Where Gators, SEC rank among FBS peers in blow-out games

There are a few ways to judge how competitive a team or conference is. CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli recently took a deep dive into the number of one-score games for all 10 FBS conferences over the past 10 years, using a pair of data points to make his case.

One angle Fornelli takes is comparing conferences based on the average number of games decided by one score or less spanning over the past 10 years. That data set demonstrated that the Southeastern Conference was far less competitive than it is often made out to be.

The other avenue Fornelli took in reaching his conclusion was to evaluate the average number of blowout games, which he sets at a 17-point difference or more in the final score. In this one, the average FBS conference across 10 different leagues was 41.57%, splitting the 10 conferences perfectly in half.

SEC blow-out game average

Just like in the one-score game set, the SEC is ranked seventh-worst in this metric with a 42.72% average. The only conferences to score more poorly were American (43.12%), Conference USA (43.29%) and Big Ten (46.85%), respectively.

So once again, the notion that the SEC is the most competitive conference in the nation is debunked.

Where the 2023 Gators stand

Last season, Billy Napier and Co. played in eight games against SEC peers and four of those games — all losses — were by a margin of 17 points or more. That 50% mark gives the Orange and Blue a number worse (or better, depending on one’s point of view) than all of the FBS 10-year composite averages.

Florida’s 2024 season opener