The Fall of College Football’s Roman Empire

Down goes 'Bama.

No one, and I mean no one, with an ounce of sense or football knowledge will dispute that the best football in the country is played in the Southeastern Conference. All you have to do is look at the BCS standings to know where the chips are held. The SEC currently owns the 4th through 9th highest ranked in the BCS. Allow me to repeat that, THE 4TH THROUGH THE 9TH HIGHEST RANKED TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY COME FROM ONE CONFERENCE. And if any one of those teams played in a different conference, they might hold a spot in the top 3.
With that being said, if 2 of the 3 remaining undefeated teams run the table, the SEC does not belong in the national championship game. Blasphemy, right? Allow me to explain.
The national champion is the most perfect team in the country, the team that won against all odds, the team that walked out of the most games with the most victories against the toughest opponents. This year, unless 2 of the top 3 in the current BCS standings lose, that team does not hail from the SEC. Anyone who says Oregon, Notre Dame, or Kansas State didn’t play quality teams that could have beat them is lying to him or herself.
Notre Dame is the worst of the 3 in my opinion, and although I would like nothing more than to see Manti Te’O hold up that shining crystal football for his sensational play during a tumultuous time in his life, the Fighting Irish just don’t stack up in my opinion. Their offense is average at best, and they should being doing Hail Mary’s from South Bend to Pittsburgh for coming out of that game against the Panthers with a win. However, they have yet to lose, which no team from the SEC can say. You can only beat the opponents you play.  As for the other two, well, if you leave your couch to get another Bud Light from the fridge, Oregon has probably scored another touchdown.  Also, Kansas State leads the nation in turnover margin and has a QB in Colin Klein who wants to win more than anyone else on the field. They play mistake free football on offense, and make you pay for your mistakes on D. Neither of these teams have fallen prey to teams they were supposed to beat. They are still perfect.

If any SEC team were truly superior, they wouldn’t have lost. They all have weaknesses, and unfortunately for teams ranked 4-9, they have to play each other, which provides the most chances during the regular season to have their weaknesses exposed. There is a reason teams from the SEC have won the past 6 national championships, and two of the six didn't lose a game. They were battle tested, hardened, and forged in the fiery pits of Death Valley and the Swamp. They were perfect. They earned it. I would put my money on ‘Bama against any of the remaining unbeatens, but that doesn’t guarantee a victory. Just like it didn’t guarantee a victory when Johnny Football rolled into Tuscaloosa and stunned the Crimson nation. Oh, and Steve Spurrier needs to get his head out of his ass. I didn’t see one player on that A&M roster who’s ready to star on Sundays right now.

The point is, that if everything goes according to plan over the next few weeks, Nick Saban and Mark Richt will be watching the last game of the season from their respective couches, happy with their (probable) beat downs of inferior opponents in other BCS bowls, discontent with the prospect of what could have been. And you know what, rightfully so.
The SEC isn’t going anywhere, and with the playoff format (Hallelujah!) coming in 2014, we will see that empire rise again. But for now, the path to the national championship is heading West. Deal with it.

Suck it.

-Ryan Parrish