The old college football argument...Team for Team, what is the strongest conference?

Question

This debate has sparked up fires recently with LSU coach Les Miles recent comments on his teams chances of making it to the national championship having to go through the SEC schedule as compared to USC making it after going through the Pac 10.

I don't want a "homer" answer...i want an honest look at all the teams in a conference, top tier and cellar dwellers---and give some support behind why you think a conference is the strongest. I'm not talking about non-conference schedules, I'm not talking about best team in the nation. I'm talking strictly about strongest conference.

Answer 1

I am a huge of a big ten team and I still would rank the big 10 below the SEC for the last 10-15 years because of the number of quality teams the conferences have had in that time frame. The only thing the Big ten has over the SEC is that the bottom feeders of the big ten are better than the ones in the SEC (Vanderbilt is never going to beat florida or LSU or ohio st./mich for that matter, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see a Northwestern beat a Michigan) But to answer the question you have to look at the number of teams that have a legimate chance to make a run at the national champioship every year.



SEC

1.Auburn 2.Florida 3.Georgia 4.LSU

5.Tennesee



Big ten

1.Michigan 2. Ohio St. 3. Penn st.



Then you look at teams that will have a great season every few years.

SEC

1.Alabama 2.Arkansas 3. S. Carolina

Big ten

1.Iowa, 2.Michigan St., 3.Purdue, 4. Wisconsin



(Miss st., ole miss, vanderbilt, kentucky, minnesota, illini, indiana, NW are all bottom feeders and all belong in the pac 10.)



My Conference Rankings by legitimate power houses year after year



1.SEC (Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tenn.

2.Big 10 (Michigan, Ohio st., Penn st.)

3.Big 12 (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas)

4.ACC (Florida st., Miami, Va tech)

5. Big east (W.Virginia, Louisville)

6. Pac 10 (USC)

Answer 2

NO.1 in a very very close race is the SEC. 6 top 25 teams. the defending Champs. in the SEC east 5 out of the 6 teams finish at 3 games over .500. SEC has four 10 win teams and not one team had 10 losses. 1 of 2 conferences to do that. Florida, Tennesee, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia, Auburn, Kentucky, South Carolina. This is a very dangerous conference every year





I say Big 10 is no. 2. it may be hard for some ppl to see that. SEC is normally about speed and athleticism. Big 10 is about strong run and strong D. Michigan and Ohio State are always perennial runners for that Championship. And Penn State and Wisconsin are very strong. And theres a sleu of teams that could compete in n out every year for the Big 10. Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, and now Purdue as gotten a lot better with 8 wins last season. Other than Illinois right now, the Big 10 is very competitive.





After those 2 all the other conferences have 2 maybe 3 top teams, but lack the depth of the SEC and Big 10. ACC is close but not up to par in my opinion.



They should just put the top 5 from each the Big 10 and SEC in the BCS bowls. That would be fun to watch,

Answer 3

You can say anything you want the SEC conference is overrated, I would like see the mighty SEC teams play a decent team out side of their conference. Instead all I see is them playing 1-AA opponents. They have 12 teams and only 3 are good Florida, Arkansas, and LSU. And what happened when Arkansas played USC, they got embarrassed.







The Big 12 is and always has been a joke they have 1 1/2 teams. Can you say Boise State. Texas and Oklahoma flips to see who will win the conference championship.



The Big 11 is is all hype, why don't they add Notre Dame and make themselves the NEC, so they can keep bringing up OSU's championship days or Michigan's.



The ACC will never be dominant in football because you have to be a damn good student to get into a ACC school. That is why FSU has gone down hill, and Miami will too. The state of Florida produces athletes not Rhodes Scholars that is why the University of Florida is winning the recruiting war in the state of Florida.



The Big East has one trick Louisville, WVU is a contender for now but what will happen next year when all of their talent bolt for the NFL. They will be a 8-4 or 7-5 team next year. Rutgers is benefiting from a weak conference.



