in the Midwest.
Rather, here’s an example of bias in the sport: If you go to the website for the College Football Hall of Fame and do a search for Notre Dame inductees, 49 names come up. If you do the same for Alabama, which has won the most national championships during the poll era, you get 20.
“Deal with it, they’re the best,” ESPN announcer Brent Musberger recently said of the SEC, and College GameDay host Chris Fowler called claims of ESPN’s SEC bias “stupid, uninformed stuff.”
I’ll thrown in another word, “insulting.”

Ranking SEC Coaches: Mullen, Saban hitting stride out West-sds

For the first time this season, our coaching rankings — at least the Top 5 — features an all-West look. Kentucky’s Mark Stoops dropped out after a loss to Mississippi State, though the Wildcats played well in defeat and need one more win to reach bowl eligibility.

Mark Richt could hop back in with a win over Florida this weekend, further strengthening Georgia’s grip on the Eastern Division.
Ranking coaches based on their 2014 seasons to date, here’s a quick glance:
5. HUGH FREEZE, OLE MISS: One of several rapid rising coaches on Florida’s wishlist, Freeze drops three spots to No. 5 after a late-game snafu led to Ole Miss’ first loss of the season last weekend in Death Valley. Bo Wallace’s interception at the goal line wasn’t the play call according to Freeze, but it happened and the coach ought to shoulder the blame. The Rebels are in great position however despite the loss and have the easiest road remaining in comparison to the West’s other three contenders. Saturday’s game against Auburn is likely a Playoff elimination game and the Freeze vs. Malzahn matchup’s a great one.
4. GUS MALZAHN, AUBURN: The Tigers’ early-season win at Kansas State — still the Wildcats’ only loss — had major implications on Tuesday’s first College Football Playoff poll as Auburn, one of three one-loss teams in the West, was placed in the No. 3 spot by the selection committee. Auburn’s beaten two ranked teams this season and its loss came on the road at now No. 1 Mississippi State. Malzahn’s resume speaks for itself and he improved to 13-0 at home as coach after last weekend’s shootout win over South Carolina.
3. LES MILES, LSU: Perhaps college football’s hottest team, the Tigers have won three straight games in the SEC since their ‘look at yourself in the mirror’ moment at Auburn the first weekend in October. After a signature win against Ole Miss, Miles’ team gets an extra week to prep for Alabama, a potential Playoff contender if the Crimson Tide win out (regardless of division finish). Miles has done a fantastic job turning this team around and it started in the the fourth quarter at Florida. Something clicked for these youth-laden Tigers in Gainesville and their last two outings have been impressive.
2. NICK SABAN, ALABAMA: Without question, the Crimson Tide’s in the Playoff if they win out considering three of those four wins would be against the likes of LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn. Alabama’s in prime position at No. 6 in the CFP rankings with the toughest schedule remaining, an element that the committee looks at with heavy emphasis. Since a one-point win over Arkansas, Saban and Lane Kiffin have turned it up a notch offensively, making it a point to get Heisman candidate Amari Cooper as many targets as possible. And he’s done the rest.
1. DAN MULLEN, MISSISSIPPI STATE: Despite Kentucky’s valiant upset bid, the Bulldogs held off the Wildcats to stay unbeaten last time out, proving Mullen’s ability to have his team prepared despite playing its first game ever as a top-ranked target. The spotlight’s on Mississippi State the rest of the way as the Playoff favorite, but the road’s not easy. The Bulldogs still have games in Tuscaloosa and Oxford. Almost everything Mullen has called has worked this season, but he’ll lose some of that newfound luster with failures against upcoming elites.

Ticket price trends for the highly ranked SEC teams-sds

On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff committee officially announced the first of seven Top 25 rankings that will take place through December 7. Three of the committee’s top-four schools play in the SEC, making the conference a heavy favorite to house a team that will compete in the National Championship Game this season. Mississippi State has been ranked the No. 1 school in the country, with SEC counterparts Auburn and Ole Miss following as the No. 3 and 4 ranked teams. Slipping between Auburn and Ole Miss is defending champion Florida State, who is the only ACC team among the Top 10-ranked schools.

