Matt Melton manages to throw a boatload of trivia into one long paragraph.
… And speaking of divisional crowns, in just three seasons of play in the SEC, Missouri has already won twice as many SEC East titles as Kentucky, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt combined. In the SEC Championship Game itself, the west has reeled off six consecutive victories (with five coming by at least 17 points). Before we close this chapter of Statistically Speaking, I will leave you with what I feel is an extraordinary piece of statistical minutia regarding the SEC. Since 2005, every SEC team (including newbies Missouri and Texas A&M) has had at least one season with at least four conference wins and one season with at least five conference losses (i.e. a .500 conference record and a losing conference record).
As Matt says, make of that what you will.
Get The Picture 
I really don’t get the whole “east is so inferior” argument that has arisen the past 2-3 years. Yes, they conference title has been won by the West recently, but is very competitive over the whole span since 1992. I also realize that Vandy, and Kentucky, mean our “lows” are lower. But this is one conference divided into two divisions for the sake of a playoff game, it doesn’t mean there aren’t teams on both sides that knock your dick in the sand on any given Saturday.
Look at the recruiting rankings, and NFL draft figures, numbers, you are going to play against quality athletes in conference games and that beats you up more than any other conference in America. It is why ANY SEC champ will have earned their right to be called champion every year. This a gauntlet unlike what any other conference champ will play, including those who play nine conference games. And it doesn’t matter what the OOC is like.
This has been a diversion by other conferences, and their fans, because of a “little man” complex as they are tired of hearing about the SEC. And the media is all over it because it draws clicks and passionate callers. I certainly don’t think the SEC champ is the best every year, nor do I believe that high quality teams around the country couldn’t play in, or win the SEC on occasion. But I will say those champs do not have to get up every week for a game, and that they are probably going to be less banged up at the end of the year.
Why doesn’t the media point out that either ohio, or Michigan has won 50 of the last 65 conference titles in their league? Or that they have around 90 total since the league first began? I think Bama leads the SEC in titles won with around 23, that is about half of what ohio and Michigan have won in their Big 2 Little 8 league. Do you think they are twice as good as Bama? How many would they have won in the SEC? How many titles in their conference would UGA or LSU have won in theirs? There simply is no point in arguing who is the best conference, it doesn’t matter, you don’t play a conference, you play a team. And if you play 8-9 games a year against the SEC schedule and win out, there is no question you deserve to be respected…and it doesn’t matter if you are in the East, or the West. No matter how the schedule rotates, you cannot escape playing mulitiple excellent teams, including the guy who won the other division.
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I think if you look at the head to head East vs. West win/loss records over the past few years, along with the fact that the West has dominated the championship game of late, it is not hard to admit that the East has fallen behind. Tebow and Meyer leaving UF, along with UT’s struggles, have contributed to the disparity. Getting to play Vandy and Kentucky each year is a huge advantage to the East teams as well. Objectively, the West has carried the SEC on the national stage for several years now, as hard as that may be for UGA fans to admit.
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I agree with your explanation of perception, I just think the perspective is silly. Teams in the East have to play 2-3 formidable challenges in the East each year, at least one tough game from the West, and then play the West champion in the title game. What other conference comes close to that level of schedule….annually? None, the deepest conference in depth this year, outside the SEC, will be the PAC 12 with about five good teams and a title game. Next will be the Big 12, where they have three very stout teams that all play each other, then no title game.
The other conferences aren’t even in the discussion for being difficult this year. Yet, it is perceived that UGA plays in a weak football division because of what? Florida is back to being Florida? Vandy and KY are just not very good at football? Spurrier cannot back up his mouth? Mizzou is a former Big 12 team?
Look at the path UGA will have to take to get to a playoff, include the SECCG. Now look at ohio’s path? And we are having to defend our selves? Look at Clemson’s path. Even TCU, Baylor, and OU have only themselves to fear, that’s two really tough games each, and not much else. But we are getting barbs from all over because the East has been abandoned and thrown out as a weak sister. We would be the strongest division in any other conference.
And while the SEC West has joined in the singing, how good are they versus where they were? The two Mississippi were the over touted last year and neither of them lived up to it. All because Ole Miss bought some top recruits, then beat a decent but not great Bama team while Gameday was there. How good were they really? Ole Miss barely got by Bama then got crushed in Arkansas and got blown out by TCU. Miss State also gagged and got run out o the stadium by GT with a month to prepare. Were they really that good? I grant you there is more depth of talent in the West, mostly because as average as the Mississippi schools are, they are better than Vandy and slightly better than Kentucky. I just think the media distorts reality by riding the latest news flash. West is on a trend, may all come down this year or next. It is always cyclical.
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If your hypothesis is true, Auburn or Alabama should have been moved to the East to accommodate Missouri and to provide competitive balance. Everyone said the West sucked when UT or UF would beat whoever came from the West senseless in the 90s. It wasn’t true then and it’s not true now. It’s another way the SEC completely screwed up the 2012 expansion.
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I certainly leave room for disagreement about this, but I don’t see the East being nearly as good, top to bottom, as the West. That is my main point. I know things run in cycles, and I know the East was once better than the West years ago. Balance will likely be restored if Saban leaves, or when UF and UT become major players again. As is, UGA, SC, and Mizzou don’t stack up very well against Bama, LSU, Auburn, and the rest of the West, IMO.
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Isnt two times zero still zero?
Maybe the author isn’t good at multiplication and division. Or English. Missouri has certainly won two MORE SEC East titles that the other three schools he mentions, but they haven’t won TWICE as many. Sheesh.
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oops. Maybe Im the one with the math problem. Twice times S Carolina”s one is in fact two.
Maybe I need coffee.
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