BCS Bowl Games: 10 Reasons Why the SEC Dominates the Country

There's a proverb that states, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Tonight, as the initial BCS standings were released, these words once again rang true. Just as the five previous BCS rankings ended, the SEC will once again stand atop the final BCS rankings.

It's no longer a question of if an SEC team will stand atop the BCS rankings, it's a question of which team will stand atop of the college football world. Not only has an SEC team won the BCS national championship each of the past five seasons, but four separate schools have contributed to the streak.

During this impressive five-year streak, the Pac-10, Big 12 and Big Ten have all made it to the BCS championship game, and the three conferences have been defeated each time. Chances are it would had been six out of seven seasons had an undefeated Auburn team not been left out in 2004.

The SEC’s domination is no longer in doubt. The question is now: why are they so dominant?

The SEC Out-Recruits Other Conferences by a Mile

Over the past six seasons, the SEC has dominated the recruiting scene. If you track the top 11 team recruiting rankings during that time, SEC teams filled 29 of the 66 available spots.

If the SEC fills, on average, five of the top-11 spots in the Rivals recruiting rankings, that means that 120 schools are left to battle each season for the remaining six spots.

While many conferences have football programs with team speed, none compare to the depth and level of SEC teams.  While the skill position players might balance out from league-to-league, the speed of the interior lines is not even debatable. There's no running side-to-side in the SEC. The team speed is too fast and too effective.

The recruiting advantage that the SEC holds takes all but a handful of non-SEC teams out of the competition. Other programs are like Nissan Altima’s: they are cute and get good gas mileage, but they cannot compare to the speed and acceleration of the SEC's Lamborghini.

The SEC Has the Nation's Best Coaches

Who is the SEC’s top coach?

Well this answer seems to change each season. Coaches like Les Miles, Nick Saban, Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier have all claimed that title in the eyes of public opinion at some point in their career.

Only the strong survive in the SEC. Don’t believe me, just ask Urban Meyer. Although Meyer is one of the top coaches in college football, the strains of the job almost killed him.

This is why three of the current coaches in the SEC have coached in the NFL, and eight of the top-15 highest-paid coaches this season were in the SEC.

Think about that for a moment. There are over 100 Division-I football coaches, and only seven non-SEC schools could make it into the list of the top-15 highest-paid coaches. 

The SEC Has the Nation's Top Assistant Coaches

Last season, seven of the eight highest-paid assistant coaches were employed by SEC teams. Six of the top-10 paid assistant coaching staffs all resided in the SEC as well. Those six teams were Alabama ($3.27 million), LSU ($3.15), Auburn ($2.93), Tennessee ($2.75), Florida ($2.74) and Georgia ($2.54).

Do you think it's a coincidence that the top two teams in the initial BCS rankings also have the two highest-paid coaching staffs? Moreover, the four teams that have contributed to the five consecutive BCS national championships all rank in the top six in assistant coaching staff payrolls.

The SEC is not just about having a great head coach. A head coach’s day-to-day influence is limited because of the amount of players he has. As a result, he must hire solid assistant coaches, or his team will become irrelevant. 

Fans Keep the Football Programs Accountable

A god today and a goat tomorrow, so is the life of an SEC football coach. No sport in the world will worship a coach like they do in college football. However, at the same time, none will turn on their coach quicker.

Had Bobby Bowden or Joe Pa coached in the SEC, they would have been out the door 10 years earlier at an SEC school.

It doesn’t matter how well you do early in your career, this is a "what have you done for me lately" league. This might be unfair, but it does keep coaches on their toes. There's no getting lax in the SEC, or you will be in the unemployment line.

Coaches are allowed one bad year, but two could lead to a public hanging. 

The SEC Is Where Defenses' Reign

If you believe that defense wins championships, then it's easy to see why the SEC will win their seventh consecutive BCS championship this season.

Out of the 120 college football programs, the SEC occupies the top four spots in total defense with Alabama, LSU, Georgia and South Carolina.

Florida gives the SEC five of the top 10 positions and even Vanderbilt comes in at No. 19.

The SEC defenses are fast, fundamental and relentless. In comparison to the rest of the nation, the linemen have linebacker speed, and the linebackers have defensive back speed.

The best defensive coordinators in college football reside in the SEC, and it really is not even close.

The Depth of the SEC Is Without Peer

Another advantage the SEC teams hold because of depth is deeper rotations. Teams like LSU will play two- and three-deep into their depth chart almost every game at almost each position.

This keeps their players fresh over the course of a game and over the course of a season as well. It also allows the younger players to be more seasoned when their number is called.

The No. 2’s on most SEC teams are as good as the No. 1's, just less experienced. Knile Davis was the leading returning rusher coming into the 2011 season. However, Davis wasn’t the starter at the beginning of last season. An injury above him in the depth chart led to his emergence.

He finished the season as the leading rusher among running backs. Not bad for a running back who started the season as the fourth man in a stable of running backs.

This is SEC depth. This is why they dominate. This is why the trend will continue. 

Winning Is Not Everything, It Is the Only Thing

This is a point that is sad but true. Building young boys into men and helping them get a solid education is not the most important criteria at many SEC schools. Don’t get me wrong, it's important for the normal student but not always for the athlete.

This is why players can fail multiple drug test, can be arrested multiple times and still be on the football team.

This might be amateur sports, but it's a big money business and winning does come first.

LSU and Alabama will likely play in the championship game, but both teams have had numerous off-field issues this season.

You can look at Nick Saban and Les Miles and ask why did they not do more? However, the answer is simple—winning comes first. 

The Universities Are Willing to Spend as Much Money as Needed

The SEC universities are committed to pouring in large sums of money into their football programs. This is why the SEC has both the highest-paid head coaches and the highest-paid assistant coaches.

This is why SEC schools are constantly looking at ways to improve their facilities and to stay ahead of the other schools.

There are many schools that have nice stadiums and field houses. However, as a whole, their conferences pale in comparison.

This leads to better recruits, better coaches and better teams. In the end, money matters. 

The Conference Teams Push Each Other To Get Better

The rivalries in the SEC are the best in the entire nation. Most teams have multiple rivals that they face each season. For example, Georgia is rivals with Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina. Alabama is rivals with Auburn, LSU and Tennessee.

The list is too exhaustive to list here. However, all of the SEC programs have a “Keeping up with the Joneses” mentality.

Alabama and Auburn are going to do everything within their power to stay one step above the other. Georgia fans and supporters will become irate if Tennessee gets something they don’t have.

The rivalries don’t end on the football field, and the programs have to be in constant competition with each other.

The proverb is true, “competition breeds greatness.”

Lions Eat Their Cubs

The SEC is the toughest conference in college football because of the top-tier teams and the middle-tier teams. However, there are lower-tier teams, and the SEC elite use these as cushions.

Every season, there's going to be a few easy wins on the schedule. The teams might rotate, but teams like Ole Miss and Vanderbilt usually lead the way.

This allows teams to get plenty of rest between difficult games. It's not because these teams are horrible; they would be decent teams in other conferences. However, the drop-off from the top eight to the bottom four is great.

People will tell you that you can lose any game in the SEC, but it's not a reality.

LSU and Alabama could beat Ole Miss with their scout team.