ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

I'm backing off my original prediction of Tulsa as the conference's most-hated team. In the new C-USA, maybe, but I've decided to take into account the historical damage teams such as Houston, Southern Miss and UTEP have reaped on their opponents.

1. Southern Miss -- Southern Miss had many years of dominance in the old C-USA and was decent the last two years. Several teams still consider the Golden Eagles one of the most-hated teams in the conference.

2. Houston -- The Cougars are known for their smack talking before, during and after games, and in the past have had the offense to back it up. That's slipped a little, but should be back with Kevin Sumlin in charge.

3. UTEP -- I think the hatred for the Miners has something to do with the pickaxe planted in the middle of the field -- an opposing team's field.

4. Central Florida -- There are few schools in C-USA that have the benefit of picking players out of a talent-rich Florida pool. Central Florida has done that several times over, which makes them a consistent threat.

5. UAB -- There's a lot of hatred for the Blazers simply because they are a subpar team with the ability to upset anyone at any time. Last year, they gave Tulsa and Central Florida all they could handle.

6. Tulsa -- I rethought my decision to make them first just based on winning, but Tulsa will get more national attention than any other C-USA school this season.

7. Marshall -- The Thundering Herd came from another conference where it was hated and the hatred just carried over. Marshall isn't what it used to be, but it still has the national notoriety.

8. Memphis -- Back in the old C-USA, the Tigers were another team that brought out a lot of strong feelings. Those feelings are still there with schools in the area, but it's not like it was with Louisville in the mix.

9. SMU -- Similar to North Texas in the Sun Belt, the Mustangs aren't hated too much yet, but it's coming. They're already scrappy, but add the run-and-shoot offense to that scrappiness and I see some hatred brewing.

10. East Carolina -- The Pirates play one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the C-USA, which immediately puts them on the national radar, and gives them a little superiority complex.

11. Rice -- The Owls could have been higher, but I don't think their hate level outside the state of Texas is that large. I think the offense Rice used to run gave a lot of fits and led to frustration.

12. Tulane -- I'm not sure there's too much hatred for the Green Wave. It's hard to hate a team that went through such a rough time with Hurricane Katrina a few years ago.

On Tuesday, ESPN.com began a series on rivalries and the most-hated teams in the conference. I got through the WAC and the Mountain West and now it's time to turn attention to the other side of the country.

The Sun Belt, Conference USA and Mid-American have rivalries as fierce as anyone even though some of the rivalries of 20 years ago -- or even five years ago -- have disappeared because leagues have been restructured and some teams have moved to other conferences. But most rivalries are deep-rooted and the level of hatred between the teams lives on.

1. Middle Tennessee -- Again, this has little to do with winning and more to do with the fact that three SBC teams call Middle Tennessee State their rival. That's a lot of teams to upset in a nine-team conference.

2. Troy -- Ever since DeMarcus Ware and beating Missouri on ESPN2, Troy has been the darling of the Sun Belt and playing it up with games against the nation's best BCS teams. Too bad the Trojans haven't been able to recapture the magic.

3. Florida Atlantic -- A newbie in the league, but already a Sun Belt champion and now the team to beat. The Owls have only been playing football since 2001, which makes all those storied programs look a little sad.

4. Louisiana-Monroe -- Yeah, we all know you beat Alabama on the road. We saw the T-shirts. Read the stories. OK, we got it. Now, everyone in the SBC wants to take you down.

5. North Texas -- Todd Dodge was one of the best high school coaches in Texas, but it hasn't translated to the college game -- yet. It's coming, which puts the Mean Green in the middle of the hate meter.

6. Arkansas State -- The Red Wolves have the potential to be spoilers and be good every so often. They were a field goal away from costing FAU the SBC title.

7. Western Kentucky -- The Hilltoppers aren't even eligible for SBC wins this year (new to the league), but many teams are chomping at the bit to get at them. A lot of that comes from the basketball rivals, which will move to football next season.

8. Louisiana-Lafayette -- Proximity, rather than competitiveness, makes the Ragin' Cajuns a little higher on the hate meter than some of the lower-tier SBC schools. The Ragin' Cajuns haven't had a winning season since 1994.