That leaves the PAC-10 I am a realist and acknowledge that the PAC has one Alpha team in USC, and a bunch of contenders in Cal, Oregon, ASU, and Oregon State. The bottom line is everyone talks about the weak PAC 10 but they don't hide behind tradition, they play anyone in any conference. In my book that makes them the best conference. And in the end The PAC-10 has the most dominating team over the past decade in USC and they have been in 3 of the last 4 championship games winning 2 championships.

Answer 4

the SEC gets all the pub, but it is a super conference. It has more teams and more tradition of national dominance. With that said, it is the SEC. The Big XII should be better, but it is not. College Football has never been an exact science and the word "mythical" has been removed from the national champion lately. For College football, a true national championship has never existed and won't for many years. It was always more important to win ones own conference than to be crowned national champion.

Answer 5

SEC



1) Florida - (National Champs)

2) Aurburn - Always dominating D

3) LSU - Speed all over the place

4) Georgia - 10 wins 4 out of the past 5 years

5) Arkansas - Best RB in the country and Jones is probably in the top 10

6) South Carolina - Steve Spurrier is getting the talent he wants now.

7) Tennessee - Erik Ainges last chance to do something

8) Kentucky - Team that will upset someones NC plans

9) Alabama - Nick Saban

10) Vandy, Miss, Miss State - Meh...



Big Ten



1) Michigan - Has talent but I think their offense is to exposed by defenses with alot of speed.

2) Ohio State - 10 wins but I see them stumbling to

3) Wisconsin - PJ Hill is amazing

4) Penn State - Cant see them making to much noise with the lose of talent

5) Purdue - I see them 4-4 in conference nothing special

6) Rest of conference - Nothing special



To be honest I think the Big 12 will give a really strong push to be the 2nd hardest conference this year...but still is cakewalk to the SEC

Answer 6

AS much as I hate to admit it the sec is the toughest conference.



1. Sec- too deep

2. Big 10- Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio state, always ranked

3. Big 12- been over rated last couple years except Texas 2 years ago

4. Pac 10

5. Big East

6. ACC



The funniest thing ESPN rated USC as one of the top 10 toughest schedules this year.



http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=2923693



LSU has 3 teams on their schedule ranked 100 or lower



Tulane, middle tennessee, and Louisiana Tech,



NOt to metion the bottom of the SEC- Kentucky and Ole MIss.



Thats 5 wins off top they should have no problem making the SEC championship game. They don't even see Tennesse or Georgia

Answer 7

strongest conference hands down is the SEC



break it down



last year, the SEC had 6 teams with at least 9 Wins, and 8 teams with at least 8 Wins (only Miss State, Ole Miss, 'Bilt and Alabama had fewer than 8 Wins)



Pac 10 = 3 teams with over 8 Wins

Big 10 = 7 teams with over 8 Wins

Big 12 = 6 teams with over 8 Wins

Big East = 5 teams with over 8 Wins



SEC was the only conference with 4 teams posting 6 Conference Wins (Pac 10 was next at 5, then Big 10 and Big 12 with 3)



The BCS champion comes from the SEC East, the Sugarbowl Champion from the SEC West (who also finsished 4th in the SEC Conference) shows the power between divisions



I think these few stats show how powerful the SEC is



the

Answer 8

Here we go SEC....SEC....SEC!



First of all, I am a USC Trojan alumnist and fan so my loyalty is to my alma mater, but I am speaking for Pac 10 and others conferences East of the Mississippi.



The SEC though good is only rated high for two reasons.

Reason #1.

Their games come on at exceptable times in which sports writers actually watch games. For instance, a Pac 10 game can come on as late as 7:00 P.M. Pacific time which translates to 10:00 P.M. Eastern time. Now ask yourself, are you watching football at 10:00 P.M. on a Saturday night? NO! You are enroute to the club or whatever. Its an involuntary East Coast bias and not so much on purpose.



Reason #2

Most of the employees and heads of the NCAA attended SEC schools. This is voluntary loyalty to conference and alma maters.



