This is to all those who love college football. I have always heard this conference is the best, or this one is because of this. I have moved enough and have enough favorite teams (FLA, AZ, Air Force) to give a somewhat unbiased opinion on the strongest conference in college football. I rank them on overall streangth, top teams, and year-in year-out streangth. With deepest sympathies to all the smaller conferences I will limit this to the BCS top 6.
Big East:
Easily to weakest of the bunch. Only WV keeps them above the lower level conferences. Louisville is a solid team recently and every now and then Syracuse is worth something (not lately though).
Too many weak teams drag them down to the bottom of the 6.
PAC 10:
In basketball I'll fight for them, not in football though. USC is head and shoulders above the rest. And I think USC still wouldv'e gone undefeated in the tougher conferences the last few years. After USC we saw what happened to Cal against a solid (not spectacular Tennessee team). Oregon looks to be tough. But Boise State beat the dog out of Oregon State last night and there are too many weak sisters here as well. Arizona and ASU will be improved and could make a bowl, but would not fare well in the tougher conferences. UCLA can't play a lick of defense. Stanford is another basketball school.
They fall to number 5 of 6.
Big 10:
I know this may have been blaspheme ten years ago. But now it is reality. The Big 10 is simply not that good. Ohio State I believe is a national title contender and that is why I have them above the Pac 10. Michigan is a constant underacheiver (but they do have the best uniforms in the land). MSU is off and on. Same with Purdue, Northwestern (who is more off than on) and Illinois. Iowa is a solid under the radar type team. Penn St. was good last year for the first time in a while, but is not looking too good this year. Wisconsin is good at running the ball, and that's about it.
They are 4 of 6.
Big 12:
They are this high for two reasons and two reasons alone: 1) Texas, 2) Oklahoma. The rest are mediocre at best. I feel you have to have them up here because every year either TX or OK will be in the title game it seems or close to it. Nebraska is turning it around and look to win the North this year. Texas A & M is normally good, until recently. But I feel they will bounce back this year or next. Texas Tech has one of the best offenses in the country (until they play Alabama). Kansas St. is normally pretty tough as well. The rest: Not so good.
3 of 6
SEC:
Most might disagree with this and I like to hear the reasons. The SEC is a very tough conference. Both sides have national contenders year in and year out. In the East you have FLA, TN, Georgia, and sometimes USC. In the west LSU, AU and Alabama most years. The problem lies in the rest of the teams. Vandy and Kentucky are whipping boys for the SEC and would be for most other conferences as well. Arkansas can sometimes do fairly well. MSU and Ole Miss are terrible.
2 of 6
ACC:
I know this is a surprise to some people. But the top teams are as good as the SEC: Miami, FSU, VTech, Clemson (this season), Georgia Tech. They also have a much more solid middle: Boston College, NC State, Virginia, North Carolina. They do have a bottom level: Duke, Wake Forrest. But the lower level is much more competitive than in any conference. With title teams at the top, a solid middle to push them, and only two write in wins I think the ACC is
1 of 6
Alright you SEC crazy's tell me why I am wrong.
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6 comments:
You've been a lean, mean posting machine lately.
I don't have anything to say about your newest list...sorry. I like sports and all, but I don't care about which conference is the best.
I might flip-flop the Big 10 and the Big 12, depending on how Oklahoma does this year. Not convinced they'll be an elite team with an unproven QB. But that's nitpicking.
I've said before that the ACC will be very, very good this year. But I think the SEC could go toe to toe with them. I think we have more elite teams. Miami, FSU and VTech could compete with anybody in the country, but so could Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. I think Clemson will have a good season this year, but they're not elite just yet. Arkansas, Bama & USC could compete with the middle tier ACC schools. But Kentucky and Vandy and MSU bring us down big time. I think Ole Miss is heading in the right direction, but they're still a year or two away. Based on the number of elite teams, I'd put the SEC 1A and the ACC 1B. But they're both going to be extremely tough conferences this season.
Haven't really formed an opinion yet. Growing up in Big 12 Country it is ingrained for them to be top dawg and everyone else inferior (which is true) and then having also grown up a Michigan fan I would put the Big 10 next. Still waiting the ultimate quandry - OU vs Michigan for the title.
I can't say from an argumentative standpoint which is the best conference, but it has been ingrained in me to always say the SEC is the strongest conference. But I can't back that up with facts. Go dawgs!! That's all I have to say. I will let Baron discuss in my place.
I place the SEC at the top because I live in Alabama, but also because year in a year out, no other conference has as many teams in the top 10 or 15. They don;t win (many) natinal championships because they beat up on each other.
Don't get me started on Oklahoma whom I have dubbed Overrated University. If it wasn't for them we could have had LSU vs. USC and Auburn vs. USC national championship games. I'm sure they would have been more entertaining than the OU drubbing we saw both years.
I would say SEC is tough, but ACC has several in the middle (BC, Virginia, G. Tech, Clemson) that can play with anyone in country (See Notre Dame).
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