Some BCS facts for your SEC friends

[Diego-Bucks]

3-1. Total domination in all aspects by any definition.

Not to mention, LSU, Kentucky and Auburn still have to play. The SEC could be 3-7 in this bowl season... What would happen then? Now, they've certainly earned the respect as the strongest conference, but it just goes to show that bowl games, while just about the only option, are not very strong indicators of conference strength. 30+ days off before the game, lots of travelling, match-ups based not on strength but marketability.

When they go in a conferences favor, they are highly-regarded samples of domination. When they aren't in your favor they are just exhibitions. The truth is somewhere murky in the middle of those.

 

[JCOSU86]

Not to mention, LSU, Kentucky and Auburn still have to play. The SEC could be 3-7 in this bowl season... What would happen then? Now, they've certainly earned the respect as the strongest conference, but it just goes to show that bowl games, while just about the only option, are not very strong indicators of conference strength. 30+ days off before the game, lots of travelling, match-ups based not on strength but marketability.

When they go in a conferences favor, they are highly-regarded samples of domination. When they aren't in your favor they are just exhibitions. The truth is somewhere murky in the middle of those.

God's Conference. For a reason.

 

[rnclittlerock]

i think that truth is that there are more mid tier SEC teams on the rise, and more mid tier big 10 teams in decline.

the difference between LSU/Alabama/OSU/etc isn't that much.

arkansas, miss state, and USCe were improved this year. that accounts for the recent decline of georgia/tennesee with +1 to boot. and tennessee has the money and recruits, it won't take them long to get back to persistent top 15 play, just need a couple of years with the new coach to get moving in the right direction.

on the other hand michigan and PSU are in decline and only wisconsin is on the rise from also-ran to contender. MSU and Iowa when they break into that top 10 always seem to get blown out either in their bowl or by their first legit top 15 opponent and knocked back down to reality.

i don't think that'll change with nebraska coming in either. if nebraska is successful they will simply leech players from iowa and knock iowa's inflated value back down to where it should have been. if nebraska gets enough of pelini and fires him after a dozen more media breakdowns, nebraska will fall back into mediocrity, and the big 10(2) will still remain a two team conference.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Jax:

I figured you would know for certain something that BKB's acquaintance mentioned the other day. Does the Big Ten have the longest active winning streak against the SEC in bowl games? For clarification, what I mean is that there has been a Big Ten team that's beaten an SEC team each year for 9 years running or so.

by only kicking field goals or straight up?

 

[Jake]

That 1893 Kentucky tie has always bothered me...

Understandable.
Michigan fans are still pounding their chests over their 19th century domination.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Understandable.
Michigan fans are still pounding their chests over their 19th century domination.

It wasn't that long ago at all in geological terms.

 

[Diego-Bucks]

i think that truth is that there are more mid tier SEC teams on the rise, and more mid tier big 10 teams in decline.

the difference between LSU/Alabama/OSU/etc isn't that much.

arkansas, miss state, and USCe were improved this year. that accounts for the recent decline of georgia/tennesee with +1 to boot. and tennessee has the money and recruits, it won't take them long to get back to persistent top 15 play, just need a couple of years with the new coach to get moving in the right direction.

on the other hand michigan and PSU are in decline and only wisconsin is on the rise from also-ran to contender. MSU and Iowa when they break into that top 10 always seem to get blown out either in their bowl or by their first legit top 15 opponent and knocked back down to reality.

i don't think that'll change with nebraska coming in either. if nebraska is successful they will simply leech players from iowa and knock iowa's inflated value back down to where it should have been. if nebraska gets enough of pelini and fires him after a dozen more media breakdowns, nebraska will fall back into mediocrity, and the big 10(2) will still remain a two team conference.

In the immediate sense, you are likely correct. I think the SEC and Big Ten are the two best conferences in terms of tradition, prestige and money. The SEC has the upper hand recently and at the moment, but 10 years ago it was the Big Ten. Without Tennessee, Florida and Georgia doing what they need to do though, the perception of the SEC being a "deep" conference can definitely change. For the Big Ten Wisc., Neb., Iowa, need to maintain their current levels of success and one of Penn State and Michigan need to get up. It'd also help if Purdue or Illinois got back to 7 win category and Michigan State can replicate their last few years of success.

The Big Ten has the programs but not the coaches at the moment.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Understandable.
Michigan fans are still pounding their chests over their [strike]19th century[/stike] pre-WWI domination.

Now, now...let's give credit where credit is due.

 

[matcar]

i think that truth is that there are more mid tier SEC teams on the rise, and more mid tier big 10 teams in decline.

the difference between LSU/Alabama/OSU/etc isn't that much.

arkansas, miss state, and USCe were improved this year. that accounts for the recent decline of georgia/tennesee with +1 to boot. and tennessee has the money and recruits, it won't take them long to get back to persistent top 15 play, just need a couple of years with the new coach to get moving in the right direction.

on the other hand michigan and PSU are in decline and only wisconsin is on the rise from also-ran to contender. MSU and Iowa when they break into that top 10 always seem to get blown out either in their bowl or by their first legit top 15 opponent and knocked back down to reality.

i don't think that'll change with nebraska coming in either. if nebraska is successful they will simply leech players from iowa and knock iowa's inflated value back down to where it should have been. if nebraska gets enough of pelini and fires him after a dozen more media breakdowns, nebraska will fall back into mediocrity, and the big 10(2) will still remain a two team conference.

