What Outside Fans Love and Hate About The SEC

Everybody who has followed college football or even college sports in the past 30 years has a passionate opinion of the SEC. One way or another, you have an opinion of the conference. There are some absolute truths, some half-truths, and some incredibly biased opinions involved with this feeling that you have. It is important to try to acknowledge these truths and move towards a greater knowledge of what we have with the SEC. So what do we have with this conference?

The SEC is a football based conference that has had a team at or near the #1 spot in the sport since about 2003. A team has won the NCAA championship from the SEC in 8 of the last 10 years. Those championships include 7 straight from 2006-2012. The conference also contains one of the most dominant basketball team ever in the Kentucky Wildcats who have won 8 national championships (2nd to only UCLA with 11). Kentucky leads all schools in winning percentage all-time in basketball. This conference is widely regarded as the cream of the crop when it comes to baseball and softball success as well. The numbers surely seem to back this up. Outside of those sports, the conference boasts several nationally recognized teams that have had continued success in a variety of sports.

Outside of the conference it is widely acknowledged that the SEC has the best football conference. They have the most dominant team and they have several elite programs. The conference has some fantastic schools both athletically and academically. They are to be respected. There are some fantastic all-around programs that the conference boasts. Those schools are to be respected for the programs that they have.

Fans of the conference are very vocal about that success. They continually boast of success by any SEC team in any sport and use it as confirmation bias that their conference cannot be beat in anything. That is where the hate comes in. SEC West fans were trying to act like undefeated FSU and Ohio State teams cannot compete in the SEC West. Not that they would finish 2nd or 3rd, the argument is that they would magically be below .500 in the conference. That the nation's elite programs would struggle to tread water. That they'd be worst than Arkansas. That the SEC is the best in every sport because Alabama and LSU are elite in football.

Let's start there with the dominance across sports. As a conference, the SEC typically boasts the national champion. There is no arguing 8 out of 10. However, football dominance is not overall sport dominance for the history of time. As of July 2015 (when last combined champs summary was released) the SEC had a total of 267 titles across all sports, but that number is smashed by just 3 schools in the Pac 12....UCLA, Southern Cal, and Stanford have a combined 323 titles across all sports. That is 56 more titles by 3 schools than all 14 SEC schools combined. Do not talk to us about sustained dominance across all sports. Feel free to brag about baseball, football, and/or softball success, but don't go overboard.

Now to football...
The SEC is the best conference. However, it is not untouchable. Were another elite program to join, they would still be elite. That team might finish 2nd or 3rd behind Alabama, perhaps LSU, or even Auburn in a good year, but they'd still win. The school wouldn't be treading water. They wouldn't be Arkansas...oh and Arkansas was not the best 6-6 team ever, They were 6-6 and there was a reason for it. 6-6 teams aren't magically 13-0 in other conferences. Maybe a game or 2 difference, but they aren't magically playoff contenders elsewhere in the Power 5.Oh and while the SEC West is elite, the SEC East is hot garbage in football. Missouri went from Big 12 bottom feeder to 2x SEC East champ. The West is the best division in Power 5, but you could argue the East as the worst. So don't get too carried away.

What can the SEC brag about though?
They can brag about their team being fantastic in the best football conference in the nation. For Alabama that means being the best against the best. Why a team with 4 national championships in recent history would want to share that success as conference pride is beyond me. Live it up Alabama! Your team has been kicking everyone's ass!! Do not degrade yourself by chanting for your conference in some collectivist nonsensical movement. Embrace your team. Why the heck are you rooting for your top rival to knock off FSU in the national championship? Seriously? Rooting for your rival.....You could be the class of sports, but you chose things like "keep the title in Alabama" ? Come on man!!!! You are the fanbase in the country most entitled to brag and enjoy your ride. IMO you ruin it a bit when you give others credit.

Kentucky brag about what you have done in basketball. Brag about that all day. Enjoy it.

Auburn don't claim the titles that you didn't win. Enjoy the ones you won legit.

Ole Miss you don't win titles and you are only relevant now because your coach paid athletes. Don't start....

Mississippi State you have never won a national title in any sport, just stop...

South Carolina you won some baseball titles, but you can't even win the SEC East. No, you wouldn't be a playoff contender elsewhere...

No, there won't be an all-SEC playoff. No, you won't get 3 teams. Yes, another team could possibly win. Yes, football and sports exist outside the SEC. If you would just acknowledge that as an SEC fan, you wouldn't be so despised.

Just enjoy being the top dog in football. Enjoy being perhaps the best overall conference. Please just don't go overboard. If you are an Alabama fan that does not do the constant conference brag, mad props to you. Respect to that program for the dominance it has provided. Don't be so willing to share. Enjoy what Nick has done.

Next week I will go over the current state of all FSU sports. Until then, have a great one.

