Although the majority of the national news media did not give Florida much chance against Ohio State, those few voices that gave Florida some chance of winning touted the SEC's and in particular, Florida's "speed." With Florida's demolition of Ohio State, the "speed discussion" will probably intensify. A quick look at how the speed issue is being discussed in the media today:
The Nashville City Paper: - "In the days preceding the game, Ohio State scoffed at the notion that
Florida’s speed — superior either in theory or in fact — would prove
decisive. And when Buckeye speedster Ted Ginn Jr. returned the game’s
opening kickoff for a touchdown, Ohio State issued a “Take that!”
response to the question of speed. The difference in speed
wasn’t at the skill positions, however. It was at defensive end, where
lightning-quick Gator defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Jarvis Moss
terrorized Buckeye offensive linemen and produced game-changing plays."
The Boston Globe - "That brings us back to the eternally popular topic of speed. Much
was made of the idea that Ohio State was no old-fashioned Big 10 team,
that one reason the Buckeyes had come into this game at 13-0 was that
they had the kind of speed that would impress even an SEC team. They didn't. Smith
found out first-hand just how disruptive Florida's speed could be in
the very first quarter when he was unable to run away from defensive
end Derrick Harvey, who chased the Ohio State QB and caught him on an
attempt to scramble to his left. Harvey goes 6-5 and a listed 262."
The San Diego Union Tribune - "Another stat for you: OSU is 0-8 all-time versus the SEC in bowl games. As a conference, the Big 10 can't compete with the team speed and athleticism of SEC Football ."
CBS News - "There is speed and then there is SEC speed."
With all of the discussion of speed, you would think it was a track meet being discussed and not a football game.
This of course started me thinking a bit about Track and Field and speed and the SEC and how it all relates. Here are some quick facts from the world of Track and Field:
An SEC team has won the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship in 23 of the past 24 years including 19 NCAA Championships by Arkansas!
An SEC team has won the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship in 15 of the past 22 years including 15 NCAA Championships by LSU!
AN SEC sprinter has won the 60 Meter Dash in 8 of the past 13 seasons.
AN SEC sprinter has won the 100 Meter Dash in 10 of the past 25 seasons.
In 2005, Arkansas, LSU and Florida went 1,2,3 in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship!
In all, you can see that in the sport where it really is all about speed the SEC has dominated historically. It would seem, at least on face, that the kids coming to the colleges and universities in the SEC are just plain faster then their peers in other conferences. Whether it's the fastest on the football field or the fastest on the track, the SEC appears to have an edge. But why.
Now a lot of folks will discuss how speed played a role in the National Championship game and SEC fans will continue to tout the incredible speed that their teams possess but the big question that I have is Why is there so much more speed in the SEC then in the Big 10, or for that matter, just about any conference (although the Pac-10 gives the SEC a run for its money). I don't pose this question to boast or to rub salt in the open wounds of Big 10 fans but I am legitimately interested in hearing others theories as to why the athletes in the SEC are just plain faster then comparable high level athletes in other conferences. Is it genetics? Is it something in the water? Is it the heat? Is it the training the kids get in High School? Is it a question of emphasis and athletic philosophy? is it a race issue (let's be careful on this one folks)?
I was listening to a local Orlando talk show this morning and the host,
Dan Sileo said he knew the Gators would win because "there is no way a
group of kids from Ohio could be faster then a group of kids from the
state of Florida." Why is that? To question whether or not there is more speed in the SEC is pointless and not really in question. The better question is why is there more speed in the SEC then the Big 10. That's what I'd like to hear opinions on.
After the Wisconsin-Arkansas game I came online and I ate my crow. Now, after watching USC's complete domination of the Michigan Wolverines, I think the Michigan fans need to eat their share of crow as well. Stop whining about not getting your rematch against Ohio State. Stop whining about Florida. Stop whining about the SEC. Stop whining about Urban Meyer. The bottom line is Michigan got beat by a better, hungrier, more talented, better prepared and better coached football team. Michigan came into the game with a chance to strengthen their argument that they should have been playing for a National Championship but they blew it. Plain and simple. For the third year in a row, Michigan faltered down the home stretch of the season and lost to Ohio State and lost their Bowl game.
Although they played a fantastic game, USC was a very beatable team. Oregon State beat them and so did UCLA. Michigan could not. I wonder, if we use the same contrived rationalization process that Michigan/Big 10 fans have used, that we should conclude UCLA and Oregon State should finish the year ranked higher than Michigan since Michigan lost to USC and both of those teams defeated USC. Of course, that would be laughable. It just goes to show that on any given day, any top team can lose a game. Results of one week, one bowl, one game should never be the deciding factor in evaluating an entire season. That was the critical flaw in the rationalization used by Michigan fans after they lost to Ohio State. They tried to justify a rematch based on one game (a loss no less). That logic, as we see, never holds up. Florida, based on strength of schedule and an entire season's body of work deserved to go to the BCS Championship game and there is no denying that now.
Michigan fans and Big 10 supporters need to stop whining about Florida. You had your chance against Ohio State and you lost. You had a chance to make your case today and you failed. Stop whining about the SEC. The SEC has a better Bowl record then the Big 10 and that's the bottom line. Stop whining about Urban Meyer. Sure he politicked for his team but so what. Worry about your own coach and the fact that he can't beat Ohio State, he can't win a Bowl game and he has a losing record in the Rose Bowl.
Regarding the championship game, win or lose, the Gators deserve top be playing in that game whether or not Michigan fans, Big 10 supporters or Kirk Herbstreit think they should.
My name is Frank Irizarry and I am an Assistant Professor of Communication at Suffolk University in beautiful Beantown. I teach courses in public relations. I am an avid sports fan with football being my true passion. I played two seasons of College Football for Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York (1989-1991). My most rewarding football experience though has come in the past four years as the Head Coach for my oldest son's Pop Warner football team, the Deland Knights. This past season we were 8-1, 6-0 in our Division and we finished in third place in the Mid-Florida Conference (The SEC of youth football!) . I used to be a college debate coach so I like to make and hear what I think are good arguments.
