DISQUS

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

An unfortunate typing accident with the title will be left unchanged, as this measure lets the debates be settled on the field.

War_Eagle_Atlanta · 10 months ago

So you're a jet fuel genius who can solve all the world's problems without even trying?

hrposon · 10 months ago

WEA says you're a Jet Fuel Genius and you went to school in SLC. With all the number crunching you like to do, you must be an engineer for MTI.

War_Eagle_Atlanta · 10 months ago

Whoa, whoa. I was just singing that song he linked to...

Tom_Blogical · 10 months ago

I'll tell you what it all means. STYX is a helluva lot cooler when you just listen to their music. That video destroyed any mojo they had.

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

80's music is much better without 80's videos in general.

Tom_Blogical · 10 months ago

True...although I'd have to think that was bad for even 80's standards! :-)

Regan · 10 months ago

Agree - This is no doubt the true reason that MTV stopped showing music videos...so music would look better...

Cougar_Fan · 10 months ago

I wonder what the conference ranking would be if the Bowl Challenge Cup games were only counted as another game, instead of 25%?

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

The conference rankings depend mostly on non conference games. As most teams play 4 OOC games this means the result would be closer to a 20% weight than 25%. This is not a significant difference, but might put the MWC slightly above the PAC 10.

The_Central_Scrutinizer · 10 months ago

Additional BCS 1998-2008 statistics by Conference culled from the Archives of Oblivion:

Most BCS Crystal
1. SEC: 5-0
2. Big 12: 2-4
3. Pac 10: 1-1
4. ACC: 1-2
5. Big 11: 1-2
6. Big Eats: 1-2

Most BCS Victories
1. SEC: 12
2. Pac 10: 9
3. Big 11: 8
4. Big 12: 7
5. Big Eats:6
6. Non-BCS:3
7. ACC: 2
8. ND: 0


Highest BCS Winning Percentage
1. Non BCS: .750 (3-1)
2. SEC: .706 (12-5)
3. Pac 10: .692 (9-4)
4. Big Eats: .545 (6-5)
5. Big 12: .438 (7-9)
6. Big 11: .421 (8-11)
7. ACC: .182 (2-9)
8. ND: .000 (0-3)


Most BCS Appearances
1. Big 11: 19
2. SEC: 17
3. Big 12: 16
4. Pac 10: 13
5. Big Eats: 11
6. ACC: 11
7. Non BCS: 4
8. ND: 3


Most Multiple Crystal Winners
SEC: 2 (LSU = 2, UF = 2)
Everyone else: 0

Most Multiple Crystal Losers
Big 12: 1 (OU = 3)
Big 11: 1 (tOSU = 2)
ACC: 1 (FSU = 2)

Most Hated Fans
SEC

Most Fans who hate the SEC because they get it done, so they have to stfu:
Everyone else

Zac · 10 months ago

I like the Big Eats thing; funny stuff! We need to get WarEagle Atlanta to come up with a Top Ten names list for the Big East. We've got the Big Easy, the Big Eats, the Big Least, the Big trang-Easy. What else have we got?

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

You forgot one:

Most undefeated seasons with a BCS bowl win:
Non-BCS: 3 (Utah 2, more than any other team)

Regan · 10 months ago

The Central Scrutinizer, you have excellent statistics, but I've got you absolutely nailed on one unequivocal fact:

#1 ACC
#2 Big East
#3 Big 12
#4 Big Ten
#5 C-USA
#6 FBS Independents
#7 MAC
#8 MWC
#9 Pac-10
#10 SEC
#11 Sun Belt
#12 WAC

Alphabetical order says the SEC is at the BOTTOM, right there with the Sun Belt and WAC.

So TAKE THAT!

Holy crap I have got to stop posting when I am so tired that everything is hysterical.

Alphabetical Order...SEC FAIL!

so gonna edit ths tomorrow....

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

You can't edit a post if someone comments on it.

Regan · 10 months ago

I cannot thank you enough for insuring the preservation of "Regan's Late-Night Stupidity" for all time, Ben. :-)

Zac · 10 months ago

What was that contest in which (against you) you thought I'd be competitive? Forget it! You Win!!! Now, go get some sleep. We'll talk about play-offs in the morning. (OOPS!!! I think that woke him up.)