Alongside their success on the field this season, each SEC school within the top four has seen impressive ticket prices on the secondary market. Ole Miss controls the highest season average among top-ranked SEC teams while Mississippi State and Auburn trail considerably in price.
According to TiqIQ, Ole Miss football tickets for remaining home games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium now average $213 on the secondary market. The Rebels will play three more games at home this season against Auburn, Presbyterian College and Mississippi State. The Rebels owe much of their secondary market success to their final game of the season against undefeated Mississippi State on November 29. The average secondary price for Egg Bowl tickets is currently $668.94, one of the most expensive games in college football this season, with a get-in price of $212.
No. 1-ranked Mississippi State may be undefeated heading into Week 10 of the season, but they own a much lower season average than their Magnolia State neighbors in Ole Miss. The average price for Mississippi State football tickets over the team’s final three home games is $140.86 on the secondary market, more than 33% cheaper than Ole Miss tickets at home. The Bulldogs will play Arkansas and UT Martin at Davis Wade Stadium before concluding their regular season with a top-priced game against Vanderbilt, which currently has an average price of $155.08 and a get-in price of $49.
Sitting comfortably as the No. 3-ranked team in the nation, Auburn will play just two more home games in the regular season against Texas A&M and unranked Samford. The average price for Auburn football tickets on the secondary market is $119.05 over the team’s last two home games. Texas A&M has played erratically at best this season but has still produced a relatively big price premium for their visit on November 8. The average secondary market price for Auburn vs Texas A&M tickets is $163.86. Get-in price for the game starts at $57.
According to TeamTix, a service which allows fans to pay a price to reserve face price tickets for both the semifinal and National Championship Game, the SEC school with the most expensive reserve price is still the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama came out sixth in the rankings, but especially with the Iron Bowl at home as the last game on the Alabama football schedule, there’s a high chance the Crimson Tide could make the playoffs if they win out. The low price to reserve face value tickets for an Alabama appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinal is $73. Compare that to a $55 price for Mississippi State, $50 for Ole Miss and just $35 for Auburn.
Plenty can happen between now and the committee’s final ranking on December 7, but all three top-ranked SEC teams have dominated on the field and on the secondary ticket market. Come January, they’ll likely do the same when the college football playoffs begin.

5 keys to a Florida upset over Georgia-sds

In desperate need of a win, the Florida Gators travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the annual World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 8 and will be a tough matchup for the Gators, a team struggling to find any identity in many phases of the game. However, in rivalry games records often mean very little and anything can happen.
Here are the five keys to the Gators coming away with a surprising victory on Saturday.

Play loose

We saw this last weekend with the South Carolina Gamecocks. In the midst of a very disappointing 2014 season, the Gamecocks played like there was no pressure on them and it nearly worked. They had their best game offensively and even converted five of its six fourth-down conversions.
The Gators should take a similar approach to their matchup with Georgia. The Bulldogs are 13-point favorites and with Florida dealing with a new quarterback and coaching rumors, it wouldn’t be surprising to see UGA win big in Jacksonville.
However, the Florida players should take on the attitude that all of the pressure is on UGA — because it is. Barring a miracle, the Gators aren’t going to Atlanta this year, but Georgia is a team that still has all of its goals remaining and could even be in position to compete for a national title. With nothing to lose, a relaxed Florida team should provide a comfortable environment and attitude among the players, a welcomed change from what the Gators have displayed the last few weeks. It may be just what they need to turn things around for their last five games.

Involve Brandon Powell in the gameplan

Let’s face it — the Gators don’t have many offensive playmakers.
Outside of wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and potentially quarterback Treon Harris, the amount of guys who can break off big plays are few and far between.
In limited action this season freshman running back Brandon Powell provided several flashes of that speed and playmaking ability the Gators so desperately need. He got only garbage time against Missouri, but he still racked up 37 yards rushing on just seven carries to lead the team.
Florida will likely work the screen pass and short passing game to help Treon Harris feel comfortable and confident in his first collegiate start. Getting the ball to Powell early and often should help open things up for Harris and the rest of the Gators’ offense, especially if he’s able to gain big yardage with his electrifying speed.
Head coach Will Muschamp said Powell will have a “significant role” in the game, and he must, if the Gators want to think of upsetting the ‘Dawgs.

