Who is your pick to win the BCS National Championship?

[WMR]

Here is a thread detailing exactly why the SEC roots for one another so solidly for those from without who struggle to understand or empathize with the kinship and camaraderie many SEC fans share. (From the opinions of UK fans posed the question...)

http://kentucky.rivals.com/showmsg.a...id=888&style=2

Sports Illustrated had an article on this very subject in their SEC pre-season football magazine. Basically said it goes back to the 1800's and how the south has been portrayed since then. Always put down we're not educated all the stuff. Because of that, football has been the 1 thing that the south has been good at and dominated the other regions of the country and took such great pride in the fact that the south was actually winning at something.
Not sure if you can the article online or not but it made sense. I always pull for the SEC in every sport and I do take pride in being a southerner and love seeing SEC teams whip up on the midwest and east coast.

The SEC cheer goes up in the NCAA basketball tournament every year the teams do something, just like football. The year Miss St. made the Final Four, the Florida teams that won and Tennessee did it last year when they beat Ohio St in the Sweet Sixteen. I'm willing to take a guess and say, if you're asking why we do this, you probably don't consider yourself Southern. The simple answer is we have a lot of pride and feel a close kinship with our sister states.

If you have to ask why? no amount of explaining will make you understand it. Just know this, we Southerners stick together on every thing from football to elections. For everyone reading this, don't let these guys make you feel bad because you're loyal to all things Southern.

I went to the BBVA bowl game on Saturday, and every last Alabama and Auburn fan (and there were a ton of them) were yelling their butts off for UK to win. They chanted SEC, and raised hell when Kentucky was on defense. The guy behind me (an Auburn fan) kept pepping up the people around him saying "well I think we'll score this time" or "comon, cats, hold 'em!"

The SEC is not only the best conference in college football, they are the classiest. NO OTHER CONFERENCE cheers its teams on like the SEC does. I think that makes us unique. And, I think that's what it's all about. Pride.

Notice from that link that not everyone 'gets it' but I definitely align with the selected comments above. I love watching the SEC do well. In any sport.

Oregon gets a lot of respect from me. They are a damn good football team, not just a flashy gimmick.

[Roy Tucker]

I was reaching to turn off the TV when Matthews punched the ball out of Newton's arms to set up Oregon's last score. I want that 45 minutes of sleep back.

This game was won by the Auburn line play.

Nick Fairley just collapsed the Oregon OL time and again. It completely took away Oregon's ability to run between the tackles.

And Auburn's OL owned the Oregon defense. That #5 freshman back just ripped through the gut of the Oregon defense all night.

Nice win by Auburn and the SEC does look awfully tough. Oregon played about as well as they could have though. They remind me of Boise State. Lots of formations and movement and misdirection that confounds the heck out of average teams.

[MWM]

I've heard all that stuff before, and they're right, I still don't get it. It makes no earthly sense to me. And on top of that, I ask "so what"? What's it all mean? I think the people who are littering my FB page with SEC chants and the inevitable mood in the office today of everyone claiming a national title (even though I don't know a single Auburn alum here) just look silly.

Auburn fans should be celebrating like anyone else would, but UK fans? Ole Miss fans? Really? The reason people "don't get it" is because they have no interest in it, not because they're aren't as advanced in their fandom as southerners. I think it's more because it just seems like a silly thing to do. That's why you really don't see it anywhere else.

There's no way around the fact that it's impressive to have 4 different teams win the BCS in a 5 year stretch. This is the heyday for the SEC. I only wish the fanbase would let everyone else recognize it rather than it being forced on us with the constant "we're better than you" comments waiting around every corner in every college football discussion out there. No one likes to be condescended to, so it shouldn't be a surprise when some folks don't react well when it happens.

And I'm not trying to detract from the accomplishment, but people should realize that this isn't the same as if there were a playoff. Only two teams get the chance to play for the title every year, so you have to be selected for the game to have the chance to win this many in a row. So for 5 straight years, an SEC team is one of only two teams chosen, hence the only conference with the chance to do this. The last two years they had an undefeated team, one of only two from major conferences. The 3 years before that, they didn't have undefeated teams, yet their 1 loss teams - and even 2 loss team in 2007 - always got the nod for the BCS title game. Why? Because they're in the SEC. So while it's certainly impressive to win, they get the benefit of every doubt when it comes to choosing only two teams that get to play for it each year. We could debate whether it's warranted or not, but it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison with other conferences when it comes to BCS title games. Whenever there are other teams out there with 0 losses or just 1 loss, the SEC is going to get the nod. Again, under the current system we could debate if that were right or wrong, but what's not debatable is the lack of fairness in that.