9. Florida International -- Its brawl with Miami a few years back gave the Sun Belt and most of college football a bad rap. They've only been playing football since 2002, which creates a discrepancy in skill.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach

Here's a ranking of Big East teams, from the most hated on down:

1. West Virginia -- From burning sofas to John Denver, college football fans hate the Mountaineers for myriad reasons.
2. Rutgers -- How can fans not hate a team from Piscataway, N.J.?
3. Pittsburgh -- The Panthers might be more lovable if coach Dave Wannstedt shaved his moustache.
4. South Florida -- Big East fans don't necessarily hate the Bulls; they only fear what they're about to become.
5. Louisville -- It was a lot easier to hate the Cardinals when Bobby Petrino was coaching there.
6. Syracuse -- Big East fans only hate that they don't get to play the Orange every week.
7. Cincinnati -- If only Bob Huggins was around to coach the Bearcats in football.
8. Connecticut -- You can't really hate a college football program this young.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The WAC's most hated teams from devil in a helmet and pads to mildly disliked simply because they're in the same conference.

1.  Fresno State -- Strong nonconference schedule is envied and rowdy fans are despised. The perfect rival.

2.  Boise State -- Dubbed a non-BCS darling after 2006 Fiesta Bowl heroics. The Broncos are the WAC's most consistent winning team.

3.  Hawaii -- Last year's BCS representative has a tendency to run up the score and new measures are being taken to control fan rowdiness in Aloha Stadium.

4.  Nevada -- Always the bridesmaid, rarely the bride. With the exception of 2005, the Wolf Pack has played spoiler more than victor.

5.  Louisiana Tech -- There's no love lost between La. Tech and Fresno State mostly because the Bulldogs have spoiled a few BCS bids.

6.  San Jose State -- It's been a while since the Spartans were dominant, but when they were they were one of the WAC's more hated teams.

7.  New Mexico State -- QB Chase Holbrook puts up gaudy numbers and gets a lot of attention for being on a team that hasn't made a bowl in nearly 50 years.

8.  Idaho -- When Dennis Erickson took over the team in 2006 there was hope the tide would turn, but NCAA sanctions for failing to meet Academic Progress Rate (APR) guidelines dashed those hopes quickly.

9.  Utah State -- A new member that hasn't made many waves or many enemies. Never finished above seventh in its three years in the league.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The hate meter runs very high in the Mountain West because of BYU's national championship. Throw in BYU as a possible BCS buster and its quarterback as a Heisman dark horse and you've got some pretty explosive hate. 

Don't worry BYU, people always hate winners.

1. BYU -- The only non-BCS team with a national championship and one year BYU finished first or second in nearly every sport.

2. Utah -- Incidents at Wyoming and UNLV in past years, and their heated rivalry with BYU make the Utes a close second.

3. TCU -- The Horned Frogs have been a national power wherever they, go and flying under the radar as they have in the past couple years makes them even more despised.

4. New Mexico -- The Lobos are the only team in the Mountain West team to be bowl eligible each of the last seven seasons and usually outperform expectations.

5. Wyoming -- Coach Joe Glenn can be a bit outspoken, which has led to an altercation or two (see Utah and coach Kyle Whittingham), but his teams always fade in the second half of the season.

6. Air Force -- It's difficult to hate AFA because of the service it provides to the country, but its unorthodox offense tends to give teams fits and they're always better than predicted.

7. San Diego State -- This is a team that's going to Camp Pendleton for appreciation and a little toughening up, which makes them a shoddy rival. Still, SDSU is hated because its campus is near the beach.

8. Colorado State -- The Rams have been on a down slope the last few years, so it's hard to find much to dislike. Their new coach could turn that around.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Now that we've established that Alabama is the SEC's most hated team, let's take a look at the hate meter from top to bottom in the conference:

1. Alabama: Tide fans cling to the past with an obsessive desperation. Hate to break it to you, but Bear Bryant and all his brilliance ain't coming back.

2. Tennessee: If you can get past the neon orange, then there's that dreadful song, the one about a moonshine still. The whole world's against the Vols, too. Just ask their fans.

3. Florida: The halftime pass-outs to do shots at the old Purple Porpoise are no longer, but you'd never know it given the vile nature Gator fans on Saturdays at The Swamp.

