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Taking Names and Keeping Score
Once again it was the speed, strength, and athleticism of LSU, which seems to be a trademark of every SEC team, that ultimately proved to be the difference. After a slow start which saw Ohio State get on top 10 - 0, the young men wearing the purple and gold never panicked but stuck with their game plan and played themselves back into the lead and ultimately control of the game. Not only did the offense take care of business and put the points necessary to win on the scoreboard but the relentless defense held the potentially dangerous and explosive Buckeye offense at bay by basically shutting down the running game after the first quarter and coming up with a critical sack or forced turnover every time it appeared the boys from the Big Ten might be regaining some momentum. Naturally for those of us who are strong supporters of SEC football and who contend that it is the strongest football conference in the nation from top to bottom, the win only helps to bolster our claim. Of course it didn't hurt that seven of the nine SEC teams competing in bowl games this season won as well with only Florida and Arkansas going down to defeat. Even in the two losses only Arkansas, which was in a coaching transition at the time, didn't represent the SEC very well in its 38 - 7 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. Florida's 28 - 24 loss to a resurgent and inspired Michigan Wolverine team in the Capitol One Bowl game could actually have gone either way. For those of you who, like me, stayed tuned to the post game broadcast long enough to see the trophy presentations and the final comments from the football analysts including Florida's Head Coach Urban Meyer, it was like adding icing to a cake when the LSU players gathered around the commentators began to chant SEC!…..SEC!….SEC! in the background. To me it seemed as though they were sending a message to the rest of the nation, that although all of us SEC football fans have our favorite team and may even be guilty of cheering against our biggest rivals at times, when it comes to the big picture we respect all the teams that make up the conference and cheer for anyone carrying the SEC banner when they are matched up with another team outside the conference. That's particularly true when there is a championship on the line. Lest we forget, as we look ahead to the football season next year bursting with pride over the successes of the SEC this year, there is an old adage that says, "it is a lot harder to remain on top of the mountain of success than it is to scale it." Who knows if the teams in the SEC will stay focused and work as hard in the future as they have up until now or if they will become complacent and content? Only time will tell. But, as for this moment in time there is no doubt that the SEC is "The King of the Hill" in college football.
Until next time…….be safe!
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