SEC Run Of Dominance Over? - Josh Pate Cut

[@JoshPateCFB]

Keep the show free - SUBSCRIBE to the channel! - JP

[@jameylibby5578]

Just because a confernace has a team make a national championship doesn’t mean that is the best confernace idk why sec fans have been using that as the main source of evidence for past decade lol. They have so many other facts that show they have the most talent but since they went down that path all the sudden now they suck because they didn’t make the chip lol. What makes a confernace great is overall talent level which the why so sec is the best confernace because the mid to low tier teams in the big ten are worse than the mid to low tier teams in sec but the upper teams in big ten are on same level as upper teams in sec for the most part.

[@Mr.Martini549]

2 years is not enough time to tell if the “dominance” is over. 2 years is enough to know that the scales have shifted some.

[@ryanahrens7416]

The SEC dominannce has been a thing not just because of Saban. Since 2006, 13 of the 18 national champions were from the SEC. Yes, 6 of them were Saban and Bama, but that's still 7 of the 18, close to 40%, of the chaos were non-Saban SEC teams. No other conference has one more than 3 titles since 2006, by the way.

[@kylegross1081]

Yeah but it’s the fact that they were given the benefit of the doubt with essentially a guaranteed spot in the title game during latter part of the BCS era and CFP when it was 4 teams. Cause I’d bet if Pete Carrolls USC teams don’t get left out of the championship games from 2006-08, the SEC does not win at least two of those title

[@antonkeiser2466]

@@kylegross1081”benefit of the doubt” but still won against the best.

[@HDG_239]

Getting away w/ paying the players would make that happen. The osu tatto scandal wouldn't have happpened if it was an sec school. LSU stole from a childrens hospital to pay players and nothing happened.

[@antonkeiser2466]

@@HDG_239oh right I forgot that the guy who was paying players parents and is now sentenced to 33 months in prison is the same as players directly selling/trading their autographs for tattoos. One was the players profiting illegally off their NIL and the other was an outside booster paying families. I’m not saying the LSU thing is in the right, it’s definitely wrong. But it seems to be a totally different situation involving different entities not directly attached to the school, whereas the other was the players/school directly profiting and breaking the rules. I’m sure all the big schools were paying players under the table, the problem I think you really have is you’re mad that the SEC teams were doing it better, not getting caught, and winning, while the other schools sucked at it. If the other schools weren’t doing it at all, tattoo gate never would have happened.

[@randrothify]

It’s definitely true that the SEC has been the dominant program of the past two decades. But that’s kind of cherry picking as far as context goes. For more than a hundred years before that, the SEC outside of Alabama and occasionally Tennessee, was nothing special. There were cycles when other conferences owned the most success. But to hear the media it’s as if no one knows how to play the game but the SEC. It’s irritating to listen to this commentary because it is historically inaccurate and it biases poll voting, bowl/playoff selection and recruiting. When the conference pride of the SEC fanbase is included it becomes insufferable to other fans that just root for their own team and not their conference. Not everyone is a Southerner and it doesn’t just mean more in the SEC. That’s easy to see by looking at athletic department revenue. A good portion of the top revenue-producing departments are not from the SEC. Again, the pride is less of an issue. It’s the constant propaganda that is tiresome. Most people just want to watch the games and get real analysis of the on-field action and not the meta-analysis of conference quality that is meaningless except for ESPN to justify cable carriage fees for ESPN and the rates that ESPN are charging advertisers for 30 second spots.

[@teyink]

Bases on recruiting rankings, I think the SEC is doing just fine. They have 7 of the top 10 incoming classes. The transfer portal has probably helped close the gap though.

[@GreatAstuff]

Yeah but a lot of those players will get beat in practice and then take a bag elsewhere rather than wait it out

[@JaspRemains-v7c]

Notre Dame 2025 is no. 1 If those players leave I guess it means zilch and we have our mini NFL.

[@Neanderthal24]

@@GreatAstuffmaybe but a bunch of coaches unanimously voted on removing the Spring portal so that would definitely leviate that issue when changes are made

[@Jason0800]

love how all these haters worry about no SEC in the title game instead of congratulating the teams who made it so as a Georgia fan congratulations to Notre Dame and Ohio St hope for an entertaining game but make no mistake we aint going anywhere

[@Neanderthal24]

You sir are speaking too reasonably for ppl to understand 😂

[@matthewrose8002]

The open secret has been that the SEC pays more and they had bag men who can't pay as much as NIL so the difference in teams is much more spread out. You should expect people to openly haze those that chest bumped themselves over and over like the O'Doyal's did in an Adam Sandler movie.

[@Jason0800]

@@matthewrose8002 yep just like every other team has paid players for ever not just the SEC its the new generation has no loyalty to anything except a quick buck which is very sad and unfortunate but the SEC will adapt like always

[@matthewrose8002]

@ What was found out is that the NIL has opened the pockets to those that follow the rules so the SEC doesn't pay as well. Which turns out if you don't pay as well you don't get the best players as often. It isn't sad to see the highest paying person win. How many people do you tell that they are horrible for not accepting a higher paying job? Just because you find a certain school should get the best recruits because you like that school doesn't mean that kid has the same nostalgia as you.

[@Jason0800]

@matthewrose8002 Like I said, we all have opinions, and just like assholes they all stink. I personally don't like paying them for something they haven't earned go play then we can talk about money your a kid getting a free ride and living like a king for your time no other place pays you before you do the work so why should college ball

[@King77Lee]

As an SEC guy, unfortunately yes. NIL has leveled the playing field. The SEC won’t have 1st round players sitting on the bench anymore

[@CTNCS_Gator]

Not just NIL, but the transfer portal has allowed teams to poach others. Without the threat of a lost year of eligibility, second and third string players now have the luxury of transferring to a starting spot. One could argue that the portal has balanced the field more than NIL. When the mandatory compensation kicks in, the portal will truly show its power over NIL.

