SEC Needs to Play More Competitive Schedule

by Ben Finnegan
(Pittsburg, CA, USA)

The SEC's continued "dominance" of the college football landscape will remain nothing but a sham until the top SEC teams actually dare venture out of the deep South and schedule home and home series with top teams from other regions. Maybe they see the results Tennessee has had with home and homes with Cal and UCLA and they will retreat like a frightened turtle into the protective shell of SEC home venues.

I'm not disputing that the SEC produces great football teams, but I will always be skeptical of their claims of superiority until they go on the road to play USC, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Penn State, etc.

Florida hasn't played a scheduled game out of the south in over a decade so what are they afraid of? Until they take their show on the road, I can't accept them as the top team. Great teams take on all challengers, and Florida just seems to avoid them at all costs.

And I'm sure the beat down Utah put on Alabama last year will make the SEC elite dig in their heels even more and refuse to step up their non-conference schedules.

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Nov 03, 2009
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Florida away schedule is a joke for 10 years
by: The Mad Trojan

Here's Floridas schedule the last 10 years for non conference. The Citadel at Home.....Come on SEC.
2008
Hawaii at home
Citadel at home
2007
western kentucky at home
troy at home
florida atlantic at home
florida state at home
2006
southern miss at home
central florida at home
western carolina at home
2005
wyoming at home
louisiana tech at home
florida state at home
2004
Eastern Michigan at home
middle tennesee state at home
florida state away
2003
San Jose State at home
Miami away
florida am at home
2002
uab at home
maimi at home
ohio university at home
2001
marshall at home
louisian monroe at home
florida state at home
2000
ball state at home
middle tennesee state at home
florida state away
1999
western michigan at home
central florida at home
florida state at home

Nov 30, 2010
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SEC needs tougher games?
by: Anonymous

Thats funny that you think the SEC needs tougher games. Name one other conference that has as tough a schedule as the SEC. How many SEC teams are in the top 25 right now? The answer in the SEC West alone is 4! 4 out of the 5 teams are ranked in the top 25. There is a reason why they don't play tough out of conference games consistently, and thats because there in conference schedule is so difficult. No other conference plays like the SEC. And SEC teams have proven that with the BCS Championship the past few years. Someone mentioned going on the road to play Ohio St. ok the SEC has been there and done that. They pummeled Ohio St. Before you judge SEC teams based on out of conference schedule you should look at where you National Champs have come from the past few years and who they have beaten in those title games.

Nov 30, 2010
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SEC Still Suspect
by: Anonymous

What is the SEC afraid of? "Oh, our conference is so strong we don't need to play tough non conference games." "We have so many teams ranked in the top 25." "We don't need to prove anything."

Ever hear of raising the bar? If the conference is so invincible I would think taking its act on the road (not a neutral field) would be an easy decision. After all if playing a fellow SEC team is so challenging and hard, going into Columbus, Eugene, Norman, etc., would be a walk in the park.

Come on SEC. Break out of your little shell and schedule strong non conference opponents. What is so tough about that? That you might lose and all of a sudden you won't have as many teams in the top 25? At the very least play 9 conference games then.

College football (the fans and players) win when the best teams play each other. To me the best college football game I've been to in years was when Tennessee (one of the few SEC teams willing to take its act on the road) came to Berkeley. The atmosphere was electric; fans from both schools got along and had fun before and after the game, and there were great plays all around. It was college football at its finest. I doubt anyone would feel that way if Cal was playing UC Davis that day or Tennessee was playing The Citadel.

Bear Bryant didn't walk away from a challenge. He took on USC in its heyday. Maybe the current SEC should do the same.

Dec 06, 2010
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SEC Soft Schedules
by: Chappy

SEC teams have a schedule similar to a fighter who consistantly fights tomato cans, or they wait til Pac 10 programs are depleted to play them. Guys like Joe Calzaghe, Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. and Manny Pacquaio come to mind. How come SEC schools like Florida and LSU, ALAbama and Auburn never schedule USC, Oregon,Stanford,Oregon St or any good Pac 10 team during their 3 to 5 or even 7 year reign. They never will. The only way you can continue this ridiculous SEC media dellusion is to schedule College of Charleston and Troy State in October and November while top 25 Pac 10 teams are playing each other each and evey year. Than you look at the NFL and you really see how dominant the Pac 10 really is. Look at all the great defensive playas not to mention the surplus of QB's around the NFL.Hey SEC fan where's the great SEC players in the NFL? Where are the great rookies? Where?

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