Phillip Marshall ranks the programs of the SEC

True greatness is rare in college football
Posted by Phillip Marshall, The HuntsvilleTimes May 08, 2008 6:24 AM


The word "great" is often difficult to define in sports in general and college football in particular. What makes a great team, a great player or a great coach is subjective, to say the least. I'm probably stingier with the word than most.

The truth is, great teams and great programs are rare.

To me, it's not necessarily winning a championship that defines a great team. You can have great team without winning a championship and you can win a championship without having a great team. Turning back the clock, no one could say Auburn's 1972 team wasn't a great one. It didn't win a championship of any kind. It would be hard to say the 2001 LSU team, which upset Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game after losing three regular-season games and getting blown out at home by Florida, was a great one.

In my mind, a great program is one in which teams have an aura of invincibility year in and year out. They might not always win, but it's almost always a surprise when they don't. They are at their best when the spotlight shines the brightest.

In the SEC today, I'd say LSU is the only one that qualifies, and we'll see how long that lasts. Auburn and Georgia come close. Florida, with one great season and lots of mediocre ones since Steve Spurrier hit the bricks after the 2001 season, doesn't.

Here's how I would rate the SEC programs as of today:

1. LSU. You can't argue with two national championship in five seasons, even though there was a lot of luck involved in getting to chance to play for them.

2. Georgia. Mark Richt has two SEC championships, but last season's team didn't win one and might have been his best.

3. Auburn. The Tigers have averaged more than 10 wins over the past five seasons. Coach Tommy Tuberville is at his best in the biggest games. He beat national champion Florida in 2006 and lost to LSU in Baton Rouge on the last play of the game last season.

4. Florida. The Gators had a great year in 2006 and won the national championship. They were major underachievers last season.

5. Tennessee. The Vols aren't what they once were, but they still managed to stumble into the SEC Championship Game last season.

6. Alabama. The Tide looks for better days ahead under Nick Saban.

7. Arkansas. There is plenty of passion and plenty of money at Arkansas. It'll be interesting to see what Bobby Petrino does with it.

8. South Carolina. The Gamecocks seem to have everything it takes to have a big-winning program, but it never seems to happen.

9. Kentucky. Rich Brooks stubbornly hung on when a lot of fans wanted him gone and has made the Wildcats more competitive than they've been in a long time.

10. Mississippi State. Can Sly Croom duplicate the success of last season's 8-5 team? It'll be hard.

11. Ole Miss. The Rebels could be upwardly mobile under first-year coach Houston Nutt.

12. Vanderbilt. The Commodores have upgraded their talent level under Bobby Johnson, but they will always face an uphill climb in the SEC.

 

Pretty good list. Given our recent success, I don't think anyone can argue about LSU being #1. UGA/Auburn/Florida are interchangable. I would not have had a problem if UF was 2nd, or Auburn for that matter.

The only other thing I saw that surprised me was Moo U. being ahead of Ole Miss, but given the current state both programs are in, I guess you could say it is fair.

 

I'd put Florida at #2 and Auburn one spot ahead of Georgia at #3. I like what Croom did at Mississippi St last season and would like to see him duplicate or improve on that, but the competition in the west just got kicked up a notch. I like Moo U ahead of Vandy and Ole Sissy.

 

I do think you have to put Florida at #2 and Auburn behind them.

 

Considering that Marshall is the Auburn beat writer/Tubs lackey this statement fits.

 

Yeah, that dog surely wouldn't hunt in many people's minds. Not only in evaluating coaches but even players- specially in the NFL. (Dan Marino)




.

 

Flattery will get you everywhere...:thumb:

Which one? This one?

Yeah, I can see that dastardly Auburn bias bleeding through on that one...:grin:

 

Marshall is no more a "lackey" for Auburn than you are for Saban and Alabama ...... word

 

I don't necessarily understand what he is ranking... The teams for the past few seasons, what they will be like in a few years, or what happened last year, because he seems to pick and choose from those three.

LSU/UGA were the last few seasons

Auburn was last season

Alabama/Arkansas are the next few seasons


Arkansas should be way ahead of Bama. They have gone to the SECCG twice since 2000, and they beat us last year (this is a valid point because Auburn gets brownie points for ALMOST beating us).

 

I dont either. He claims he is ranking them "as of today" or whatever that means.

If by today he is is literally suggesting today, then I have no problem in saying Florida would beat the hell out of Auburn. We also have some QB issues too.

But he obviously isnt ranking them that way, and therefore I am still confused.