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Fans and analysts often like to compare college football programs to one another. There are so many ways to do this: all time wins, national championships, Heisman winners, etc. But sometimes, it can be frustrating when certain teams had success “back in the day”, yet we all know that their program is by no means a powerhouse (for example, Princeton and its 28 national championships).

So we wanted to look at college programs since the start of the 21st century, and break it down by conference. After all, most fans want to know where their team stands in comparison to its big rivals. We started with the SEC and tallied which programs have notched the most conference wins in the 21st century (2001-present). We didn’t include conference championship games — the logic is that a team which made and lost the championship game shouldn’t be punished for having an extra postseason loss, as making the game in itself is an achievement.

Here’s how the numbers shook out:

1. LSU – .729 winning percentage (70-26)

2. Florida – .708 winning percentage (68-28)

3. Georgia – .698 winning percentage (67-29)

4. Alabama – .646 winning percentage (62-34)

5. Auburn – .604 winning percentage (58-38)

6. Tennessee – .531 winning percentage (51-45)

7. South Carolina – .510 winning percentage (49-47)

8. Arkansas - .500 winning percentage (48-48)

9. Ole Miss – .344 winning percentage (33-63)

10. Mississippi State - .263 winning percentage (26-70)

11. Kentucky – .250 winning percentage (24-62)

12. Vanderbilt – .208 winning percentage (20-76)

What we learned:

• It’s all cyclical. Even the top teams on this list had some down years — it’s just plain difficult to have uninterrupted success. Part of that can be attributed to coaching changes, as not one of the teams has had the same head coach for the whole time frame.
• Despite Alabama’s recent dominance, the Crimson Tide hasn’t just run over everyone in the SEC. In fact, Alabama was just 27-29 in conference from 2001-2007 — a losing record.
• The SEC has some really good teams, but the conference bottom-feeders are terrible. A third of the conference is really, really weak. With that being said, the SEC unquestionably still reigns supreme — the national title streak speaks for itself.

Note: Texas A&M and Missouri were not included because they only joined the conference in 2012. However, if you’re keeping track, the Aggies are 6-2 (.750) and the Tigers are 2-6 (.250) in SEC play.

He has a website dedicated to his recruitment, although it is not run by Kief himself, but rather his uncle. Today, Kief decided to release his list of top five schools that he is considering for college — as you can see below, those five schools are Notre Dame, Kentucky, Ohio State, Northwestern, and Alabama (in no particular order):

Photo via derekkeif.com

If you’re wondering where that quote comes from, it’s actually from a rap song, written about Derek Kief. The rap was written by a friend, Woo Bino, and accompanies one of his highlight reels. You can check it out below:

It looks like Kief is very much enjoying the recruitment process.

Hat tip to Tyler James of the South Bend Tribune.

Officially commited to THE Ohio State University #BuckeyeNation

— Dante Booker Jr. (@D_Book47) May 23, 2013

This is a big-time get, and one that the Buckeyes had to expect to end up in the scarlet and grey, being an in-state kid. But those are exactly the kids that teams like Ohio State need to lock up to continue to dominate the area. Mission accomplished, Urban.

The Sorting Hat

It’s the college sports offseason, and we like to have a little fun here at College Spun. Recently we started debating (coincidentally, right after ABC Family’s Harry Potter marathon) which Hogwarts Houses certain college football coaches would find themselves sorted into. It actually was quite an interesting discussion, especially once we started talking about the SEC.

We thought we’d share the list with you all. This is where we think each SEC football coach would end up:

(List is in alphabetical order by last name of the coaches)

Bret Bielema, Arkansas — Hufflepuff

Bielema is a hard worker who coaches without a ton of a flash — his Wisconsin teams were very successful but didn’t make too many highlight reels. Bielema also finds himself surrounded by women Cedric Diggory-style, with past rumors regarding Erin Andrews, not to mention his beautiful wife.

James Franklin, Vanderbilt — Hufflepuff

Two in a row to start! Franklin is a very loyal coach, and a great ambassador for Vanderbilt. He also provided one of the coolest moments of last year’s offseason when rewarding a walk-on with a surprise scholarship in front of all his teammates.

Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss — Ravenclaw

Freeze is a smart coach, and even in his short stint at Ole Miss, he has the team heading in the right direction. That being said, bravery isn’t really his thing.

