The argument this year has been that the SEC is down and that is the reason that Alabama and Ole Miss had such great success this year. The response to which by the Alabama fans is that the SEC was down in 2004 when Auburn went undefeated (it's always about Auburn isn't it with you people?) Here is the statistical breakdown of the SEC in those years:
Looking at win differentials SEC from 03 to 04 Alabama improved by 3 wins Auburn improved by 6 wins Miss St. declined by 2 wins LSU and Arkie declined by 3 wins Ole Miss declined by 5 wins (eli leaving)
2 teams in the west improved and 4 declined
Georgia and Florida stayed the same UT and UK improved by 1 win South Carolina improved by 2 wins Vandy is the only East team to decline (by 1 win)
3 teams in the East were up (AU had 3 wins against them) 2 Teams stayed the same (1 AU win) 1 team declined
All in all 5 teams were improved (4 AU wins), 2 stayed the same (1 AU win), and 5 declined (4 AU wins)
2007 to 2008 Ole Miss improved by 6 wins Alabama improved by 5 wins Arkansas declined by 3 wins LSU, Auburn, and Miss St. declined by 4 wins
So 2 teams in the West improved and 4 teams declined
East UF improved by 3 wins Vandy improved by 2 wins South Carolina improved by 1 win UGA and UK declined by 1 win Tennessee declined by 5 wins
So 3 teams improved (0 bama wins) and 3 teams declined (3 bama wins)
So you had 5 teams that improved (1 bama win) and 7 teams that declined (7 bama wins)
The total differential is in 04 the SEC was down 1 win, and in 08 the SEC was down 5 wins
In 2004 of Auburn's 9 SEC wins only 4 came against teams that declined from the year before
In 2008 of Alabama's 8 SEC wins 7 came against teams that declined from the year before and only 1 against an improved team (ole Miss)
In 2008 of Ole Miss' 5 SEC wins, 4 were against teams that declined from the year before and only 1 against an improved team (Florida, woohoo Rebels)
The SEC was indeed down this year and Alabama and Ole Miss reaped the benefits, both were improved teams no doubt, but they feasted on a weakened SEC and 5 of the 6 most disappointing teams in the nation were on Alabama's schedule (#1 Clemson, #2 Michigan, #3 Tennessee, #4 Auburn, #5 LSU, #6 Georgia (preseason #1 and all))
*Ed. note - 03 was a 12 game season and 04 was an 11 game season so i dropped one win each from 03 since every team put a nobody on their schedule for that extra game.
Sorry guys, this is my new obsession. I just want to lay that out. Also, I promise to avoid talking about Peyton Manning. This isn't about #18. This is about defending one of the hands down best coaches of our time.
Dungy is getting blasted in the media and I am really taking issue with it. First of all, Dungy's team is setting records for regular season proficiency. Why doesn't he get more credit for that? You know, what Dungy should do is set expectations lower during the regular season. They constantly have personnel turnover on the defensive side of the ball. Recently the Colts have battled severe injuries. Perhaps Dungy should just not play so hard and so well during the season. No one in their right mind would criticize him if Indy didn't destroy the league every single season. That would buy him some good grace in the media.
Let me compare Tony Dungy to the coach every one of his critics basically feels he is the equivalent to: Marty Schottenheimer. Martyball always exceeds regular season expectations then flames out in the playoffs. But a closer look reveals these two men are not the same. For one, Schottenheimer gets criticized immediately following playoff losses for stupid coaching decisions or for his players being sloppy and boneheaded. That hasn't happened with Dungy. Is he a tad conservative sometimes? Sure but welcome to the club. The playoffs feature a ton of conservative game management. I can promise you Dungy's conservative coaching moves are a drop in the Indy bucket of problems. Furthermore, Schottenheimer's pension for playoff meltdowns may have to do with the fact that his teams recently have not been all that veteran and there is a psychological buildup because of his reputation, for or not. Maybe any coach in Schottenheimer's situation would struggle given that perfect storm.
Finally, no one says exactly what Dungy has done wrong. Unlike Schottenheimer and other coaches who supposedly aren't made for the playoffs, everyone criticizes Dungy for the overall result but not for anything specific. Apparently, coaching is just magic. His teams always play very hard and all things considered, play smart too. The defense, Dungy's specialty, seems to always play above their experience and talent level in big games. Look at all of the Colts playoff games the last 6 years or so. The offense game after game after game does not score as many points as people would have predicted beforehand, win or lose. So I guess Dungy could be criticized for not firing his offensive coordinator Tom Moore. But Moore is well-respected and I have not heard anyone point out why Moore is at fault. Darn those specifics. Seeing how Dungy is being treated, I can see why "fall guys" are so common in business and politics. No one asks any questions when you can focus enough ire toward one particular scape goat. It's like extreme Bush bashing. Once you have decided the man is pure evil, you can criticize him for everything from World War II to AIDS in Africa.
As for the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl once Dungy left, how many coaches help their teams improve in their first season? This happens constantly, to the point that I am now refusing to cast my support for the Coach of the Year Award behind a first year coach again. So the fact that an offensive guru brought a new energy to Tampa Bay and spruced up the side of the ball that wasn't Dungy's expertise for one year is no surprise. What has the great Gruden done since that first year? Not much. I'm not saying Gruden isn't a good coach because he is but it would seem apparent to me that instead of criticizing Dungy we should realize that what happened in Tampa Bay is what does happen on several teams every single NFL season.
What do you guys say? Why does he deserve to get criticized in the media?
At a formal dinner party, the person nearest death should always be seated closest to the bathroom.
Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.
Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time.
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Dusting is a good example of the futility of trying to put things right. As soon as you dust, the fact of your next dusting has already been established.
Electricity is really just organized lightning.
Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.
I recently went to a new doctor and noticed he was located in something called the Professional Building. I felt better right away.
I think it would be interesting if old people got anti-Alzheimer's disease where they slowly began to recover other people's lost memories.
I think people should be allowed to do anything they want. We haven't tried that for a while. Maybe this time it'll work.
I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me - they're cramming for their final exam.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
I would never want to be a member of a group whose symbol was a guy nailed to two pieces of wood.
I'm always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I'm listening to it.
I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.
I'm not concerned about all hell breaking loose, but that a PART of hell will break loose... it'll be much harder to detect.
If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.
If we could just find out who's in charge, we could kill him.
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.
In comic strips, the person on the left always speaks first.
Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town.
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.
Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.
One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like.
People who say they don't care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don't care what people think.
Religion is just mind control.
Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.
Standing ovations have become far too commonplace. What we need are ovations where the audience members all punch and kick one another.
The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.
The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.
The reason I talk to myself is that I'm the only one whose answers I accept.
The status quo sucks.
The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.
There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.
There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past.
Think off-center. *ed note: If you haven't listened to James McMurtry, you should. "Out here in the middle, where the centers on the right"
Weather forecast for tonight: dark.
Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?
What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?
When someone is impatient and says, "I haven't got all day," I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?
When Thomas Edison worked late into the night on the electric light, he had to do it by gas lamp or candle. I'm sure it made the work seem that much more urgent.
When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands.
When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat.
You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar.
You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.
A team in Hamburg is having a team themed graveyard. No word on wether they stole this from the University of Alabama, or if they plan on also building a ghetto in close proximity.
It's Thursday and we are all struggling to finish out this damn week. Here are a few of my favorite Motivational posters to help you get through till 5:00 Friday.
