The SEC "half-decade" review

Before we do our preseason picks and stur up much agrivation and disagreement by our choices, I thought I would pause and look back at the first half of this decade. It doesn't seem like that long ago when we all got 'giddy' over the millineum new years day. Now the decade is half over, it's been pretty good...well, maybe that depends upon who your team is.


Summary: The 90's were dominated by three teams (Florida, Tennessee, Alabama). All ten championships were divided between these three teams. The torch has been passed this decade to LSU, Georgia, and Auburn. The conference is deeper now, though there has been turnover at the top Tennessee and Florida remain competitive. Alabama has been crushed by probation. Lots of coaching turnover and turmoil. Spurrier had the guts to come back to a team in the same division as his beloved gators. The conference has gotten deeper and better with teams like Ole Miss having some good years, South Carolina becoming a team, and Arkansas still gives people problems. Yet, Vanderbilt and Kentucky somehow still suck...maybe they always will
Best Five Games:
5)Tennessee vs. Florida 2004 - loaded with controversy and drama
4) Ole Miss vs. Auburn 2003 - there's more to why this game was so great than just the drama of the game
3) Auburn vs. Georgia 2002 - David Greene's last heroics, 4th and 15
2) Ole Miss vs. LSU 2003 - Unless your inbred Cajuin, you were heartbroken for the rebs, b/c they should have won
1) Tennessee vs. Florida 2001 - #2 vs #3, shootout...Vols spoiled what was touted as the 'biggest game ever in the swamp'


Offensive Player of half-decade:
tie: Eli Manning (Ole Miss) and Cadillac Williams (Auburn)
runner up: Rex Grossman (Florida)
Defensive Player of Half-Decade:
David Pollack (Georgia)
runner up: John Henderson (Tennessee)

Biggest upsets:
Mississippi State/Florida 2004 - I think this was Sylvestor Croom's first SEC win, and the last straw on Ron Zook
Ole Miss/Florida 2002 - Ole Miss was unranked (i think) Florida was a Top 10 team
Tennessee/Georgia 2004 - Tennessee had been spanked the week before by Auburn, Georgia had embarrassed LSU, Georgia was ranked a 14 point favorite
Florida/Georgia 2003 - I know Florida seems to always win this game, but Georgia was lightyears better and somehow lost
LSU/Tennessee 2001- SEC championship game, Vols ranked #2 and had whipped LSU earlier in year, Vols were a 10 point favorite and blew their chance to play in national championship game

Best coaching moves:
1) LSU hiring Nick Saban (2000)
2) Georgia hiring Mark Richt (2001)
3) Florida finally pulling the chord on Zook
4) South Carolina not renewing Lou Holtz contract and recommending being committed

Worst Coaching Moves:
1) Florida hiring Ron Zook
2) Miss. State hiring Sylvestor Croom
3) Phillip Fulmer retaining his miserable staff
4) The Alabama Debacle
5) Bobby Lauder scandal at Auburn



You may agree or disagree on some of these. I feel pretty fair and right on with most of them. I stayed away from the whole David Cutcliffe/Ole Miss thing--b/c this is sweet emotion and i don't know what it was like to be an Ole Miss fan when he was coach. You just don't get invited to eat dinner at someone's house and insult the cooking, it' the southern way.