The history of SEC bias: How did it start? Is it real? Is it earned?

For the past decade-plus, institutions in college football have been accused of giving preferential treatment to the Southeastern Conference. How did this thought process evolve? Is it legitimate?
RELATED: How the SEC and other conference championship games began • How the SEC Championsh...
#SEC #collegefootball #ncaa

[@earthdrawn]

Excellent bit of journalism there. Not overly sensational, well reasoned, comprehensive, and timely. Well done.

[@ljhudsonjr]

Even back in the 90s, the top schools from other conferences would not have been able to endure the week in/week out, beating that the SEC schools were known for. It was labeled the toughest conference in the nation for a reason.

[@phillipwombacher9635]

Nebraska would have

[@phillipwombacher9635]

But Nebraska in the 90’s was a anomaly

[@petetheodocion9542]

Imagine looking at the last 20 years of championships and NFL draft results and saying “omg bias” - sorry your league hasnt been as good

[@BigDaddyDoc93]

Outstanding video great take on the subject and im old enough to remember a lot of anti SEC bias and to be honest the only the SEC didn't rise above the other conferences 40 - 50 years ago was because the haters had way more power than they do now the Big 10 is becoming a conference that can compete with the SEC because they finally have to which makes the sport better for everyone and the only way to get rid of the bias completely is to have pure playoff like high school football or the NFL

[@VoltardDoc]

If anything the NFL has a SEC bias... Look at the number of players drafted compared to other conferences in the last 17 years

[@voiceofreason2674]

If anyone should hate the SEC, it is our neighbors in the ACC and the Big 12 who we have always excluded. Obviously in the realignment crisis were literally poaching their teams. But back in the day We agreed on lots of rules to cooperate on keeping non SEC southern schools out of the spotlight. Like if you scheduled a Texas or tobacco road team you were not allowed to play at their stadium had to be home or neutral.

[@xdgaming70]

So why was Arkansas and South Carolina let in? They played both regions of teams in a regular basis.

[@M.B1s0n]

@@xdgaming70 I think OP is referring to the era before the NCAA created the tiered divisions prior to the 1980s.

[@DavidLyle-su2vo]

And he didn't even mention a two-time defending national champion going undefeated and being voted 3rd (1966 Alabama)

[@ZeusAmun-pt9dc]

Undefeated and conference championship should count more than anything else

[@urlawyerslawyer788]

That FSU jab lol very petty

[@jrousselle7828]

Great job. Some major networks could use a journalist like you.

[@OffTheHookSports]

Made my day. Caleb is the man. Dave

[@ZeusAmun-pt9dc]

This is why in my original timeline we had a football Czar in charge of fairness transparency and scheduling.

[@greenwave819]

Auburn in 2004... so sadly left out

[@ljhudsonjr]

I was mad about that myself. But I truly believe that if Auburn had beaten USC in at least one of those home & home matchups from 2002 & 2003, they would have faced USC for the national championship that 2004 year.

[@kylegross1081]

USC still would have beaten the breaks off them. The SEC was at that time was not what it is today

[@greenwave819]

I was young yet I remember fans calling in back in 98 saying they didn't trust the computes of the BCS... and possibly rightfully so as we barely made it in

[@AlohaBlockchain]

Very well argued.

[@wishihadavette2392]

I can understand why AP voters ranked USC number one after they were snubbed by the buggy computer. Then they went on to beat a top Michigan team by multiple touchdowns right after. If anything USC not getting a chance to play that year was the wrongdoing

[@kylegross1081]

I would say SEC bias was more of an issue in the late 2000s than now. The conference now is definitely better and no one really argues that Bama and Georgia for example are the top teams year in year out. When the SEC began this run in 2006 I still think teams like USC were probably better than the national champions that won it until after 2008

[@Redneckthinker]

It is an Alabama bias, not SEC. Watch the refs when UT is on the field.

[@205BeezyB]

Nah as a bama fan it’s sec bias lol sec teams will always be given a chance to play on the big stage

[@kenashburn5473]

This was excellent. I grew up with the obvious anti-SEC bias but was never aware of the reasons for it.

[@greenwave819]

SEC is the best by far, hating is natural

[@Lightgreen57]

@@greenwave819 eh, the gap is closing, but as a b1g fan, I admit that the sec is still the best conference.

[@markshearon1414]

Very informative piece of journalism. Enjoyed it.

