Michigan State’s season might be over, but the disrespect is continuing.

The Spartans didn’t make believers out of SEC folk with their performance against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. In fact, one former SEC mainstay went so far as to say that half the SEC could beat Michigan State.

“I do think Alabama has the better football team. They didn’t turn the ball over against Michigan State and, obviously, it was a blowout,” former Alabama coach Gene Stallings told WNSP-FM 105.5. “I felt like six to eight teams in the Southeastern Conference could beat Michigan State. Alabama played a good game, and (quarterback) Jake Coker had his best game.”

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Now there’s a difference between “could” and “would.” Stallings didn’t guarantee that a team like Arkansas would handle the Spartans. And MSU’s lone loss did come against Nebraska, which finished the season outside of the top eight B1G teams.

Perhaps the more chip-worthy part of what Stallings said was that “obviously” it was a blowout because Alabama didn’t turn the ball over. SEC apologists have suggested in the past that the only reason Alabama lost to Ole Miss was because it had five turnovers.

Even in a year in which the SEC only had one team in the top 10 at the end of the regular season, the conference is still being viewed as a deep powerhouse.

No surprise there.