Force UGA into passing situations

Everyone knows the backbone of the UGA offense is the running game. Whether its Nick Chubb or Todd Gurley or even Brendan Douglas in the backfield, you can bet Georgia is going to run the ball and run it a lot.
Fortunately for the Gators, they’ve excelled at stopping the run this year and will need its best run defense of the season on Saturday. UGA’s running backs are good enough that it’s virtually impossible to shut them down all game, so the Gators shouldn’t concentrate on that. Rather, it’s important for Muschamp’s defense to force Georgia into more passing situations than the Bulldogs are accustomed to.
Not only does it put the onus of moving the ball on quarterback Hutson Mason, but it certainly gives the Gators’ talented pass rush a few opportunities to make some big plays. Mason’s stayed turnover-free over the last few games, but his arm strength leaves a lot to be desired and the tandem of cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves and Jalen Tabor could make him pay if he’s pressured enough in the backfield.
This will likely be the most effective way for Florida to create turnovers this weekend and the Gators will need at least a couple to keep UGA’s offense off the board enough to win.

Don’t hold Treon Harris back

Muschamp said at his press conference earlier in the week the bye week should allow Harris to utilize most, if not all of the playbook against Georgia.
It’s understandable to expect some hesitation on the coaches’ part, however, when it comes to “unleashing” Harris. He is just a true freshman after all and it’s just his first-ever collegiate start. But what does Florida have to lose? Nothing.
There’s no denying the athleticism of Harris. He’s a good runner with a decent arm. Giving him full use of the offensive playbook may leave the offense vulnerable to turnovers, but frankly, so can playing timid. It’s important the Gators play to win and not play to lose with their newest starting quarterback.
If they don’t hold him back, Harris could surprise everyone and take over the offense. But if they restrict him, there’s zero chance of that happening.

Win third down

The Gators’ third-down conversion rate is at a disappointing 33.6 percent, good for 13th in the SEC. Georgia on the other hand — thanks to its dominant rushing attack — converts third downs at a rate of 42.7 percent.
A key for Florida will be to keep Georgia’s defense on the field and UGA’s offense off the field. The Gators can do that by extending drives, which means third downs will be crucial to their success. They have the talent on the offensive line and at running back to set themselves up for short distances on third down, but it’ll come down to Harris and his ability to extend and make plays.
Defensively, Florida hasn’t been much better, giving up nearly 40 percent of an opponent’s third down attempts. The Gators have particularly struggled on third and long plays due to several communication breakdowns in the secondary. Florida cannot afford to let UGA convert these kinds of backbreaking plays. It simply demoralizes a defense and that’s the unit Florida needs to play its best game of the season in order to pull of the upset.

Hot or Cold: Tennessee looks to snap SEC losing streak at South Carolina-sds

What’s the temperature like in Knoxville, Tenn.? Here’s who’s hot or cold for the Tennessee Volunteers.

RED HOT

Entering the game facing a 13-0 deficit that grew to 20-0 by his second series, Joshua Dobbs managed to spark Tennessee’s offense by adding a dual-threat option capable of producing on the ground AND through the air. The sophomore threw for 192 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 19-of-32 passing and added a team-best 75 rushing yards on 19 attempts. The Vols outscored the Tide 20-14 for the remainder of the game, despite losing 34-20.

WARM

Despite missing multiple practices while battling the flu earlier in the week, Josh Malone recorded his first collegiate touchdown reception. on Saturday The freshman connected with Dobbs on a 9-yard scoring play for his only catch of the game.
Malone has made progress as of late, coming off a career 75-yard performance on five catches. Facing fellow freshman Al Harris Jr., Malone should see another strong performance at South Carolina.

COOLING OFF

Cameron Sutton had only allowed one opposing wide receiver to record over 100 receiving yards entering Saturday’s game. But facing Amari Cooper, the SEC’s best receiver, Sutton allowed 224 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches. The sophomore will need to see a bounce back performance facing South Carolina’s talented receiving corps., including Pharoh Cooper.