[@GoVolsAlways]

Best piece of work I've seen you do, Caleb. Pretty cool 👍🏼

[@ZeusAmun-pt9dc]

I don't care that Alabama won they shouldn't have played LSU in the title game. Also FSU should have made it last year because Texas already beat Alabama

[@willemcenter8649]

Saying Alabama had the higher SOS over Oklahoma State is actively wrong lol

[@adamallison3685]

Sounds like anti Tennessee bias

[@utcnc7mm]

It was in 1938,1939 & 1940 all undefeated UT teams and none were named national champions by the AP.

[@BigDaddyDoc93]

@@utcnc7mm I think there was still a lot of hatered of the South from the Civil War back then and really up until the 90s

[@utcnc7mm]

@@BigDaddyDoc93 good point, didn’t think of that.

[@BigDaddyDoc93]

@@utcnc7mm I even thought that when I was a teenager but the older I get and the more I hear northerners comment they do seem to be still holding on to it way more than we are in the South

[@utcnc7mm]

@@BigDaddyDoc93 I’ve had to work some in the north but the average guy didn’t say that much. That being said I think the news media in the north is biased against the south.

[@PeggyJoeHill]

Merry Christmas, We Wish All!!! Vol Fans, Healthy, Happy, Prosperous New Year. Goo Vols Goo ❤❤❤❤❤

[@tommykeeran6776]

34-14? That LSU-Ohio State game was 38-24.......

[@charlesmcfall9825]

I really enjoy these mini documentaries!

[@itsvodkamilk]

bro just spit straight facts for 22:26

[@ClckwrkOrange]

So ESPN backed a non-SEC PLAYER for the Heisman? WTF does that have to do with anything?

[@matthoward9509]

Look at all the speed that comes from the state of Georgia Alabama Louisiana Arkansas Texas and lets we forget Florida the track runners that modern football is crazy about and it is believed necessary that a good football team have to win that is a lot of why the SEC monster even exist.

[@sirjer73]

I agree but the thing about those southern teams is the defensive lineman it produces. Speed is everywhere now but those 300 lb cat quick d lineman are breeded in the south!!!

[@wylobooth594]

That’s the biggest reason why the SEC has been, is, and will be the best conference in CFB. It goes back hundreds of years the states with the highest % of African Americans are majority in the Deep South. Once the south finally started integrating it was inevitable the SEC would take over

[@phillipwombacher9635]

The anti Nebraska bias is real tho

[@musheroomelive4915]

It’s wild bc I’ve been saying that 1 there’s no SEC bias bc they earned it and 2 it’s always the teams screwing themselves and blaming the sec bc they get the nod but bc how the sec wants to expand they look at it as a way to screw everyone else over and add too the bias

[@kylegross1081]

They have earned it but I think in the early years of it (late 2000s) you could make arguments that the teams that got this treatment weren’t as good as the SEC teams today. I’d bet USC would have beaten each of the national champions from 06-08

[@musheroomelive4915]

@@kylegross1081 well how so? Like I’d argue and say there was more talent back then but a better play style today.

[@ZeusAmun-pt9dc]

It's not bias it's being honest

[@centrist1008]

Not subconsciously. Deliberately

[@genephillips856]

Good job caleb

[@greenwave819]

we need to rethink some of this... FLA will never ever ever host a video about how great it was that the Vols beat their instate rivals FSU in 98.... why are ever giving FL props?

[@Volss4life]

Nice SEC history lesson

[@derekowenjr3599]

Great Video!!!

[@russlora]

Yes this is great Calab

[@deondricksteen4606]

The first 2 Alabama championships in the CFP bama got in over the saquan barkley led penn state. We cant just walk over it

[@someperson3883]

In 2016 Alabama was undefeated and Penn State had two losses. Also Clemson won the National Title in 2016.

[@sammorris8937]

It’s worth noting that Michigan’s loss in the rose bowl was after they lost their motivation, it’s not accurate to say they proved they “didn’t belong”

[@rudyguili4782]

Great video

[@greenwave819]

we all know the SEC means more. even still we let 2 small10 teams in last year... how'd that go?

[@fuckcensorship69]

TCU lost their conf. Championship. Should have never had a chance. It's WILD how little respect the committee gives to conference championship games. You're better off to be highly ranked, but not play in the one if you can help it

[@wylobooth594]

@@fuckcensorship69it will be even worse this year too, with the playoff seeding system certain teams who miss their CCG can end up in a better situation than the team that made the CCG and lost

[@fuckcensorship69]

@@wylobooth594 i completely agree

[@wishihadavette2392]

Well Georgia didn’t get called for obvious targeting on the best wr in the country which really played a part of Ohio state barely losing to Georgia.

[@J.Wick.]

Go Noles.

[@iamza.]

Wow this video is full of sec bias

[@Pretzel077]

So soothing

[@goblue636]

If this was the most under educated bias video I ever saw on KZbin