Regan · 10 months ago

Hey, it had the ACC on top - I will take what I can get! (apparently...)

Tommy_Trojan · 10 months ago

Ben:

The final Sagarin ratings seem to disagree with some of your synopsis. The "numbers" at the right are the average rating of each team in that particular conference.

1.) SEC - 78.31
2.) Big 12 - 77.86
3.) ACC - 77.70
4.) Pac 10 - 76.14
5.) Big East - 75.23
6.) Big 10 - 73.21
7.) MWC - 70.90
8.) Conf USA - 65.88
9.) WAC - 63.91
10.) MAC - 61.96
11.) Sun Belt - 60.77

Personally, I think the Sagarin Rating looks more right. I know that the SEC is better than the Big 12. Also, it looks as though the "average" Pac 10 team is around five points better than the average MWC team. Not tryin' to knock the MWC conference here, but your argument all year was that the MWC should be movin' into the Big 6, but it doesn't look as though the conference performed that way even in this great year. The Top Three in the conference did have solid years, but it looks as if the dead weight in the conference, has thoroughly dragged it down once more. The Pac 10 could have probably been rated higher also, if it were not for the pathetic play, of both Washington and Washington State. I think the same thing is happening to the MWC. You can't tell me that teams like Wyoming and San Diego State are not undermining what your Top Teams are trying to do.

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

The Sagarin average uses a central average, giving far greater weight to the middle of the conference than the popular opinion or bowl selectors do. As for the dead weight, removing SDSU alone would put the MWC in the top 6. Wyoming at least beat Tennessee.

Tommy_Trojan · 10 months ago

Ben:

UCLA beat Tennessee. BYU hammered UCLA 66-0. Who couldn't have beaten Tennessee? UCLA wasn't exactly a very good team either. Wyoming had to replace their coach also. So, they are a bad team. Tennessee is just worse.

1Tomcat · 10 months ago

TT they beat Vanderbilt-right something that Miss couldnt do, guess that was an upset win over the Commadors-parity does it exist?

Tommy_Trojan · 10 months ago

Ben:

Really, the MWC had four other years, where they may have performed better than they did in this particular year. The MWC rated at 70.90 in 08'.

1999 - 73.96, 2003 - 71.85, 2004 - 72.08 and 2007 - 70.95.

So for five of the ten years that the MWC has been in existance, the MWC has had ratings above the 70's, and none of them average what one of the "Big 6" averages year in and year out. Nevertheless, the MWC is an improving conference, which is only about 4.5 ppg below the averages of the Big East conference. That would still make for very competitive games.

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

Sagarin's rankings weight the middle very strongly. The success of Utah, BYU and TCU pushed the middle down more than normal, as the middle of the conference usually wins a game or two over these teams.

The more ladder like the season looks the farther the teams separate, Utah > TCU > BYU > Other MWC. An ACC like connectivity locks the teams together.

The middle of the MWC have been fairly consistent. Air Force, New Mexico and UNLV earn a few points here and their in the polls. This year was different as the teams at the top took a significant step forward. It was this change that most people noticed.

1Tomcat · 10 months ago

In 2008 the only MWC vs B-12 I can remember are A&M over New Mex and OU over TCU, A&M had a horrible year 4-8,the #6 team from B-12 south but still managed a win against los lobos.
Next year Wyoming vs Texas

Ben Prather · 10 months ago

Yeah, I don't really talk that much about the MWC vs Big 12 this year...

But the other two are:

Colorado 38 CSU 17
UNLV 34 Iowa State 31

We can keep that 1-3 record just between us...

Tommy_Trojan · 10 months ago

These are the "combined" conference ratings for 1998 thru 2002 using Sagarins index. The point will be to see how "the landscape" may have changed over the last six years. The rating is the "average rating per team" within each conference. These numbers represent what each conference "actually" performed at through the 1st five years of the BCS format.

1.) Big 10 - 78.69
2.) Big 12 - 78.60
3.) SEC - 78.47
4.) Pac 10 - 77.71
5.) ACC - 76.21
6.) Big East - 75.50
7.) MWC - 68.92
8.) Conf USA - 67.40
9.) WAC - 64.35
10.) MAC - 60.55
11.) Sun Belt - 54.47

According to these ratings, the Big 10 conference may have been the best conference, during the 1st five years of the BCS format. There was less than a one-point difference between the top four conferences. Certainly, there was never any "dominance" for any one conference during this period of time. The Sun Belt conference was absolutely dreadful during it's infant stages.

