The SEC has arguably been the best conference in the nation for the past seven years.
In those seven years, the SEC champion went 6-1 in bowl games, including going an impressive 4-0 in the BCS National Championship, outscoring opponents 124-66 in those games.
Since the inception of the SEC Championship game in 1992, the SEC has won seven national championships, with the SEC Eastern Division winning four, and the West winning three.
The SEC became the first conference in the NCAA to hold a championship game since the league's expansion in 1991. The first two games were held in Birmingham, AL then they were moved to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. Since then, the Georgia Dome hasn't equaled the attendance of the first championship game, where 83,091 spectators witnessed Alabama defeat Florida.
Overall, the SEC champion is 11-6 in their bowl games.
The SEC has produced great football teams during this era and it is hard for anyone to select the best 10 teams during the Championship Era. There are fans of certain teams that are going to be upset, but nonetheless, it's just a list, and this is open for debate.
It helped the team's cause by winning their bowl game, the significance of the game, and the team they either beat, or lost to at the time.
But here are the teams who just barely missed the cut in no particular order:
1999 Alabama Crimson Tide
Finished 10-3 (7-1) ranked No. 8 in the AP.
Notable losses: Louisiana Tech by one point at home and Michigan in the Orange Bowl by one point in overtime.
Notable wins: At Florida by one in overtime.
Defeated No. 5 Florida 34-7 in the SEC Championship.
The '99 Alabama team was one of the best teams they put on the field. Led by Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels on offense, they ran through the SEC with their only conference loss coming to Tennessee at home.
They also defeated Florida twice in the same year, once in Gainesville by one in overtime, and by 27 in the championship game. They suffered a heartbreaking loss to Michigan in the Orange Bowl due to a missed extra point.
That same Michigan team was led by eventual Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady.
2001 LSU Tigers
Finished 10-3 (5-3) ranked No. 7 in the AP.
Notable losses: At Tennessee by eight, Florida by 29, and Ole Miss by 11 at home.
Notable wins: At Alabama by 14 and Tennessee in the SEC Championship by 11.
Defeated No. 2 Tennessee 31-20 in the SEC Championship.
LSU suffered back-to-back losses to Tennessee on the road and Florida at home. They got back on track to beat Kentucky and Mississippi State, but stumbled at home against Ole Miss.
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