SEC Football: Why 2015 was better to the SEC than 2014

Much has been made about the SEC football and the supposed redemption story during the 2015 bowl season, including on this site, but is it really that impressive?

The SEC sent 12 teams to bowl games in 2014 and saw their SEC football programs post a 7-5 record.  While that record was good for second best, there was a glaring problem.  The 7 SEC football teams  that entered bowl season ranked in the top 25 posted a measly 2-5 record.  Included in that disappointing performance were two losses in New Year’s Six Games (Ole Miss, Mississippi State) and a College Football Playoff loss (Alabama).  It looked like the SEC was still deep; the conference did not look very good at the top.

It was a very different story in 2015, but you know that by now.  The SEC sent only 10 teams bowling, but managed to post an 8-2 record in those games.  Those victories included a Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff.  Unlike in 2014, SEC football finished strong from top to bottom in 2015.

Did the conference get that much better?  Maybe it was other conferences regressing?  I don’t think it was either.  I think SEC football received some matchups that were much more fair in 2015 and proved that similarly positioned teams from other conferences cannot compete with their SEC counterpart.

Confused?  Ok I get it.  It sounds vague.  Let me break it down for you.

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2014 SEC Football Bowl Matchups and Results:

Duck Commander Independence Bowl

South Carolina (#5 in SEC East, #11 in SEC)  24, Miami (#5 in Coastal Division, #10 in ACC) 21

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Texas A&M (#6 in SEC West, #10 in SEC) 45, West Virginia (#5 in Big 12) 37

AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl

Arkansas 31 (#7 in SEC West, #12) in SEC, Texas (#6 in Big 12) 7

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

LSU 28 (#5 in SEC West, #8 in SEC), Notre Dame (#1 in Independent) 31

Belk Bowl

Georgia 37 (#2 in SEC East, #3 (tied) in SEC), Louisville (#3 in Atlantic, #5 (tied) in ACC) 14

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

TCU (Big 12 Co-Champion) 42, Ole Miss 3 (#3 in SEC West, #5 in SEC overall)

Capital One Orange Bowl

Georgia Tech (#1 in Coastal, #2 in ACC) 49, Mississippi State 34 (#2 in SEC West, #3 (tied) in SEC)

Outback Bowl

Auburn 31 (#4 in SEC West, #6 in SEC) Wisconsin (#1 in West, #2 in Big 10) 34

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl

Missouri (#1 in SEC East, #2 in SEC) 33, Minnesota (#2 in West, #4 in Big 10) 17

Allstate Sugar Bowl (CFP Seminfinal)

Alabama (#1 in SEC West, #1 in SEC)  35, Ohio State (#1 in East, #1 in Big 10) 42

TaxSlayer Bowl

Tennessee (#4 in SEC East, #9 in SEC) 45, Iowa (#4 in West, #6 (tied) in Big 10) 28

Birmingham Bowl

Florida (#3 in SEC East, #7 in SEC) 28, East Carolina (#4 in American Athletic Conference) 20

That is a lot to read.  To break it down even further:

More from Southbound and Down

• Texas A&M vs. Auburn: Line, Prediction, TV Channel & Live Stream for SEC Football
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• Ole Miss Football: Looking back at the Rebels career of Zedrick Woods
• Alabama vs. Ole Miss: Line, Prediction, TV Channel & Live Stream for SEC Football
• “Horns Down” will not be a Penalty in the SEC

(#5 in SEC East, #11 in SEC)  24, (#5 in Coastal Division, #10 in ACC) 21

(#6 in SEC West, #10 in SEC) 45, (#5 in Big 12) 37

(#7 in SEC West, #12 in SEC) 31, Texas (#6 in Big 12) 7

(#5 in SEC West, #8 in SEC) 28, (#1 in Independent) 31

(#2 in SEC East, #3 (tied) in SEC) 37, (#3 in Atlantic, #5 (tied) in ACC) 14

(Big 12 Co-Champion) 42, (#3 in SEC West, #5 in SEC overall) 3

(#1 in Coastal, #2 in ACC) 49, (#2 in SEC West, #3 (tied) in SEC) 34

(#4 in SEC West, #6 in SEC) 31, (#1 in West, #2 in Big 10) 34

(#1 in SEC East, #2 in SEC) 33, (#2 in West, #4 in Big 10) 17

(#1 in SEC West, #1 in SEC)  35, (#1 in East, #1 in Big 10) 42

(#4 in SEC East, #9 in SEC) 45, (#4 in West, #6 (tied) in Big 10) 28

(#3 in SEC East, #7 in SEC) 28, (#4 in American Athletic Conference) 20

As you can see, the games played out as the standings suggested they should.  When the SEC team was ranked higher in the SEC, they usually beat their opponent.  When they played a higher ranked team from another division (Ole Miss playing TCU as a conference champion for example), they usually lost.  SEC football teams did win some of those matchups, but they also lost a few when they should have been favored based on the standings.

What’s the point?  The SEC played more teams that were ranked higher in their conference than they were in the SEC in 2014.

More sec: SEC Football: How the SEC Dominated Bowl Season

The case was not the same in 2015 and it showed.  SEC football teams, for the most part, played teams that were in similar rankings in their own conference.  And it showed.  The SEC lost games it was supposed to in 2014.  When the matchups became more even in 2015, the SEC dominated their bowl games.

Check out all the conference standings in 2015 here.