[@umbreonix]

And that’s the biggest difference. My hogs used to thrive on blue blood 3rd stringers (young 4*s that hadn’t proven themselves yet) transferring in but now those players can go anywhere and get paid to do it. Now we can barely make bowl games 😒

[@King77Lee]

@ yeah you’re right I didn’t specify but I meant the portal as well. I can’t blame the players because they’re doing what’s in their best interest. The NCAA should’ve developed a better system a long time ago

[@King77Lee]

@ yeah players don’t care about being in the SEC anymore when they can transfer somewhere else, be a starter, and get paid. In 5 years these smaller conferences will be just as good as the SEC and big 10

[@Dawgnation4o]

Ya’ll are dumb😂😂😂😂😂

[@ThemDawgsIsHellDontThey]

1. Top tier SEC teams were not the only ones paying players. But I think we all know that. 2. Yes Saban’s Bama made up for a lot of that SEC run but they also beat out other championship level SEC teams during that time (‘09 Florida, ‘11 LSU, ‘12 UGA, ‘17 UGA) 3. SEC still has 8 of the top 11 recruiting classes this year. Majority of high school talent is still in the south. Transfer portal will even that out but it’ll constantly be an uphill battle. 4. This happened in ‘14 & ‘15 as well. People thought for sure the SEC run was over. Could the SEC run be perpetually over? Sure. But I wouldn’t be so fast to declare that right now.

[@zackarybrown2267]

its taken a long long time but right now i would say the sec an b10 is about even with a slight nod to the sec. the b10 is very top heavy but the three best in the b10 is better than everybody elses three best. the sec has way more depth and the sec's 5-10 is way better than everybody elses 5-10. its a pick your poison situation but if theres a salary the sec will dominate once again but if theres no cap then only texas can compete with the billianares that michigan ohio state and notre dame have in their back pockets

[@zackarybrown2267]

cap*

[@willow4900]

​​@@zackarybrown2267I keep hearing this over and over in different comment sections, but who the heck are all these "billionaires" up there supposedly bank rolling these teams? And this is a genuine question, I'm not being snarky, I'm just super curious about it

[@ej3zx]

Think your point #3 perfectly highlights the only way that NIL could potentially “level the playing field” some years. SEC will always have the best recruiting classes, but how often are SEC teams able to keep a player like Egbuka or Henderson (let alone both) for their senior season? Big 10 is seemingly much better at mitigating the “3 and done” mentality, which will lead to successful teams in seasons like the past 2 where there is no elite SEC team

[@jamesmarshall6619]

I'm glad there haven't been any SEC teams in the national championship the last two years not because I'm an SEC hater, I enjoy watching a lot of SEC games as I'm just a college football fan, but it's been good for the sport to have it spread out. Sure it's the same teams winning but it just makes the sport more interesting and now at the end of the year we now have legitimate suspense on who will make it. I think the SEC is still the best overall conference but as Josh said, it's just more vulnerable but I don't want the SEC to fall off because it's just not good for college football. As a former Pac-12 guy who now has to watch Big 12, I really didn't other than my Sun Devils, I've had fun making fun of the ACC but the ACC teams really need to get better as well. Having really good fun teams in more conferences helps the sport and I care about the sport first. The good thing about the SEC not winning the last two years, it just means those teams in the SEC are going to try and level up a notch to get back to the top, which raises the level of competition and that's a good thing. As Josh pointed out, Saban dominated and forced the rest of the SEC to compete at an even absurdly higher level, other schools were getting left behind all over the country and realized they also needed to step it up. Can't wait to see what happens.

[@charlesivey100]

Just because Nick Saban isn't on bama's sideline, or Georgia lost, doesn't mean the conference is down. Yes, some teams won't have stockpiled talent due to NIL, but the SEC remains strong with at least 5 or 6 teams that could potentially win it all next season. The B1G has maybe 3 teams that could.

[@zTheBigFishz]

The idea that only the SEC was playing players pre-NIL is absurd.

[@OffsidesWithTerryBranham]

Bro I swear!! SMU, Miami, Ohio St!!

[@jimmyjam5453]

​@@OffsidesWithTerryBranham we are talking about pre NIL 💰

[@OffsidesWithTerryBranham]

@ Yes, so I’m I. Go do some history homework cause those school have had investigations pre nil.

[@samariohoward6298]

no one said they were the only ones doing it...but it was way more rampant in the SEC

[@daelkolwitz3509]

They were better at not getting caught by the NCAA, or the NCAA was more apt to turn a blind eye.

[@904Hurricane]

Pulling it back down to earth doesn't mean it's incapable of blasting off to space again !

[@anthonytitone]

I can’t imagine it soaring above the BIG10 again. I expect those 2 to b pretty equal from here on out. Lower tier SEC teams may still be much better than bottom tier BIG10 teams tho

[@gnielsen07]

@@anthonytitoneyeah the purdues and northwesterns are still really bad but the big 10 won some serious upsets over the SEC this year. A weak USC beat LSU and A&M. Illinois beat South Carolina. An underdog Iowa almost beat Missouri. The worst team in the big 12 beat Arkansas this definitely wasn’t the level of dominance we expect from the south

[@WilliamNobles-mw3eo]

So folks are screaming SEC dominance is done, two years without someone in the championship. But yet still had two in the final four last year and one this year. This is the best team Ohio St has had since Zeke and ND has finally learned how to win in post season with an amazing coach. But dominance isn’t over. It will be back next year. If we weren’t so dominant then why does every team then why does every team that plays an SEC team boast so heavily after they win a game by putting it on the front page lead news headline?

[@tacticalmattfoley]

This is just a one year sample size...as Josh said, these programs will adjust moving forward including the big fish. The current NIL system will not be like this forever. It's just too shady. Too many outside influences that aren't above board and cannot be controlled by people who want control.

