Monday, December 10, 2007

SEC Bowl Records Since 1997

***UPDATE: 1-8-08 I've created a master chart with all 6 BCS conferences and their bowl records against each others, including BCS games here. It's current as of last night's game.***

It’s Bowl Season again, which means it’s time for SEC fans everywhere to speak of their supremacy and fans of other conference to call it into question.

Taking a look at the SEC's Bowl Records over the last 10 seasons - games following the 1997 season - the SEC is a combined 42-32 in 74 bowl games. When you break down the records against other conferences (see chart below), the SEC has owned the ACC, handled the Big 12, split 26 bowls with the Big 10, but has struggled mightily in its random meetings with Big East schools.

While a 42-32 record is not the dominating prowess many SEC fans would like to think they have, it's not bad to have a winning record against 2 of the other 4 conferences the SEC plays the most often with bowl tie ins and a .500 record against another. Most of the bowl games have the SEC participant playing a higher seeded team from the other conference. More importantly, the SEC is 9-4 all-time in BCS Bowl Games and is the only conference to have 3 different teams win the BCS Championship. The Big East is 5-4, the Big 10 is 8-7, and the Big 12 is 5-7.

**NOTE**: For this chart, opponent schools are included in the conference they were in at the time of the bowl game. Florida’s loss to Miami in the 2001 Sugar Bowl, Georgia’s loss to BC in the 2001 Music City Bowl, and Alabama’s loss to Virginia Tech in the 1998 Music City Bowl are reflected in the Big East standings, not the ACC.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love it. SC goes to only 4 bowls in 10 years,

They hire lousey coaches.

Anonymous said...

This is even more impressive since the bowls do not match apples to apples, oranges to oranges - no pun intended. Outside the BCS bowls, the SEC team is usually matched up with a "higher seeded" team from an opposing conference.

The Dead Guy said...

The Gamecocks have only been to 4 bowl games in the last 10 years, but have won 3/4, which is 75%. Only Ole Miss (83.5%) and Georgia (80%) have a higher winning percentage. LSU is 75% as well, but has been to 8 bowl games in 10 years.

Plus, the Gamecocks beat tOSU in back to back seasons, so you gotta give them credit for that.

Anonymous said...

Your University of Florida stats are off. According to the Gators football Wikipedia page, Florida has gone 5-6 since the 1997 season:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Gators_football#Bowl_games

The Dead Guy said...

Yes, they have, but this chart was for games b/t the '97-'06 seasons. The updated chart (see link at top of post) factors in UF's now 4-6 record over the past decade into the total SEC stats.