Nick Saban doesn't want the SEC to be penalized for losing games

[dennis580]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9319354/nick-saban-alabama-crimson-tide-coach-says-sec-deserves-more-credit-strength-schedule

"And then to think that the team that loses our championship game wouldn't have gotten into the Final Four if we'd had one. I mean, that's not a strength-of-schedule consideration at all. It's taking how many games you lose into consideration."

[Mac94]

He's right and he's wrong. He's right in a senario like last year if you have say Bama out of the west playing Georgia out of the east and they both are in the top four. Right behind is Florida or S. Carolina ... Georgia won the east over those two but loses the SEC title game so Florida or S. Carolina moves up and into the playoffs over Georgia who would have won the east and beaten those teams. That's where a title game shouldn;t hurt ... if he's talking about keeping Georiga in over the conference champ from the Pac-12 or Big-10, etc ... he's wrong.

[birddog]

he needs to go away. from earth, i mean. if he has the longevity of paterno then look forward to 40 yrs. of political injustice.

[badger]

OKLAST missing a field goal at Iowa State.

Free tattoos for tOSU's quarterback.

Baylor embarrassing Kansas State.

Oregon losing at home to Stanford.

There are many reasons Bammer won the past two national championships that have absolutely nothing to do with them losing a regular season game each season.

[Mac94]

Alabama ... while a great team ... has had way more than it's share of lucky breaks in all of this. From Colt's injury in the MNC game to all the losses in November to teams ranked ahead of them. Give them credit ... they've seized the opportunity when it's presented itself ... but they are beatable. Saban is money with 30+ days to gameplan ... but it'll be interesting in the new format when there will only be a week or two between games how he and his staff does.

[KantoSooner]

It used to be called 'Sooner Magic'. Now Bama has it and we don't.


It is said, though, that if we present Saint Barry with a bus full of half drunk sorority girls and a case of single barrel bourbon that all will be forgiven and we can start winning improbable games again.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Alabama ... while a great team ... has had way more than it's share of lucky breaks in all of this. From Colt's injury in the MNC game to all the losses in November to teams ranked ahead of them. Give them credit ... they've seized the opportunity when it's presented itself ... but they are beatable. Saban is money with 30+ days to gameplan ... but it'll be interesting in the new format when there will only be a week or two between games how he and his staff does.

Which is exactly why he is priming the pump in case HE is the one that drops the SEC title game.

[goingoneight]

Saban is definitely on the mountain top right now... but he's been just as fortunate as he has been good. As stated above, he didn't have to deal with Colt McCoy, squeaked ahead of Stanford and OSU to play LSU and was fortunate that KSU and Oregon choked last year. Stoops and OU have gotten those same preferential breaks from the voters, too. It's just the way a sport works when it is left to the human part of it.

[JLEW1818]

Fire Venables

[Blue]

Having 70% of your conference overrated and in the top 10 every week isn't good enough? Ban the SEC.

[8timechamps]

I will commend Saban on one thing, he was the lone "yes" vote at the coaches meetings regarding playing one additional conference game. Saban wants to go to 9 games, the other coaches all wanted to stay at 8.

I will give Saban credit for that.

[bluedogok]

OKLAST missing a field goal at Iowa State.

Free tattoos for tOSU's quarterback.

Baylor embarrassing Kansas State.

Oregon losing at home to Stanford.

There are many reasons Bammer won the past two national championships that have absolutely nothing to do with them losing a regular season game each season.
You have to be lucky in addition to good to win it all. Think of the right bounces and missed calls in critical situations that could have derailed a run.

[Sooners78]

Colt McCoy was not going to make a difference in that game. Bama's D was dominating him while he was in the game.

[texaspokieokie]

they were near bama's goal line when he went out.

even ash got tx to within 3 pts late in the game.

[freshchris05]

Gilbert

[texaspokieokie]

yeah, gilbert.

[SoonerNomad]

He would have been in favor of the team that lost the SEC championship game not making the playoff two years ago when one of the teams was not Alabama. He needed one of the SEC teams eliminted so he could his team could move back in.

It needs to be a year to year situation, but I would support the general premise that you should have to at least make your conference championship game to play in the playoff.

[goingoneight]

Colt McCoy was not going to make a difference in that game. Bama's D was dominating him while he was in the game.

What game were you watching? McCoy drove right down the field like it was nothing before getting injured on the goal line.

[Sabanball]

Saban favors a 9 game conference schedule so that EVERY player would have an opportunity to play against every other SEC team in his college career, which is impossible under the current 6-1-1 format. As has already been mentioned, he is the lone SEC coach to favor going to 9.

I agree, you need a bit of good fortune in addition good play and coaching to win championships. You have to capitalize on your opportunities, and we've done that. But the whole 'what if' obsession, particularly from Te*as fans, is starting to get a little old--especially after 3 1/2 yrs.

http://www.expressnews.com/sports/columnists/mike_finger/article/Anders-heroics-led-to-UT-s-downfall-4568671.php?t=73b7bf5117d95dc057

By the way, had DeLoss Dodds had his way last season and an 8 team playoff, 4 of the 8 teams in the playoff would have been from the SEC had the selection committee gone by the rankings at the time.

[mainline13]

By the way, had DeLoss Dodds had his way last season and an 8 team playoff, 4 of the 8 teams in the playoff would have been from the SEC had the selection committee gone by the rankings at the time.

Is it just me, or do the "conversations" seem to take this form:

Visiting SEC apologist: The SEC had X teams in the top Y <blah-blah-blah>

Apparent masochist: As good a conference as the SEC is, especially at the top, the fact remains that the whole SEC/ESPiN hype has a lot of lesser SEC teams overrated.

Visiting SEC apologist: But the SEC had X teams in the top Y, how could that be overrated?

[8timechamps]

Saban favors a 9 game conference schedule so that EVERY player would have an opportunity to play against every other SEC team in his college career, which is impossible under the current 6-1-1 format. As has already been mentioned, he is the lone SEC coach to favor going to 9.

I agree, you need a bit of good fortune in addition good play and coaching to win championships. You have to capitalize on your opportunities, and we've done that. But the whole 'what if' obsession, particularly from Te*as fans, is starting to get a little old--especially after 3 1/2 yrs.

http://www.expressnews.com/sports/columnists/mike_finger/article/Anders-heroics-led-to-UT-s-downfall-4568671.php?t=73b7bf5117d95dc057

By the way, had DeLoss Dodds had his way last season and an 8 team playoff, 4 of the 8 teams in the playoff would have been from the SEC had the selection committee gone by the rankings at the time.

I applauded Saban for his stance on the conference scheduling. I think it's sad that he was the lone vote for the 9 game schedule. Unless/until a 9 game schedule or true rotating format is established in the SEC, it's going to be hard for folks outside of the conference to see the SEC as crowning a "true" champion. The way it stands now, it appears some teams get special treatment in their scheduling (whether that's true, or not). I'm not a fan of Saban, but I did gain a little respect for him because of his stance on this issue.

As for Dodds wanting 8 teams, it's the first time I've EVER agreed with Dodds on anything. The 4 team format will change, it's only a matter of time.