[@theflixcapacitor1372]

Cam Newton admitted that Auburn gave him 150k, and other SEC schools offered him cash, too. 😂😂

[@Dawgnation4o]

any elite program found ways to pay players. U live in la la land if you think it was just the SEC

[@RoadTo19]

Please, provide a reference to the source you're quoting.

[@witsopher]

Jay Feely (former NFL kicker) spoke about Ohio St players in NFL locker rooms being very open about how much they were paid in his time in the NFL (2001-2014). y’all are delusional if you think it was just the SEC

[@toeclampingfreak3218]

💯 Percent...☝🏾​@@Dawgnation4o

[@eliotedward2113]

Reggie bush got cash at USC. If u think the sec was the only teams paying players ur delusional. Ohio state and Michigan have been paying since the 70s. But the NIL and transfer portal in general has shifted the playing field w the smaller schools getting more help. But any bigtime program was throwing cash around

[@mikelally97]

What is Pate talking about? The SEC was more than Bama. LSU, Georgia, Florida, and Auburn all won national titles while Saban was at Bama.

[@dairyair5371]

They did but none had a record like Nick Saban, he was a great coach.

[@2daFull]

The SEC run started with Florida, then LSU, and then Saban came to Bama.

[@Jeremylee2]

A few years before NIL Shannon Sharp was asking how the Georgia Bulldogs players were all driving brand new Dodge chargers

[@chrishaugh1655]

Yeah, because certainly big name schools like OSU or Oregon weren't paying players under the table. There's a reason why players like Reggie Bush got trophies taken away from them for receiving "benefits" decades ago. It happened at EVERY major program.

[@BrandonShinholster]

This is worn out. Dodge Chargers aren't expensive and Atlanta is filled with young men driving them. They're cheap for the horsepower they have and anyone can get them with the way auto loans are handed out. On top of that many are pro prospects, they'll get approved for loans they shouldn't. People act like 1K+ car payments aren't a thing.

[@John-zz6fz]

@@chrishaugh1655 If Oregon in the 2000's had been paying players their recruiting rankings would have been much better. Oregon has a unique stat in that era as being the team with the highest average AP finish relative to their average recruiting rankings. For that honor they were labeled as a "finesse" team that couldn't win a Natty, a true accusation by the way. USC, Ohio State, Michigan... yeah they all paid their players back in the day. You can absolutely tell who was paying their players before NIL and that is pretty much how the recruiting rankings finished out.

[@stevenbrozynski5555]

The level of professional cheating by the SEC was magnificent. Produced some fantastic, entertaining teams, though.

[@Dawgnation4o]

They got a georgia player for making like 2 grand signing jerseys and acted like he was a criminal. Maybe Bama and Ohio State got a pass. Georgia definitely didnt😂😂 our guys couldnt get a dime without the SEC launching a full blown investiation

[@jasonbuentiempo6823]

It's Because the people in the SEC dunked on us for years so yeah we are a little happy to see the SEC down a little. Does not mean the conference is not good just not what it was in the past that's all.

[@blchamblisscscp8476]

Who is the "us" in your comment?

[@Neanderthal24]

@@blchamblisscscp8476every fan of a team from another conference really

[@atx0025]

Oh, yeah. Phil Knight would have neeeever, ever, ever, ever paid a player. 😆 USC still has the shadow of paying players hanging over them. Come on meow.

[@litedawg]

Reggie Bush got a house lol, and these folks are acting like its kjust the SEC. USC almost got the death penalty.

[@NIKE-Duck]

~ Just look at the recruiting rankings for the last 10 years...... Oregon is pulling in top 3 classes now, before being able to pay players, Oregon was around 15 - 10 in recruiting rankings classes.... Now why do you think that is? If Phil Knight was paying players like the SEC has been the whole time, who all of a sudden does Oregon pull in top 3 recruiting classes??? Please enlighten all of us

[@RPPIII13]

if you are talking about the SEC dominance of 2020 - 2023, yes that reign of terror is over. Overall tho, just because the SEC did not win/not even in the CFP championship the past two years, I do not think they loss their S-tier status. The gap is just closing between the SEC and every other conference, especially the big ten. I would be even bolder and say the Big Ten and SEC are equals as of now. Every other conference is the proverbial David's to the two Goliaths.

[@grantwiler7118]

if they were equals, i would have expected the sec to do better than 1-6 against them in bowl season

[@reddyuta]

you should dissuade yourself about conferences in a 12 team playoff.any team can build a dynasty as long as they have a massive NIL program and a good coaching system.

[@jrcrit8843]

Lmao I’m pretty sure he’s talking about the SEC winning the Natty 13 out of the last 17 years as the dominance. Not just 2020-2023. Try to keep up bud

[@matthewrose8002]

The issue was the SEC paid more and that isn't just my opinion that is what the players on their own podcasts have said such as Cam Newton. Turns out paying someone $180,000 is more enticing than paying someone $20,000 from the other conferences. That was supposed to be a secret but it has been one that has been out in the open. This is why the SEC has had the second best team on their bench in 95% of their games isn't going to have that same advantage anymore against every team they play against.

[@yoc329]

if you believe other schools were only paying 20,000 your sadly mistaken

[@jameylibby5578]

Ohio state Michigan and other have paided players big time money as well lol

[@vinnythewebsurfer]

Surprise surprise, we took the leash off the barking dogs who insisted there’s like half a dozen dynasties waiting to burst out of the SEC if it wasn’t for Overlord Saban and it turns out it was indeed nothing but barking.

[@chrishaugh1655]

You always come in here with nonsense.

[@BB-ce5ev]

It's been one season...

