 "Photo: Rob Carr / The Associated Press")
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The 2005 season has proven that the SEC West is superior to the SEC East. Alabama, Auburn and LSU are all quality teams. These three schools combined have only lost one game against SEC East opponents this season. Tennessee and Florida are a combined 5-5 in overall SEC play thus far.
The SEC became a 12-member conference in 1992 and began playing an SEC championship game that same year. Alabama won the conference in 1992, but it would be seven years before the SEC western division would produce another champion. From 1993 to 1998, the SEC East dominated the conference with either Tennessee or Florida winning the title in each of those years. The 1996 (Florida) and 1998 (Tennessee) campaigns were also national championship seasons for the two schools.
The momentum has since shifted.
Alabama's 1999 SEC championship season has proved to be a turning point in the balance of power between the two divisions. The western division has won four of the last six title games.
LSU shared a national championship in 2003 with USC. Auburn finished 2004 undefeated and No. 2 in the country, blowing out the SEC East champion Tennessee twice.
Georgia is the last best hope for the SEC East to salvage a win in Atlanta come December.
Give 'em hell, Tommy
Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville recently spoke to a group of fans at a luncheon in which he lambasted ESPN, including former USC football coach and current ESPN analyst Lou Holtz.
As reported by The Montgomery Advertiser, Tuberville had an issue with the apparent bias of ESPN and its influence over deciding who plays for the national championship and the lack of a playoff system in college football.
"It's done," Tuberville said. "The national media, led by ESPN, wants to see Vince Young vs. Matt Leinart in the championship game. It's going to be those two teams unless Texas or USC get upset.
"Last year, they wanted to see the two Heisman Trophy quarterbacks, Jason White and Leinart. After six or seven games, we were out of it.
"If four teams are undefeated at the end of the season, there should be a playoff. There should've been one last year. But it's decided already. I don't like it," he said.
Tuberville continued to vent his frustration.
"ESPN has gotten so much power lately, it's kinda scary," Tuberville said. "And most of their analysts are coaches who haven't won any games. That's why they're there. I think you know who I'm talking about.
"And Lou Holtz gets on there and talks about what a team has to do win that game, and the guy couldn't beat anybody in our conference. These guys will come talk to you and look you straight in the eye and tell you something, then they'll get on the air and say something else," Tuberville said.
"ESPN, I'll tell you, I don't have much to do with them anymore."
Tuberville obviously felt slighted last year when his squad, which included two top-10 draft picks at running back, Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams, were left out of the national championship game despite going undefeated and winning the SEC.
Tuberville raises interesting questions about ESPN.
Does the network have too much influence on the poll voters?
Do they blur the line between reporting and commentary in a system in which the network that owns them, ABC, has the broadcast rights to the BCS bowl games and the national championship game?
And finally, when are we going to end all this madness and come up with a playoff system?
The BCS poll this week actually had USC falling to No. 2, with Virginia Tech not far behind, despite USC having won 29 straight games and two national titles, and being ranked No. 1 in both polls.
And this is the second time this has happened to USC.
The sheer fact that a computer can disagree, and that the computer actually has influence in determining who plays for the national championship, is ludicrous.
When, oh Lord, will this all end?
Week 8 matchups:
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech: Boston College has been a thorn in the side to the ACC since joining league play this year. This could be an upset in the making.
Prediction: Boston College 21 Virginia Tech 17
USC vs. Washington State: The Southern Cal train keeps on rolling.
Prediction: USC 57 Washington State 28
UCLA vs. Stanford: Another undefeated team will fall. You heard it here first.
Prediction: Stanford 34 UCLA 31
Georgia vs. Florida: The world's largest outdoor cocktail party. What a great name for a rivalry.
Prediction: Florida 17 Georgia 14
Michigan vs. Northwestern: Northwestern is the most exciting team that no one has paid attention to this season.
Prediction: Northwestern 27 Michigan 21
Last week: 4-1 Season, 26-10 overall
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