4. LSU: When you win two national titles in five years, everybody's jealous. When you do it at LSU, an already rabid group of fans becomes downright unbearable.

5. Georgia: The bald guy barking with a bulldog painted on the top of his head is bad enough. That's not to mention Larry Munson's irritating voice and the infatuation with Uga.

6. Ole Miss: For a program that hasn't sniffed an SEC championship in more than 40 years, there's a distinct sense of snootiness any time you take a stroll through The Grove.

7. South Carolina: You've got to wonder about any team with a chicken as its mascot and a group of delusional fans that insist every season that this really is their year.

8. Auburn: What's with the rolling of Toomer's Corner? Obviously, there's not much else to do on The Plains. That is, outside of beating Alabama every year.

9. Kentucky: The Wildcats are ranked a little higher than they probably should be in this dubious poll simply because their basketball fans are so obnoxious.

10. Arkansas: Let's just hope we never have to hear Bobby Petrino calling the Hogs again. But, really, is Arkansas even in the SEC, or is it the Southwest Conference?

11. Mississippi State: Outside of those annoying cowbells clanging and the fact that it's so hard to get to Starkville, what is there really to hate about the Bulldogs?

12. Vanderbilt: The Commodores haven't won enough for anybody to hate them. Too bad ACT scores and graduation rates don't count on the scoreboard.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Over here at the Pac-10 blog, we're all about the love.

But today it's all about the hate. You know, the fun, college football kind. 

The Pac-10's most-to-least hated.

1. USC: UCLA fans hate USC just because. The rest of the Pac-10 hates USC because it's won six straight titles. The nation hates USC because it's clearly without peer as the nation's top program. Many fans hate USC because they believe the national media favors the Trojans. That's not true. It just seems that way because, unlike most elite programs that are needlessly paranoid and difficult to work with, USC is completely open with its practices and players.
2. Oregon: The Ducks are rich, rich, rich. With billionaire, hands-on booster Phil Knight opening the coffers, Oregon owns perhaps the best facilities of any program in the nation. When folks out West talk about an "Arms Race," they point at Oregon. Moreover, Oregon is loud. Loud uniforms. Loud promotions. Loud stadium.  That's why Oregon State and Washington aren't the only teams that stick pins into Ducks voodoo dolls.
3. Arizona State: This is a recent hate elevation. The Sun Devils used to be middle-of-the-pack for all teams other than Arizona. But now the program, long hailed a sleeping giant, appears to be waking up with Dennis Erickson at the helm. That breeds jealousy. And lots of folks are quick to insist that ASU is easier to get into academically than most Pac-10 schools.
4. UCLA: Hiring Rick Neuheisel boosts the Bruins here. That means Washington joins USC in hating UCLA. Moreover, there is a certain holier-than-thou vibe around the program -- you know that whole "we care about the 'student' part of "student-athlete'" thing. Also, the dominance of the basketball program carries over some. And, come on, pastels?
5. Washington: This middling ranking shows that being bad makes folks like you better. When the Huskies were a Pac-10 power, they easily were at or near the top of the conference. The L.A. schools hated the Huskies because they felt they should rule the conference. And the Northwest schools hated Washington because, well, the Huskies were a bunch of arrogant, big-city jerks from Seattle. But with the football program struggling ever since Neuheisel left, some might actually feel pangs of sympathy for the team. And how can you hate Tyrone Willingham?
6. California: How could anyone hate Berkeley -- Tree Sitter U? Well, some point out that the academic standards for the football program aren't the same as they are for the rest of the student body (many of those "some," who often hail from a place called "Stanford", point to JC transfers). But, really, this hate arises for folks who pine for the days of yore when the Golden Bears were mostly terrible. Jeff Tedford brought success to Strawberry Canyon, and hate followed thereafter.
7. Oregon State: Again, being good is a big reason the Beavers went from lovable losers to hateable winners. There is another part though: Let's just say OSU's reputation is to play -- and deliver hard hits -- right up to the echo of the whistle. And maybe a few moments more. That would count for more if coach Mike Riley wasn't such an easy-going guy.
8. Arizona: The only team that really hates Arizona is Arizona State, but that hate is pretty strong and keeps the Wildcats registering on the Hate Meter. And, if the program's turnaround... any second... any second... finally arrives, expect a more confident Mike Stoops to find ways to annoy fans from schools outside the Grand Canyon State.
9. Washington State: Washington fans hate Washington State, but they hate Oregon more. And it bothers Cougars fans that their biggest rival has a bigger rival. Plus, look at the coaches: Jim Walden, Mike Price, Bill Doba and now Paul Wulff. There might not be four nicer guys in coaching.
10. Stanford: Cal hates Stanford. Fine. And some schools are jealous of Stanford's singular standing as Division I-A's most elite academic institution. But it's hard to muster much hate for a team that plays in a half-empty stadium, even when it's good. And the Band is so much fun. And the Tree (spinning, spinning, spinning... getting in trouble for intoxication)! Sorry, there's just too much love here.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

