And why they play the games.
Thanks for that bit of insight. I look forward to you replying "It is what it is" on every single thread, in order to spread your wisdom around more widely.
...before the CFP came to be, all we ever heard about was how the SEC was so much better than everywhere else it wasn't funny. A MAC team - and not even the best team in the conference....heck, not even the winner of their division this season - should not be able to have an SEC team by the throat. And yet, there we were.
The SEC is basically a blocked field goal away from being 0-5 so far in bowl season. That is, to me, staggering given how highly regarded the conference has been over the last ten years.
Yammer, perhaps part of it is what SEC conference ranking is matched up with which other-conference ranking. Put SEC #1 vs ACC #1, all the way down to Mizzou vs Virginia, and the SEC probably looks pretty good. I'm no SEC booster, but the matchups thus far have been:
(team, rough rank in conference, conf record; SEC team listed first)
MS State (12th, 3-5) vs Miami OH (4th ACC, 6-2), result MSST 17-16
Vanderbilt (11th, 3-5) vs NC State (9th ACC, 3-5), result NCST 41-17
Texas A&M (6th, 4-4) vs KS State (4th Big 12, 6-3), result KSST 33-28
South Carolina (10th, 3-5) vs South Florida (3rd AAC, 7-1), result SFL 46-39 (OT)
Arkansas (9th, 3-5) vs VA Tech (2nd ACC, 6-2), result VT 35-24
Georgia (7th, 4-4) vs TCU (5th Big 12, 4-5), result UGA 31-23
Tennessee (5th, 4-4) vs Nebraska (5th B1G, 6-3), result TN 38-24
The conference was not helped much by the fact that 12 of the 14 SEC teams qualified for bowl games, and all travel well (except maybe Vandy) so they all got picked somewhat above what their competitive level should probably have indicated. I mean, frankly, of the above, the fact that MSST almost beat Miami is probably the most impressive/surprising result of the lot.
What we have left may be a more fair test of conference depth, overall:
LSU (4th, 5-3) vs Louisville (3rd ACC, 7-1)
Kentucky (8th, 4-4) vs Georgia Tech (8th ACC, 4-4)
Florida (2nd, 6-2) vs Iowa (6th B1G, 6-3) -- this should be a face-crush for Florida
Alabama (1st, 8-0) vs Washington (1st Pac12, 8-1)
Auburn (3rd, 5-3) vs Oklahoma (1st Big12, 9-0)