SUBZERO

Guess what, Tennessee’s offensive line is still terrible. Although the Vols only allowed two sacks, it was more a product of Josh Dobbs’ decision to take off and run rather than stay in the pocket. Alabama still recorded seven tackles for loss, including two sacks.
Tennessee will be fortunate to have a mobile quarterback in the current scheme given the offensive line’s horrendous play. Rather than sit in the pocket and be exposed to the pass rush, Dobbs will at least have a chance to evade tacklers.

Week 9: SEC vs. Big 12-sds

Every Wednesday, we rank the SEC and Big 12 teams in one power poll. The order of the SEC teams is based on the Week 9 SDS SEC Power Poll.

Ardent SEC fans, especially Auburn and Ole Miss supporters, aren’t pleased with the Big 12 right now. Amid loud cries of SEC bias, College GameDay chose to visit Morgantown, W.Va., for the TCU-West Virginia game Saturday rather than return to Oxford, Miss.
The Horned Frogs need to win to stay with Baylor and Kansas State in the conference race, while a West Virginia win helps Alabama.
If TCU puts up another ridiculous offensive total — after scoring 82 points last week — Gary Patterson’s bunch may break up the SEC cartel, with either the Rebels or the Tigers falling. But for now, the SEC’s fifth-best ranks above the Big 12’s best.
Given that the Big 12 and Pac-12 each have arguments as the second-best conferences in college football, that’s a strong statement for the most hated conference in America.

FLORIDA STATE AND OREGON, WE SEE YOU

Georgia ranked just 11th in the first College Football Playoff committee poll. But all five of these SEC teams have a legitimate chance to represent the SEC in the national semifinals. Florida State and Oregon are the only outside invaders right now according to the committee’s top six.
1. Mississippi State
2. Alabama
3. Auburn
4. Georgia
5. Ole Miss

THE CHASE PACK

Right now there’s a neat clean break between the SEC’s best five teams and the Big 12’s best three. TCU ranks seventh, according to the CFP committee, but assuming the Big 12 champion has just one loss, that team should get a tournament bid. The Big 12’s best should beat each other up as much more more than the SEC and Pac-12.
6. Baylor
7. TCU
8. Kansas State

HUGE HEADACHE FOR CONTENDERS

Forgive me if you’re too far removed from your childhood to remember freeze tag. The way we played, anyway, once you got tagged you still could reach out from a fixed position and tag others. That’s where these three teams sit right now. Each of these two-loss teams is capable of pulling off what LSU did Saturday, clipping No. 3 Ole Miss. If you’re a big-time program in contention for the playoff, you hate seeing these teams on your schedule right now.
9. LSU
10. Oklahoma
11. West Virginia

THROWN INTO THE OCEAN WITH AN ANKLE WEIGHT

The Aggies and Cowboys, darlings through the first couple weeks of the season, are sinking fast, and it will be difficult for them to resurrect the season. A&M still must face Auburn and LSU, while Oklahoma State has Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma. Are we looking at five or six losses for each team?
12. Texas A&M
13. Oklahoma State

THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY

The Wildcats (5-1 start) and Razorbacks (overtime loss to No. 6 Texas A&M, one-point loss to No. 7 Alabama) looked like strongish teams capable of exceeding preseason expectations by a wide margin. Kentucky has lost consecutive games by 38 and 14 points, while Arkansas is threatening 20 consecutive SEC losses by the end of the season.
14. Kentucky
15. Arkansas

THE COIN FLIPS

Each of these teams has a razor-thin margin for error this season. Generate a positive turnover margin and make some plays in special teams, like Mizzou did against Florida, and these programs will win. Allow a late-game touchdown drive, as South Carolina did at home in a one-point loss to Missouri, and the result won’t be positive. This isn’t to say every game for these three programs will feature a close margin. Rather, these teams are difficult to predict in 2014, capable of beating Top 15 programs and capable of losing to some outside the Top 50.
16. Missouri
17. South Carolina
18. Texas

FOOL’S GOLD

The Gators (offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, improved health) and Vols (a plethora of talented recruits, the second year for Butch Jones) each gave fans hope for improvement before the season. Kliff Kingsbury lagged in the second half of last year at Texas Tech, but taken as a whole, his first season — followed by a contract extension — gave the Red Raiders hope as well. And an early upset of Iowa gave Cyclones fans reason to believe. But so far that’s been fool’s gold.
19. Florida
20. Tennessee
21. Texas Tech
22. Iowa State