By now you know that Ohio State tops the list, but which Big Ten team comes next? Here's a look at the league's most hated to least hated teams and some of the reasons why (or why not). Honestly, after the top two or three, it gets a bit fuzzy. But keep in mind, being on the bottom isn't necessarily a good thing.

1. Ohio State -- Several factors fuel the Buckeye hate, including lots of winning, the Sweater Vest, Maurice Clarett, some riotous fans, the "dotting the i" tradition, an inhospitable home field and the team's recent BCS flops.

2. Michigan -- The Wolverines remain college football's winningest program (869 victories), a source of pride for a fan base often branded as arrogant. The Michigan Man ideal reinforces the perception, and Michigan's constant TV exposure annoys many. Former coach Lloyd Carr was viewed as a complainer and a curmudgeon, and new coach Rich Rodriguez arrives amid some bad p.r.

3. Penn State -- People are sick of the constant attention on Joe Paterno, but there are other reasons for the Penn State hate. As a longtime independent with a national following, the school suffers from a milder case of Notre Dame syndrome. The "We Are, Penn State" chant and the roaring Nittany Lion at Beaver Stadium don't help matters.

4. Iowa -- The program's recent decline had tapered the hate, but all the off-field problems since April 2007 might have triggered it again. Some Iowa fans are seen as obnoxious, and the pink visitors' locker room at Kinnick Stadium still gets attention.

5. Wisconsin -- The team's success after the arrival of Barry Alvarez moved it up the list. Camp Randall Stadium is one of the league's most raucous environments, and some Wisconsin fans aren't overly popular around the league.

6. Illinois -- Ron Zook's arrival and the recent recruiting surge move Illinois up the list. Zook remains somewhat of a lightning rod, and Illinois is quickly forming a rivalry with Ohio State.

7. Michigan State -- Several cocky players and a memorable post-game celebration at Notre Dame in 2005 heightened the hate for Michigan State. But the program's string of traumatic losses has inspired more sympathy than bile.

8. Minnesota --The Gophers have the potential to be higher, with a loud and inhospitable home stadium and fans who have rioted before (2003 Frozen Four). But it's hard to hate a team that hasn't won a Big Ten title since 1967.

9. Purdue -- There's not much to hate other than the pioneering spread offense Joe Tiller implemented in 1997. Boilers fans are generally harmless, and Ross-Ade Stadium isn't overly intimidating.

10. Northwestern -- A snooty fan base and cut-blocking lineman can be irritating, but the team's losing history (pre-1995) and half-full home field doesn't spark much hate.

11. Indiana -- The Hoosiers soon could climb the list after their first bowl appearance since 1993, but the program usually isn't relevant enough to be hated.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Every Big 12 team has a rival that inspires hatred. It's just the nature of competitive athletics, and particularly football.

While the conference offices have made a sportsmanship mandate a prominent part of pregame activities across the Big 12, fans don't always think that way.

With that in mind, here's an unofficial Big 12 conference hate meter, with the most despised rival first and the others in descending order.

1. Texas -- Everything's bigger and better in Texas, or so they say. But what's not to hate about the Longhorns for the rest of the Big 12 -- their traditional dominance, unmatched facilities, deep talent pool and even their mascot?

2. Oklahoma -- Opponents don't like seeing the same team winning. And after running roughshod over the Big Eight for 50 years and continuing their wild stampede through the Big 12, rivals have long been tired of the Sooners' historic supremacy.

