Why Winning Your Home Games Is So Important
In every sport coaches emphasize how important it is to win your homes games. No where is that more evident than in the SEC.
Consider that during the SEC’s streak of six straight national championships that those teams have combined for a 40-3 home record. Alabama was 6-1 at home last season. Auburn was 8-0 in 2010, Alabama 7-0 in 2009, Florida 6-1 in 2008, LSU 6-1 in 2007 and Florida 7-0 in 2006.
Alabama, which has won two of the past three national championships, has won 26 of its past 28 games at home. Under Gene Chizik, Auburn is 20-3 at home, while LSU has lost only once at home over the past three seasons. That’s a span of 20 games.
The fall from national power of Florida football, can be directly attributed to its poor home form. During Steve Spurrier’s 12 seasons at Florida from 1990-2001, the Swamp was a place that teams dreaded visiting and the Gators were a remarkable 68-5 during that time. Florida lost only three home games to SEC opponents under Spurrier.
Even from 2004-09 the Swamp was still a fortress as the Gators were 37-3 at home during that stretch.
Over the last two seasons the Gators are just 9-5 at home. To put that record in perspective, Florida has lost as many games in the Swamp the past two years as they did during Spurrier’s entire 12-year head coaching career at Florida!
It is clear then that if the Gators are to get back amongst the elite teams in the SEC, then then the Swamp has to become a fortress again.
How SEC teams have fared at home:
| Team | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 6-1 | 6-1 | 7-0 | 7-0 | 4-3 | 30-5 (.857) |
| 1. LSU | 6-0 | 7-0 | 6-1 | 5-3 | 6-1 | 30-5 (.857) |
| 3. Arkansas | 7-0 | 6-1 | 6-1 | 4-3 | 6-2 | 29-7 (.800) |
| 3. Florida | 5-2 | 4-3 | 7-0 | 6-1 | 6-1 | 29-7 (.800) |
| 5. Auburn | 6-1 | 8-0 | 6-2 | 4-3 | 6-2 | 30-8 (.789) |
| 6. Georgia | 5-1 | 5-1 | 5-2 | 4-2 | 7-1 | 26-7 (.788) |
| 7. South Carolina | 6-1 | 6-1 | 6-1 | 5-2 | 4-3 | 27-8 (.771) |
| 8. Tennessee | 5-3 | 4-3 | 6-2 | 4-3 | 7-0 | 26-11 (.703) |
| 9. Kentucky | 4-3 | 5-2 | 3-4 | 4-3 | 5-3 | 21-15 (.583) |
| 10. Mississippi State | 3-3 | 5-2 | 2-5 | 4-2 | 4-2 | 18-14 (.562) |
| 11. Ole Miss | 1-6 | 3-4 | 6-1 | 5-2 | 2-5 | 17-18 (.486) |
| 12. Vanderbilt | 5-2 | 1-6 | 1-5 | 3-3 | 4-4 | 14-20 (.412) |
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