-Noland

Seminoles One Win Away From Hosting Super Regional

The San Antonio Spurs got hosed in OK City last night, but the rest of the sports day went well. We went to a fantastic Orioles game yesterday, and the Seminoles pulled out a victory against Samford. That win puts my beloved Noles only 1 win away from winning this regional.

In order to lose the regional, FSU must lose twice. They will play the winner of Mississippi State and Samford in the regional final. I would prefer Samford again, but that is just me. The first game will take place at 6pm tonight. Hopefully it is the last game of the regional, because if it is, then the Seminoles are advancing.

Florida State won 8-1 behind an absolutely brilliant pitching performance. Freshman Brandon Leibrandt led the Noles with a brilliant pitching performance. He tossed 8 scoreless innings last night for the Noles. If Leibrandt can replicate this performance a couple more times, he might just lead FSU to a national championship. Leibrandt also had 10 strikeouts. He had the first double digit strikeout game since Sean Gilmartin. Gilmartin, who I will post on soon, is in the Atlanta Braves organization.

FSU now has 144 all time victories in regional/superregional play. According to Seminoles.com they are in the process of becoming the winningest school because of that. It doesn't say what the current record is though. Either way, it is a tribute to #11. FSU has a current Regional winning streak of 15 games as well. Let's hope they make it 16 straight and advance to the Super Regional. Mike Martin wants that title.

-Noland

FSU Wins Playoff Opener

The Florida State Seminoles have started off the playoffs right with a 2-1 victory over the UAB Blazers last night. Both runs for the Seminoles were scored by my favorite player, Sherman Johnson. Both runs were driven in by the player of the year, James Ramsey. Let's hope Ramsey and Johnson lead us all the way to the National Title.

You can tell by the score, that the Seminoles won mostly by pitching and defense. That pitching effort was led by reliever Gage Smith. Smith, won his 4th game and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in the victory. Robert Benincasa received his 14th save after working a scoreless 9th inning. By all accounts the defense was led by our outstanding 3rd baseman, Sherman Johnson. He made an outstanding leaping stop and also gunned a guy down at the plate, which prevented UAB from taking the lead.

It gets better. Samford upset Mississippi State so now the Noles will face Samford in the winner's bracket instead of Mississippi State. No offense to Samford and they are a tough team, but I was @ Dick Howser when Mississippi State knocked us out a few years ago. I wanted no part of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Hopefully UAB sends the Bulldogs home today. FSU will play Samford @ 7pm in a game that will air on ESPN2. If they win, they will face the winner of the loser's bracket who will have to beat them twice. FSU is at a huge advantage if they win tonight.

-Noland

NCAA Tournament (Baseball Style)

The bracket has been announced. The Noles are a top 8 seeed. They will be joined by many others in the conference. Nobody has as many teams as the SEC though who has 8 teams (No Alabama). The ACC has the next most teams with 7 (FSU, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, UNC, NC State, and Miami). I thought Virginia Tech and Maryland had a shot, but after they weren't in the ACC Tournament it was hard for them to get the invite. Maybe next year. Another surprising exclusion was the Texas Longhorns. Texas is usually a team that does pretty well in tournament play so it is surprising to see them out of the field. The Miami Hurricanes have the most consecutive appearances with 40. Our beloved Noles are next with 35.

South Carolina was also a top 8 national seed as they try for their third straight title. They would be only the second team to do that.

The top 8 national seeds are listed here in order. If any of these teams advance, they will host super regionals next week. Winners of the Super Regionals advance to the College World Series.
1. Florida
2. UCLA
3. Florida State
4. Baylor
5. Oregon
6. UNC
7. LSU
8. South Carolina

All of those teams are pretty familiar with the top 8 besides the Baylor Bears. I cannot remember Baylor as a baseball powerhouse, but perhaps I am just forgetting their exploits. Now that I looked it up I can see that Baylor has been to three College World Series and been ranked in the top 8 twice.

Now on to the Tallahassee Regional.
I like the draw other than the fact that we must play Mississippi State. How does the SEC champion get into the regional of the #3 team in the nation. It would seem that Miss State should have hosted a regional or at least been at a regional that was not a host site. That I don't like. Miss State knocked us out of a regional before and I do not like to play them. However, we are the better team and should still win. Also in our bracket is first year postseason team, Samford. All 3 teams in the regional with us won their conference.

Friday, June 1, 2012
Game 1: Mississippi State vs. Samford - 12:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 2: Florida State vs. UAB - 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 - 12:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 - 12:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 - 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Monday, June 4, 2012
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary) - 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Tournament passes are $50.00 for reserved seats and $35 for general admission seats. These are good for every game of the tournament. Single game reserved seats are $12.00 with single game general admission tickets priced at $10.00 for adults, $7.00 for youth and students. The stadium will be cleared at the end of each game.

-Noland