College Football Nation: May 2010 conference order
Ranking the conferences in college football is one of those exercises that keeps producing the same result, at least at the top, no matter how you shake it up or what variables you include.
The bottom line: The SEC enters the 2010 season seeking its fifth straight BCS national championship and its sixth title in the last eight years.
Three different SEC teams have won championships the last four years, and a fourth (Auburn) went 13-0 in 2004 and never got a chance to play for the title.
Now, those college football pundits around the country who are both tired of hearing about the SEC’s dominance and tired of seeing their teams get smacked around by the SEC in the money game every year might say, “We’re not talking about what’s happened in the past, but what the landscape looks like right now.”
Fair point, so let’s go there.
The team to beat nationally in 2010, according to just about everybody, is defending national champion Alabama. The Crimson Tide have some key holes to fill on defense, but should be even more explosive on offense. The Mark Ingram-Trent Richardson backfield combo is the best in the country.
Florida, which had won 22 straight games before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game last season, will also start the season in the top 10, maybe the top 5.
The Gators get their first taste of life without Tim Tebow since he showed up in 2006 and will be rebuilding somewhat on defense, but are nonetheless oozing with talent.
And showing the overall strength of the conference, both Alabama and Florida figure to face tougher paths to the SEC championship game than they did a year ago.
Arkansas, Auburn and LSU will be ranked in a lot of preseason top 25’s and will challenge Alabama in the West. The Hogs' offense has a chance to be special. Georgia has 10 starters returning on offense and will be somebody to watch in the East along with a South Carolina team that could be Steve Spurrier’s best in Columbia.
If you want star power, the SEC’s got it.
Alabama’s Nick Saban and Florida’s Urban Meyer are easily two of the top five coaches in college football. Between them, they’ve won four of the last seven national championships. Saban's done it at two different schools.
And in terms of players, the lineup is even more impressive.
Ingram is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and returns as the best running back in college football. Try to find two better receivers in any conference than Georgia’s A.J. Green and Alabama’s Julio Jones. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has already been named to some preseason All-America teams, and LSU’s Patrick Peterson would make a strong case as the top cornerback in college football.
Ultimately, it comes down to hardware when you’re ranking the best conferences, and nobody in college football can match the SEC’s collection.
My conference pecking order:
1. SEC
2. Big Ten
3. Big 12
4. Pac-10
5. ACC
6. Big East
7. Mountain West
8. WAC
The bottom line: The SEC enters the 2010 season seeking its fifth straight BCS national championship and its sixth title in the last eight years.
Three different SEC teams have won championships the last four years, and a fourth (Auburn) went 13-0 in 2004 and never got a chance to play for the title.
Now, those college football pundits around the country who are both tired of hearing about the SEC’s dominance and tired of seeing their teams get smacked around by the SEC in the money game every year might say, “We’re not talking about what’s happened in the past, but what the landscape looks like right now.”
Fair point, so let’s go there.
The team to beat nationally in 2010, according to just about everybody, is defending national champion Alabama. The Crimson Tide have some key holes to fill on defense, but should be even more explosive on offense. The Mark Ingram-Trent Richardson backfield combo is the best in the country.
Florida, which had won 22 straight games before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game last season, will also start the season in the top 10, maybe the top 5.
The Gators get their first taste of life without Tim Tebow since he showed up in 2006 and will be rebuilding somewhat on defense, but are nonetheless oozing with talent.
And showing the overall strength of the conference, both Alabama and Florida figure to face tougher paths to the SEC championship game than they did a year ago.
Arkansas, Auburn and LSU will be ranked in a lot of preseason top 25’s and will challenge Alabama in the West. The Hogs' offense has a chance to be special. Georgia has 10 starters returning on offense and will be somebody to watch in the East along with a South Carolina team that could be Steve Spurrier’s best in Columbia.
If you want star power, the SEC’s got it.
Alabama’s Nick Saban and Florida’s Urban Meyer are easily two of the top five coaches in college football. Between them, they’ve won four of the last seven national championships. Saban's done it at two different schools.
And in terms of players, the lineup is even more impressive.
Ingram is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and returns as the best running back in college football. Try to find two better receivers in any conference than Georgia’s A.J. Green and Alabama’s Julio Jones. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has already been named to some preseason All-America teams, and LSU’s Patrick Peterson would make a strong case as the top cornerback in college football.
