SEC Preview: The End Of A Era
To begin the 1992 college football season, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) was the first conference to expand to more than 10 teams and was the first to create divisions with winners playing a conference championship game. South Carolina and Arkansas were the two teams added to the conference then as the SEC West and East divisions were born.
SEC Championship Game
The innovative leaders of the SEC created two divisions and the winners were to play in the first of its kind TV mega-market and fan-fare conference championship game ever. This season in 2023 is the end of the SEC West and East Divisions. With Texas and Oklahoma set to join the SEC in 2024 the SEC voted to do away with the divisions and just have the top two teams play in the SEC Championship Game.
This season will embark on the West vs East division set up for the 32nd time. The SEC Championship game has been a sellout 29 out of 31 times. The only two times it wasn’t was early in its conception 1993 and 1995. It’s has also been the most watched college football conference game in 14 of the last 15 years, with the 2020 Covid pandemic year as the only exception.
SEC Division Winners
Alabama enjoys the most appearances (14) and wins (10) with the Florida Gators second with 13 appearances and 7 wins In the SEC Championship. However, LSU is tied with Alabama for the best win percentage (0.714) in the championship game with a 5-2 record. Their five wins is the third most. Georgia is 4-6, Auburn is 3-3, and Tennessee is 2-3 W/L records in the SEC title game.
These are the only six teams with SEC Championships in the era. Four other teams have made it and lost: Arkansas three times, Missouri twice, and Miss State and South Carolina once a piece. Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, and Mississippi have not made an appearance in the championship game.
The New Season Has Began
As we set sail on the last season (at least for now) with divisions in the SEC the consensus among the media is the Alabama and LSU are expected to be top contenders for the SEC West. Texas A&M and Ole Miss are ranked and could be players at the top with big wins. Arkansas returns top players QB KJ Jefferson and RB “Rocket” Sanders, as Miss St tries to replace a legendary loss of Coach Mike Leach with Zach Arnett and returning SEC leading QB Will Rogers. Then Auburn is attempting to return to power with the hiring of Hugh Freeze and his return to the SEC.
In the SEC East we have the 2-time defending National Champions Georgia Bulldogs as the clear front-runner. Then there are three teams vying for the right to have a chance to knock out the champs. Josh Heupel and his high-flying offense with Tennessee, South Carolina and QB Spencer Rattler, and late media buzz trendy Kentucky with their talented pickups of Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen and QB Devin Leary. Florida, Missouri and Vanderbilt all seem like long shots to challenge for the East this season.
There is talent all over the place in the SEC, from LSU LB super Sophomore Harold Perkins to top tier QB‘s in the entire nation. My pick for POTY (player of the year) is the extremely talented Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins. I look for Georgia and Alabama to return to the Championship Game to close out the East vs West era. With a challenge from LSU in the West and Tennessee and Kentucky in the East.
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