College Football 2011: 30 Teams That Could Survive in the SEC

Like it or not, the SEC is currently the dominant conference in FBS college football.

How dominant?

Well, the SEC may play second fiddle to the Big Ten in terms of BCS appearances (21 for the SEC and 23 for the Big Ten), but the SEC’s 71.4 percent winning percentage in BCS play is far and away the best among the automatic qualifying conferences (the Big Ten boasts a 47.8 percent rate).

The SEC has also won the last five BCS national championships, which means no other conference has managed to win the whole enchilada since Texas beat USC at the close of the 2005 season.

So who else could hang with college football’s current powerhouse conference?

Who could “survive” and possibly win enough games to be bowl eligible, win a divisional crown or two and make the SEC Championship Game, a game that has decided the last five national titles?

The following slideshow attempts to identify 30 teams that could make it in the SEC. Some are fairly obvious due to their success in their own conferences and on the national level, while others are a bit of a crapshoot. 

Stats and past performance are decent indicators of who might endure a season at the top, but boy, wouldn’t it be fun to see what actually happened if some of these programs joined the ranks of the mighty SEC?

Florida State

The Seminoles are 60-67-6 all-time against the SEC, and while their 47.3 percent winning rate might seem low, in reality the number is above average for teams against the big, bad boys.

FSU is 2-0 against SEC opponents other than Florida since 2000, and the fact that it's won 12 ACC and two national titles since 1990 makes the Seminoles prime candidates to survive in any conference.

Texas

The Longhorns are 95-46-4 all-time against SEC opponents, and their 66.8 percent winning rate is among the very highest on this list.

History, recent success, recruiting prowess and a commitment to success make Texas a program that could enjoy real dominance in any division of any conference.

Michigan

The Wolverines are 20-6-1 all-time against SEC teams and are a sizzling 7-3 since 1990.

Michigan is another program that has all the qualities to be successful anywhere, and the stats don’t lie—these guys have had their way with the big boys.

Nebraska

The Cornhuskers are another more obvious choice, but they have the benefit of switching conferences this season and playing on an entirely different stage.

Though it won’t be the SEC arena, seeing a Big 12 (8) team in the Big Ten is provocative and will finally put some solid facts behind these hypotheses about who could play well in which conference.

Big Red is 19-6-1 against SEC opponents but is 1-2 since 2000. 

Nebraska can no doubt find success regardless of its conference affiliation.

Oregon

Oregon was the last non-conference team to succumb to an SEC opponent when it lost to Auburn in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game this past January.

Overall, the Ducks are 4-5-0 against the SEC and are 3-1 since 2000.

If you want recent proof that Oregon can compete with the SEC, you can look back to September of 2010, when the Ducks pounded Tennessee 48-13 in Knoxville.

Another good indicator will be the opening weekend of the 2011 season, when Oregon travels to Dallas to face LSU in a delicious matchup in Cowboys Stadium.

The Ducks are a team that could compete in the SEC right now, and their powerful attack would no doubt seriously test the stingy Southern defenses.

Yum.

Miami FL

Leaving the Hurricanes (who have won five national titles since 1983) off a list of 30 teams who could compete at the SEC level seems irresponsible at best, but this is a team you could argue off the list as easily as on it.

Miami hasn’t had much luck since leaving the Big East in 2003 and is still hopeful that its first ACC title of any kind (divisional or otherwise) is just around the corner.

But at the end of the day, this is still a very good football program that could compete anywhere if everything (finally) fell into place.

Miami is 65-83-3 against the SEC and has losing records against most current members with the exception of Florida (28-26-0), Arkansas (3-0), Mississippi State (3-2), South Carolina (8-5) and Vandy (4-4).

Pittsburgh

Another sleeper, especially given its recent inability to win an outright Big East title, but Pitt actually holds a sparkling 9-1-2 record against the SEC.

Proving that broad statistics tell only a small part of a bigger story, the Panthers haven’t played a regular season game against an SEC foe since 1985, when it beat South Carolina 42-7 in Pittsburgh.

Pitt did best Kentucky 27-10 in last season’s BBVA Compass Bowl, but other than that there are no current indicators that the Panthers could survive a season down South.

However, how much more effectively could Pitt recruit in what is still a talent-rich area if it was playing a full SEC schedule?

Though it’s a reach, the Panthers may be able to survive the gauntlet that is the SEC.

UCLA

Despite the Bruins' recent struggles, UCLA has the history of success that makes you believe it could make it anywhere once it gets itself sorted back out.

The Bruins are 13-12-3 all-time against the SEC and haven’t lost to a Southeastern foe since before the new millennium.

Maryland

Another definite sleeper in the SEC “what if” game, Maryland is an impressive 43-45-3 against SEC opponents, which beats most of the field other than the obvious front runners.

The Terrapins' stats, like those of Pitt, must be qualified by saying that most of the games were played prior to 1990, but still wins are wins.

Could Maryland really survive in the SEC?  I think it’s a stretch, but then again, what would a huge surge of momentum (in terms of recruiting, fan interest in the DC area and revenue) given a shift to the SEC mean for the Terrapins?