Ultimately, it comes down to hardware when you’re ranking the best conferences, and nobody in college football can match the SEC’s collection.
My conference pecking order:
1. SEC
2. Big Ten
3. Big 12
4. Pac-10
5. ACC
6. Big East
7. Mountain West
8. WAC
Look, you might get a nice, pretty football made of crystal when you win a national title, but you also get respect. Both for your program and your conference. Win four in a row, and you won't hear an argument from me that you don't have the best teams in the country -- especially when those four titles are split between three teams in two different divisions.
In short, the SEC is king.
But the Big 12 is second to only those in the Southeast.
Ohio State may have bandaged its embarrassing national championship-game wounds with 100-dollar bills, but when it comes to the on-field product, the Big 12 is superior.
Texas or Oklahoma have been in the national championship conversation nearly every year for the past decade, and only the SEC could deny Mack Brown and Bob Stoops their second national championships this decade in the past two seasons.
Despite that, Texas boasts nine consecutive 10-win seasons and Oklahoma has won 11 games or more in all but two seasons since 1999. Each has won a national championship in the past decade and Oklahoma has competed in three other title games.
In the North, Nebraska started the BCS era strong at the tail end of a dominant decade in the '90s, and now looks headed on the right track after a forgettable stretch under Bill Callahan that featured two losing seasons. But big results aren't that far in the past. Nebraska reached the national title game in 2002 under Frank Solich. That was eight seasons ago. USC's last trip to the championship game was in 2006, when it lost to a Big 12 team (Texas).
In the past decade, programs lacking in the winning tradition have seen success, too, adding to the depth of the conference.
Texas Tech won 11 games in 2008 to tie for a South title with Oklahoma and Texas, and spent three weeks at No. 2 in the BCS standings.
In 2007, Missouri captured the No. 1 ranking after beating Kansas in a game that decided college football's top team. Kansas finished that season with a win in the Orange Bowl while Missouri beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, who you might recall, plays in the SEC.
In BCS games since its birth 12 seasons ago, seven different Big 12 teams (Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas A&M) have earned berths to 17 big bowls. Five times in 12 seasons, the Big 12 has placed a second team among the nation's elite in January. The league can't hide from a less-than-impressive 7-10 record in those games, even if it includes Bob Stoops' current five-game losing streak in BCS games, but what should carry more weight? Seventeen games that were mostly toss-ups, or the hundreds of games that went into putting those teams into those bowls?
Arguments about depth aside, conferences are ultimately judged by what they do at the top (and what they did at the top lately), and the Big 12 has done well with several teams from both divisions. Well enough, at least, to stake a strong claim as college football's second-best conference.
In short, the SEC is king.
But the Big 12 is second to only those in the Southeast.
Ohio State may have bandaged its embarrassing national championship-game wounds with 100-dollar bills, but when it comes to the on-field product, the Big 12 is superior.
Texas or Oklahoma have been in the national championship conversation nearly every year for the past decade, and only the SEC could deny Mack Brown and Bob Stoops their second national championships this decade in the past two seasons.
Despite that, Texas boasts nine consecutive 10-win seasons and Oklahoma has won 11 games or more in all but two seasons since 1999. Each has won a national championship in the past decade and Oklahoma has competed in three other title games.
In the North, Nebraska started the BCS era strong at the tail end of a dominant decade in the '90s, and now looks headed on the right track after a forgettable stretch under Bill Callahan that featured two losing seasons. But big results aren't that far in the past. Nebraska reached the national title game in 2002 under Frank Solich. That was eight seasons ago. USC's last trip to the championship game was in 2006, when it lost to a Big 12 team (Texas).
In the past decade, programs lacking in the winning tradition have seen success, too, adding to the depth of the conference.
Texas Tech won 11 games in 2008 to tie for a South title with Oklahoma and Texas, and spent three weeks at No. 2 in the BCS standings.
In 2007, Missouri captured the No. 1 ranking after beating Kansas in a game that decided college football's top team. Kansas finished that season with a win in the Orange Bowl while Missouri beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, who you might recall, plays in the SEC.
In BCS games since its birth 12 seasons ago, seven different Big 12 teams (Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas A&M) have earned berths to 17 big bowls. Five times in 12 seasons, the Big 12 has placed a second team among the nation's elite in January. The league can't hide from a less-than-impressive 7-10 record in those games, even if it includes Bob Stoops' current five-game losing streak in BCS games, but what should carry more weight? Seventeen games that were mostly toss-ups, or the hundreds of games that went into putting those teams into those bowls?