3. Colorado -- Opposing fans see their supporters as every Rocky Mountain stereotype -- tree-loving, granola-munching, hybrid-driving Greeners. And it's even worse when they are winning with some regularity.

4. Kansas -- Their fans have always been accused of being the conference's smuggest during basketball season. Their recent football success is spreading that haughtiness into a 12-month-a-year attitude, rivals say.

5. Missouri -- Once the program woke up under Gary Pinkel, a new generation of fans are acting like they invented football, according to some adversarial fans. And it will get even worse if they finally win a Big 12 title.

6. Kansas State -- Traditional losers became national powers overnight when Bill Snyder was coaching them. That ascension came a little too quickly to many rivals.

7. Oklahoma State -- Boone Pickens' deep pockets and Mike Gundy's rants aren't the best selling points for a Big 12 wannabe power.

8. Texas A&M -- Their military traditions are the bedrock of support for the school's former students. But the collies, cannons and male cheerleaders are considered borderline strange by opposing fans.

9. Nebraska -- Their historical domination always was tempered by their fans. Vanquished foes always receive polite applause as they leave Memorial Stadium. But a return to dominance under Bo Pelini could shoot them up the hate meter -- particularly if he has a few hot-headed moments like his postgame dust-up with Bill Snyder a few years ago.

10. Texas Tech -- If you believe most of what you read on rival message boards, Mike Leach might be one of the Big 12's most popular coaches because of his well-chronicled idiosyncrasies. It will be interesting to see if that support holds if the Red Raiders fulfill hype and develop into BCS challengers this season.

11. Baylor -- Old Southwest Conference foes still remember the days of Mike Singletary and Walter Abercrombie when Grant Teaff built an enduring, powerful program. But those days are far removed from the present as Big 12 rivals now perceive them merely as permanent South Division cellar-dwellers.

12. Iowa State -- Rooting against the Cyclones is like booing Santa Claus or Lassie. The Cyclones were a popular choice for many Big 12 fans during Dan McCarney's near misses in 2004 and 2005 -- particularly because the Cyclones haven't won a conference title since sharing the Missouri Valley Conference crown in 1912.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

I warned you. Today is trash talkin' Tuesday. Here's your chance to weigh in. But first, digest this: The most hated teams in the ACC, ranked from most to least, based on things seen, read and heard over the years.

1. Miami -- They've got the tradition, the swagger and the attitude.

2. Florida State -- Opponents hate them because they dominated the league and the TV ratings for so long, and their own fans hate them when they lose. Remember the clamoring for the dismissal of Jeff Bowden? Way to show the love.

3. Virginia Tech -- The Hokies came into the ACC and won two titles in four years. And even when they're down, they're predicted to win. And just being associated with Michael Vick is a public relations nightmare.

4. Clemson -- The Tigers make their own fans so frustrated they can't see straight sometimes. And FSU fans haven't exactly looked forward to the Bowden Bowl in recent years.

5. Virginia -- Even the Cavaliers' own fans have called for the firing of Al Groh on numerous occasions, and those outside the program love to rip on the preppy fans.

6. Maryland -- This is still a basketball school, and opposing fans throughout the league have carried that venom for Gary Williams into Byrd Stadium.

7. Boston College -- Maybe it's that smug Northeastern mentality that can sometimes be as frosty as the weather. Or the fact these guys are Yankee winners who took some of the spotlight away from an otherwise "southern" conference.

8. Georgia Tech -- The Yellow Jackets have been just good enough to ruin somebody's party, and some outsiders knock 'em for being know-it-alls.

9. NC State -- Most of the hate here comes from No. 10. It could also be because of Julius Hodge and Chuck Amato, two brash and outgoing characters.

10. North Carolina -- Most of the hate here comes from No. 9. Well, that, and the fact everyone is sick about hearing how the Tar Heels are actually going to be good soon.

11. Wake Forest -- Good luck trying to find one bad word about Jim Grobe. Then again, fans hate it when somebody plays by the rules AND wins.

12. Duke -- How could you feel anything but sorry for these guys? The only reason to dislike Duke if you're an ACC fan is because their losses pull the conference down like a lead weight. Good grief, last in even the hate-o-meter.