Dec 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Dec 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver DeAndrew White (2) holds the SEC sign after winning the 2012 SEC Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome. Alabama won 32-28. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

You have to go back to 2005 to find a BCS Championship game that was not won by a team in the SEC conference.

Since that BCS win by Texas over USC 41-38, Florida won two games, LSU and Auburn have each won one, and Alabama has captured three wins in the last four championships.

I’m only 18 years old, but I can barely remember a time when the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big 12 were even relevant when it came to winning a national championship.

So why has the SEC become such a powerhouse in college football?

It starts with the very beginning of the SEC winning streak seven years ago, and possibly even a bit before. In 2006, The Florida Gators powered their way to a 41-14 destruction of the No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

From then on, the SEC was in complete control. Or was it really?

You see, from 2005 through 2010, there were never more than two SEC teams ranked in the top 10 teams nationally. We saw plenty of space in those other spots taken up by teams in conferences such as the Big Ten. The difference is that in each of those years, an SEC team was ranked either No. 1 or No. 2.

It’s a matter of a small group of schools carrying over success to represent a conference for an extended period of time. Really, it isn’t the whole SEC that deserves the ton of hype that it receives. Or it wasn’t always like that. It was two or three teams that had repeated success.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Eddie Lacy (42) runs against Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell (6) during the second half of the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Alabama Crimson Tide ended the 2012 college football season leaving no doubt that they were in fact the nation’s best team, as they rolled past the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 42-14. Bama scored on the games’ first offensive drive, and never looked back as they claimed the school’s third BCS Championship in four seasons. Previously unbeaten Notre Dame was seeking its first championship since 1988.

The New York Jets announced they have parted ways with offensive coordinator Tony Sparano.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III’s MRI revealed a partially torn ACL and LCL in his right knee, and is now traveling down to Florida to be examined by Dr. James Andrews to determine if the injuries are old or new.

ESPN’s Ron Jaworski said the Eagles have not reached out to Jon Gruden, but said Gruden would be interested in their head-coaching vacancy.

The Cleveland Browns aren’t interested in hiring ESPN analyst Jon Gruden according to Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com. 

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Dec 31, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Clemson Tigers tight end Brandon Ford (80) walks off the field with the Chick-fil-A Bowl trophy after defeating the LSU Tigers during the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Clemson won 25-24. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

Happy New Years from all of us here at Stripe Hype. Thank you to all of our loyal readers who have made us one of to websites on the Fansided Sports Network. We strive to be your top-source for Bengals news and opinions, and serving you is our #1 goal.

As we embark on a new year, we are working on several ways to up our game in hopes of never settling and always striving to improve. Thank you again for all of your support!

Here is Today’s Bowl Schedule

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