Arguments about depth aside, conferences are ultimately judged by what they do at the top (and what they did at the top lately), and the Big 12 has done well with several teams from both divisions. Well enough, at least, to stake a strong claim as college football's second-best conference.
Ranking the BCS conferences, Pac-10 style
May, 24, 2010
5/24/10
11:00
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By
Ted Miller | ESPN.com
Ranking the BCS conferences: It's an exercise that guarantees at least one constituency will think you're a genius and another will think you're an idiot.
It's easy to dump the Big East into sixth place: Eight teams, not enough elite teams, not enough depth. After that, the margin of separation between the other five seem thin and wildly subjective.
Of course, SEC adherents will start to fulminate if they are not given a free pass into the top spot. Something about four consecutive national championships (it's an annoying point because it's hard to counter).
But let's look at the SEC for a moment. Here's a ranking of the SEC quarterbacks. It's basically Ryan Mallett of Arkansas and a bunch of nobodies and question marks. It's fair to say nine teams have serious issues at the position. At the end of the season, when we're talking about dominant SEC defenses, let's remember this cast of "Whos?"
Further, you could make a case that the SEC heading into 2010 is Alabama and Florida and a bunch of maybes. And the Crimson Tide must replace eight starters off their dominant defense, while Florida lost nine guys to the NFL draft. Lots of questions there.
In fact, just for fun. Match the SEC and the Pac-10, but do it from the bottom up. Here's Chris Low's post-spring power rankings. And here's mine for the Pac-10.
Vanderbilt beats Washington State, Arizona State beats Kentucky, UCLA beats Tennessee, Arizona beats Mississippi State, Washington beats Ole Miss, California beats South Carolina, Stanford beats Georgia, Oregon State beats Auburn, Oregon beats LSU and USC beats Arkansas.
Of course, you can't just drop Alabama and Florida, two of the nation's top-three programs (Texas is the third).
Which is why we're still ranking the SEC No. 1.
The larger point is the difference between BCS conferences is marginal, despite the huffing and puffing you heard to the contrary. When I began, I considered ranking the Big Ten No. 1 based on the Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin triumvirate, but then it seemed like the Big Ten has less depth than the Pac-10, ACC and Big 12. Then I thought the Big 12 looked good with Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Missouri. Then the ACC looked underrated.
Then I just needed to get on with it.
(By the way, here's a good place to see how many returning starters each team has).
1. SEC: While I have a hunch the SEC won't be on top at season's end, the impressive track record earns the conference the top spot.
2. Big 12: Five legitimate Top 25 teams and respectable at the bottom.
3. Big Ten: Top-heavy, but very good at the top.
4. Pac-10: The apparent lack of a national title contender hurts, but the conference has nine teams that could win at least six games.
5. ACC: The conference has big upside -- it might end up No. 1 at season's end -- but its track record is disappointment (see Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl). The SEC gets the benefit of the doubt. The ACC still has to prove itself.
6. Big East: Only obvious preseason Top 25 team is Pittsburgh. Based on the Sugar Bowl, we're in wait-and-see-mode with a Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati.
It's easy to dump the Big East into sixth place: Eight teams, not enough elite teams, not enough depth. After that, the margin of separation between the other five seem thin and wildly subjective.
Of course, SEC adherents will start to fulminate if they are not given a free pass into the top spot. Something about four consecutive national championships (it's an annoying point because it's hard to counter).
But let's look at the SEC for a moment. Here's a ranking of the SEC quarterbacks. It's basically Ryan Mallett of Arkansas and a bunch of nobodies and question marks. It's fair to say nine teams have serious issues at the position. At the end of the season, when we're talking about dominant SEC defenses, let's remember this cast of "Whos?"
Further, you could make a case that the SEC heading into 2010 is Alabama and Florida and a bunch of maybes. And the Crimson Tide must replace eight starters off their dominant defense, while Florida lost nine guys to the NFL draft. Lots of questions there.
In fact, just for fun. Match the SEC and the Pac-10, but do it from the bottom up. Here's Chris Low's post-spring power rankings. And here's mine for the Pac-10.