Butch Jones, Tennessee — Gryffindor

Have a feeling that Butch Jones is going to be a very good coach when all is said and done — Peyton Manning himself thinks Jones is destined for greatness. Jones is also a high character guy, maintaining close friendships with coaches who are now big rivals. He also works very hard, and is all over the practice field.

Gus Malzahn, Auburn — Slytherin

The Sorting Hat is putting Malzahn in Slytherin just because his wife is so insane.

wikicommons/justdog

Les Miles, LSU — Ravenclaw

This was a tough one — many will probably be shocked that Miles isn’t down in the dungeons with the Malfoy family. There is no question that Miles is eccentric, known as the “The Mad Hatter“, but in many cases his wild play-calling and strange decision-making have paid off — he’s crafty, like a Ravenclaw. He also describes himself as a strong Christian, and loves to wear purple.

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State — Hufflepuff

Plain and simple, Mullen seems like a lover, not a fighter. He even sends out Mother’s Day cards to the moms of players that he is recruiting.

Will Muschamp, Florida — Slytherin

Don’t get on Muschamp’s bad side — it is downright scary. Not to mention, Muschamp isn’t afraid to play dirty to win.

Gary Pinkel, Missouri — Slytherin

Pinkel likes to rub elbows with the elite — he was a former teammate of Nick Saban’s and his college roommate was Steelers great Jack Lambert. Pinkel has been at Missouri for a long time, but seems content to just keep on keeping on.

Mark Richt, Georgia — Gryffindor

Mark Richt, like most Gryffindors, is very high character. Not only does he care about the Georgia program, but the whole state as well. He also has won at an incredibly high rate in his career (74.7%), and family is extremely important to him.

Nick Saban, Alabama — Slytherin

Nick Saban is a great coach, there’s no doubt about that, but Tom Riddle was pretty impressive as a Slytherin too. Saban has been referred to as “the devil” several times recently, and many consider him one of college football’s dirtiest coaches. This one was easy.

Steve Spurrier, South Carolina – Ravenclaw

Spurrier has won, and won big, at every single stop of his career. He’s one of the smartest coaches in college football, even though he is often overshadowed in his own conference by Miles and Saban. He does show Ravenclaw savvy and cleverness in how he handles his players though, letting them know that he thinks they should be paid.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky — Hufflepuff

Putting Stoops in Hufflepuff makes sense because he’s yet to prove himself as a head coach. But, there’s nothing wrong with Hufflepuff, right?

Photo via @CoachSumlin

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M — Gryffindor

There’s no question that Sumlin is anything but “cool”. In his first year on the job at Texas A&M, he led the Aggies to 11 wins in a loaded SEC. He also brings in a DJ and turntables to practices to makes things fun, which has earned him serious loyalty from his players. He’s brave enough to face the giants in the big, bad SEC and is ready to take the program to the next level. He’s a perfect fit for Gryffindor.

vine.co/v/bE6ibXH5Y6u

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) May 16, 2013

Earlier: It’s Johnny Football’s world, and the rest of us are just living in it. Manziel, who never ceases to amaze, has been working hard on his game this offseason.

No, not just his golf game; football too.

Manziel has gained about 10 pounds this offseason in an attempt to get stronger, but his training regimen is now causing a stir for another reason: he has been throwing passes blind-folded. Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote a fantastic piece describing some of the unorthodox drills that Manziel’s trainer, George Whitfield Jr. (former trainer of Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and several other prominent names), has been putting him through — throwing blindfolded has to be the most unique of all of them.

The most impressive thing @jmanziel2 did in a week of work with @georgewhitfield was be on target for 27 of 29 throws while blindfolded.

— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) May 21, 2013

Here is a picture of @jmanziel2 blindfolded. twitter.com/NFLCharean/sta…

— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) May 21, 2013

The blindfold drill is designed to help Manziel focus on his balance and body control while throwing — after all, his attention should only be on himself considering he can’t see his receivers. However, Manziel still managed to be ridiculously effective completing passes, connecting on 27 of 29 attempts while reporters were watching (his receivers clap three times to give him an idea of where they are at).

It will be interesting to see how all of Manziel’s offseason training pays off, as Texas A&M fully expects to be in the championship hunt in 2013. With him now able to complete passes with his eyes close, we’re all just waiting to see what Johnny Football will do next.

