Marler Monday: Ranking the best rivalries in the SEC right now


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The Iron Bowl and Egg Bowl are great every year, but with both teams sitting at 5-6 and the SEC in total chaos, what’s really the best rivalry in the conference right now?

On the field, it’s the Egg Bowl, no question. But let’s step outside the box for a minute.

  1. Texas Media vs. logic

The mental gymnastics from Texas fans and media over potentially missing the Playoff, even with a win over Texas A&M, has been truly wild to watch.

The new rallying cry from fans is that Texas should’ve skipped Ohio State and scheduled an easier opponent to start the year. Keep in mind, even a win over Texas A&M would only make them 9-3 on the season.

The idea that this team is being left out of the CFP at 9-3 because they lost to Ohio State is so dumb it’s not even worth an insult. Texas also isn’t (potentially) getting left out of the playoff because they played a difficult schedule for once. They’re being left out because they have three (current) losses, including one to 3-8 Florida. They also followed that up with overtime escapes against Mississippi State and Kentucky.

None of this crying was happening last year when they made the College Football Playoff as a five seed without a single win over a ranked opponent all year.

  1. LSU vs Florida vs. Ole Miss Twitter

Everyone has an insider. Everyone has a friend of a friend. And everyone from every school listed above is certain Lane Kiffin has already agreed to be the head coach at their school next season.

The most entertaining part of the online back and forth has to be the chest beating from Florida fans about why their school is superior to the other two, despite losing to both this season and being in the midst of a 3-8 campaign. And since Steve Spurrier’s departure, five of their last six head coaching hires have been gone in four years or fewer.

  1. Non-SEC fans vs. objective takes on the CFP

A season ago, the SEC debate insisted strength of schedule was irrelevant; it didn’t matter who you lost to if you didn’t win enough games. And the ranked-wins metric is obviously skewed thanks to SEC bias and the sheer number of conference teams that end up ranked each season.

This year, the tinfoil hats are still on, but the argument has been reversed. Close losses to good teams didn’t matter last year, just don’t tell that to Notre Dame now. And having multiple wins over “ranked at the time” opponents didn’t matter either, someone should remind Oregon of that this year. The hypocrisy and goalpost moving is at an all-time high. It’s just SEC bias.

  1. SEC fans vs. SEC Officiating

For the previous decade, it felt like targeting calls were a roll of the dice. Who knows what was targeting, launching, or a defenseless player. That hasn’t necessarily gone away. But, this year a new leader in the confused call clubhouse has emerged, as the definition of a catch has lost all meaning.

  1. Lane Kiffin vs. being drama free

I love Lane Kiffin, and I hope he will end up at LSU. But brother, all he has to do to quiet the outside noise is just say “No, I’m staying here.”

Saban did it before taking the Alabama job, and his blueprint is often the one Kiffin uses most. The longer this thing has gone on the weirder and more confusing it’s gotten. Fans have become pissed in Oxford. The media have become consumed with every word that comes out of his mouth.

And, no one has loved any of it more than Lane Kiffin.

Chris Marler

SEO Content Writer / Social Media Manager