Chuck Culpepper on SEC Bowl Struggles

[Smashcat]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/01/06/analyzing-the-sec-bowl-game-struggles-lets-jump-to-conclusions-as-rapidly-as-possible/



Our freakout American culture forever runs around trying to decipher the indecipherable. That’s as good a reason as any to have invented college football, a gloriously undefinable expanse that we routinely grope to define.

That’s how we can take four games that took a total of 16 hours and scream that they constitute some gigantic sea change. The four bowl losses by Southeastern Conference bosses — the two Alabama teams and the two Mississippi teams — count as a landmark. They count as a moment in the sport’s history, and as a fresh coat of paint upon the soaring excellence of one guy named Urban.
This post was edited on 1/7 12:14 PM by Smashcat

 

[canebreak]

He is an outstanding writer. Loved his column when he was in Lexington. He is head and shoulders above any writer in Kentucky....including Louisville (I know some of you don't think that is Kentucky).

 

[Mills_for_Three]

I could sum it up in one word...Overrated, as in the SEC West this year. When Mississippi State is ranked #1 that should say something. Like UL fans, I've heard MSU people down hear (in-laws included), how it doesn't matter if they lose Prescott and Robinson they have better players waiting in the wings....

 

[FtWorthCat]

I hope Culpepper starts writing about college basketball now that football is winding down. Would love to read his thoughts on this UK team.

 

[kyhusker2]

Loved Culpepper when he was in Lexington and hated to see him go. I don't/didn't always agree with him, but he's a great writer.

 

[THE_OAK]

I'm a bigger fan of his brother Larry Culpepper

 

[yoshukai]

When good writers like Chuck are in Lexington they get hired by the big boys . How long have we been stuck with Tipton, Story, and John Clay .What's that say . Lol

 

[jnewc2]

Bowl season is a whole different deal than the regular season..a lot of times the better team doesn't win when you have a month to prepare and different motivating factors heading into the game..saying that the SEC West was "overrated" because of a bowl game (that 3/4 of them didn't want to be playing in) is ludicrous. My goodness, people's overreactions to these bowl games are ridiculous..stick Auburn, Mississippi State and LSU in the college football playoff (in a game that means something) with a chance to get to the national championship and I'll tell you how good of a team they ACTUALLY are..I don't judge LSU based on how they play in the Music City Bowl (which probably has to be the most disappointing bowl game for that team in over a decade)..I don't judge Auburn on how they played in the Outback Bowl after coming off of a season where they played in the national championship game

It's also funny how no one will talk about how Arkansas and Georgia absolutely smashed Texas and Louisville. They won't talk about how South Carolina, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida and Missouri (which are what? the 6th and 11th best team in the league?) all won..instead they'll look to some SEC teams that weren't motivated getting beaten by teams that were playing in some of the biggest games in their program's history with a month to prepare

The only game where I can say I was surprised about the result was Alabama, but my gosh, I think it's okay if we don't have an SEC team playing in the national championship every single year...the amazing thing about the SEC isn't necessarily the talent at the top (which is a common misconception) it's the ridiculous depth of having 12 teams going to bowl games, think about that, 12 teams, with us being a horribly blown-call away from being in one ourselves. When a conference has 12 teams playing in bowl games the fact that they are even close to having a .500 record in those games should speak volumes about how strong your conference is, but instead it's gotten to a point that the SEC has built up such a reputation that people are just out there sitting on the sidelines waiting for any of the 12 to fall so that they can just pile on..the double standards are ridiculous

You want a real barometer of your conference? Go line up the SEC's first 12 with every other conference's first 12 and tell me who comes out with the better conference record..it wouldn't even be close..but instead, because of the greatness and ridiculous depth of the conference, we'll have the 8th best team from our league playing the 2nd best team in another, and when that 2nd place team squeaks out a win over the 8th place team the whole world will pile on about the SEC is overrated

Let's go easy on the overreactions..I'd be shocked if the SEC isn't back in the national championship game next year (as long as we don't beat each other up too bad, as usual)

This post was edited on 1/7 5:23 PM by jnewc2

 

[KY1WING]

I do like his playoff system though and agree that Banana Tech was overrated.

Ice cold Dr. Pepper heeryah.

 

[KapitalCat]

In the 2014 NFL draft the SEC lost 63 players. The next closet conference was the ACC at 30. The past two years there has been a huge talent loss to the NFL and it's showing on the field. The SEC over the course of time is the best and most dominant conference but not this year. Probably the PAC 12 was first with the SEC more than likely 2nd. Most conference school are still recruiting at a high level and we (they) will be back as the best conference as soon as next year.

 

[hmt5000]

Originally posted by KapitalCat:
In the 2014 NFL draft the SEC lost 63 players. The next closet conference was the ACC at 30. The past two years there has been a huge talent loss to the NFL and it's showing on the field. The SEC over the course of time is the best and most dominant conference but not this year. Probably the PAC 12 was first with the SEC more than likely 2nd. Most conference school are still recruiting at a high level and we (they) will be back as the best conference as soon as next year.

+1