Vanderbilt beats Washington State, Arizona State beats Kentucky, UCLA beats Tennessee, Arizona beats Mississippi State, Washington beats Ole Miss, California beats South Carolina, Stanford beats Georgia, Oregon State beats Auburn, Oregon beats LSU and USC beats Arkansas.
Of course, you can't just drop Alabama and Florida, two of the nation's top-three programs (Texas is the third).
Which is why we're still ranking the SEC No. 1.
The larger point is the difference between BCS conferences is marginal, despite the huffing and puffing you heard to the contrary. When I began, I considered ranking the Big Ten No. 1 based on the Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin triumvirate, but then it seemed like the Big Ten has less depth than the Pac-10, ACC and Big 12. Then I thought the Big 12 looked good with Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Missouri. Then the ACC looked underrated.
Then I just needed to get on with it.
(By the way, here's a good place to see how many returning starters each team has).
1. SEC: While I have a hunch the SEC won't be on top at season's end, the impressive track record earns the conference the top spot.
2. Big 12: Five legitimate Top 25 teams and respectable at the bottom.
3. Big Ten: Top-heavy, but very good at the top.
4. Pac-10: The apparent lack of a national title contender hurts, but the conference has nine teams that could win at least six games.
5. ACC: The conference has big upside -- it might end up No. 1 at season's end -- but its track record is disappointment (see Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl). The SEC gets the benefit of the doubt. The ACC still has to prove itself.
6. Big East: Only obvious preseason Top 25 team is Pittsburgh. Based on the Sugar Bowl, we're in wait-and-see-mode with a Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati.
If the season started today, where would you rank the nonautomatic qualifying conferences?
The notion of ranking the conference didn’t serve as more than braggin’ rights until recently when the BCS announced that conference standing in the computer rankings would be a part of the criteria for determining automatic qualifying status.
So where would you put each of the non-AQs?
ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach ranked each of the FBS conferences, but I decided to weigh in on where I thought the nonautomatic qualifiers should fall if the season were to start today.
No. 6 Mountain West: This is a tough call because the Mountain West isn’t going to start the season as strong as it has in the past. TCU likely will be the only preseason ranked team, but it will probably be ranked higher than any Big East team. However, the Big East will probably be better across the board to begin the season. Utah, BYU and Air Force all have the talent to end up in the rankings at some point this year and the schedules should give those teams -- with undefeated seasons -- another opportunity at a BCS bowl berth.
No. 8 WAC: Boise State is the gem of the WAC and it will open the season ranked in the top three nationally. However, the rest of the conference leaves a little something to be desired. Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii all have shown flashes of being contenders, but none have been able to sustain it, especially against better competition. However, there’s a little more overall strength in this conference than some of the conferences below it. Idaho should once again be a bowl contender, and Louisiana Tech and Utah State should have better seasons.
No. 9 Conference USA: C-USA and the WAC could be interchangeable if it weren’t for Boise State. Similar to the WAC, C-USA has a lot of strength across the board, but it has yet to have a team really dominate the way Boise State has done in the WAC. Tulsa, East Carolina and Houston have had opportunities to really move the conference into the upper tier, but none of those teams have been able to sustain their momentum once the spotlight shined in their direction. There are good teams, though. In addition to the aforementioned, Central Florida, SMU and Southern Miss all have an opportunity to win the league and UTEP and Marshall could be dangerous.
No. 10 Mid-American Conference: The MAC has made some definite strides in the past few years, but with the loss of some of the more publicized players, it will once again be struggling for national attention. This league has a long way to go to catch up to some of its non-AQ brethren, but there are some talented teams with Northern Illinois, Temple and Ohio. This conference will have many opportunities to prove itself, especially against AQ foes, but there has to be a level of consistency by more than one team before it can overtake any of the conferences ahead of it.
No. 11 Sun Belt: The Sun Belt is celebrating its 10th season and it’s definitely made some major progress during that time. There have been a lot of key upsets and stellar games that have put this conference on the map, but the overall talent level is still lacking. It’s good that the Sun Belt has more bowl opportunities this year because it will be able to showcase some of the teams that have been nationally neglected such as Louisiana-Lafayette, Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State.
The notion of ranking the conference didn’t serve as more than braggin’ rights until recently when the BCS announced that conference standing in the computer rankings would be a part of the criteria for determining automatic qualifying status.
So where would you put each of the non-AQs?
ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach ranked each of the FBS conferences, but I decided to weigh in on where I thought the nonautomatic qualifiers should fall if the season were to start today.
No. 6 Mountain West: This is a tough call because the Mountain West isn’t going to start the season as strong as it has in the past. TCU likely will be the only preseason ranked team, but it will probably be ranked higher than any Big East team. However, the Big East will probably be better across the board to begin the season. Utah, BYU and Air Force all have the talent to end up in the rankings at some point this year and the schedules should give those teams -- with undefeated seasons -- another opportunity at a BCS bowl berth.
No. 8 WAC: Boise State is the gem of the WAC and it will open the season ranked in the top three nationally. However, the rest of the conference leaves a little something to be desired. Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii all have shown flashes of being contenders, but none have been able to sustain it, especially against better competition. However, there’s a little more overall strength in this conference than some of the conferences below it. Idaho should once again be a bowl contender, and Louisiana Tech and Utah State should have better seasons.
No. 9 Conference USA: C-USA and the WAC could be interchangeable if it weren’t for Boise State. Similar to the WAC, C-USA has a lot of strength across the board, but it has yet to have a team really dominate the way Boise State has done in the WAC. Tulsa, East Carolina and Houston have had opportunities to really move the conference into the upper tier, but none of those teams have been able to sustain their momentum once the spotlight shined in their direction. There are good teams, though. In addition to the aforementioned, Central Florida, SMU and Southern Miss all have an opportunity to win the league and UTEP and Marshall could be dangerous.
No. 10 Mid-American Conference: The MAC has made some definite strides in the past few years, but with the loss of some of the more publicized players, it will once again be struggling for national attention. This league has a long way to go to catch up to some of its non-AQ brethren, but there are some talented teams with Northern Illinois, Temple and Ohio. This conference will have many opportunities to prove itself, especially against AQ foes, but there has to be a level of consistency by more than one team before it can overtake any of the conferences ahead of it.
No. 11 Sun Belt: The Sun Belt is celebrating its 10th season and it’s definitely made some major progress during that time. There have been a lot of key upsets and stellar games that have put this conference on the map, but the overall talent level is still lacking. It’s good that the Sun Belt has more bowl opportunities this year because it will be able to showcase some of the teams that have been nationally neglected such as Louisiana-Lafayette, Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State.
Where does the Big East rank among conferences?
May, 24, 2010
5/24/10
11:00
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By
Brian Bennett | ESPN.com
The Big East recently hired Paul Tagliabue as a consultant. Maybe the former NFL commissioner can help the league with its image problem.
The fact is, the conference plays some pretty good football. Did you know that, according to the Sagarin Ratings, the Big East was the second-strongest league in America (behind the SEC) in 2009?
And yet, everybody always wants to say the Big East is the worst of the six BCS auto-bid conferences, with some people occasionally putting the Mountain West ahead of it as well. Colleague Mark Schlabach ranked the conferences today, and he rates the Big East sixth, behind the other five BCS leagues.
There is logic behind that. Few would dispute that the SEC deserves the No. 1 spot based on its dominance in recent years. The Big East has fewer teams than those other leagues and probably will start the year with no schools ranked in the top 10. It's questionable whether there is a true national title contender in the conference, and the Big East has lost its last two BCS games (sorry, Cincinnati fans).
Still, I'm going to defend the Big East a little bit. I think that, top to bottom, it will be the most competitive league in the country this year. Any one of six teams could contend for the title, while Syracuse and Louisville should be improved. The same can't be said for the ACC, which has some very good teams at the top but also a lot of mediocrity and some real bottom feeders.
So my conference rankings look like this:
1. SEC -- No debate, really.
2. Big Ten -- Strong at the top, but weaker than the Big East at the bottom.
3. Big 12 -- A bit down from the past couple of years, but still deep.
4. Pac-10 -- Is Oregon the new big dog? Will USC be the same under Lane Kiffin.
5. Big East -- Pitt, Cincinnati, West Virginia and UConn should all be in the Top 25.
6. ACC -- Still has a lot to prove nationally, in my view.
The fact is, the conference plays some pretty good football. Did you know that, according to the Sagarin Ratings, the Big East was the second-strongest league in America (behind the SEC) in 2009?
And yet, everybody always wants to say the Big East is the worst of the six BCS auto-bid conferences, with some people occasionally putting the Mountain West ahead of it as well. Colleague Mark Schlabach ranked the conferences today, and he rates the Big East sixth, behind the other five BCS leagues.