Seems plausible that Nebraska will be strong, not mid-90s strong, but strong. But I don't know how that will impact Iowa greatly. IMO, Iowa will always be Iowa...a few good years interspersed within loads of mediocrity.

As you've noted, PSU and TSUN are falling because of bad coaching situations. Not sure how long it will be before this turns around. ...and not sure I care. :)

In the situation I've described above, that leaves 3 and sometimes 4 teams during any given season that would be a tough out for any program. And then a few middle tier teams that you can't take lightly, and then a few others that you just point and laugh at....yes, I'm talking to you TSUN.

That's a fine conference to me.

 

[Jake]

i think that truth is that there are more mid tier SEC teams on the rise, and more mid tier big 10 teams in decline.

Hmmm...that "truth" sounds like it is based on about 5 days worth of history.

the difference between LSU/Alabama/OSU/etc isn't that much.

Agreed.

arkansas, miss state, and USCe were improved this year. that accounts for the recent decline of georgia/tennesee with +1 to boot. and tennessee has the money and recruits, it won't take them long to get back to persistent top 15 play, just need a couple of years with the new coach to get moving in the right direction.

Miss State rises from the ashes once in awhile, until their coach realizes he can leave Starkville, MS and they go back down the tubes. Georgia and Tenn have their years but "persistent" (sic) top 15 play has been cyclical. I'll believe Arkansas and USCe can maintain when I see it.

on the other hand michigan and PSU are in decline and only wisconsin is on the rise from also-ran to contender.

PSU beat LSU in a bowl game about 370 days ago. Michigan has all the resources to come back if they can actually make a wise coaching decision.

MSU and Iowa when they break into that top 10 always seem to get blown out either in their bowl or by their first legit top 15 opponent and knocked back down to reality.

I'll buy that for Sparty but Iowa has been more consistently successful than that assertion.

i don't think that'll change with nebraska coming in either. if nebraska is successful they will simply leech players from iowa and knock iowa's inflated value back down to where it should have been. if nebraska gets enough of pelini and fires him after a dozen more media breakdowns, nebraska will fall back into mediocrity, and the big 10(2) will still remain a two team conference.

Nebraska is still located in the place it has been for years, so they could "leech" players from Iowa either way. The fact is, neither of those schools win by living off in-state recruits, so your theory has no basis in fact. What Nebraska does is expand the conference's reach the same way Arkansas did for the SEC.

 

[Zurp]

Jax:

I figured you would know for certain something that BKB's acquaintance mentioned the other day. Does the Big Ten have the longest active winning streak against the SEC in bowl games? For clarification, what I mean is that there has been a Big Ten team that's beaten an SEC team each year for 9 years running or so.

I only figured out Big Ten vs. SEC in bowl games.
2010-2011 Ohio State beat Arkansas
2009-2010 Penn State beat LSU
2008-2009 Iowa beat South Carolina
2007-2008 Michigan beat Florida
2006-2007 Penn State beat Tennessee and Wisconsin beat Arkansas
2005-2006 Wisconsin beat Auburn
2004-2005 Minnesota beat Alabama and Iowa beat LSU
2003-2004 Iowa beat Florida
2002-2003 Minnesota beat Arkansas and Michigan beat Florida
2001-2002 Big Ten lost all three games vs. SEC
2000-2001 Michigan beat Auburn

You're correct that that's 9 consecutive years with at least 1 win over an SEC team in bowl games. Maybe longer if you look at regular season games in 2001.

I don't have any idea about other conferences vs. the SEC.

(By the way, the Big Ten beat the SEC in both bowl games in 1998-1999. Other than that, the SEC has won at least one game against the Big Ten every year, making their streak at 12 years.)

 

[PlanetFrnd]

It wasn't that long ago at all in geological terms.

On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.

 

[rnclittlerock]

Miss State rises from the ashes once in awhile, until their coach realizes he can leave Starkville, MS and they go back down the tubes. Georgia and Tenn have their years but "persistent" (sic) top 15 play has been cyclical. I'll believe Arkansas and USCe can maintain when I see it.

true, i suppose. miss state will never be a contender. but georgia and tn should return to their former selves, it'll just take a couple of years.

PSU beat LSU in a bowl game about 370 days ago. Michigan has all the resources to come back if they can actually make a wise coaching decision.

LSU is different from PSU in that one is over achieving when they win that game and the other is under achieving. LSU has the players, a ton of NFL talent comes out of LA high schools, they just have a love affair with incompetent coaches. PSU is not in a high school talent hotbed like LSU is.

I'll buy that for Sparty but Iowa has been more consistently successful than that assertion.



Nebraska is still located in the place it has been for years, so they could "leech" players from Iowa either way. The fact is, neither of those schools win by living off in-state recruits, so your theory has no basis in fact. What Nebraska does is expand the conference's reach the same way Arkansas did for the SEC.

i've never bought into iowa success. OSU and wisconsin? sure, they're no different from the top couple of teams in any other conference.

but there's a significant drop off when you get into Iowa, PSU, UM, and MSU. when was the last time one of those teams beat OSU?

 

[leroyjenkins]

but there's a significant drop off when you get into Iowa, PSU, UM, and MSU. when was the last time one of those teams beat OSU?

2008 PSU beat the Buckeyes in Columbus.

 

[cjmik_75]

LSU is different from PSU in that one is over achieving when they win that game and the other is under achieving. LSU has the players, a ton of NFL talent comes out of LA high schools, they just have a love affair with incompetent coaches. PSU is not in a high school talent hotbed like LSU is.

Spoken like a true SEC slappy.