Maryland could be a team that’s just waiting to explode given different circumstances.

Texas A&M

There were rumors of the Aggies joining the SEC as recently as last season, when the Big 12 teetered on the brink of extinction.

Though it would have been a huge influx of excitement and recruiting interest for A&M, could it have actually competed with the big boys from the east?

The Aggies are 58-79-6 all-time against the SEC but haven’t beaten an SEC team since they were victorious over LSU in a regular season contest back in 1995.

Since that game the Ags have dropped six straight to the SEC, with four of those contests being bowl games.

Though A&M might struggle in the SEC (especially initially), eventually they could get it done—but not to the level that, say, Oklahoma, Texas or USC would.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes are 8-11-2 against the SEC, and prior to last season’s Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas, Ohio State had dropped eight straight games to SEC opponents.

Yep, the last time the Buckeyes beat an SEC team was in 1988, when they narrowly defeated LSU 36-33 in a regular season contest.

Despite its prior performance, Ohio State has been so dominant on a national level (they hold the record for the most BCS appearances at nine) and in the Big Ten that leaving it off this list would be criminal.

If the Buckeyes suddenly found themselves members of the SEC, they would certainly find a way to win and win often.

TCU

After TCU’s recent climb to glory, it’s hard to leave it off any lists that predict future success.

The Horned Frogs are a dismal 32-65-4 (33.6 percent) against SEC teams, but it’s still difficult to think, from a contemporary perspective, that they couldn’t eventually flourish in any of the big conferences.

TCU’s last victory over an SEC team came in 2003, when it beat Vanderbilt 30-14.

Wisconsin

The Badgers have captured 12 Big Ten titles in their long history and have won a piece of the big Midwestern crown as recently as last season.

Wisconsin is only 4-8-1 against the SEC, and its last eight meetings with the Southern boys have been in bowl games.

If the Badgers can survive (and win) the Big Ten, then they could certainly endure the current state of the SEC.

Wisconsin is another venue that it would be fun to see Florida or other SEC members travel to in November.

Michigan State

Ole Sparty hasn’t associated himself with the SEC very often and holds a 5-8-1 all-time record against the Southern association of football.

Michigan State, in the last couple of decades, certainly hasn’t dominated the Big Ten football scene, but it's kept itself well above the relevance line.

Sparty could and would survive, just like Gloria Gaynor.

Oklahoma State

The Cowboys have managed to “survive” their associations with both the Big 8 and Big 12, and though they are rarely a part of the championship conversation (a situation that seems to be changing), they have definitely held their own.

OSU is 20-41-1 against the SEC.

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets have played members of the SEC more times than anyone else on this list because they were a member of the SEC from 1933-63 before becoming an independent in 1964 and then joining the ACC in 1978.

It’s hard to compare Tech’s 202-209-24 record against SEC opponents simply because most of the contests were in-conference battles. Since 1970, however, the Ramblin’ Wreck is 27-65 against the SEC, which is probably more indicative of what might happen if they re-joined.

Georgia Tech holds five SEC crowns and won the national championship as recently as 1990. Though the Yellow Jackets might not alter the face of the SEC, they certainly could hold their own.

Iowa

When you think of Big Ten teams who could cross over successfully to the SEC, the Hawkeyes might not be at the top of your list, but that could be a mistake.

Iowa is 5-3 all-time against the SEC, and even more impressively, it is 3-1 since 2000.

You would be hard pressed to find a team that has been more successful recently against the reigning powerhouse conference than the Hawkeyes, who would be a perfect sleeper to go in and shake things up down south.

As a bonus, wouldn’t it be fun to see the hot and steamy teams of the SEC have to travel up to Iowa for a game in November?

Missouri

I personally think Mizzou is a bit of an overlooked commodity in college football. It's always been overshadowed by Nebraska in the Big 12 North (even though it's performed better from a consistency standpoint), and it is eclipsed by teams like Texas and Oklahoma in the bigger conference picture.

But Missouri has a 19-8-1 all-time record against the SEC and is 4-1 since 2000.

When you make a list of who might fit in the SEC and flourish, you might not jump up and scream Missouri, but why not?

Oklahoma

The Sooners represent yet another super program that could arguably succeed anywhere they might be placed or welcomed.

OU is 19-10-3 all-time against the SEC and is 3-2 since 2000.

Though it would be a shame to see the Big 12 divorce and send its offspring to different homes across the nation, it sure would be fun to see the Sooners compete in the Pac-12, Big Ten or ACC.

Penn State

The storied, old-school Nittany Lions could probably lace it up with any team in any conference in the nation.

Penn State is 17-18-0 all-time against the SEC and is 7-4 since 1990.

Notably, the Nittany Lions have never beat Florida, dropping the only three contests between the two (1962, 1998 and 2011).

Penn State is one of the few BCS teams with the guts to schedule a non-conference game with an SEC opponent and will welcome Alabama (who it last beat in 1990) to Happy Valley on September 10, 2011.

