From a “down year” to the top of the college football world, again, SEC football will add one more title to their impressive run of championships on January 8.
SEC football began their reign of dominance over college football in 2006 when No. 2 Florida crushed No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game. The SEC went on to win seven consecutive national championships, split between four different member institutions – Alabama (3), Florida (2), LSU (1) and Auburn (1).
The College Football Playoff formed, in part, to dissatisfaction with the All-SEC finish in 2011 between LSU and Alabama. Since it was instituted following the 2013 season there have been 16 playoff teams, five of which hailed from the SEC. The conference has never missed the Playoff, and that’s not just because Nick Saban has built a juggernaut in Tuscaloosa.
This year it’s not just “Alabama and the rest”. For the second time since 2011 the SEC has multiple teams in the championship game. Frankly, no other conference has come close. The SEC became the first conference in the College Football Playoff era to get two teams into the final four and both are still standing entering the final game of the year.
Regardless of whether its Kirby Smart and Georgia or Saban and Alabama that takes home the trophy on Monday, the SEC will add their second title of the College Football Playoff era and their ninth title in the last 12 seasons. During that span the Big Ten has one title (Ohio State, 2014) and the ACC has two (Clemson, Playoff – 2016; Florida State, BCS – 2013).
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The Big Ten can taunt their bowl record. The Pac-12 can worry about their lack of national exposure. But the SEC is just going to keep winning titles. Tonight, the SEC will silence its critics once more with a calm, but deafening cry – “Scoreboard.”