The end came for Joe DiMaggio, on July 17, 1941. And for Edwin Moses, on June 4, 1987. Will 2013 be the year the impressive streak Southeastern Conference football is putting together comes to an end? More importantly, will an SEC team even be present on Jan. 6, 2014 at the Rose Bowl with a chance to keep the run going?
The streak currently in question is the last seven BCS national champions being members of the Southeastern Conference. To be honest, the streak is not as impressive as DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak or Moses’ 107 consecutive victories in the 400-meter hurdles, and to be fair, we know a non-SEC member will soon win a national championship – that’s the fun (or agony) of inevitability. But as the 2013 season rolls along, and with only two undefeated teams left in the conference (12 of the 14 teams in the league had at least one loss by the end of September), the chance that neither of the squads that will compete in the BCS Championship Game in Pasadena coming from the SEC is starting to become a distinct possibility.
In truth, let us understand reality before we deal with any distinct possibilities. Alabama is undefeated and the No. 1 team in the nation and in the BCS standings. The reality is if the Crimson Tide win out, including the SEC Championship Game, Nick Saban and his team will be going for a BCS three-peat.
Any complaints? Not likely.
The Missouri Tigers are also in the SEC, and also currently undefeated, including wins against Georgia and Florida. If Gary Pinkel’s men win out the rest of the way, including the SEC Championship Game, they should take their place in the national championship game. They definitely would be in the championship game if they won against, let’s say, an undefeated Alabama team in the SEC title game.
Any gripes on that end?
“I object!” At least that is what fans in Eugene, Tallahassee, Columbus and Waco would exclaim.
Oregon, Florida State, Ohio State and Baylor all have unblemished records, and all except Baylor have the opportunity to go 13-0 because the leagues they are members of feature conference championship games – just like the SEC. Also, the Ducks, Seminoles and Buckeyes currently rank ahead of the Tigers in the BCS. Baylor and Ohio State, with their not-so-strong schedules, may be long shots to make the title game if multiple teams finish undefeated, but as far as Oregon and Florida State are concerned, it would seem their tickets to Pasadena would be assuredly punched if they ran the table – as long as Alabama were to lose a game along the way.
But what if Alabama’s loss came while undefeated, in the SEC Championship game, and against an undefeated Missouri? Would that mean an undefeated team in the SEC (Missouri) would be left out of the national championship game?
Holy Auburn 2004, Batman! Blasphemy, I’m sure, right? The Mason-Dixon Line might as well freeze over! Others might shout, “Ding dong, the streak is dead!”
Speaking of streaks, our streak of having six pollsters contribute to the weekly A Lot Of Sports Talk College Football Top 25 poll has come to an end, but for a good reason. James Bates, former All-SEC linebacker and a captain on the 1996 Florida Gators national championship team, and current on-air television host and color commentator for Fox Sports 1’s coverage of college football, hops back on to our college football coverage and has become our seventh pollster. We are excited to add him to our esteemed panel, which includes: Lisa Horne (CFB/NASCAR writer and on-air personality), Basil Mitchell (former TCU and Green Bay Packers running back), T.J. Basalla (super fan, marketing professional, WJPZ Alumni Association President), Matty J. (ThrowTheFlagBlog.com, gifsection.com), Adesina Koiki (A Lot Of Sports Talk reporter/writer) and an anonymous staff member at a Division I-FBS school.
1. 
Alabama (173 points, 5 first-place votes)
Other teams are getting more attention and are flashier, but the Tide are still the best team in America. Survive games against LSU, a surprisingly full-of-life Auburn and the SEC Championship Game (likely against Missouri now…what?!) and Alabama will be going for the three-peat. (T.J. Basalla)
2. 
Oregon (167, 2 first-place votes)
Marcus Mariota is an absolute stud. Each quarterback the Ducks have featured since Chip Kelly first arrived has been better than the last. Jeremiah Masoli was a limited passer, Darron Thomas was a limited runner, but Mariota is the total package. (Anonymous D-1 FBS staffer)
3. 
Florida State (164)
You have our attention, Seminole Nation. Please recover from your hangover before playing NC State on Saturday. The Wolfpack shocked you last year, remember? (Lisa Horne)
4. 
Ohio State (149)
All the noise about whether Braxton Miller or Kenny Guiton should start at quarterback has died down pretty quickly. But with that said, the Buckeyes have won each of its three Big Ten games by 10 points or fewer (including the last-second touchdown that shook Vegas to its core in the win at Northwestern), and Saturday night’s home game against Penn State might be more of the same nail-biting fare. (Adesina Koiki)
5. 
Baylor (145)
The Bears are fun to watch unless you have neck mobility issues. Or you have difficulty counting past 70. (Lisa)
6. 
Missouri (138)
Maty Mauk was able to throw all over a Florida defense that has some really good defensive backs. Mizzou’s defensive line looked solid and the offensive line was able to push over the Gators. The SEC East may be theirs and that is not a typo. (Matty J.)
7. 
Miami, Fla. (135)
If the UNC game had been played in any other year since the Ken Dorsey era, Miami loses it. I’m not saying “The U” is back, but winning tough games is what good programs do. (Anonymous D-1 FBS staffer)
8. 
