SEC Retains Lofty College Football Status after Another Successful Bowl Season
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The parity once seen in college football at the national championship level has all but diminished since the 2003 season. Over the 18-year duration, 12 SEC teams have laid claim as the country’s best team dispersed among LSU (3), Auburn (1), Florida (2), and Alabama. On Monday night, the Crimson Tide captured their sixth national championship in 12 years under the guidance of head coach Nick Saban keeping the SEC atop the heap after turning in another successful all-around showing in the postseason.
Alabama will rightfully receive the lion’s share of media coverage for their postseason exploits, but the SEC as a collective group had a strong showing during the bowl season posting a 7-2 record. The two losses came in games where the SEC teams entered as the underdog: No. 7 Florida vs. No. 6 Oklahoma (55-20) and unranked Auburn vs. No. 14 Northwestern (35-19). Two of the wins came out of the SEC East with Kentucky pushing past North Carolina State (23-21) and No. 9 Georgia putting down an undefeated No. 8 Cincinnati (24-21) squad that had aspirations for staking an outside claim to a national championship.
Over in the West, as unranked teams Mississippi State and Ole Miss claimed victories with the Rebels producing a big upset knocking off No. 11 Indiana 26-20. After starting slow, No. 5 Texas A&M got it going in the second half downing No. 13 North Carlina 41-27.
As for the kings of college football, Alabama’s run through the 2020 playoff may not have been as masterful as LSU’s a year ago, winning by a 27.5 average margin of victory, but the 22.5 average spread for the Crimson Tide’s victories were impressive none the less. In the semifinal, Alabama posted 437 yards of total offense aided by quarterback Mac Jones throwing for 297 yards with four scores avoiding an interception. Senior running back Najee Harris was impactful taking 15 handoffs for 125 yards while securing four passes for 30 more.
Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith stole the show with a seven-reception, 130-yard, 3-TD game. Setting the tone on defense was safety DeMarcco Hellams. Hellams led all players with a 12-tackle effort registering a tackle for a loss and a sack.
When the chips were on the table, the Tide rose to the challenge laying it on No. 3 Ohio State. Ending the first quarter in a 7-all tie, Alabama produced 28 second quarter points going into the locker room up 35-17 at the break. The Bama offense imposed their will chomping up 621 yards of total offense led by Jones’ 36 of 45 performance tossing for 464 yards with five touchdowns.
Setting a CFP championship game record, Smith secured 12 passes covering 215 yards with three trips into the end zone. Harris was powerful between the tackles amassing 79 yards with two rushing scores adding seven receptions for 79 yards with another touchdown going up on the board.
The Alabama defense was stingy with the yards allowing just 147 on the ground and 194 passing. Christian Harris and Dylan Moses led the charge with a tied team-high six stops. But it was the Christian Barmore show in the trenches watching the Tide’s defensive tackle take home Defensive MVP honors after putting an end to five plays with two tackles for a loss, and a sack.
2020 Bowl Record: SEC Teams vs. Other Conferences
Vs. ACC: 3-0
Vs. AAC: 2-0
Vs. Big Ten: 2-1
Vs. Big 12: 0-1
Photo credit: Sports Illustrated; No. 6 DeVonta Smith vs. Ohio State