[@bfd194]

I'm admittedly a lifelong Bama homer but also a Gator fan (plus grew up admiring Miami when they were bullies and FSU under Bowden). Between Bear Bryant's epic 1979 14-7 Sugar Bowl win vs. Penn State, Stallings' 1992 trounching of Miami in the Sugar Bowl, and Saban's first natty season in 2009 with that great win over Tebow's Gators in the SEC championship there were a lot of average - even horrible - seasons plus tons of coaching controversies. People forget FSU was once ranked in the top 5 for 14 seasons in a row. I also cheer for the SEC and used to despise the other conferences especially when USC, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio State were rolling. Same with Notre Dame. Still do. But if the Tide never wins another natty no team will have as much success as Bama has had during my lifetime so I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Roll Tide!

[@KingJon513]

Never cared about conferences or even cheered for conferences until SEC Homer's and fans of bad SEC teams started yelling S E C S E C. and acting like they are high and mighty and play that much better brand of football than every other conference Glad to see such an arrogance be humbled .

[@themontgomeryc]

Rooting for conferences has always been dumb, I say this as an Tennessee fan. Never understood it

[@26michaeluk]

That was started because jackasses like you looked down on the south and southerners. You can lie to yourself all day long but that's why.

[@brianstaley6391]

I actively rooted against most other teams in our conference. I thought that's what rivalries were for?

[@DonovanJohnson-m9e]

These guys get it 👆

[@MacMarco-op6vc]

Nobody does this

[@jakenbake9878]

I’m a die hard Buckeye for over 25 years… I never really cared about conferences as much until a bunch of SEC fans started telling me my team wasn’t good because of the conference they play in…I still don’t believe what Northwestern does has anything to do with the Buckeyes. Just like all those Bama championships didn’t help Tennessee. I root for the Buckeyes…not the Big Ten. It was weird that the SEC started acting like these things matter.

[@blchamblisscscp8476]

I think it's the phenomenon of iron sharpening iron. A win against a typically tough team like Tennessee or Georgia means more than a win against a typically weak team like Northwestern or Rutgers. Just like if OSU wins against Michigan you think you've done something. Besides OSU and Michigan, which team in B1G has been, year in and year out, on the top tier? Wisconsin? Purdue?

[@jakenbake9878]

@ Ohio state played Notre Dame last year. They play Texas next year. You don’t have to be in the SEC to get the “iron sharpens iron” effect. Also weird that you named Georgia and Tennessee and then listed Purdue and Wisconsin… The Big Ten has Penn state and Michigan which are more on par with Georgia. You could have easily said Mississippi state or Vanderbilt but you truly think the SEC is better…it’s not. Every team is unique to itself. Alabama isn’t better because Missouri won 9 games this year. Ohio state isn’t any worse because northwestern sucked this year… your conference doesn’t really matter. Your schedule does, your team does and your coaches do. I’m not saying the Big Ten is better…I’m saying Ohio state isn’t any better. We don’t rely on other big ten teams for our pride.

[@reddyuta]

no school outside SEC cares about their conference,its their weird inferiority complex which pervades their existence.

[@benjaminb3295]

I agree. It’s weird, illogical and a bit pathetic to root for an entire conference. I’m an Ohio State fan as well but would never root for another team simply because they play in the Big10. I’m a Browns fan and I would never root for the Steelers or ravens because they play in the afc north.

[@RJ-fe9pu]

Yea I can't root for tn or ga as a Fl fan. I was born in texas so seeing longhorns do well is ok and have ancestry from Alabama so not too hurt when bama succeeded but outside those and Vandy (bc the standards to get into vandy are ivy league). I do think its worth noting that conferences with only 1 or 2 programs to have won anything in the last 30 to 50 years (trying to include penn state) should take notice that the competition lvl is deficient on a consistent basis. Whether that is fair or not its college football wand thats the best part about it

[@Nowitsfound]

The days of 5* 2nd and 3rd stringers sitting on the bench are gone.. it's crazy how a 2nd string full of 5* players can make a average to good coach seem like a world beater lol

[@Mr.Martini549]

Now in the NIL world those same 5 stars can find their money at other schools PLUS get immediate playing time instead of being content to ride the bench. It’s fairly obvious to me.

[@morganadamo4706]

We will not see another run like what the SEC had but that doesn’t mean a team from the SEC will dominate. Hod forbid Georgia gets back into form or Florida and Oklahoma be good again

[@LavishPatchKid]

When talking about the fall of the SEC: "there is no behemoth!" When talking about strength of schedule: "The SEC has to play way harder teams!" Which is it, sir?

[@Cifer77]

Interesting how you chose to leave out the context of "there's is no behemoth....without Saban"

[@Dawgnation4o]

sec still holds like 10 of the top 15 recruiting classes... i’d say there are 14 sec teams that could beat any single one of the big ten best teams on any given day. But there are only 4 or 5 big ten teams that could beat the best SEC teams. In other words, there is 3x as much talent in the SEC. Every three years you should expect a big ten team to win. Does that mean SEC dominance is over??😂 clearly no. Last 6 teams to win 4 sec 2 big ten

[@LavishPatchKid]

I like how I get 2 responses that take the opposite side of each other. lol That's pretty cool, actually.

[@Football22636]

Sec got smacked against all big ten teams this year, Alabama lost to a Michigan team without a qb😂

[@DonovanJohnson-m9e]

@@Dawgnation4o and yet Kentucky gets skull dragged by a mid Louisville this year and Oklahoma gets beat by a service academy.

[@Elram_91]

If I am a 4 or 5 Star player, why would I sit on a bench in Alabama or Georgia when I can transfer to Oregon or Notre Dame and make an extra $2 million? Yes, SEC is done

[@reddyuta]

the SEC dominance in recruiting will also dissapear slowly when team from other conferences start winning titles regularly.

[@Mr.Martini549]

Exactly 🎯

[@AceBarracuda22]

If you take out Alabama, SEC still has more national championship trophies and programs than every conference combined since Florida started the run in 06.

