The new year of 2015 did not get off to a good start for Alabama and Auburn football fans, as the two teams took losses in their bowl games Thursday to end their 2014 seasons on a losing note.
Auburn started the day with a 34-31 overtime loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the Outback Bowl while Alabama took a 42-35 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes late into the night in New Orleans.
The loss for Auburn finished the Tigers with an 8-5 record this season while Alabama finished 12-2. The loss in the Sugar Bowl for Alabama was the Tide’s second in as many seasons.
Also with the losses for Alabama and Auburn, the SEC moved their record to 7-5 in their bowl games.
This bowl season, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida all picked up wins for the SEC.
With the win, the SEC ties its own NCAA single-season record for bowl wins by a conference with seven. The SEC leads the nation in bowl victories this postseason, while second among the Power Five conferences in bowl winning percentage in the first year of the College Football Playoff era.
“I’ve been pleased to see the anticipation and excitement surrounding the first year of the College Football Playoff,” said SEC commissioner Mike Slive. “The success of the semifinals was evidenced not only by the attendance at the games but also the high television ratings they registered.
“My congratulations go to Oregon and Ohio State for reaching the championship game. The SEC had a remarkable and unprecedented run of eight straight years in the title game and I look forward to seeing SEC teams compete in the CFP for many years to come.”
The SEC also won seven postseason bowl games in 2007 and 2013. The SEC is 56-30 (.651) in bowl games since 2006, winning six or more bowl games each year but 2010, when the league finished 5-5. The SEC sent a NCAA-record 12 teams to participate in postseason bowl games in 2014 and has sent no less than eight teams to post-season bowls in each of the last nine seasons.
The SEC was represented by three teams in New Year’s Six/Access Bowls this season (Alabama – AllState Sugar; Ole Miss – Chick-fil-A Peach; Mississippi State-Capital One Orange), with the Crimson Tide appearing in the semifinal of the inaugural College Football Playoff.
A SEC team played for the national championship for eight consecutive years, beginning on Jan. 8, 2007, when Florida defeated Ohio State. Florida, Alabama, LSU and Auburn combined to win seven consecutive national titles before FSU defeated Auburn last year.
With the College Football Playoff wins by Oregon and Ohio State Thursday, the No. 2 Ducks will now play No. 4 Ohio State on Mon., Jan 12, for the national championship.
After watching both games Thursday, I think Monday’s national championship game should be a good one to watch.
Yes, it will be sad to not see Alabama or Auburn playing in it. After all, a team from Alabama has played for the title the last since 2009 and won four of the five.
Also, it will be sad to see the SEC’s run come to an end.
With that being said, I see Oregon taking the title over the Buckeyes for their first championship.