Ranking the Conferences
At this point, where would you rank all eleven FBS conferences? My college roommates and I have had a huge debate, obviously me supporting the Big Ten, but they insisted that the Big Ten is the weakest conference as of right now. I strongly disagree, although I certainly feel that we aren't the best in the nation as of right now, but with the resurgence of Michigan, you never really know.
Here's my perspective:
1. SEC
2. Pac-10
3. Big 12
4. Big 10
5. ACC
6. WAC
7. Big East
8. Mountain West
9. Sun Belt
10. MAC
11. Conference USA
Let me know what you think.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:32 PM ^
1. American Psychologists' Association
2. Modern Languages Association
3. Jewish Studies Association
4. American Dentists' Association
5. ESS EE SEE
6. American Pharmacists' Association
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:35 PM ^
If only that were true.... Florida should have been upended by Mallett and the Razorbacks.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 PM ^
Maybe it's the bias I get from living in Texas.
But I think the Big 10 is better than Big 12 this year. Texas is good maybe. Although getting 5 turnovers agaisnt a team without its best player and winning only by 3 doesn't impress me and playing no one else.
Oklahoma will be without Bradford the rest of the year likely.
Ditto Oklahoma State and Dez Bryant.
So 2nd and 3rd teams lost their best player.
The rest...Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri don't have a solid win between them. Although, I think Missori is decent worthy of a top 25 ranking. The others cupcake champions.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:41 PM ^
Texas Tech has lost 3^10 quarterbacks due to injury and the darling new kid on the block, Baylor, lost its quarterback to injury as well......Colorado has a great IM program though
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:52 PM ^
Texas does, in fact, look beatable this year. I am sick and tired of all the sh** I get for being a Michigan fan at a Catholic university in Ohio. I will say that beating ND has been the highlight of the year thus far...can't wait 'til OSU gets at least verbally smacked in the Big House.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 PM ^
How did you know?
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:36 PM ^
i don't think much of that conference right now, I don't think they have been as good as advertised for years. Don't know if I would say the Big Ten is better, but I think it is closer than do the masses.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:40 PM ^
on whether you're looking top-to-bottom, or just at the good teams within a given conference. It seems like often conferences are rated based on their top teams' performances in big bowls or non-conference games. In that respect, OSU has really hurt the Big 10 in the last few years.
IMHO, the Big 12 is better than the Pac-10, and the Big East is better than the WAC, but other than that I think your list is pretty decent.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 PM ^
OSU simply can't win the big games...should I have placed the ACC over the Big Ten?
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:07 PM ^
How on earth is Conference USA the worst? That's crazy. Put them 9th below the MWC and then throw in a couple I-AA conferences like the CAA, a few gaps for good measure, and then the MAC and Sun Belt. Otherwise the OP ranking is probably pretty good.
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:11 PM ^
Nice list.
But, at the least, the WAC and MWC should be flip flopped in your ranking.
And, CUSA is better than both the SBC and MAC. Probably better than the WAC also.
E-pinion.
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 PM ^
There is absolutely no way the WAC is better from top to bottom than the MWC. Boise is good, Fresno is OK, maybe Idaho is decent. Outside of that it's dregs.
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:30 PM ^
the WAC should be below the MWC and the big east
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:03 PM ^
1) SEC
2) Big 12
3) Big 10
4) Pac 10
5) Big East
6) ACC
7) MWC
8) through 10) Throw 'em in a hat and pick (WAC, MAC, ConUSA)
11) Sun Belt
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:09 PM ^
This is not 2008. I don't see how you can put the Big 12 as no. 2.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:46 PM ^
pit them against the corresponding team in the other conference on a neutral field and pick who I THINK would win. Obviously, there is no empirical data involved...just one guy's opinion.
Iowa v. Texas = Texas
PSU v. OK State = PSU
OSU v. Texas Tech = TT
Wiconsin v. Kansas = Kansas...but close
UM v. Oklahoma = Oklahoma
MSU v. Nebraska = Nebraska...but close
Minny v. Missouri = Missouri
NW v. Kansas St. = NW...but close
Indiana v. Texas A&M = TAMU
Purdue v. Iowa St. = Purdue...but close
Illinois v. Colorado (or Baylor) = CU or Baylor...but close
So, in my imaginary tournament between Big 12 and Big 10: 8 wins for Big 12 and 3 wins for Big 10.
Discuss the rankings of the teams and projected outcomes as you please.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:48 PM ^
Oklahoma obviously isn't the same team without Bradford-they're a 3-loss team.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:09 PM ^
Using ur system, I think OSU is better than TT, Wisconsin is better than Kansas, and UM might be better than OK. Not trying to be a Michigan schill here, but Bradford is out.. OK may have a stout defense, but they are a 3 loss team for a reason. Purdue v. Iowa St. is not very close either, Purdue is much better than Iowa State.
I actually disagreed more with ur ranking of the Pac-10 more than anything else. I don't think head to head matchups with the Pac-10 (like above) is a good barometer. The Pac-10 has a great sense of competitive balance this year. Like someone else said 1-9 are no easy wins at all.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:19 PM ^
and I tend to create similar conference wish-list match-ups myself.
However as a basis for comparing conference strength I think it's pretty ridiculous.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:27 PM ^
Mountain West is better then the big east top to bottom. TCU would dominate Cincy
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:36 PM ^
SEC -- still the best, though not as strong this year outside of Bama and Florida. The Pac-10 is good again this year. USC is USC. Outside of Washington State, there are no easy wins in the conference.
The Big 12 is down this year, while the ACC doesn't get the respect it deserves. Miami beat Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech beat Nebraska. Even some of the bad ACC teams (FSU, NC State) have beaten OOC teams (BYU, Pitt) near the top of their conferences (MWC, Big East).