[@AceBarracuda22]

Florida, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, Texas** Vs Ohio State, FSU, Michigan, Clemson, Texas**

[@frankcarson8330]

I think you are proving his point without realizing it....

[@BB-ce5ev]

​@frankcarson8330 what point is that? Cause I disagree.

[@thetony5474]

The current situation will correct itself after the NIL process is amended. This just isn’t sustainable and ultimately the long term effects to the NFL can’t be ignored. They rely on college players but in the past these were guys hungry and desperate for an opportunity. Now you got people who don’t have that desire anymore and earn far more than what the NFL can pay them. Just look at this…Milroe isn’t wanted by Alabama and I’m not sure which other college would pick him up but he’s going into the draft. But Carson Beck and Diego Pavia who’ve both performed better this year are staying out in College Football. That’s a massive downgrade for the NFL.

[@dairyair5371]

Carson Beck did not get better this year. He failed miserably compared to the year before. One of the reasons he did not stay with the draft was to improve his draft prospect because he fell way down the list, not to mention his injury would not allow him to have a good showing in the combine.

[@jkeithgarner3396]

I frequently work in northern states, Pennsylvania and Ohio in particular. It’s amazing to me how people in these areas REALLY believe the SEC was the only ones paying players. I refuse to argue with such idiocy. In my opinion it serves no purpose to argue with idiots ( not being kind on purpose) because they will drag you down to their level and beat you to death with experience. I was in Pennsylvania last year and heard how PSU was going to crush Ole Miss even with opt outs. After the game Ole Miss won with paid players and Refs. 😂😂😂😂

[@matthewwolff3729]

The Nick Saban era was a once in a lifetime thing. He was 1 of 1, and we'll never see it again.

[@rockerfarm6445]

I would truly celebrate when CFB had the balance of power like basketball

[@litedawg]

and then nobody would watch , just like college basketball

[@JWill-xc1cr]

Yes and no . I don’t think we will see another team do what nick saban and Alabama did . The only program that might be able to duplicate that run is Georgia. NIL has really taken a hit in a lot of teams depth in that conference. I think we will really know what is in store for college football once we’ve been through a couple of these extended playoff runs. Come back to this question in 3 seasons

[@dominiclanzillotta8643]

The comment about listening to content that “dunks on you.” Thats literally been every person not an SEC fan who has listened to ESPN the last 2 decades

[@darrellbaker2895]

The SEC exists at the epicenter of premier high school football talent in America. The fan bases are energized and most will not tolerate mediocrity for very long. For those reasons alone, it is folly to join in the chorus of those gleefully eulogizing BAMA’s and/or the SEC’s demise.

[@2playschemeo.p.croutes724]

The SEC said a still the deepest conference in college football.

[@bukmast3r]

What a lot of people don’t talk about also is how much transfer portal affected the SEC. A lot of these teams don’t just have a future first rounder as a back up anymore because the young guys just wanna play now instead of wait their turn like they used to so Georgia would have just as good of talent waiting behind, but they all leave.

[@tobiaswilliamson00]

I think that the SEC's reign of dominance that lasted 25 or 30 years is over and the B1G is once again the kings of College Football. The B1G has tv deals with three different networks, a footprint in major US Cities (NYC, DC/Baltimore, Philly, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, and LA), and clear definitive tiers in the B1G. The SEC has one source of income (ESPN/ABC), not many markets that are either major markets, long established markets, or traditionally tied to the conference markets (Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, Nashville, Orlando, St. Louis, Tampa), and no clear top teams in the league as everyone had at least 2 losses by Championship Sunday.

[@JohnnyEla]

Say what you will, Texas came out of the big 12 and straight into the sec and made it to the championship first year, no matter what happened in the Georgia games.

[@wardamnfishing]

Yeah they hired a former SEC assistant as a HC who came in an immediately recruited at the line of scrimmage like an SEC team...shocker that they did well.

[@kylegross1081]

@wardamnfishing that’s as relevant as the fact that Nick Saban came into the SEC from Michigan State..

[@GLJ2414]

Texas also beat no one in the secs upper tier they didn’t play Bama Ole Miss or SC AND UGA handled them physically both matchups

[@jrcrit8843]

But Texas didn’t win the SEC championship nor did they make it to the Natty once again so what relevance is that?

[@sum1else37]

Texas literally only played one ranked team (twice) before the playoff and lost both times. Then in the playoff, they beat the two lowest ranked teams in the playoff. They beat literally one team with a winning in conference record (which had the worst overall record of those teams) to get to the SEC championship (TA&M). The people who were saying that Indiana shouldn't have been in the playoff because they didn't beat any ranked teams should have also been calling for Texas to not get in by that criteria.

[@rickysmith133]

It is called coaching!

[@dragonboy141]

As the best conference hell yes it’s ended.

[@timebomb42]

I find it hilarious that all these media types are running around asking is the sky falling for the SEC?? Short answer, NO. The conference has one bad year and everybody thinks that the sky is falling, I'm not even a fan of the SEC, or any SEC team. And yet I still think it's ludicrous that people think the conference that is dominated college football for the last how many decades is just going to up and die in one year.😂 Seriously, it will be fine.

[@reddyuta]

nobody is saying SEC is dead,what everybody is acknowledging that other teams from other conferences can match SEC teams now with NIL and transfer portal.

[@Damariun224]

@@reddyuta SEC is still dominating in recruiting and the portal.

[@JJ-zr6fu]

Josh you’re ignoring the complete run the sec had since urban Meyer at Florida. Part of it is the playoffs where you need to win more.

[@CTNCS_Gator]

And a near miss at the natty with Muschamp in 2012.

[@davidcole2337]

As long as the SEC continues to recruit at the level they are they will be in the running.. Yes couple of Down years doesn't mean Dominance is over.. Fully expect there to be another run.