To me, this is just more evidence for the need for a playoff.

[Cedric]

I've heard all that stuff before, and they're right, I still don't get it. It makes no earthly sense to me. And on top of that, I ask "so what"? What's it all mean? I think the people who are littering my FB page with SEC chants and the inevitable mood in the office today of everyone claiming a national title (even though I don't know a single Auburn alum here) just look silly.

Auburn fans should be celebrating like anyone else would, but UK fans? Ole Miss fans? Really? The reason people "don't get it" is because they have no interest in it, not because they're aren't as advanced in their fandom as southerners. I think it's more because it just seems like a silly thing to do. That's why you really don't see it anywhere else.

There's no way around the fact that it's impressive to have 4 different teams win the BCS in a 5 year stretch. This is the heyday for the SEC. I only wish the fanbase would let everyone else recognize it rather than it being forced on us with the constant "we're better than you" comments waiting around every corner in every college football discussion out there. No one likes to be condescended to, so it shouldn't be a surprise when some folks don't react well when it happens.

And I'm not trying to detract from the accomplishment, but people should realize that this isn't the same as if there were a playoff. Only two teams get the chance to play for the title every year, so you have to be selected for the game to have the chance to win this many in a row. So for 5 straight years, an SEC team is one of only two teams chosen, hence the only conference with the chance to do this. The last two years they had an undefeated team, one of only two from major conferences. The 3 years before that, they didn't have undefeated teams, yet their 1 loss teams - and even 2 loss team in 2007 - always got the nod for the BCS title game. Why? Because they're in the SEC. So while it's certainly impressive to win, they get the benefit of every doubt when it comes to choosing only two teams that get to play for it each year. We could debate whether it's warranted or not, but it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison with other conferences when it comes to BCS title games. Whenever there are other teams out there with 0 losses or just 1 loss, the SEC is going to get the nod. Again, under the current system we could debate if that were right or wrong, but what's not debatable is the lack of fairness in that.

To me, this is just more evidence for the need for a playoff.

Perfectly said.

It's just another way for fans of crappy schools to ride the coattails and brag about their teams. They can try and spin that anyway they want.

[Sea Ray]

There's no way around the fact that it's impressive to have 4 different teams win the BCS in a 5 year stretch. This is the heyday for the SEC. I only wish the fanbase would let everyone else recognize it rather than it being forced on us with the constant "we're better than you" comments waiting around every corner in every college football discussion out there. No one likes to be condescended to, so it shouldn't be a surprise when some folks don't react well when it happens.

And I'm not trying to detract from the accomplishment, but people should realize that this isn't the same as if there were a playoff. Only two teams get the chance to play for the title every year, so you have to be selected for the game to have the chance to win this many in a row. So for 5 straight years, an SEC team is one of only two teams chosen, hence the only conference with the chance to do this. The last two years they had an undefeated team, one of only two from major conferences. The 3 years before that, they didn't have undefeated teams, yet their 1 loss teams - and even 2 loss team in 2007 - always got the nod for the BCS title game. Why? Because they're in the SEC. So while it's certainly impressive to win, they get the benefit of every doubt when it comes to choosing only two teams that get to play for it each year. We could debate whether it's warranted or not, but it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison with other conferences when it comes to BCS title games. Whenever there are other teams out there with 0 losses or just 1 loss, the SEC is going to get the nod. Again, under the current system we could debate if that were right or wrong, but what's not debatable is the lack of fairness in that.

To me, this is just more evidence for the need for a playoff.

Sounds like you've got some idiots in your office. Folks around here are just saying what you are: that the SEC is in an incredible run.

Since they keep winning, I'd say their inclusion in the game is warranted.

As a fan, I enjoy the competition of the SEC. Look at all the close calls Auburn had this year. Alabama was very good yet they lost 2 or 3 games. How many close calls did Wisconsin and OSU have? They each dropped a game but for the most part they won their other Big Ten matchups comfortably.

No question we need a playoff

[WMR]

Perfectly said.

It's just another way for fans of crappy schools to ride the coattails and brag about their teams. They can try and spin that anyway they want.

Absolute nonsense. Why do Bama fans cheer on Vandy? Why were Auburn/Bama fans cheering on UK at their bowl game? It sure isn't because they're trying to ride coattails.

CONFERENCE PRIDE/ALLEGIANCE in the SEC goes from top to bottom and bottom to top. Fact.

Just accept that we're different from you and move on. We're not changing.

By the way: it's not like it's just SEC fans. We've got a couple big Pac-10 fans on this very board (OBM and RBA).

