American Sports Thread

[Syferus]

Why are they very deserving? Strength of schedule fairly poor, bad loss at home to Ole Miss. The SEC has had a poor year to be fair.

The SEC is brutal to win. So many places it can go wrong. In a sport where there's so many mickey mouse divisions with maybe two good teams in it at most every SEC champion has to do it the hard way. Big teams with big budgets and a lot of four and five star recruits. Five nationally ranked SEC teams going into championship weekend, and that's actually a low number for the SEC. Derrick Henry a lock for the Heisman too. Only two undefeated teams at most so there's a minimum of two spots in the play-offs for a one loss team - it would be mad to say Alabama aren't deserving of a spot in that context.

EDIT: TD Bama. Goodnight Gators.

It's hard to tell with the SEC because they rarely schedule out of conference so it's hard to know actually how good they are until the end of the year. The SEC east was very poor this year, and even the west didn't seem to be great, compared to other years. They haven't had a national champion in the last 2 years so it's going to be interesting to see if Bama can do it this year.

Checked up on cad's SoS comment - Alabama had the second strongest schedule in the nation and only lost a single game, to a team that itself is 13th in the nation as of this morning having played the fourth strongest schedule in the nation this year.

So no - the SEC wasn't poor by any measure besides itself - even Auburn, the west's bottom team, only suffered a single loss by anything approaching a large margin. When that is what you call a weak SEC it says it all about where the SEC is and where most other conferences are, whatever about their anti-SEC posturing.

And I said two good teams in a division, not two good ones in a conference, and that is something that is borne out by results.

[AZOffaly]

Sorry you did say division. There wasn't even 2 good teams in the SEC east this year though 😃 SEC west was a bit down this year but it is still the deepest division alright.

[Syferus]

Sorry you did say division. There wasn't even 2 good teams in the SEC east this year though 😃 SEC west was a bit down this year but it is still the deepest division alright.

Georgia 9-3 on the season, Vols 8-4. Hardly bad teams. The west is obviously more competitive and has been for a long time but overall the SEC is still the most stacked conference in football, particularly now with the reemergence for the two Missi schools.

[AZOffaly]

They played a lot of each other. Georgia and Tennessee are not great teams this year. And are the Miss schools really reemerging, or is it further evidence of a levelling off in the SEC, particularly the west. We'll see in the coming years I suppose.

The SEC is where it's at, but the gap is not as great as SEC heads seem to think it is, and because they play very little outside their conference it's hard to get a guage. We say they all beat each other up, but when you turn around and play Charleston or Georgia Southern, it's hard to see what the relative quality is apart from how they look when you watch them. For what it's worth I think the Crimson Tide deserve to be in the top 4, but if they play a solid Oklahoma or Michigan State team, it might be interesting to see what happens on their offence. The old adage of Defense winning championships might be apt.

[Syferus]

They played a lot of each other. Georgia and Tennessee are not great teams this year. And are the Miss schools really reemerging, or is it further evidence of a levelling off in the SEC, particularly the west. We'll see in the coming years I suppose.

The SEC is where it's at, but the gap is not as great as SEC heads seem to think it is, and because they play very little outside their conference it's hard to get a guage. We say they all beat each other up, but when you turn around and play Charleston or Georgia Southern, it's hard to see what the relative quality is apart from how they look when you watch them. For what it's worth I think the Crimson Tide deserve to be in the top 4, but if they play a solid Oklahoma or Michigan State team, it might be interesting to see what happens on their offence. The old adage of Defense winning championships might be apt.

Miss State and Ole Miss were roadkill for years if not decades. Both scoring big wins and beating or being competive with Bama, the preeminent SEC team and indeed the plain preemiennt college football school of the current era. Legit turnarounds imo. Great to see a state with as much football tradition as Miss coming to the fore again, even if it makes the west a total minefield now where pretty much every team starts the year with designs on the SEC championship.

Once the CFP expands to eight teams you'll see a few SEC national semis and finals.

That Bama O-line are monstrous too remember, and have been for a long time. Ingram won the Heisman behind the Tide line and Richardson was the third overall pick, Eddie Lacy was there too. Henry beating them all - including Bo Jackson's SEC rushing record - this season. Unless Bama's defense lets them down they will run the legs off any defence that's left and protect Coker and allow him to game-manage his way to a national title, just like McElroy and McCarron before him.

[cadhlancian]

OS beat the crap out of them last year, the SEC is still a strong conference, not what you think it is though..

[Syferus]

OS beat the crap out of them last year, the SEC is still a strong conference, not what you think it is though..

Alabama is though and that's my point. Was ridiculous of you to say they weren't top four. Ohio not even back to defend their title but the Tide are here yet again. I'd expect them to beat a pro-style Spartans team of the type Alabama have found a lot of historical success against and who is going to bet against Saban bringing another title back to Tuscaloosa then?

[cadhlancian]

My new rankings

1) Panthers
2) Patriots
3) Cardinals
4) Seahawks
5) Steelers
6) Broncos
7) Bengals
packers
9) Chiefs
10) Vikings
11) Jets
12) Redskins
The rest.... Whatever....
Bengals would be higher if Dalton comes back

[Asal Mor]

Think the Seahawks are too high there cadhlancian. With the injuries at rb, the decline of their defence and playing away in all their playoff games, it'll take miracles from Russell Wilson to get them deep into the playoffs. I'd have the Steelers, Bengals and even the Packers above them, certainly in terms of their chances of winning out.

[gallsman]

I'm not so sure about that. They have it tough but they've been on an absolute tear of late and Wilson has been the best player in football over the last month (even if Syf will probably choose to ignore the statistical evidence for it and insist it's been Can). The Rawls injury was unfortunate but Lynch coming back should help them out.

Nobody in the NFC wants to play them and I wouldn't put money against them making three Super Bowls in a row.

[magpie seanie]

I'm not so sure about that. They have it tough but they've been on an absolute tear of late and Wilson has been the best player in football over the last month (even if Syf will probably choose to ignore the statistical evidence for it and insist it's been Can). The Rawls injury was unfortunate but Lynch coming back should help them out.

Nobody in the NFC wants to play them and I wouldn't put money against them making three Super Bowls in a row.

I agree with this. Marshawn will be fresh when he returns. I'm rooting for the Panthers but the Seahawks still loom large.

[magpie seanie]

Is the Pro Bowl a selection or is it an idiot public vote? Rodgers has been pretty average this season but of course he makes it. Probably the "starter". The likes of Rivers, Eli, Dalton, Bortles, Cousins, Carr all having/had better seasons but are excluded.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

The Pro Bowl players were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counted one-third toward determining the 86 Pro Bowl selections announced today

[Minder]

Is the Pro Bowl a selection or is it an idiot public vote? Rodgers has been pretty average this season but of course he makes it. Probably the "starter". The likes of Rivers, Eli, Dalton, Bortles, Cousins, Carr all having/had better seasons but are excluded.

Probably Rodgers worst season for a few years

He has thrown 6 interceptions

[oakleaflad]

As a Dolphins fan, Reshad Jones missing the Pro Bowl is a complete joke. Easily the teams best player, makes plays every week. I thought he would be in consideration for best Safety in the league this year never mind missing the Pro Bowl.

The Dolphins one selection was Mike Pouncey.