[TitanFan]

Why does everyone have this strange idea that USC has once again played a cupcake schedule? Why do people not realise that Oklahoma is the one with the crappy schedule just like last year. Take a look at the very good to elite teams on each schedule:

USC:

VA Tech in Washington - Potential ACC champion played in DC which is like a road game.
VS Cal in LA - A top 5 team and likely Rose Bowl contender beat
VS ASU in LA - A two loss team that blew out Iowa and Northwestern (Big Ten teams who are over .500 in conference)
VS Notre Dame - Not yet played but Notre Dame beat Tennessee who is Auburn's best win

Oklahoma:

VS Texas in Dallas - Good win vs top 10 team

At aTm and Okie State are borderline but not close to VA Tech or Cal. No effort to play good teams OOC.

Auburn:

VS LSU at home - Won by a point vs a decent but not great team
At Tennessee - Nice blowout road win
VS UGA this week - Real test

Are either of these really as good as VA Tech or Cal?

Wisconsin:

No wins over legit teams unless you include at Purdue although they've been found out now.
Future test at Iowa. Not a great team but a tough place to play.

Utah:

Possibly aTm if you think they're a real test although aTm lost to Baylor

Boise State

Joke schedule

[The Archduke]

It's because most people aren't sold on the Pac-10. After USC, Cal, and ASU, what is there? I think USC is the best team in the nation regardless.

[boltalicious]

Originally posted by Chad2Santana4TD@Nov 8 2004, 06:47 PM
It's because most people aren't sold on the Pac-10.* After USC, Cal, and ASU, what is there?* I think USC is the best team in the nation regardless.

Oregon State plays some pretty tough football....they took LSU to the wire, then fell apart for a few games before getting their confidence back....Oregon is sort of in the same boat....both teams can hang with almost any team in the nation for at least a little while....

[The Archduke]

Originally posted by boltalicious@Nov 8 2004, 10:07 PM
Oregon State plays some pretty tough football....they took LSU to the wire, then fell apart for a few games before getting their confidence back....Oregon is sort of in the same boat....both teams can hang with almost any team in the nation for at least a little while....

Hey, I've been fairly impressed with some of the mid-level teams in the Pac-10 lately...I'm just saying what most of the media looks at.

[TitanFan]

That's the problem! The media doesn't stay awake long enough to see. Everyone knows UCLA, Oregon, OSU and Stanford are better than most of the bums in the Big XII North. None of them could destroy Iowa the way ASU did or play LSU that tough in Death Valley. The media just works on records rather than tape. The Pac 10 always has less bowl eligable teams because pretty much all of them play really tough OOC schedules, which is the opposite to the Big XII, Big Ten (apart from a few) and SEC.

[boltalicious]

Originally posted by TitanFan@Nov 9 2004, 07:50 AM
That's the problem! The media doesn't stay awake long enough to see. Everyone knows UCLA, Oregon, OSU and Stanford are better than most of the bums in the Big XII North. None of them could destroy Iowa the way ASU did or play LSU that tough in Death Valley. The media just works on records rather than tape. The Pac 10 always has less bowl eligable teams because pretty much all of them play really tough OOC schedules, which is the opposite to the Big XII, Big Ten (apart from a few) and SEC.

Exactly....

[boltalicious]

I found this under one of Stewart Mandel's columns recently....pretty interesting that the SEC is ranked the sixth best conference in the country....and almost getting beat out by the Mountain West....


Auburn has one good year every decade and is always left out of the title picture. 1983: screwed (Miami leapfrogs No. 3 Auburn after the bowl games). 1993: undefeated but on probation (Auburn's own fault). 2004: about to be left out of again. The SEC champ should have an automatic berth in the national championship every year and it should be left at that. -- Paul Crane, Auburn, Ala.

Good historical perspective, Paul, but you've got to be kidding me about the last part. I know it's engrained in Southerners at birth that the SEC is the undisputed best conference in the country, and there are certainly years where that's true, but it's hardly a given. In fact, according to both Jeff Sagarin's and Jerry Palm's computer rankings, the SEC is currently sixth, neck-and-neck with the Mountain West. If I'm an Auburn fan, I'd think twice about using "the SEC is tougher" as my argument for unseating either USC or Oklahoma. I'm sure the Trojans fans would be quick to point out that the SEC has lost six of its past eight head-to-head matchups with the Pac-10. And I'm sure the Big 12 would be happy to point out its 6-2 record against fellow BCS conferences this season compared with the SEC's illustrious 2-3 mark (its most impressive win coming against 4-5 Oregon State).

While I understand Auburn's frustration, as of right now they don't have much of an argument. Using the BCS' old strength-of-schedule ratings, as calculated by Palm, Oklahoma's schedule is currently fourth, USC's 10th and Auburn's 59th. However, as I said in Saturday's Oklahoma column, if Auburn finishes up by beating No. 8 Georgia, winning at Alabama and sweeping No. 15 Tennessee, then the pollsters would have to think long and hard about moving the Tigers into the top two.

[The Archduke]

Stewart Mandel's a clown. No way the SEC is the SIXTH best conference in football. He's basing that on the findings of a couple of computer nerds, namely Jeff Sagarin.

I say the ACC is the strongest conference this season, followed by the SEC, then the Big Ten, then the Pac-10, then the Big 12.

I base my rankings on how many "creampuff" teams are the in conference. In the ACC, outside of Duke, there are no 'guaranteed' wins. In the SEC, outside of Kentucky and Vanderbilt, there are no 'guaranteed'. and so on and so forth.

I also think that the Pac-10 and Big Ten are interchangeable.

**** Sagarin and his lovefest with the MWC. Utah would lose two games (at least) in the SEC, and the rest of those chumpstains would probably lose at least 4.

[ranrod7]

I picked USC as my BCS Champion again this year....same as last year!!!!!! They have awesome talent and recruit like MoFo's too....!!!!!!

[boltalicious]

Originally posted by ranrod7@Nov 11 2004, 06:02 PM
I picked USC as my BCS Champion again this year....same as last year!!!!!! They have awesome talent and recruit like MoFo's too....!!!!!!

Smart man...