[@jbrock8596]

the wheel turns bro. 25 years ago the Big XII was the big chief and USC and the Pac12 were a thing. The Big Ten is coming for the SEC and there is nothing you can do about it.

[@jeoffbenzos4959]

NIL gets introduced and Saban immediately bolts citing NIL as a big reason. Tells you all you need to know.

[@Braisedin]

Tells us what?

[@jimblue3530]

The NIL and transfer portal has leveled the playing field because players won’t sit around waiting on their turn to move up the depth-chart anymore. I don’t get the “now everyone else can pay players” logic. Sure there are some programs that probably now have more boosters donating since it’s on the up and up. But are people really saying teams at the top of the NIL payrolls weren’t previously paying players too? Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Penn State, etc.. didn’t start paying players for the first time a couple years ago.

[@jordanpresley5336]

The SEC was forced to fight off Saban for years. Everyone happy he left have no idea how good they're program was because of him

[@ragmanintx]

The SEC is still dominate as hell. What has changed is the talent is more spread out in the SEC. There were SIX playoff worthy teams in the SEC. But because there wasn’t ONE dominant team, the SEC is done? Nuts.

[@alt51801]

Bama lost to a michigan team with most of the starters sitting for the draft while Bama's starting QB played. SCAR lost as well lol. B1

[@Travis89-ob5tt]

I'm still taking the SEC's top 10 programs over any other conferences going forward and it's really not close. The recruiting rankings still say the talent is flocking to the SEC.

[@taelee1113]

It would been texas, Georgia, oregon and notre dame in 4 team playoff. Sec would had better chance to win it all again. 12 teams playoff are showing who is best team, not who has better season based on on college football writers.

[@bbqbros3648]

The SEC is still the strongest conference top to bottom

[@equinoxnemesis6170]

Big 10 by far…

[@litedawg]

@@equinoxnemesis6170 the draft says otherwise

[@equinoxnemesis6170]

@ sure bub

[@moistoxtapuss]

@@litedawg Games aren't played on paper on draft baords or in recruit rankings, they're played on the football field. The amount of times I see someone claim their teams are good because of having players drafted and having good recruiting rankings despite them literally losing 4+ games is crazy. It's like game results mean nothing to some of yall.

[@litedawg]

@@moistoxtapuss did you watch any NFL games this year. I’m a UGA fan and we have not lost 4 games in a season in 9 years. We also have good players all over the NfL . Cope harder you dork

[@DrWare357]

If the SEC wasn’t sending a sh*t ton players in the NFL each year, maybe we can have 6 year or 7 year seniors that would dominate each year. So with that said, this has been a down year but you better believe the SEC will be right back on top!

[@VolsSlimJimmy]

I know the TV ratings are down😂 and nobody's watching the games

[@VolsSlimJimmy]

Compared to last couple of years

[@GoatedAtNFS]

yes but again, these fanbases care too much to just settle with mediocrity. heads will roll coaches will be fired players will be ran outta town until the teams are back into contention

[@sum1else37]

That's a good way to get players not want to come to your school if they're at risk of being seen as the villains when they can go somewhere else, make just as much money, and have the same chance to go to the NFL. That would be fan base self sabotage.

[@GoatedAtNFS]

@@sum1else37when you go to Alabama, you know the expectations once you walk through the hallways with all those championships, pictures, and statues. trust.

[@ghert3850]

lol Josh making the SEC viewers feel better about themselves! Kidding. I hate the SEC but I agree with the take. Let’s not assume anything about the ridiculous strength of conference debate after one year.

[@JrLandrum]

The SEC disrespect is unbelievable!!

[@RJ-fe9pu]

Alabama didn't start the dominance it started before saban went to Alabama. If memory serves it started with lsu and fl beating the brakes of osu then Fl keeping the highest scoring offense at the time to 14 pts, yes it has largely been saban since but it didn't start there

[@jefferybrannan5210]

Once they get a handle on the portal and get some guardrails around NIL where teams can retain their 2s and 3s and keep some depth you will see the dust settle and the cream (SEC) will rise to the top again. The cupboards have been raided and players are running for immediate playing time and being somewhat shortsighted. I fully understand it's hard for many of these guys to pass up the sums of money being thrown at them, based on some of their backgrounds, but many are hurting their future careers with bad decisions. The top teams right now are the ones that are stacked with Srs and GrTr, with some elite FR/So skill players scattered in.

[@Osei_Bean_8ryant]

Even if saban was still coaching the sec would be down. Its because of the charity that was given to the rest of power 4 through the transfer portal

[@collegefootballessential2601]

A conference is only as strong as the top and the SECs top wasn’t as good as usual this year. I definitely don’t see Texas, Georgia going away and I feel Bama or some other teams will not be down to long

[@ssippilandelta4365]

If Bama had a decent pocket passer they would have been undefeated and going into the playoffs

[@HogWild19100]

To make the assumption that SEC is now “down” cause they paid players before anyone else is a clownish way of thinking 😂. To think that other big name schools in other conferences didn’t pay players right along with the SEC is foolish and naive.

[@jasonodonnell5177]

I think it is too early to tell if the combination of playoff expansion, transfer portal, and NIL (most especially) has created an environment that no longer allows the SEC to benefit. But, I think early signs are good.

[@mrhankey20]

Do we even need conferences anymore? Seriously, every school can schedule whoever you want.

[@jamesmiles3055]

SEC has dominated for decades and now where done where finished

[@seanharrison3482]

I hate the SEC. The SEC is not done. There’s too much culture, passion, and money in the SEC to see it fall down. They haven’t won in two years and I hope that continues but I doubt it.