Tommy_Trojan · 10 months ago

These are the "combined" conference ratings for 2003 thru 2008 using Sagarins index. The point will be to see how "the landscape" may have changed over the last six years. The rating is the "average rating per team" within each conference. These numbers represent what each conference "actually" performed at through the last six years of the BCS format.

1.) SEC - 78.49
2.) Pac 10 - 77.75
3.) ACC - 77.53
4.) Big 12 - 77.08
5.) Big 10 - 76.11
6.) Big East - 75.14
7.) MWC - 70.61
8.) Conf USA - 64.13
9.) WAC - 63.63
10.) MAC - 60.53
11.) Sun Belt - 57.68

The SEC, has in fact, moved to the top of the list. In the last three years especially, the SEC has been playing at a 80.63 rating per team. The Big 10 conference is taking a major nosedive in the last three years, playing at a lowly 74.24 rating, per team. Now, that is a significant margin, between the SEC and Big 10 teams lately. That represents six points or almost a touchdown, per team per game.

The next list shows what conferences are rising, and which conferences are falling, during the last six years of college football.

1.) Sun Belt - (+3.21)
2.) MWC - (+1.69)
3.) ACC - (+1.32)
4.) Pac 10 - (+0.04)
5.) SEC - (+0.02)
6.) MAC - (-0.02)
7.) Big East - (-0.36)
8.) WAC - (-0.72)
9.) Big 12 - (-1.52)
10.) Big 10 - (-2.58)
11.) Conf USA - (-3.27)

So, while the Sun Belt and ACC conferences are gaining ground in the South, they are clearly doing it to the detriment of the Conference USA. It seems as if Conf USA is getting outrecruited by the ACC and Sun Belt conferences lately.

Likewise in the West, where the MWC is making great progress, they are doing it at the detriment of both the Big 12 and WAC conferences.

The Big 10 has just got to be losing recruits all over the country. There are no "big gainers" in the North. So, it has to be that some recruits are heading somewhere else to play ball.

Contrary to public opinion - the Big 12 is a conference that is in decline. It is following almost the same path as the Big 10 conference is. National demographics has alot to do with this trend, as those areas of the country are getting more sparse, which will definately affect how many football players are available to play.

Tommy_Trojan · 10 months ago

Myth Busters (Part III):

These are the combined "Conference Ratings" for 1998 thru 2008 using the Sagarin Rating.

1.) SEC - 78.53
2.) Big 12 - 77.77
3.) Pac 10 - 77.73
4.) Big 10 - 77.29
5.) ACC - 76.93
6.) Big East - 75.30
7.) MWC - 69.93
8.) Conf USA - 65.62
9.) WAC - 63.96
10.) MAC - 60.54
11.) Sun Belt - 56.88

The SEC does finish out on top. Although the Rating per Team per conference, is less than one point per team per game, over the Big 12 and Pac 10 conferences. This would surely indicate, that the great "myth" of how hard it is to get through an SEC conference schedule, isn't any more difficult than anybody else has it - as a less than one point factor certainly isn't gonna cause very many more losses.

Tommy_Trojan · 10 months ago

Here's the funniest crap I've read all day. Yahoo has come out with a preliminary poll for next years startup. They have Alabama, Mississippi and Virginia Tech all rated ahead of USC. They say that USC will have trouble visiting Ohio State and Notre Dame. Notre Dame? Say what? Alabama doesn't even have a QB and their gonna be # 4 in the country? What? Does anybody got any idea what would happen to Mississippi if they had to play USC - with Mitch Mustain under center? Now, Virginia Tech is a good team, and I'm not gonna laugh too hard about that one, as they are a perennial Top Ten team. But, really, better than USC? I guess since we lost Mark Sanchez - that's it! It's all over.

BTW, they did have Florida # 1, which is probably about right. But, again, it's Oklahoma and Texas right behind them. They must have missed some of them bowl games that we all watched. But, the most hilarious of all, was that Alabama and Mississippi were also in the Top Five. Just can't seem to get enough of that SEC koolaide going.