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 2, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Florida Gators running back Mike Gillislee (23) runs against the Louisville Cardinals during the first half of the Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The senior Bowl practices are in full swing as we speak, and Bengals Owner Mike Brown has made his way to Mobile, Alabama to observe some of the future NFL players who could be in Cincinnati when the 2013 season kicks-off. Runningback is a position that they will be looking at with great interest this week, and apparently Brown already has his eyes on one prospect, and that would be Florida Gator Mike Gillislee:

#Bengals owner/GM Mike Brown was just taking to his scouts about Florida RB Mike Gilleslee. Likes him.

— RosterWatch (@RosterWatch) January 22, 2013

Gillislee is currently projected to be drafted on Day 3, around the 4th or 5th round.

Here’s his scouting report, courtesy of NFL Mocks:

Gillislee is a markedly improved player as a Senior, but where I see the most improvement is in pass protection. Against Texas A&M, he had some pancake blocks and showed he can be a three down back. After having just 10 touchdown runs in his first three seasons as a Gator, Gillislee has come out in 2012 and put up some big numbers, including an average of just under six yards per carry and five touchdowns through the first four games of the season. Gillislee does a good job of reading the play and using his vision, cutting upfield quickly. Not a burner, but definitely has some speed to the outside and runs tough on the inside. He has been one of the best, toughest seniors in his class in the 2012 season, and I think that some team will be able to get him in the mid-late rounds and get some kind of a steal here. Gillislee may not ever be a featured back in the NFL, but he has the potential to be a very productive reserve if he can stay healthy.

Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed.

Follow @StripeHype

Follow @UK_Fans