WINNING A CONFERENCE GAME WOULD BE SHOCKING

The Commodores have three shots left, including No. 1 Mississippi State. In other words, Vandy must either take advantage of a wounded Florida Gators team or knock off a Tennessee squad still in the incubator. More likely, coach Derek Mason’s first season ends without an SEC win. Kansas has a home game against Iowa State the second weekend of November in addition to four games against ranked Big 12 opponents.
23. Vanderbilt
24. Kansas

Matchup Breakdown: Auburn’s Nick Marshall vs. Ole Miss’ front seven-sds

In preparation for Saturday’s matchup between Auburn and Ole Miss, Saturday Down South is taking a look at the key matchups that may decide the showdown between the Tigers and Rebels.

Auburn QB Nick Marshall vs. Ole Miss front seven
Coming off a game in which he amassed 228 total yards, Auburn’s senior quarterback Nick Marshall is the Tigers’ X-factor against No. 7 Ole Miss this week.
Marshall is beginning to hit his stride this season running the zone read, and despite what the numbers may say, he’s improved as a passer and has one of the top wideouts in the country to throw to in Duke Williams. The Tigers got back to the run last week against South Carolina, rushing for nearly 400 yards.
However, Marshall faces the nation’s top defense this week, and Mississippi State showed us that Marshall can make mistakes when pressured.
Ole Miss features a physical front seven that has the ability to dominate the trenches. The Rebels have essentially two set of defensive linemen; they have a run-stopping rotation and a pass-stopping rotation. A huge key this week will be the Tigers’ ability to dictate the pace and now allow Ole Miss to substitute.
The Rebels have recorded 55 tackles for loss and 18 sacks. Marshall needs to be efficient, and run the ball effectively. Even more importantly, however, he must protect the football and make good decisions. Marshall must take what Ole Miss gives him. If that’s the run, run the football. If he has opportunities to throw the football, find Williams and get Sammie Coates involved.

Hot or Cold: LSU backfields are cooking-sds

What’s cooking with the LSU Tigers as they head into their bye?

OPEN FIRE

The running game. LSU is roasting teams with the running game after a slow start to the season. In the 10-7 win over Ole Miss, they absolutely took it to one of the best run defenses in the country, piling up 264 yards, the most the Rebels have allowed this season, and 4.8 yards per carry. With a rotation of Leonard Fournette, Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard running behind a rapidly improving offensive line, the Tigers have fresh legs through all four quarters.

SMOTHERING HEAT

The defensive secondary. Everywhere Bo Wallace looked this past Saturday, he saw one of Defensive Back U’s finest. Ronald Martin was the hero with his last-second interception, but Jalen Collins had two near-picks and Tre’Davious White, despite his struggles returning punts, was solid across from Collins. The breakout star, though, was Jamal Adams. Putting his acting job aside, the freshman was flying all over the field, making some very solid plays and throwing some hard hits around. He’s a rising star that’s drawing attention for his play as much as his award-winning acting performances.

ROOM TEMPERATURE

Anthony Jennings. Week in, week out, the sophomore quarterback provides the same thing: a 50 percent completion rate, some head-scratching throws and some clutch plays. He did exactly that against Ole Miss, once again hitting on half of his passing attempts (8-for-16), keeping him at 50 percent even on the season. He threw two picks, one badly overthrown and one into double coverage. And, of course, he threw the game-winning touchdown on a fantastic play fake late in the fourth quater. Jennings is that glass of water that’s been sitting on your bedside table all night. It’s not the best thing you’ve ever tasted, but it gets the job done if you’re parched.

ICE BOX

Special teams play. Colby Delahoussaye missed his first field goal of the season — a chip shot, at that — but that’s not the problem with LSU’s special teams. Both the punting and punt return units were mediocre or worse against Ole Miss. LSU’s punt coverage was solid, allowing just one return on the night, but Jamie Keehn was about 6 yards below his punting average on the night. Additionally, Tre’Davious White struggled with his decision making in the punt return game. He called for fair catches several times when it appeared he had sizable running lanes, and both punts he fielded came in traffic. In a low-scoring affair, field possession is crucial, and LSU didn’t do much to help itself in that battle.