It’s no secret to anyone that the SEC conference is the promise land in Division I football. Most teams in said conference are highly decorated and produce countless draft picks for NFL teams. If the CFB conferences were a monarchy, most would agree that the SEC would be king. Following in line would probably be the Big 10 as queen with the Pac 12 and Big 12 as princess and prince. I can see the ACC conference as a favorite uncle. But as we all know as history dictates, the sun will set on a king’s reign and naturally the crown will rest on another’s head.
2012 was the last year an SEC team won the NCAA championship. And yep, you guessed it, it was Alabama. The SEC streak of teams winning the championship goes all the way back to 2006. That streak was broken in 2013 when Florida State – an ACC team – won against Notre Dame. Last year, the Big 10’s own Ohio State won. The Big 10 and Ohio State are no stranger to an NCAA Championship, but, the same can’t be said about the ACC conference. Before 2013, the last time an ACC team won was in 2001 (Miami Hurricanes).
The Big12’s teams have a rich history of producing championships. Particularly OU and UT – they both have a combined 7 since 1970. And let’s not forget the Pac 12’s own USC and Pete Carrolls reign when they appeared in and won two AP National Championships (’03 and ’04) and appearing in two BCS Championships (won in ’05, lost in ’06).
So now who stands the biggest chance to continue keeping another SEC team away from winning the championship in January? If at all possible for the third straight year?
I’m going to go ahead and predict either another Ohio State win or that Baylor will finally bring home the honor. Sounds easy enough to pick one of these based on current play. But here’s why I see these two over TCU, Utah, Florida, or LSU:
- TCU’s defense has forced too many close games and against Baylor’s 60+ points per game, Gary Patterson’s defensive unit will get picked apart. Look out of what’s sure to be another fantastic rivalry game between these two Texas powerhouses on Friday, Nov. 27 @ 7:30pm on ESPN.
- Someone’s gonna get knocked around during the Florida vs. LSU game. As great as both of these teams are, the victor will not only have to win, but win impressively and convincingly to pass the AP Poll’s top 3. These two SEC greats meet up this Saturday.
- Utah is flying under the radar currently and this might work in their favor. Having the Utes only focusing on winning their games lets them tune out outside noise. At least for the next couple of weeks. To be honest, I can only visualize Utah – if they stay undefeated or drop one at the most – reaching the Rose Bowl.
- Ohio State will stay No. 1 despite the close games that they have had against unranked opponents unless they lose. That just comes with the being the reigning champions. Baylor, TCU, and LSU are the only teams I see possibly upsetting Ohio State. Too bad neither of them face Urban Meyer’s group.
- Clemson (5) is currently sitting pretty atop the ACC (next closest is Florida State).They’re having an impressive display thanks in part to their defense and minimally better but difference making offense. But what is going to be the deciding factor for this Tigers team is whether they can stay healthy or not. What separates them from and No. 4 (Utah) and No. 3 (TCU) is ninety and ninety-four points. It’s of note that Clemson’s wins so far have come from “who?” opponents – except for Notre Dame. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens on the game that will really see what Dabo Swinney and his guys can do when they face FSU on Nov. 7.
Now is the time in CFB that we see what the top teams are made of. Are they in those top spots for a reason or will their true test come in the upcoming weeks when they could get knocked down a peg or four? What about those in the middle of the pack? Can they rise or are they destined for a Peach, Orange, Fiesta or Cotton Bowl? The SEC is no longer dominating at the level they once were over the years. There are phantoms of their greatness such as LSU’s huge burst and even Alabama and Ole Miss are hanging in there. However, it’s great that formidable teams from other top conferences compete and win for a spot in the Rose Bowl and/or Championship. My heart lies with the Big 12 and it would be great to see a title come back to Texas.
Everyone probably already has their pick of the top two or top four. But I don’t really see anything being decided at least until right after the Thanksgiving weekend. What is known is that it’s sure to be a very compelling season just like we saw last year in the College Football Playoff’s first official year.