Notre Dame

The most heralded of the independents, the Irish are an impressive 21-13 against SEC teams.

Notre Dame’s scheduling of SEC teams has certainly dropped off as the years have rolled by, and what used to happen about 10 times a decade prior to 2000 now has been cut back to the range of five regular season SEC games per 10 years.

The Irish haven’t played Alabama since 1987, Florida since 1992, Georgia since 1981, Ole Miss since 1985, South Carolina since 1984 and Vandy since 1996.

The last time Notre Dame played an SEC opponent was in 2007, when LSU pounded it 41-14 in the Sugar Bowl.

The last time the Irish scheduled an SEC team in the regular season was a home-and-away series with Tennessee in 2004-05, of which both games were won by Notre Dame.

Though you would have to say that Notre Dame could play in the SEC, it might have to really amp it up to compete successfully on a consistent basis.

Stanford

The Cardinal have had limited exposure to the SEC (which we have to remember has only been a living, breathing entity since 1933) and are a whopping 3-1-1 all-time against the Southern niche.

The one and only time Stanford has met an SEC opponent in the regular season was in 1970, when it beat Arkansas 34-28 in Little Rock.

The other four contests were all bowl games (against Alabama in the 1927 and 1935 Rose Bowls, LSU in the 1977 Sun Bowl and Georgia in the 1978 Bluebonnet Bowl).

Recent success in a tricky Pac-10 makes you believe that Stanford could, at the very least, compete and survive in the SEC.

USC

USC has had several periods of dominance since first taking the field way back in 1888, a fact that is illustrated clearly by its 10 recognized national titles (a number which grows to a whopping 22 if you count every time the Trojans were mentioned for a big, cheesy enchilada).

There is no way you could successfully mount an argument that would effectively prove USC wouldn’t become a dominant factor in the SEC if given the opportunity.

The Trojans are 16-10-1 against SEC teams all-time and haven’t lost a game to an SEC opponent since before 2000.

Navy

The Midshipmen boast a 9-9-2 record against the SEC and have won both of their contests with the Southern clique since 2000 (though both games were against Vanderbilt).

What I like about Navy is how scrappy, disciplined and well-prepared it is week in and week out, which makes you believe it could “survive” in the SEC.

The Middies may not win it, but they’d give it hell.

West Virginia

The Mountaineers are 22-19-2 all-time against SEC foes, and they are an impressive 5-2 since 2000.

West Virginia has won the Big East five times since the new millennium, and though you could argue all day about the relative weakness of the Big East, the Mountaineers have flat gotten it done over the last several years.

All this combined makes West Virginia a candidate not only to survive, but quite possibly to do fairly well in the well thought-of Southeastern Conference.

USF

South Florida has been playing football only since 1997, FBS (Division I-A) football since 2001 and has only been a Big East member since 2005.

The Bulls are 76-45 since joining the big leagues (the FBS) and 103-62 overall—all impressive numbers for a team that just put its cleats on.

USF has never won a championship of any kind at any level (which is hard to hold against such a young team), but the Bulls' stunning and rapid success makes you think they will ultimately triumph wherever they make their permanent home, even if it were the SEC.

The Bulls are 1-5 all-time against the SEC, and their only win came in 2007, when they beat Auburn 26-23 on the road.

Virginia Tech

The Hokies are 27-50-5 all-time against the SEC, but they are yet another team whose recent success makes them an obvious part of this list.

Virginia Tech joined the ACC in 2004, and since then it has won four of six divisional titles and three conference crowns (compare this to Miami FL, who joined at the same time and has no such high honors).

The Hokies might not win in the SEC with the same frequency that they have in the ACC, but they certainly would give the current membership a run for their money.

Texas Tech

The Red Raiders have been outgunned and undermanned for most of their adult football life, but still the program from Lubbock just gets it done.

It may not hold a pocketful of titles, but Tech’s string of 18 consecutive bowl eligible seasons is tops in the Big 12 and shows consistency despite high-caliber competition.

The Red Raiders are an underwhelming 13-42-2 against the SEC and last captured a victory in 2003, when they beat Ole Miss 49-45.

Texas Tech couldn’t touch the immediate success that Oklahoma or Texas would enjoy in the SEC, but it would survive.

Utah

Well, we’re just about to find out if the recently very successful Utes can play on the bigger stage of the Pac-12, which will actually be a pretty good indicator of how they might do in the Big 12 or SEC.

Utah has won only one game against an SEC foe (in seven tries), the victory coming in the 2009 Sugar Bowl, when the Utes triumphed over Alabama 31-17.

A single victory hardly inspires a bunch of confidence for an SEC campaign, but Utah (which gets less press than the Blue Turfers from Boise State) might be the biggest sleeper on this list.

Clemson

Clemson has played the SEC with more regularity than other programs across the country due to its convenient location in the Southeast and its regular series with South Carolina.

The Tigers are 112-162-14 all-time against their football neighbors, and though recent success has eluded what are a great football people, they are absolutely a perfect candidate to join up and then be an integral part of the SEC.