Big Ten... I'll believe when I see it. Even with Iowa's impressive wins, I'm not seeing much in Wisconsin's and Penn State's cream puff schedules. Ohio State losing to USC and Michigan State to CMU don't help.
1. SEC
2. Pac 10
3. ACC
4. Big 12
5. Big Ten
6. Big East
7. Mountain West
8. WAC
9. C-USA
10. MAC
11. Sun Belt
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:45 PM ^
That looks a bit more realistic. Miami and VaTech have had good years; I probably shouald have swapped the Big Ten and the ACC, but time will tell us how goof the Big Ten really is. Those early losses didn't help at all...
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^
the ACC has only 6 teams with winning records at this moment. The conference has had two losses (Maryland and Virginia) and one near loss (FSU)to FCS teams. Several of the teams (two or three, I believe) played TWO FCS teams in their non-conference schedule.
Va Tech, Ga Tech and Miami are all good teams, the rest of the conference is pretty much crap. BC is 5-2 but their best win is a three point victory at home over Wake; UNC is 4-2, has played two FCS teams and their best win is a 12-10 victory over UCONN; Wake is 4-3 and their best win is a 7 point home win over Stanford.
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS
1 PAC-10 (A) = 79.30 79.07 ( 1) 10
2 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 78.38 78.48 ( 2) 12
3 ATLANTIC COAST (A) = 74.92 75.05 ( 3) 12
4 BIG EAST (A) = 74.59 74.48 ( 4) 8
5 BIG TEN (A) = 74.40 74.01 ( 6) 11
6 BIG 12 (A) = 74.31 74.46 ( 5) 12
7 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 71.90 70.69 ( 7) 3
8 MOUNTAIN WEST (A) = 69.82 69.64 ( 8) 9
9 WESTERN ATHLETIC (A) = 67.66 68.57 ( 9) 9
10 CONFERENCE USA (A) = 64.48 64.11 ( 10) 12
11 MID-AMERICAN (A) = 62.86 62.67 ( 11) 13
12 SUN BELT (A) = 61.68 61.29 ( 12) 9
13 COLONIAL (AA)= 60.17 59.44 ( 13) 12
14 GREAT WEST (AA)= 59.27 59.10 ( 14) 5
15 BIG SKY (AA)= 56.12 56.00 ( 15) 9
16 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA)= 55.63 56.00 ( 16) 9
17 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 51.82 52.20 ( 17) 8
18 SOUTHERN (AA)= 50.43 50.17 ( 18) 9
19 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 46.68 47.73 ( 19) 9
20 SOUTHWESTERN (AA)= 45.57 45.30 ( 21) 10
21 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 44.77 45.40 ( 20) 10
22 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 44.50 43.98 ( 23) 8
23 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 44.04 44.09 ( 22) 7
24 PATRIOT LEAGUE (AA)= 42.54 41.98 ( 24) 7
25 NORTHEAST (AA)= 38.27 39.24 ( 25) 8
26 I-AA INDEPENDENTS (AA)= 32.83 32.79 ( 26) 4
27 PIONEER (AA)= 32.41 32.48 ( 27) 10
28 ***UNRATED*** (**)= -90.00 -90.00 ( 28) 1
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc09.htm
Note that after the Pac 10 and SEC, the other 4 BCS conferences are within a point of each other.
Maryland did not lose to a FCS team. It beat James Madison in OT, and later lost to Middle Tennessee from the Sunbelt (FBS, not FCS).
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:24 PM ^
but their "crap" has beaten OOC...
BCS #16 BYU (FSU)
BCS #20 Pitt (NCSU)
4-2 UConn (UNC)
4-3 Stanford (WF)
4-3 Indiana (UVA)
Yes, the "nougat-y middle" of the ACC lacks consistency, but they are more dangerous than that of any conference I ranked below it.
Who exactly has the Big 12 beaten? The marquee victories of the *entire* Big 12 are less impressive than those of the nougat-y middle of the ACC...
4-3 Georgia (OSU)
4-3 Wake (Baylor)
The Big 12 has done little to prove that it's an elite conference. Oklahoma lost to BYU and Miami. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech lost to Houston. Nebraska lost to Virginia Tech. Texas, Missouri, and Kansas have beaten no one of consequence.
As for the Big Ten, what has the conference done outside of Iowa?
4-2 Notre Dame (Mich)
Wisconsin and Penn State didn't schedule anyone. Meanwhile, OSU loses to USC, MSU loses to ND and CMU (MAC!), Illinois and Indiana get raped by Missouri and Virginia, Northwestern loses to Big East bottom-feeder Syracuse, and Purdue loses to Oregon, Notre Dame, and NIU (MAC!).
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:03 PM ^
1.) SEC
2.) PAC 10
3.) Big 12
4.) ACC
5.) Big 10
6.) Big East
7.) MWC
8.) WAC
9.) C-USA
10.) MAC
11.) Sun Belt
It doesn't seem like there is alot of space between the PAC 10 and the Big 10 on this list. The Big Ten needs to start winning more OOC games against solid BCS competition to move up this list.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 PM ^
always necessary to rank the conferences
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:49 PM ^
The conference ranking mania, like the Sept/Oct Heisman watch, is one element of the 24 hr sports cycle I could do without. Blame the World Wide LecherLeader.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:45 PM ^
1) SEC - still the best but not by much
2) PAC10 - Deeper in the middle than most years
3) ACC - Most Underrated Conference
4) Big12 - Most Overrated Conference
5) Big10 - Will rise starting next season
6) Big East - Better than expected but still far behind