Stanford (127)
The Cardinal beat a very good UCLA team. Stanford doesn’t look like last year’s version but if head coach David Shaw would open up the playbook a little more, it has the chance to rival the 2012 edition. (Lisa)
9. 
Clemson (117)
I think the reason Clemson lost on Saturday is because of that bus ride they take from the locker room to the Hill. Why didn’t they just build the locker room on the same side as the Hill? Players come in from warm-ups, Dabo gets them all pumped and ready to go, and then they have to go sit on a bus. Way to go stadium architects, you cost Clemson a game on Saturday. (Anonymous D-1 FBS staffer)
10. 
Texas Tech (114)
The good news: The Red Raiders are 7-0. The bad news: Iowa State and West Virginia are the two toughest teams they have played thus far. For now, Texas Tech is undefeated. Enjoy the moment. (Lisa)
11. 
UCLA (95)
Stanford pressured Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley all day last week. I am going to go out on a limb and say Oregon will attempt to do the same thing. If Oregon can force turnovers, this might turn ugly. (Anonymous D-1 FBS staffer)
12. 
Fresno State (93)
Louisville’s loss was a big victory for Fresno State. Although ranking 17th in the initial BCS standings, the top-ranked team in The American, one of the automatic-qualifying conferences, now ranks behind the Bulldogs (Louisville is No. 21, with UCF at No. 23). As long as that holds to form, and Fresno State ranks in the top 16 of the BCS at the end of the season, then an automatic BCS berth awaits. (Adesina)
13. 
Auburn (90)
Auburn has a real shot at going into the Iron Bowl at 10-1. Who would have imagined that after last season? (Anonymous D-1 FBS staffer)
14. 
LSU (88)
Les Miles is good for one head-scratching loss a season it seems. (T.J)
15. 
Texas A&M (77)
Johnny Manziel’s cape got a little wrinkled. It was also possibly the victim of a horse collar. But Superman also threw a couple of picks. Suddenly, the Aggies’ game against Vanderbilt looks a little more interesting. (Lisa)
16. 
Virginia Tech (57)
Going into this weekend, Virginia Tech’s total offense ranks 110th in the FBS (328.4 yards per game). If that’s the case (which it is), it sure helps to have the nation’s second-best defense (256 yards per game allowed) on the opposite side of the ball in Blacksburg, huh? (Adesina)
17. 
Oklahoma (53*)
The Sooners started out slow against Kansas, but a win is a win, especially on what turned out to be “Upset Saturday.” (Lisa)
18. 
Oklahoma State (53)
The Big 12 looks so ordinary due to all the talent lost from last year’s rosters. The Cowboys could see a Fiesta Bowl berth but they have to hope Baylor stumbles. (Lisa)
19. 
Louisville (41)
Teddy Bridgewater and the Cardinals will need to blow out their opponents if they want to see a BCS bowl game despite losing one game. And even that won’t be enough if UCF runs the table. (Matty J.)
20. 
Northern Illinois (34)
You heard it here first: Please circle November 13 on your calendar. Now. On that Wednesday, Northern Illinois, who should be 9-0 by that time, will host the other dominant team in the MAC so far this season, Ball State, who should come into that contest at 9-1 when they square off in DeKalb. A prime-time weekday match-up + two high-scoring teams + championship (and possibly BCS) implications = must-see TV. (Adesina)
21. 
UCF (31)
UCF was able to stay competitive with South Carolina last month and then was able to beat the high-powered, Teddy Bridgewater-led Cardinals of Louisville last week. This team is solid and has proven it can hang with big boys. (Matty J.)
22. 
South Carolina (30)
Jadeveon Clowney had a great game but it was all for naught. Head coach Steve Spurrier’s game-calling and time management cost the Gamecocks in Knoxville. (Lisa)
23. 
Wisconsin (27)
Given their schedule and their offensive firepower, I have a hard time finding another loss on the Badgers’ schedule this season. (T.J.)
24. 
Oregon State (16**)
There’s flying below the radar, then there’s Oklahoma State, and then there’s Oregon State. Must be something about orange and black. (Anonymous D-1 FBS staffer)
25. 
Michigan (16*)
With all the close games that they have played, it is sometimes easy to forget that the Wolverines are a one-loss team. (Anonymous D-1 FBS staffer)
Jeremy Gallon broke a Big Ten record with 369 receiving yards (on 14 catches) in last week’s win against Indiana. Hold on a second…I think he just caught another pass. (T.J.)
Others receiving votes:
Michigan State (16 points), Arizona State (15), Notre Dame (4), Georgia (4), North Dakota State (3), Nebraska (2), Ole Miss (1)
* – To break ties, we used a three-step criteria; 1) higher number of first-place votes, 2) higher number of ballots (out of six) the teams appeared in, 3) highest single ranking by an individual pollster (e.g. if Team A and Team B are tied cumulatively and appeared in all six polls, but Team A’s highest ranking by an individual pollster was No. 7 and Team B’s highest ranking by an individual pollster was No. 9, Team A wins tiebreaker)