[Cedric]

Absolute nonsense. Why do Bama fans cheer on Vandy? Why were Auburn/Bama fans cheering on UK at their bowl game? It sure isn't because they're trying to ride coattails.

CONFERENCE PRIDE/ALLEGIANCE in the SEC goes from top to bottom and bottom to top. Fact.

Just accept that we're different from you and move on. We're not changing.

We're different from me? Are you an alien or breathe through gills?

You are just another fan that is trying to find a way to pound his chest. And quite frankly in talking about college football you have no right to do that. You root for a terrible team with little to no history. Deal with that and move on.

[WMR]

We're different from me? Are you an alien or breathe through gills?

You are just another fan that is trying to find a way to pound his chest. And quite frankly in talking about college football you have no right to do that. You root for a terrible team with little to no history. Deal with that and move on.

Please never call another fanbase arrogant again.

No pounding of chest either. I've never used SEC dominance to make some overarching statements about the quality of my team or tried to build up my team on the back of the accomplishments of my team's conference peers.

I love SEC football and will ALWAYS root for them when they play a team out of conference (along with millions of other SEC fans...). Whether I'm Bama fan rooting for UK to beat Florida State or UK fan rooting for Florida to beat Ohio State. It's just how it is. Go to the message boards of the top dogs of the conference (LSU, Florida) and ask them if they root for other SEC teams in bowl games.

(PS That team I root for, the one with "little to no history" HAS won a national championship in football. How many teams have won a national title? Just sayin'.)

[NJReds]

I thought Oregon would win, but I didn't have a real rooting interest in the game. I wish this game had been a month ago, as I think the quality of play would've been much better. Both teams looked a little "off."

[Hoosier Red]

Sore winner? Where?

Congrats JoJo, I certainly wasn't cheering for them, but that's quite a great thing to see.

[Boston Red]

(PS That team I root for, the one with "little to no history" HAS won a national championship in football. How many teams have won a national title? Just sayin'.)

That's debateable (and could be the subject of its own thread). I think that "title" was awarded 40 or 50 years after the actual season was played.

[OnBaseMachine]

I've heard all that stuff before, and they're right, I still don't get it. It makes no earthly sense to me. And on top of that, I ask "so what"? What's it all mean? I think the people who are littering my FB page with SEC chants and the inevitable mood in the office today of everyone claiming a national title (even though I don't know a single Auburn alum here) just look silly.

Auburn fans should be celebrating like anyone else would, but UK fans? Ole Miss fans? Really? The reason people "don't get it" is because they have no interest in it, not because they're aren't as advanced in their fandom as southerners. I think it's more because it just seems like a silly thing to do. That's why you really don't see it anywhere else.

There's no way around the fact that it's impressive to have 4 different teams win the BCS in a 5 year stretch. This is the heyday for the SEC. I only wish the fanbase would let everyone else recognize it rather than it being forced on us with the constant "we're better than you" comments waiting around every corner in every college football discussion out there. No one likes to be condescended to, so it shouldn't be a surprise when some folks don't react well when it happens.

And I'm not trying to detract from the accomplishment, but people should realize that this isn't the same as if there were a playoff. Only two teams get the chance to play for the title every year, so you have to be selected for the game to have the chance to win this many in a row. So for 5 straight years, an SEC team is one of only two teams chosen, hence the only conference with the chance to do this. The last two years they had an undefeated team, one of only two from major conferences. The 3 years before that, they didn't have undefeated teams, yet their 1 loss teams - and even 2 loss team in 2007 - always got the nod for the BCS title game. Why? Because they're in the SEC. So while it's certainly impressive to win, they get the benefit of every doubt when it comes to choosing only two teams that get to play for it each year. We could debate whether it's warranted or not, but it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison with other conferences when it comes to BCS title games. Whenever there are other teams out there with 0 losses or just 1 loss, the SEC is going to get the nod. Again, under the current system we could debate if that were right or wrong, but what's not debatable is the lack of fairness in that.

To me, this is just more evidence for the need for a playoff.

Great post.

[WMR]

Great post.

Aren't you a USC fan? Why would you be cheering for Oregon?

[OnBaseMachine]

Aren't you a USC fan? Why would you be cheering for Oregon?

I was rooting more against Auburn because like everyone else, I'm tired of hearing about the SEC and Cam Newton.

[WMR]

I was rooting more against Auburn because like everyone else, I'm tired of hearing about the SEC and Cam Newton.

Okay so people are allowed to hate the SEC and root against the conference but rooting FOR the SEC is a no-no?

If it's okay for you to hate them, I hope you don't mind me cheering them on. (Don't worry, I'll be doing it anyway. )