The mystery behind SEC speed unearthed:
Is it genetic?
Nah, couldn't be -- athletes in D1 programs are generally of pretty diverse backgrounds.
Climate?
I suppose climate could contribute to overall endurance and conditioning, but top-end speed? That just doesn't make sense.
Divine right of passage?
Well, I don't doubt this, but I think the more plausible answer just may lie in this Tennessee blog:
Ohio State Gets Juiced, by SEC Speed in the Big Ten Your Mother Slept With Wilt Chamberlain
Ohio State Gets Juiced, by SEC Speed in the Big Ten
Posted by Thomas the Terrible on November 11, 2007
SEC speed wins again.
Jim Tressel must come back to reality now. After being nut-punched by Florida in the 2006 championship game, Ron Zook brought his Illinois team, or as I like to call them, the mini Gators, to the Horseshoe to show Jim Tressel that the speed of the SEC even rules in Big Eleven Ten play.
Juice Williams made some big plays on the ground and through the air, guiding Illinois to a stunning 28-21 using SEC speed and mucking up the national title race yet again this season.
I didn't understand at first, since Illinois is another Big Ten team, and then it hit me -- the mere concept of speed is actually owned and licensed by the SEC! In order to beat OSU, Illinois merely had to find a way to harness SEC speed! Zook, being the Prometheus-like SEC expatriate he is, brought speed from the Gods to his people.
Now if only the rest of the conference could just figure out how to do this -- I'm think there's a lease of some sort involved.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:38 AM ^
Yes, before the SEC's groundbreaking work the notion of players running faster had never dawned upon college football. In only the last 10-15 years the SEC has brought this new art to the forefront. To honor their seminal work the word speed will now be replaced with SEC Speed in all circumstances. Be thankful that the conference has graciously chosen not to charge a royalty.
Furthermore, any person or persons finding success by moving faster in any capacity are emulating the SEC. If a person runs to avoid getting hit by a car, that person just had their life saved by the SEC! If a rocket accelerates to escape the Earth's gravitational pull, the SEC just put a man into space! The SEC won Usain Bolt a gold metal and a World Record.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:10 AM ^
August 25th, 2008 at 10:52 AM ^
August 25th, 2008 at 12:41 PM ^
August 25th, 2008 at 2:01 PM ^
the SEC speed when Ginn left every gator in the dust on that opening kick return? Call me crazy but didn't Beanie Wells also run away from an SEC defense?
Ohio State has looked slow in the last two NC games because Sweeter Vest was out coached.
Bingo.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:14 PM ^
August 25th, 2008 at 10:47 PM ^
August 26th, 2008 at 2:13 AM ^
August 26th, 2008 at 9:53 AM ^
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