The SEC\u2019s secession talk just set a new low for bad jokes in college sports.<\/p>\n
Thanks to co-worker Seth Emerson for this analysis piece<\/a> from Miramar Beach, Fla., on the Southeastern Conference and its discussions about breaking away from the rest of college athletics. Thanks, as well, to a variety of colleagues who wrote<\/a> earnest columns on the subject.<\/p>\n Thanks and sorry: You\u2019ve all been had. That\u2019s the prayerful explanation for the nonsense that spouted this week from the leaders of a football conference that hopes to grow up and be the Big Ten someday. These people had huge laughs Thursday morning over their airport Bloody Marys after realizing their words were treated as if serious.<\/p>\n Either that or this industry is melting their brains in real time, in public view.<\/p>\n The big brother Big Ten took its turn last week at inviting ridicule, pushing hard on all fronts for the 24-team College Football Playoff that commissioner Tony Petitti has brought to the table like a child with a Whoopee Cushion at a wake. It didn\u2019t help. It remains a bad and unpopular idea<\/a>.<\/p>\n And it made way for SEC leaders at their spring meetings to take the easy \u201cW,\u201d cast aspersions on the plan and give college football fans a brief exhale \u2014 knowing the SEC wouldn\u2019t be buckling and that the 12-team Playoff would carry on through the 2027 season, at least.<\/p>\n But no. That conversation was largely deferred in favor of satire, intended or not.<\/p>\n Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek made a stink<\/a>\u00a0about TV forcing the Hogs to play a Saturday night game in Utah the week before an early Saturday home game against Georgia. Huh? He cited \u201cthe well-being of our student-athletes,\u201d perfect phrasing amid this 24-team conversation that could see college teams playing as many as 17 games in a season.<\/p>\n Ole Miss coach Pete Golding basically admitted<\/a> to tampering, but also, what about Lane? Commissioner Greg Sankey was asked about the Big Ten surpassing the SEC in football, requested the metrics used to inspire such a statement, was reminded of the Big Ten\u2019s three straight national championships and 4-0 record over the SEC in those Playoffs, and went into the kind of spin mode<\/a> that would outdo a military-grade Electrolux.<\/p>\n \u201cThis league stands alone,\u201d Sankey said. \u201cIn fact, we saw metrics out of the College Football Playoff presentation where there\u2019s no doubt we\u2019re the strongest league.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes. Because all those years the SEC was rightfully puffing its chest out about football superiority, it wasn\u2019t citing all the national titles. It was focusing on deeper metrics. Let\u2019s get Kenny \u201canalytically, we\u2019ve won two out of three<\/a>\u201d Atkinson into the SEC as soon as possible.<\/p>\n None of this can compare to the secession talk, though. It would be straight out of \u201cThe Onion,\u201d if \u201cThe Onion\u201d lowered its bar a bit.<\/p>\n