Saturday, August 13, 2011

Inevitable Conference Expansion Will Dilute Elite SEC

SECAM

     Rumors over the past few days have hinted that multiple schools are looking to leave their affiliated conferences for the SEC, and I doubt there is a thing anyone can do to stop it. More schools means more cash flow—and that’s something the SEC and it’s board will have a hard time turning down, even if it means diluting the talent level of college football’s greatest conference.

    It’s not hard to see where the future of college football is going—super conferences. Both the Big Ten and new Pac 12 will don new conference alignments this fall, and that will only be the beginning. Like it or not, BSC football will come down to three, maybe four, conferences in the coming years.

    As early as this weekend we could start to see conferences such as the SEC migrate toward a 16 team alignment. Once it starts it’s going to be an avalanche effect. Last summer saw the first dominoes fall with Nebraska moving to the Big Ten, Colorado and Utah joining and forming the new Pac 12, an TCU heading to the Big East. Now that Texas has angered the rest of the remaining Big 12 schools with their new Longhorn Network which gives the school $15 million a year, schools such as Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State are aggressively looking to jump ship.

    Texas A&M is apparently the most progressive school at the moment, and rumors have it that a vote by the SEC could happen as early as this afternoon as to whether the Aggies will join. If A&M joins then it’s guaranteed that at least one other school will, in order to even out the divisions.  Oklahoma or Clemson would make the most sense. Oklahoma because they are a historical powerhouse and purely for image sake would need out after being abandoned by the Aggies. Clemson would make sense because of geography.

    If it doesn’t happen within the coming weeks, conference realignment will inevitably happen in the coming years, which begs the question: Is the dominance of the SEC coming to a close?

    Adding more schools for the sake of money is a fine line to walk with longtime SEC fans. Tradition will be jeopardized, as well as quality. Oklahoma is one thing—they recruit at a high level and will only increase their talent level with a jump to the SEC—and Texas A&M could be competitive at times. But rumored schools such as Clemson, Oklahoma State, and Missouri I fear would not be as competitive in their moves.

    Clemson in particular has only proven to be semi-competitive in the mediocre ACC over the past 20 years. Their last conference title came in 1991—in a league that has only had two national championships since then (both courtesy of Florida State). In that time the SEC has had 9 national championships from 5 different teams. Over the past 10 years Clemson has average 5 losses a season. Bear in mind that is the comparatively weak ACC. A conservative assumption would have to project an average of at least 6 losses a year with a jump to the SEC, and realistically more like a 7 or 8 loss average.

    Oklahoma State is another school that has an average of 5 losses over the past decade, including two 7 loss seasons. That is in a conference that has seen zero National Championships over that time period.

    I understand why both the schools and the SEC would make the move—it makes financial sense. But to the fan, to the tradition of the game, these moves are not welcomed. Schedules will be altered, traditional rivalries will be done away with, talent levels will be diluted, conferences will become top heavy, bottom dwelling schools will find it nearly impossibly to climb the ranks, the college football landscape will begin to seem claustrophobic.

    Schools like Clemson, Oklahoma State, and Missouri will drown in the ultra-competitive SEC. School presidents know this, yet they will let it happen, because when it comes down to it (even though they won’t tell you this) it’s all about money. Nothing is about the love of the game anymore. College Football is a business, and any financial advisor would tell you a jump to the SEC is profit gained.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Lattimore for Heisman Campaign Begins

    If yesterday’s preseason Coaches Poll rankings are any indication of the talent and potential of the #12 South Carolina Gamecocks, then plenty of awards will be heading Columbia, South Carolina’s way. Among them could be the biggest of them all: the Heisman Trophy.

    RB Marcus Lattimore is on everyone’s shortlist for preseason Heisman candidates, and after a sensational freshman season like he had last year, quite frankly he should be.

Marcus Lattimore, RB, #21, Freshman Statistics

Rushing                                        Receiving

249 Attempts                                29 Receptions

1197 Yards                                   412 Yards

17 Touchdowns                             2 Touchdowns

    The following is an unofficial video for the 2011 Marcus Lattimore Heisman Campaign. The University of South Carolina has yet to unveil an official campaign, and there are no mentions of one being marketed this season.