It is believed that costs at ESPN have been particularly high recently, as the company has been acquiring extremely expensive rights to events such as the U.S. Open Finals.

Sad to hear about those ESPN layoffs. I hope those men and women can get jobs at NBCSN, Fox Sports1 and sports networks.

— Justin Rodgers(@McIntyre2K7) May 21, 2013

Photo via @brittneygriner

One of the biggest issues that is coming to the forefront of sports today is homosexuality in the locker room (Jason Collins really put the issue front and center just a few weeks ago). Many feel that now is a time when teams and players are finally comfortable with having homosexual teammates. After finishing up her basketball career at Baylor in April, star Brittney Griner, now with the Phoenix Mercury, announced that she was a lesbian.

This was big news in the world of college sports, but in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Griner revealed that it was not actually news to her family or her friends. She had in fact been openly gay since her freshman year of high school:

“It really wasn’t too difficult, I wouldn’t say I was hiding or anything like that. I’ve always been open about who I am and my sexuality. So, it wasn’t hard at all. If I can show that I’m out and I’m fine and everything’s OK, then hopefully the younger generation will definitely feel the same way.”

Now, we have a new report via ESPN The Magazine in which Griner indicated that she had to keep her homosexuality private at Baylor, so that she would not hurt recruiting, according to head coach Kim Mulkey.

Is it right or fair of Mulkey to order Griner to stay quiet? College is supposed to be a time of great personal growth where boys and girls turn into men and women — in turn, coaches are supposed to be teachers, mentors, and support systems for their players. Surely Mulkey should have helped Griner further embrace herself as a person, right?

It will definitely be interesting to see if the NCAA steps in or comments on this at all.

He goes by the name Jay DatBull in the rap game — below is one of his music videos. It has over 50,000 views already, but I’m not sure we can entirely support his decision on this one:

[LostLettermen via Philly.com]

The four finalists have been jockeying for Wiggins for a long time now, and all of the pitches have been made, so it’s just up to him. Although Kentucky now has to do a bit of damage control to stay in the running, after a social media incident occurred a few days ago.

Aaron Harrison, one of Kentucky’s incoming recruits, tweeted a Vine from his account on Friday. In one of the scenes, a friend in the backseat of his car was caught saying “F*** Wiggins, we don’t need him.”

So Aaron Harrison (UK commit) uploads a Vine with his friend saying “F*** Andrew Wiggins” does that mean he’s not going to UK??

— Braiden Turner (@bturner23) May 10, 2013

Aaron Harrison made a vine and his friend said F wiggins you gotta be kidding me

— Casey Kidd-Gresbach (@Brewcrew1923) May 10, 2013

Of course, this wasn’t the best idea, and Harrison quickly deleted the post. He then tried to exonerate himself and make it clear that he has nothing against Wiggins — he would love if they become future teammates.

@bigr3d17 lol it wasn’t me or my brother! It was that kid in the backseat! Lol

— Aaron Harrison (@AaronICE2) May 10, 2013

While it appears that this was just a little Twitter hiccup, it certainly had to scare the Kentucky staff a little bit — now they have to hope that Wiggins didn’t take offense.

I know this for a fact @aaronice2 and @drewroc5 have a great relationship with Andrew Wiggins. Huge competitors but respect each other

— JoshK-WBN (@joshk2010) May 10, 2013

The school announced that it was proud to hire a Rutgers graduate — here is what Jordan’s new bio on the school website said:

RU’s all-time leader in both assists (585) and steals (220), “Fast Eddie” scored 1,632 career points and earned honorable mention All-American honors as a senior in 1977 before earning a degree in health and physical education.

However, Deadspin is reporting that Eddie Jordan never in fact graduated from Rutgers University — while he certainly played there and attended classes, he never acquired the 110 total credits required to graduate from the school.

So the question is, was the university trying to hide the fact that Jordan never received a degree from Rutgers? Or, was it just an innocent mistake because, after all, Jordan did attend the school for several years.

Personally, I think that it was likely a mistake — certainly Rutgers officials should have done their due diligence, but whether or not Jordan actually received a degree does not change his history with the school and program. And really, does he even need a degree to coach basketball?

If anything more comes of this, we’ll keep you posted.