Before huge TV contracts, the ranking of teams was more genuine. Did you know Carson Palmer(2002) was the first West Coast Player to win the Heisman Trophy since Marcus Allen in 1980? You mean to tell me teams West of the Mississippi didn't have any talent? Then why does USC statistically put more players in the NFL then any other school? Penn State is considered Linebacker U, but USC kicks out more linebackers to the NFL then Nittany Lions.



I agree the SEC is packed with talent, but look at how many times a team from other conferences are bumped so an SEC teams can play in major bowl games. When USC contended for the National Championship in 2003 it was the first year a Pac 10 team got the chance despite how good Oregon and Washington teams had been in previous years. In 2002 Oregon State was ranked # 2 in the country and got completely bumped from the National Championship since ratings favored Miami playing Nebraska. There again, East Coast sport writer bias. Remember when Oklahoma got spanked in the Big 12 Championship, but they still got to play in the National Championship? Everyone knows the game should have been LSU vs USC. East Coast Bias.



I remember Auburn was the best SEC team in 2004 and all I heard from fans was how much better they were then USC. Remember, the Trojan beat them that same year and the excuse I got was, "Oh it was the first game of the season."

The best team statistically last year in the SEC (Arkansas)was blown out by USC in Arkansas and we still get no respect. I understand loyaly the same way I can smell bullsh*t. Texas Longhorns beat us fair and square in 2005, period!



This was a great topic and I have not really given you and answer since statistics are what actually speak for themselves. Big 12 all the way.

Answer 9

I am a Penn State fan and I have to say it is the SEC. Top to bottom the SEC is much more deeper than the Big Ten, the bottom teams in the SEC would beat the worst five teams in the Big Ten. The Big Ten is a four team conference nowadays, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State.

Answer 10

The SEC. Watch for some big wins by two teams at the bottom of the conference, Kentucky and Vandy. The SEC's bottom tier could fight for a title in any other conference!

Answer 11

The SEC. The stronger'n everbodyelse conference.

Answer 12

SEC by far with florida, tennessee, georgia, arkansas, auburn, bama, LSU... but even their bad teams are ole miss, miss ST, south carolina, vandy and kentucky(border team)... this is a ridiculous conference... if south carolina or kentucky was in the PAC 10 or a rely crappy conf like the sun belt or CUSA or somethin they would be at least a 9 win team!! The Big Ten is far behind but far ahead of any other conference with the beautiful Maize and Blue of Michigan, the dirty red and white of hte OSU buckeyes, Penn State, Iowa, they have decent teams like Mich State, wisconsin, and purdue, but then they got illinois, indiana, minnesota, northwestern which rele kills their value

Answer 13

sec has 4 national champs in the last 10 years

pac 10 has 1 and 1 split if you want to count that

big 10 has 3

big 12 has 2

miami and fsu now acc have one each

i am going from memory but i think i am right

i think top to bottom

its got to be the sec



i like the question

Answer 14

I don't think I can suspend my SEC bias long enough to answer this question, but of the 13 current coaches that have won national championships 4 reside in the southeast. That doesn't count Tuberville. You also have Les Miles and Mark Richt. Head Coaches aren't the perfect indicator to answer this question but it works.

Answer 15

Strictly IN conference, my opinion:



1)SEC

2)Big 10

3)Big 12 / ACC tie

4)Big East / Pac 10 tie

Answer 16

you have to be invited ny the conference and have to be worthy. And Terry i dont think that it is a problem if a team is good enough on a consistant basis then some conference will find them

Answer 17

Sec is by far the hardest conference, Bama, lsu, auburn, and the gators. to get to the finals is hard in the sec. you have to be the toughest team.

Answer 18

SEC.



if you go undefeated in that conference, you deserve a shot at the national championship.

Answer 19

in this time period its sec but overall its big 10 cus they have had 15 heismans and the sec has only had 8

Answer 20

SEC is by far the strongest.

Answer 21

The SEC baby.

Answer 22

No question; SEC