There is logic behind that. Few would dispute that the SEC deserves the No. 1 spot based on its dominance in recent years. The Big East has fewer teams than those other leagues and probably will start the year with no schools ranked in the top 10. It's questionable whether there is a true national title contender in the conference, and the Big East has lost its last two BCS games (sorry, Cincinnati fans).
Still, I'm going to defend the Big East a little bit. I think that, top to bottom, it will be the most competitive league in the country this year. Any one of six teams could contend for the title, while Syracuse and Louisville should be improved. The same can't be said for the ACC, which has some very good teams at the top but also a lot of mediocrity and some real bottom feeders.
So my conference rankings look like this:
1. SEC -- No debate, really.
2. Big Ten -- Strong at the top, but weaker than the Big East at the bottom.
3. Big 12 -- A bit down from the past couple of years, but still deep.
4. Pac-10 -- Is Oregon the new big dog? Will USC be the same under Lane Kiffin.
5. Big East -- Pitt, Cincinnati, West Virginia and UConn should all be in the Top 25.
6. ACC -- Still has a lot to prove nationally, in my view.
ACC making a move in conference rankings
May, 24, 2010
5/24/10
11:00
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By
Heather Dinich | ESPN.com
Let’s get this out of the way before expansion comes through and blows the current college football landscape off the map like a tumbleweed. Or not. Either way, as of right now, without any speculation included, the ACC heads into the 2010 season as the third-best conference of the Big Six.
That’s right, you heard me. Ahead of the Big 12.
Why?
Virginia Tech beat Nebraska twice in the past two years, and Miami knocked off Oklahoma last season. (We’ll go ahead and give Duke a pass, and Baylor just barely nipped Wake, barely.)
Overall, though, the ACC heads into 2010 as one of the deepest conferences, with five teams that should be ranked in the preseason polls and another potential one in Clemson. It’s legitimate parity in the Coastal Division, where Miami, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech all finished among the top 15 in last year’s BCS standings.
The Big 12 had Texas. And now it doesn't have Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy or Ndamukong Suh.
The Big Ten gets a boost for how it finished the 2009 season – with two BCS bowl wins, including the Rose Bowl. It also had two bowl wins against two of the ACC’s top teams, Georgia Tech and Miami. The SEC also won two BCS bowls, including Alabama’s national title. The ACC, though, remains 2-10 in its BCS bowls after Georgia Tech’s loss to Iowa.
The ACC deserves credit for its depth, and the preseason rankings are proof of that. The Big 12 is banking on Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. And even that is a step up from 2009.
1. SEC
2. Big Ten
3. ACC
4. Big 12
5. Pac-10
6. Big East
That’s right, you heard me. Ahead of the Big 12.
Why?
Virginia Tech beat Nebraska twice in the past two years, and Miami knocked off Oklahoma last season. (We’ll go ahead and give Duke a pass, and Baylor just barely nipped Wake, barely.)
Overall, though, the ACC heads into 2010 as one of the deepest conferences, with five teams that should be ranked in the preseason polls and another potential one in Clemson. It’s legitimate parity in the Coastal Division, where Miami, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech all finished among the top 15 in last year’s BCS standings.
The Big 12 had Texas. And now it doesn't have Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy or Ndamukong Suh.
The Big Ten gets a boost for how it finished the 2009 season – with two BCS bowl wins, including the Rose Bowl. It also had two bowl wins against two of the ACC’s top teams, Georgia Tech and Miami. The SEC also won two BCS bowls, including Alabama’s national title. The ACC, though, remains 2-10 in its BCS bowls after Georgia Tech’s loss to Iowa.
The ACC deserves credit for its depth, and the preseason rankings are proof of that. The Big 12 is banking on Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. And even that is a step up from 2009.
1. SEC
2. Big Ten
3. ACC
4. Big 12
5. Pac-10
6. Big East
Big Ten rises to No. 2 among conferences
May, 24, 2010
5/24/10
11:00
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By
Adam Rittenberg | ESPN.com
For the last three seasons, the Big Ten has paid the price in the preseason conference rankings because of poor bowl performances the previous years.
Has it been a little unfair? Perhaps. Bowl performances don't mean everything, and it's important to examine the personnel lost and the personnel returning for each team.
