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After the SEC championship game on Dec. 5, 2009, the struggle for power in the SEC dramatically shifted.
The defending SEC champion, Florida, came into the game riding a 22-game winning streak and seeking its third national championship in four years. But Alabama crushed Florida’s hopes with a 32-13 victory and went on to win the national championship.
During the next five years, Alabama would win two more national titles. During that same span, Florida’s football program would be led by three different head coaches.
We’re now two-thirds of the way through the 2015 regular season, and one thing is clear: the SEC West is still dominating the SEC East.
The West is now one conference championship away from tying the longest conference championship streak by one division in college football history (Texas and Oklahoma combined to win seven straight Big 12 titles out of the Big 12 South from 2004 to ’10). And there’s a good chance the West will make it happen.
Coaches such as Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen and Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze have boosted their programs to compete with LSU and Alabama. Texas A&M has had improved success under Kevin Sumlin.
So far this year, the SEC West is 9-1 vs. the SEC East, with the West’s lone loss being Florida’s 38-10 demolition of Ole Miss. There are only four cross-divisional games (Missouri plays Mississippi State and Arkansas, Vanderbilt plays Texas A&M, and Georgia plays Auburn) left this season, and the teams from the West should be favored in at least three.
Tennessee, arguably the East’s second-best team, lost at home to an Arkansas team that ranks sixth in the West. Georgia, the preseason favorite to win the East, lost by 28 points at home against Alabama. And Kentucky, the East’s fourth-best team, lost at home to Auburn.
Yet, the balance of power might be slowly shifting in the East’s favor. Traditional powers Florida and Tennessee seem to be on the rise back to prominence. Georgia has been a consistent winner. Kentucky is showing improvement. Mizzou is coming off 11- and 12-win seasons.
Chase Erickson is a contributing writer for SDS. He covers Tennessee. Follow him on Twitter @ChaseDownField.