[@jasonodonnell5177]

@JoshPateCFB - History is history regardless of your recency bias. The B1G has a number of mid (or lower) teams that have won national titles in their history or even participated in the recent CFP era. The B1Gs mid teams this year clobbered your SEC mid teams in the bowls this year. Not to mention the top teams. Indiana has two losses this year, both to the CFP finalists! How can you keep a straight face saying you consider SC a powerful mid SEC when it got beat by traditional B1G mid (or lower) Illinois??? 😝

[@colepriceguitar1153]

Why in the world do people think NIL has levelled the playing field? All it’s done has turned smaller football schools into farm systems for the bigger ones. One down year and people are calling the SEC dead? Man the crowd is irrational.

[@Howie1384]

What has actually changed? All of the SEC being the best is rooted in the talent discrepancy top to bottom. The change I suppose would be jim Harbaugh taking Michigan to the next level and now they are really investing in NIL? Ohio state has been right there with bama/more recently uga for the most part since urban took over. Top to bottom I don’t see any changes. Recruiting rankings and portal rankings are still dominated by the sec top to bottom. People acting like dudes are transferring from bama to Nebraska/Illinois or something. Penn state isn’t recruiting any better than they were 5 years ago. So yes Michigan has become a better program. Both the sec and big10 obviously got better with the newest additions. But Ohio state being at the top doesn’t change that much, they’ve been there. Meanwhile no great SEC team this year. If we start comparing Wisconsin/Illinois to florida and auburn or something that’s when actual shift in the power can be talked about….Just an overall overreaction.

[@PintheElfKingdom]

People are celebrating because SEC homers were claiming they have the toughest schedules, which later proven to be untrue. Narratives don't just come out of nowhere. It's the media and die hard fans that created this kind of sentiment.

[@JaspRemains-v7c]

It built on legitimate beat downs from Meyer 06 and Les Miles LSU in Big 10 Bowl matchups. But just became a concealed, profitable and cynical narrative. Lloyd Carr final win as upset in a bowl game vs I think FSU or some writers wet dream from the SEC, and Carr is carried off victorious. Been horseshite for awhile, myth of separation.

[@CruzPT1]

Of course not! All these teams in the post season are filled with players from the SEC.

[@Mr.Martini549]

This is true also. Josh is totally missing the point. Michigan alone got 4 players from the portal. 2 from Arkansas. 1 from Georgia. 1 from Bama. This past recruiting cycle they got players from Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and S Carolina. Why? NIL money. It’s the money and portal Josh, not just Saban being gone.

[@benjaminb3295]

The “Sec” is a fluke. It’s been Bama, Georgia for the last decade and one run by lsu. After that, it’s comparable to the MAC. Now that bama sucks, it’s clear that the Big10 is far and away the best conference.

[@ssippilandelta4365]

Bama still there man and still elite all they need is an elite qb and that’s the final piece to the puzzle everything else will gel into place

[@BB-ce5ev]

The sec has 5 championship winning teams the past 20 years. Big 10 has 2...

[@campbellseamon5076]

Instant like after the nick praise

[@johnnash1119]

People are forgetting that the SEC didn’t win 2013 & 2014 and then over the next 10 years 3 different SEC teams won nattys SEC isn’t going anywhere

[@26michaeluk]

SEC supremacy started in 2004 with LSU, FLORIDA, ALABAMA, GEORGIA ect. But i love the implication the SEC was paying players while the Ohio States, Michigan's Clemson's, and other power houses were doing it "the right way." I mean if Urban Meyer was paying players at Florida did he magically quit at OSU? No. Sick of this holier than thou attitude being espoused by power programs. What about Miami, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Notre Dame back in the day? No good ole boy networks there either huh?

[@jameylibby5578]

People were saying the sec is overrated even when they were going To championship game every year. Sec has the most talent it’s hard to argue that fact with the money and recruiting almost every sec team has. But teams are closer now than ever, but will they ever surpass the sec is the question. The only confernace that has the teams is the big ten because of the upper teams. But the lower big ten teams are the problem for the big ten at first glance. But the fact the big ten has such terrible teams at the bottom may be a blessing because the Ohio state Michigan Oregon and penn states of the world have a higher chance of having a better record than upper sec teams that have to play against teams with similar budgets and upper level talent on the rosters. So this will allow more playoff teams to come from the big ten for the foreseeable future which will get the bad big ten teams more money in the long run.

[@TopNochSmoker]

Based on recruiting rankings the SEC is fine.

[@dairyair5371]

I'm sad that college ball is becoming more and more like the NFL. It used to be that the top players would choose a program for development and chances for the draft, now it seems like they just follow the money with no regard for school spirit or developement anymore. Kirby has developed three star players and walk ons well enough to be drafted. That aspect of college ball seems to have greatly diminished for high school players. The higher consideration seems to be SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!

[@B6197_]

The SEC will still be the best conference in college football. Will they be so obviously #1 and as dominant as they were in the past? Absolutely not. With that being said, Indiana goes 6-6 in the SEC, argue with chat GPT

[@texasscifi3431]

Nil is definitely sucking talent around the country. But the SEC boosters have loads of cash. But... good players leaving the SEC certainty hurts the overall quality if the SEC

[@grantwiler7118]

it’s because nick saban WAS the sec.

[@wardamnfishing]

... you know the 3 national champions before Saban's first with Bama were from the SEC right? Then another SEC team won it the year after his first. Now in fairness Saban did win one before with LSU in 03 as well, and then the 04 Auburn team was undefeated including a win over the defending champions but wasn't given a share of the title, for some damn reason. So yeah sure, it's all Saban, and LSU with the best offense in NCAA history, and UGA going back to back, and Auburn with one of the most dominant players to ever play college football and Meyer winning 2 in 3 years with Florida, all Saban and Bama :)

[@grantwiler7118]

@@wardamnfishing I'll agree my original comment was a bit hyberbolic. All the other power conferences can boast a long history of great teams and players. The difference the SEC had was Saban fielding a top 2 team in the country every single year, for decades on end. Now, they're back in line with the others, and the financial power behind the B10 might make it really difficult to compete financially.

