After some time away from the computer, it's about time I wrap up this "What if" series on Conference Championships. With two more power conferences to go, I'll go ahead and move on to the conference that started it all: the SEC (first one in 1992, and still going strong).
The SEC employed the "neutral site" approach, so this hypothetical will see what might have happened if the championship game were held at the home of the team with the better conference record.
1992: Florida at Alabama.
Real life: Alabama edged out Florida 28-21 at Legion Field in Birmingham.
What if: With an undefeated season on the line, the Tide probably roll by a similar margin at home.
1993: Alabama at Florida.
Real life: Florida gets revenge on the Tide, winning 28-13 in Birmingham.
What if: The Gators chomp even bigger in Gainesville, with a motivated team and passionate fan base.
1994: Florida at Alabama.
Real life: Florida gives the Tide their first loss of the season (a very close 24-23 Alabama loss) in the first SEC Championship at the Georgia Dome.
What if: Alabama emerges undefeated in Tuscaloosa - possibly setting up yet another National Championship.
1995: Arkansas at Florida.
Real life: Florida dominates 34-3 in Atlanta.
What if: Why would things be any different in Gainesville?
1996: Alabama at Florida.
Real life: Florida wins convincingly 45-30.
What if: Probably a similar result.
1997: Auburn at Tennessee
Real life: Tennessee comes from behind to win 30-29.
What if: Perhaps a similar result, though I suspect Tennessee wins a little more easily with a passionate crowd in Knoxville.
1998: Mississippi State at Tennessee.
Real life: Tennessee pulls away in the 4th quarter, ultimately winning 24-14.
What if: Tennessee probably pulls away a little sooner, maybe winning even more convincingly.
1999: Florida at Alabama (both teams 7-1 in SEC play, but Alabama beat Florida during the regular season)
Real life: Alabama wins convincingly, 34-7.
What if: Probably a similar result.
2000: Auburn at Florida.
Real life: Florida dominates Auburn 28-6.
What if: Probably a similar result.
2001: LSU at Tennessee.
Real life: LSU upsets Tennessee with a huge 4th quarter, winning 31-20.
What if: Tennessee doesn't give up the lead in Knoxville, especially with the BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl on the line. Perhaps a repeat of the regular-season game (a 26-18 win in Knoxville).
2002: Arkansas at Georgia.
Real life: Georgia dominates, winning 30-3.
What if: Probably a similar result.
2003: Georgia at LSU.
Real life: LSU wins convincingly, 34-13, in the Georgia Dome.
What if: Probably a similar result, especially in the confines of Baton Rouge.
2004: Tennessee at Auburn.
Real life: Auburn pulls away in the 4th quarter, winning 38-28 to complete a perfect regular season.
What if: Auburn wins a little more convincingly, making AP and Coaches voters think hard about the Top 3.
2005: Georgia at LSU.
Real life: Georgia upsets LSU, winning convincingly 34-14.
What if: Even with the home field, it's hard to see a 21-point swing in the game result. Georgia still wins, though it's probably a little closer.
2006: Arkansas at Florida (both teams 7-1, no head-to-head...Florida had higher BCS ranking)
Real life: Florida pulls away in the 4th, winning 38-28.
What if: With the BCS Title Game on the line (and Michigan trying to argue their case), the Gators win even more convincingly in Gainesville.
2007: Tennessee at LSU (both teams 6-2, no head-to-head...LSU had higher BCS ranking)
Real life: LSU beats Tennessee 21-14 in a competitive game that actually saw Tennessee leading after 3 quarters.
What if: Who knows, given the craziness of the 2007 season? I suspect a similar result, with a good LSU home crowd.
2008: Florida at Alabama. A de-facto BCS Semifinal.
Real life: Florida wins after taking the lead for good in the 4th quarter.
What if: Hard to say. A good Alabama home crowd, but a determined Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, and Percy Harvin. Even at Alabama, probably one of the best conference championship games ever (on par with real-life 2009 Texas/Nebraska and 2012 Alabama/Georgia). My gut leans Florida's way on this one, though I could certainly be convinced otherwise.
2009: Alabama at Florida. Another de-facto BCS Semifinal (both teams undefeated, but Florida was ahead in the BCS rankings).
Real life: Alabama gets revenge, dominating Florida 32-13.
What if: The exact same result. So, while it's hard to say who would have won in 2008, I feel comfortably predicting the road team revenge in 2009.
2010: South Carolina at Auburn.
Real life: Auburn cruises to a 56-17 victory.
What if: Probably a similar result.
2011: Georgia at LSU.
Real life: After a sluggish first half, LSU ends up dominating with a 42-10 victory.
What if: Similar result, though LSU probably doesn't trail at halftime.
2012: Georgia at Alabama (both teams 7-1, no head-to-head...Alabama had higher BCS ranking). Yet another de-facto BCS Semifinal.
Real life: Alabama earns a thrilling last-minute 32-28 victory, while Georgia ends just 5 yards shy.
What if: Alabama probably wins, slightly more convincingly (competitive, but not down to the very last play).
2013: Missouri at Auburn (both teams 7-1, no head-to-head...Auburn had higher BCS ranking). A could-be BCS Semifinal (provided Michigan State or Duke could pull off an upset...Sparty on...Duke not even kinda close).
Real life: Auburn wins in a shoot-out: 59-42.
What if: Probably a similar result.
My recommendation: keep it in Atlanta.
A great, central location that's a fantastic tourist city (one I've personally visited 3 times and still want to go back for more) with a super-convenient mega-airport. Plus, with so few upsets in these SEC Championship Games (only the 1994 and 2001 games do I really see changing with a home venue...though 2008 and 2009 could have been interesting), it's possible that some of these mis-match games become even more lopsided...and uninteresting!
Within the next week or so, I'll wrap up this series with the Big 12, whose Championship Game lives on in our memories (though 2011 and 2013 had some de-facto championships that proved exciting) and see what might have happened had this game (which WAS upset-prone) been held on campus.
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