Originally posted by: sciencewhiz
Originally posted by: chuckywang
Is USC really that good? Do you think they'll be undefeated if they had to play Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, or Alabama? I think Auburn should be in the title game if they win the SEC just based on the fact that it's the hardest conference.
First of all, Auburn doesn't play Florida, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter this year because florida isn't great.
Ivan Maisel from ESPN does a pretty good job dispelling the myth that the SEC is good this year:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.../09/mailbag/index.html
Auburn has one good year every decade and is always left out of the title picture. 1983: screwed (Miami leapfrogs No. 3 Auburn after the bowl games). 1993: undefeated but on probation (Auburn's own fault). 2004: about to be left out of again. The SEC champ should have an automatic berth in the national championship every year and it should be left at that.
-- Paul Crane, Auburn, Ala.
Good historical perspective, Paul, but you've got to be kidding me about the last part. I know it's engrained in Southerners at birth that the SEC is the undisputed best conference in the country, and there are certainly years where that's true, but it's hardly a given. In fact, according to both Jeff Sagarin's and Jerry Palm's computer rankings, the SEC is currently sixth, neck-and-neck with the Mountain West. If I'm an Auburn fan, I'd think twice about using "the SEC is tougher" as my argument for unseating either USC or Oklahoma. I'm sure the Trojans fans would be quick to point out that the SEC has lost six of its past eight head-to-head matchups with the Pac-10. And I'm sure the Big 12 would be happy to point out its 6-2 record against fellow BCS conferences this season compared with the SEC's illustrious 2-3 mark (its most impressive win coming against 4-5 Oregon State).
and the hohum ACC was what 5-1 in post season last year? Not to shabby for a sucky conference..
The Pac 10 has USC, Cal and an overacheiving ASU team...that's it, everybody else is average or worse.
The SEC has Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and Florida, Alabama and South Carolina are usually pretty good as well. I'm sorry but if you put USC in the SEC they would not be undefeated. They are only getting that many votes because they are in a sucky conference. Look what happened to Miami when it came to the ACC. It was not used to having to play good every Saturday to win and got beaten by a lowly UNC team and then by a Clemson team who lost to
DUKE a few days ago.
Whoever says the Pac10 is tougher than the SEC should never be allowed to watch football again or be allowed to run with sharp objects...
Toughest Conferences Nitemare style:
SEC top 7 teams have a combined 17-1 out of conference record. Tennessee lost to ND
ACC top 5 teams have a combined 13-1 OOC record. Va Tech lost to USC
Big 12 South top 5 teams have a combined 13-2 OOC record ... A&M lost to Utah & Texas Tech lost to New Mexico
The Pac 10 top 5 teams have a combined 11-3 OOC record
The Big East top 5 teams have a combined 15-6 OOC record
The Big 10 top 5 teams have a combined 9-5 OOC record
Conference USA top 5 teams have a combined 9-5 OOC record
The Mountain West top 5 teams have a combined 11-9 OOC record
The MAC top 5 teams have a combined 5-10 OOC record
The WAC top 5 teams have a combined 9-5 OOC record
The SEC elite have won 94% of their conference vs conference games
ACC 93%
Big 12 87%
PAC 10 79%
Big East 71%
Big 10, Conference USA and WAC 64%
Mountain West 55%
MAC 33%
Top to Bottom BCS conference OOC rankings
Big 12 28-8 78% (very weird no team in either division has more than one OOC loss)
Big 10 24-9 73% (Bottom 6 have a 15-3 OOC record :confused
😉
ACC 22-8 73%
SEC 25- 10 71%
Pac 10 18-11 62%
Big East 20-12 63%
So in order of drop offs from the elite to other teams
SEC -23%
ACC -20%
Big 12 -9%
PAC 10 -17%
Big East -8%
Big 10 +9%
Stat summary and breakdown:
The SEC and ACC have the toughest top teams but have very weak bottom dwellers. The Big 12 is not that far behind in their top ranks and are pretty decent top to bottom. The Pac 10 is a 2-3 pony conference tops and has a major drop off from there. The Big East has pretty average good teams and there is not that much of a dropoff after that. The Big 10 has below average top teams, but have no real bad teams either...on any given Sunday anyone can lose...*cough* Wisconsin *cough*