After the Alabama Crimson Tide dropped a 27-20 overtime thriller to the Michigan Wolverines, they solidified a National Championship game without an SEC team for the first time since 2015.
The last title game without an SEC participant took place on Jan. 12, 2015, and it was between the same conferences it will be this year. The Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten took on the Oregon Ducks of the Pac-12, and ended up with the win 42-20.
Before 2015, the last championship game without an SEC team was the 2005 Rose Bowl. The Texas Longhorns beat the USC Trojans in what is widely considered to be one of the greatest games in college football history.
January 4, 2006
Rose Bowl
Texas. USC.Vince Young:
– 267 passing yards
– 200 rushing yards
– 3 TDs
– Game-winning TD run🌹🌹🌹 pic.twitter.com/VpLAa1xuXv
— Andscape (@andscape) January 4, 2020
The Big Ten had a strong showing against the SEC in the College Football Playoff
In the Rose Bowl, the nation saw a traditional Big Ten team take on a traditional SEC team. The Big Ten came out victorious against Nick Saban for the first time since Urban Meyer and Ohio State did so in the 2015 semifinals. Saban’s record against the Big Ten as the head coach of Alabama moved to 8-2 after the Rose Bowl loss.
The Sugar Bowl saw the Big Ten team of the future take on the SEC team of the future. The Washington Huskies, who will be a part of the Big Ten in 2024, are the last representation of the Pac-12 as we know it. The Texas Longhorns, who were unable to put the ball in the end zone on the last play of the semifinal game to beat Washington, will be a part of the SEC in 2024.
The last time a situation similar to this took place was the 1999-2000 season when the Florida State Seminoles played the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Sugar Bowl. Virginia Tech represented the Big East Conference at the time, but would join Florida State in the ACC just a few years later.
On This Day 21 Years Ago, The Florida State Seminoles Beat The Virginia Tech Hokies 46-29 To Win The 2000 Nokia Sugar Bowl For National Championship.#GoNoles #OneTribe #KeepCLIMBing @TheNoleGameday @CentralNorvell @fsugarnetgold @SugarBowlNola pic.twitter.com/4ztBpSo1va
— LetsGoNolez (@lets_go_nolez) January 4, 2021
The SEC’s dominance is unlike anything we’ve seen in college football’s modern era
The SEC has put two teams in the title game on three separate occasions since then, all three of which included a Nick Saban-coached Alabama team. The SEC’s dominance is unmatched as you’d have to go back to 1971 to find a remotely similar example of conference domination.
In a Sports Illustrated article, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart explains why he thinks the SEC has been so dominant.
“Let’s be honest,” Smart told the media postgame. “The reason the Southeastern Conference is what it is, is because the states that encompass the Southeastern Conference love football.”
In 1971 the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers played the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners in the Game of the Century. The game was between two Big Eight teams, and it was for the Coaches Poll Title. The Coaches Poll was released before the bowl games took place.
From the WOWT archives:
Highlights from the “Game of the Century”
1971- Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 31
Jerry Tagge at QB, Jeff Kinney at RB, & Johnny Rodgers (@heisman38) at WR.. that’s quite the trio!
50th anniversary game this Saturday in Norman! #6Sports #Huskers #Sooners pic.twitter.com/8R9TgiIIcr— Rex Smith (@Rex__Smith) September 13, 2021
Considering there were two games played after this, it is hard to consider on par with having two teams playing in the actual national championship game. A Similar situation took place in 1969. The No. 1 Texas Longhorns and the No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks, both members of the Southwest Conference, competed in a de-facto National Championship before bowl games were played.
President Richard Nixon even set out to reward the winning team with a plaque, declaring them “the No. 1 college football team in college football’s 100th year.” Texas accepted the plaque after defeating Arkansas 15-14, and went on to beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Cotton Bowl.
Texas vs Arkansas 1969.
Football/Gymnastics
With President Nixon pic.twitter.com/C23LuVE5Jz— Tommy Vito (@tommyvitox) December 11, 2016
While a nearly decade-long dominant run from the SEC is over, they will not be held out for long. A 12-team playoff format gives the SEC more chances to find their way into a national title game, especially with Texas and Oklahoma joining next year.
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