But if bowl performance is nation's No. 1 factor for evaluating conference, why not use it in the Big Ten's favor? That's exactly what I'm doing by ranking the Big Ten as the nation's second best conference behind the SEC.
The Big Ten went 4-3 in last year's bowls, beating four teams ranked in the top 15 and winning two BCS games (Rose and Orange). Of the four bowl champions, you can make a strong case that three of them -- Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin -- will have even stronger teams in 2010. Ohio State is a bona fide national championship contender, Iowa brings tremendous skill and mental toughness and Wisconsin returns the most starters in the league, including Heisman Trophy candidate John Clay.
All three squads will appear in many preseason top 10 rankings.
Penn State loses six All-Big Ten performers, including quarterback Daryll Clark and Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Year Jared Odrick, but the Nittany Lions have been consistently strong since 2005. They'll enter the season in the Top 25 and should have little trouble getting back to a bowl game, where they do their best work (27-13-2 all-time record).
The middle of the Big Ten could be stronger as well. Michigan State gets star linebacker Greg Jones back in the fold, and the Spartans are stocked with skill players and have a very favorable schedule. Purdue held its own during Big Ten play last year and should be very explosive on offense. Northwestern has shown for the first time in its history that it can reload, winning 17 games the last two seasons and six or more games in six of the last seven seasons.
If Michigan can get back on track during a pivotal season for head coach Rich Rodriguez, the Big Ten's profile will be further enhanced.
How can the Big Ten become the top conference? Simple. Beat the SEC in the BCS title game. The SEC has won the last four of them, and nothing shapes national perception of conferences more than performance in the BCS championship.
The Big Ten also must hold off challengers for the No. 2 spot, namely the Big 12 and Pac-10. The Big Ten has dropped its last five bowl matchups against the Big 12, a trend that really needs to change this year. The Pac-10 should be very solid top to bottom, but Oregon's messy offseason and some lingering questions around USC keep the league a little behind.
My conference pecking order
1. SEC
2. Big Ten
3. Big 12
4. Pac-10
5. ACC
6. Mountain West
7. Big East
8. WAC
9. The rest ...
Has it been a little unfair? Perhaps. Bowl performances don't mean everything, and it's important to examine the personnel lost and the personnel returning for each team.
But if bowl performance is nation's No. 1 factor for evaluating conference, why not use it in the Big Ten's favor? That's exactly what I'm doing by ranking the Big Ten as the nation's second best conference behind the SEC.
The Big Ten went 4-3 in last year's bowls, beating four teams ranked in the top 15 and winning two BCS games (Rose and Orange). Of the four bowl champions, you can make a strong case that three of them -- Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin -- will have even stronger teams in 2010. Ohio State is a bona fide national championship contender, Iowa brings tremendous skill and mental toughness and Wisconsin returns the most starters in the league, including Heisman Trophy candidate John Clay.
All three squads will appear in many preseason top 10 rankings.
Penn State loses six All-Big Ten performers, including quarterback Daryll Clark and Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Year Jared Odrick, but the Nittany Lions have been consistently strong since 2005. They'll enter the season in the Top 25 and should have little trouble getting back to a bowl game, where they do their best work (27-13-2 all-time record).
The middle of the Big Ten could be stronger as well. Michigan State gets star linebacker Greg Jones back in the fold, and the Spartans are stocked with skill players and have a very favorable schedule. Purdue held its own during Big Ten play last year and should be very explosive on offense. Northwestern has shown for the first time in its history that it can reload, winning 17 games the last two seasons and six or more games in six of the last seven seasons.
If Michigan can get back on track during a pivotal season for head coach Rich Rodriguez, the Big Ten's profile will be further enhanced.
How can the Big Ten become the top conference? Simple. Beat the SEC in the BCS title game. The SEC has won the last four of them, and nothing shapes national perception of conferences more than performance in the BCS championship.
The Big Ten also must hold off challengers for the No. 2 spot, namely the Big 12 and Pac-10. The Big Ten has dropped its last five bowl matchups against the Big 12, a trend that really needs to change this year. The Pac-10 should be very solid top to bottom, but Oregon's messy offseason and some lingering questions around USC keep the league a little behind.
My conference pecking order
1. SEC
2. Big Ten
3. Big 12
4. Pac-10
5. ACC
6. Mountain West
7. Big East
8. WAC
9. The rest ...
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