Talent + money + obsession = dominant football in SEC
So how tough is the SEC? It's easier to win back-to-back national championships these days than it is to defend an SEC title. Nebraska (1994-1995) and USC (2003-2004) have won consecutive AP titles in the last 12 years.
There hasn't been a repeat winner in the SEC since 1998. Only once in the past eight years has the SEC champion finished first in its division the next season.
How tough is the SEC? Florida is a member of an exclusive club within its super conference. Since 1964, at least one of the six schools in it -- Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, LSU and Georgia -- has won or shared an SEC title. Those programs also happen to be where the pressure is the highest, where a title is expected every year.
"You're hitting me with that," former Alabama coach Bill Curry said. "When you first said it, an alarm bell went off and I thought, 'No, not that many.'"
With kickoff this week of the league's 75th season, almost all of the analyses of the league have to be rewritten.
"It's the best I've ever seen," said Norm Carlson, the noted University of Florida historian who has followed the SEC for half a century. Here's why ...
• Diversification and dominance: The SEC now leads with three national titles in the nine-year existence of the BCS. It has won four national titles in the last 11 years. Five in the past 15 years have been won by four different teams. The last time the SEC was so dominant was 27 years ago. It won four titles in eight years from 1973 through 1980. But back then, the titles were shared by only Alabama (three) and Georgia.
• Raw talent: For the second time in three years, the SEC had the most players taken in the NFL Draft. Its 41 were nine more than the Big Ten. It also led with the most first-round selections, 11, including overall No. 1 JaMarcus Russell of LSU.
• Schoolboy studs: Those draft choices are trained well. The SEC landed seven of the top 10 recruiting classes in February according to Rivals.com. According to research by CBSSports.com, SEC schools are No. 2 (LSU), No. 3 (Florida), tied for No. 4 (Tennessee) and No. 8 (Georgia) in the best combined recruiting class rankings since 2002.
• Money men bring championships: Sure, Alabama overpaid for Nick Saban. That's the whole point. What other school would have ponied up a record $4 million per year for a mere mortal to coach and mentor student-athletes? With the hiring of Saban, the SEC now leads the country with four coaches who have won national championships.
• Gators uber alles: Florida became the first school to win both major national championships in an academic year. Urban Meyer's football title is sandwiched on either end by back-to-back titles from the basketball Gators. At one point in the spring, the SEC was No. 1 in softball, baseball, men's tennis and men's golf. It ended the academic year with eight national championships, giving hope even to our disenfranchised youth loitering around the local lanes.
How tough is the SEC? Yes, even Vanderbilt won women's bowling.
Part II Tuesday: The Legacy
