To paraphrase Will McAvoy on the HBO series “The Newsroom:” Is the SEC the best football conference in America?
No.
But it can be again.
Yes, there are still plenty of ranked teams, particularly from the always grueling SEC west in this week’s first AP college football poll of the season. Unlike in years past though, there is only one team ranked in the top 10, Number one Alabama.
The ACC is my pick for best conference right now in college football. The ACC has great teams. The SEC has one great team and a bunch of good teams.
The ACC has defending national champion Clemson, powerhouse Florida State, a Louisville program that, not surprisingly, is rolling pretty good under Mr. Petrino and more.
Miami will rise under Mark Richt, Larry Fedora will still be very good at North Carolina and NC State may turn some heads this season nationally.
The best collection of coaching talent is now in the ACC. Swinney, Fisher, Petrino, Richt all belong on the shelf right under Saban and Meyer.
There are not any SEC coaches that belong on that shelf unless you want to make a flimsy argument for Gus Malzahn.
Furthermore, who is the SEC second best coach behind Saban? Dan Mullen? He is about the only quality candidate that is not close to or sitting on the hot seat.
The SEC went with defense when hiring the latest crop of coaches because everyone wants to copy what Alabama has done.
That cannot be done.
Most places cannot recruit enough to dominate on defense have plenty of elite talent on offense too.
Clemson has done it.
Ohio State too.
Not many else.
These things usually don’t change over night so do not surprise yourself when we look up in September or October and see three ACC teams ranked in the top 10 and one SEC team.
Maybe even none.
