When the SEC added South Carolina and Arkansas to the conference in 1992, the conversation at the spring meetings was two-fold.
Not only was the league introducing its new members. It also was touting the first SEC championship football game, which would be played later in the year.
Expansion again will be a hot topic at next week’s spring meetings. Texas and Oklahoma finally are officially card-carrying members. Also, the championship football game has been tweaked. Since the league has dropped divisional play, the top two teams overall will play for the title.
But how much does anybody care?
Qualifying for the playoffs now exceeds all other measuring sticks for success in college football. Making the playoffs overshadows making the conference championship game.
Once you qualify for the playoffs, you have a path to a national championship. So what if you don’t win your Power 4 conference. If you make the playoffs as an at-large team, you still could win the national championship.
That’s just another reminder how college football has moved ever closer to the NFL model. If you win a Super Bowl, does anyone remember if you failed to win your conference or division? Of course not.
Tennessee hasn’t qualified for the SEC championship game since 2007. But if it falls short again this season, its fans shouldn’t be gnashing their teeth.
Conference playoff games will no longer have the same significance.
The SEC championship game has served as a terrific showcase for the conference. And the outcome often catapulted the winner to a national championship.
For example, take the first conference championship game in 1992. Unbeaten Alabama barely held off Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators and later beat the Miami Hurricanes for the national title.
Two other Florida-Alabama matchups also rank among the most memorable SEC…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-tennessee-football-could-benefit-090751428.html
Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Publish date : 2024-05-20 09:07:51
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