[@jwismar11]

SEC has a lot more depth. Their 2nd tier teams would be top tier in other conferences. Other conferences' 2nd tier teams are not really competitive at that same level.

[@sunsin1592]

I think this year's results have exploded that fallacy. Michigan was 8th in the Big 10 and they quashed Bama. Illinois handled overrated South Carolina. The SEC Champ couldn't beat a team that lost to Northern Illinois.

[@jwismar11]

@@sunsin1592 I have no explanation for Michigan's record this year, they beat up on my Bucks too. But they're one of what I would consider the top-tier teams in the Big 10. Usually.

[@mychalowens127]

The best teams in the second would have finished outside the top 3 in the BIG this year.

[@jwismar11]

@@mychalowens127 True. I should have specified that I wasn't including Big10 top tier in that comment. I was thinking of Big 12 and MWC and so forth.

[@denbo74]

Josh…can you please discuss OVERSIGNING and how the SEC leveraged that when other conferences and the U of FL banned the practice? NIL has also taken their advantage away. After Sabans first NC I ran the numbers and he had taken 5 years worth of recruits in 4 years…a significant advantage over Big Ten teams for example…that had to take a max of 25 and couldn’t dump player’s scholarships when a new kid came along

[@RoadTo19]

RE: Paying players Proof or it didn't happen.

[@rogerlonghorn2425]

Been saying fir years that Alabama had the best teams miney could buy. Now that everyone can pay players, we see just how non dominant they really are.

[@Herb...StateChamps]

Funny how things change once every can pay players…

[@Nomansland407]

The sec have been paying players for years all those schools. I know first hand my aunt got a house out of it! Since 2011, so yes now that everyone can legally pay it took the power right away!!!

[@davidhunt3689]

Hell fire we gotta let someone else win occasionally.

[@xF1revolution]

If you look at recruiting rankings, this is little more than an anomaly. Complete outlier. Texas is still building an will be even more talented next year too.

[@kowalski6266]

As a Buckeye fan, definitely not. The SEC is still a powerhouse. Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia all in. If Carson Beck played against ND, they win that game.

[@Braisedin]

Everyone keeps saying sec was the only conference paying players. Lets look at history. Name the one team whos ever been caught and punsihed for paying players. For those wondering it was SMU. Who has not bor ever will be an sec team. At the time of being busted they were in the southwestern conference. Don't act like the sec is the only conference giving players things to come play there.

[@kameronwashington7810]

also, the other conferences are coming to get SEC players. y’all know the SEC has the best talent, so why not come take from it when you see opportunity? just ohio state’s starting running back came from ole miss, best safety in the country came from alabama, & 9/10 their starting qb next year came from alabama as well… along with others. but that’s obvious right?

[@IXtn]

So it has nothing to do with that fact that the SEC as a conference has far more talent than every other conference combined? You know the ones who have NIL but play cup cake games all season while the SEC is beat up by the end of it? I mean Georgia has to start a QB from scratch because of the SEC championship game.

[@jasonodonnell5177]

In my opinion, much of the hate for the SEC is because of ESPN. The SEC and ESPN partnered up in 1996, two years before the BCS started. This partnership with the preeminent sports network has led to perceived (real imho) reporting bias favoring the SEC. Beneficial for both parties. In the BCS era, the SEC was nearly always a participant. The expansion to four and now twelve teams has shown that there are more than a few teams capable of winning it all. While the SEC mostly won their games, this bias in the two and four team eras created self-fulfilling prophecies.

[@johnschlong]

Shane gillis really knows why

[@JeffWilliams1965]

At the 2:25 mark in this video Josh says that college football has achieved it's popularity and "blown up" largely in part to the SEC's dominance. Well, that dominance started in 2006 with Florida winning a championship, then followed by 6 SEC teams. However, I would argue that college football had already "blown up" WAY before that. In fact, if there was one school that you could say helped college football "blow up" (and I don't really think that you can say that, or a conference either) that would be the University of Miami Hurricanes. NO school has captured the zeitgeist or generated as much love/hate as The U. There has been 32 NFL first round draft picks since 2000, 11 NFL Hall of Famers (tied for second), they had the longest home field winning streak (58), and there have been not one, but TWO very successful documentaries on the program. I don't see the same number of alumni on the sideline of their alma mater as much as I see Hall of famers on the sideline at a UM Hurricanes game. True, the Hurricanes don't have a national championship since 2002...when they were denied playing in one the year and year after, when they arguably earned the right to play for one... however, they set in motion with their flair and swagger an excitement you saw everywhere in pop culture that no other school has ever matched. I guess that's why nerdy Paul Feinbaum, and others, hate them so much. If you don't get it, you just don't get it. Oh, and by the way, the U is back!!!

[@Neanderthal24]

Miami I’m sure brought a lot of fans but they are in no way the most loved/hated team in CFB I mean for one they can’t even fill their stadium and haven’t won their current conference EVER. College football is has consistently gained more and more money even after “The U” died probably bc they were never really the draw, just a product of it

[@theanthonyv]

The SEC will stop being the best overall conference when the best high school players stop being from the south. That’s not happening anytime soon.

[@g-man2228]

Three lil letters….NIL 👊🏻🏈

[@Jkeebz]

Lol. I'm gonna say no. 7 of the top 10 teams in recruiting are in the SEC. 8 of the top 11.

[@raniebranson8051]

On one hand, I want the 2 best teams to play(Sry ND Gotta go). On the other hand, I don't want 2 super conferences(ND being there helps). So naturally, I'm torn lol. I care more about the future of College Football than just one National Championship game. So I guess, it's Go Irish!! Do it for a better College Football future.