Historically,the Southeastern Conference has been the top dog of college football conferences.
Large SEC schools such as Auburn and the University of Alabama have played a crucial role in keeping the SEC at the top of the college football league totem pole. However, their reign as the best may be coming to an end.
The SEC lost twice to ACC schools in the past two years, sparking conversation on if the SEC will hold firm onto its spot as what Ed Orgeron (LSU) described, “the best conference in the United States”.
The 2017 National Championship was a step towards the ACC in challenging the SEC for its spot. Clemson beat Alabama 35-31 in a close and exciting game. The Tigers won on a go-ahead touchdown with one second left, overcoming a 14 point deficit in the beginning of the game. This comeback sparked a fire in ACC fans and proved the resilience of the Atlantic Coast Conference, showing that they are not intimidated by the SEC’s tradition of winning.
This National Championship win followed on the heels of Florida State’s win over Auburn four years prior in Pasadena, CA.
History tends to repeat itself, however with the ACC’s current drive to be the best, the SEC will have to work twice as hard to keep its spot, proving “it’s easy to get to the top, you have to work twice as hard to stay there”.
Top of the Totem Pole: ACC vs. SEC
by Maria Nixon
