School soccer has a ton of points; nevertheless, some have plagued the game lengthy earlier than the brand new playoffs or NIL. Cease me in case you’ve heard this earlier than: the media is overhyping the SEC. Sure, the convention is having a a lot better season than in years prior, however I nonetheless imagine they get advantages no different convention, particularly the Massive Ten, receives.
One of many greatest points for the Massive Ten is that they wrestle to construct the togetherness the SEC thrives on. Whereas I’ve all the time discovered it bizarre that followers of sure SEC faculties appear to cheer on their rivals for the convention’s profit, I believe the difficulty runs a lot deeper than that.
ESPN’s partnership with the SEC is the game’s most profitable pairing. While you flip on ABC at midday, you may watch elite SEC video games from the beginning of the day till faculty soccer ends. You by no means must flip channels to seek out the most effective sport within the convention; it’s virtually all the time on ABC.
Now let’s check out the Massive Ten. Massive Midday Kickoff virtually all the time forces you to observe no matter opponent Ohio State is enjoying, whether or not it’s a enjoyable sport towards Indiana or a joke of a matchup towards Kent State. Then you definately flip over to CBS for the three:30 slate, and that sport has been extremely hit-or-miss for the convention; by the point the 8:00 slate rolls round, you’ll be fortunate to discover a respectable Massive Ten sport, and it’s in all probability exterior a primary cable package deal on FS1.
The SEC makes it so simple as potential to observe its marquee video games, whereas the Massive Ten makes it simple to observe solely Ohio State, and the TV rankings present that. Whereas the Buckeyes are their breadwinner, that isn’t the way you construct total convention depth, which is why you see so many SEC groups ranked.
AP voters are usually not sensible. They aren’t watching each staff in faculty soccer; I’d enterprise most voters couldn’t even inform you who the beginning quarterback is on a 5-0 Nebraska staff as a result of they aren’t ranked. The AP ballot is an extremely reactionary ballot, and the voters can solely appear to recollect what occurred on a given Saturday.
Let’s have a look at some present rankings that make zero sense within the SEC. Florida obtained crushed this week, so that they fell 8 spots to sixteenth, behind the Missouri staff that simply beat them. However now, regardless of having the identical variety of losses as Ole Miss, Florida is NINE spots behind them within the rankings, although they beat them by 24 only one week in the past. Missouri obtained an enormous soar with their win and are actually three spots above Mississippi State, a staff they misplaced to at dwelling the week earlier than!
The SEC is a endless self-fulfilling cycle. One staff will get overrated and loses an enormous sport, however doesn’t fall out of the rankings. That staff beats one other overrated SEC faculty, then hops them within the rankings, and all people retains themselves firmly within the prime 25.
Now let’s evaluate that to the Massive Ten. Iowa misplaced 31-14 to an excellent Ohio State staff. They dropped six spots within the ballot. Mississippi State misplaced at dwelling to an excellent Alabama staff and fell one spot. You get punished for dropping within the Massive Ten, however not within the SEC. Heck, USC gained a troublesome sport towards a Washington staff that may in all probability win 8 video games, they usually nonetheless fell within the polls!
Lastly, think about a 5-0 SEC not being ranked within the prime 25. Whereas I don’t suppose Nebraska is all that spectacular, they’re undefeated. They’re at the moment ranked thirty first within the AP Ballot, and also you’d by no means see that within the SEC.
While you win within the South, you’re a nationwide title contender; when those self same groups lose, it simply means they misplaced to a different contender. When Massive Ten groups lose, it mainly kills their season, and one thing about that should change, and I really feel that’s the place the TV Networks come again into play.
These networks aren’t there to push faculty soccer; they’re in place to push a convention. ESPN is there for the SEC, whereas FOX is there for the Massive Ten. While you tune in to Massive Midday Kickoff or School Gameday, they’ve turn into horrible propaganda machines for networks pushing the convention they’re affiliated with, and that’s ignoring the horrible personalities they’re utilizing to speak concerning the sport.
In some unspecified time in the future, faculty soccer wants to interrupt away from its one-network-per-conference agreements, and I believe it could go miles towards saving the game. Like our present political local weather, faculty soccer is all about “what’s finest to your staff” as an alternative of what’s finest for the game at massive.
