I blame Steve Kerr. He's the GM of the Suns and also a former San Antonio Spur. When his Shaq experiment turned sour with an overtime three from Tim Duncan, deflating a talented Suns team in the first game of the first round of the 2008 playoffs, the rebuilding project of sorts held the potential to force him out of a job. He took over a terrific team and proceeded to almost change them fundamentally, first with Shaq and then by getting rid of the brains behind it all, Mike D'Antoni. They missed the playoffs in 2009 and got rid of Kerr's hand-picked coach. Coming into 2009-2010 in a Western Conference budding with young, hungry, and developing teams, it seemed their time was setting.
But the sunset everyone was expecting turned out to be a bright sunrise, showing its full colors and brilliance in the first two games of the Conference Semifinals against a seemingly fading Spurs squad. The strange aspect of this is that Phoenix is beating San Antonio the way the Spurs used to take care of the Suns: strong, penetrating point guard play (Nash); a selfless big man playing excellent pick-and-roll offense and defense (Stoudamire, who appears to finally be a good teammate); a lock-defender who chips in points as needed (Grant Hill); a three-point sharpshooter hitting his stride (Richardson); a bench that knows its role and produces (Dudley, Frye). This Suns team seems to have taken the blueprint from the '03, '05, and '07 Spurs championship teams -- and that's why I blame Kerr, who played on two of those teams.
Yet, it may not be Kerr's fault at all. I don't know who's responsible for getting Stoudamire to play selflessly. Whoever that is deserves the credit. For the heartbreaking series from '05, '07, and '08, the Spurs "let" the Suns' big man go wild, which in effect slowed down the fun-and-gun Suns, streaming their offense through Amar'e instead of Nash. The Spurs knew he was looking to get his; as they kept him focused on that, their offense slowed, his teammates weren't involved, and the Spurs won.
But Stoudamire also didn't have the help he does now. Frye, Dudley, and Richardson hang out around the perimeter in the same way Horry, Kerr, and Bowen did for the Spurs. Their team defense has improved as well, with Stoudamire having to learned to play sometime along the way. The spark of energy that had been provided for the Spurs off the bench has been better played by Dudley, Dragic, and Barbosa this series. The loose balls that DeJuan Blair seemed to always get during this season aren't being corralled by him; the Suns seem to get everyone of them.
The worst cut of all is that the Suns look more like a team than the Spurs. Whether it was Stoudamire or Marion on those other Suns' teams, there seemed to be enough discontent or uncertainty with each other that the chemistry the Spurs had revealed itself as trust on the court. This time around, that's what the Suns have in larger doses than the Spurs.
At least that's the case in Phoenix. Here's hoping the Alamo City allows an immediate reversal in this great rivalry.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Opening Day
I've watched Sex and the City: The Movie twice, which is at least three times more than I thought I'd ever watch it. But I've done so because I love my wife. And the goodwill from it gets all used up on days like today:
Opening Day...along with my endless tidbits of information about all things baseball that she might not know and needs to in order to fully enjoy the moment and the coming season.
What it prompted was this prayer from her as the Braves were wrapping up their opening day win:
Dear God,
Please let me have sons that are not just interested in baseball. Please let them be interested in other sports and good in other sports.
Amen.
I'll pray that same prayer too, but not with the same sentiment. Though I'm not sure that baseball will be able to continue in the national spotlight in the coming years (due to a myriad of factors), I do hope it's around for them to play and to follow. I was lucky to grow up with a baseball team that discovered winning just as I was discovering newspaper box scores. A new right fielder came up at the same time my attention span grew to be able to follow a sport over the course of several months. Dave Justice and the Atlanta Braves were my first love in sports.
It was magical to be a part of their rise from worst to first, and then watch as they never dropped out of first for 14 seasons. Playoffs were a given, though the championships were not. The '95 season was the culmination of all the almosts and not-enoughs from the previous finishes. As sweet as Game 6 was, with my favorite pitcher (Glavine) getting the win in a 1-0 game in which my favorite player (Justice) hit the homerun, the '96 series was just as bitter and bothers me to this day. Playing in New York against the Yankees for the first two games, the Braves went up 2-0 and headed to Atlanta with strong possibilities of sweeping and getting back-to-back championships. Jim Leyritz, among others including the Braves' closer, had other plans and destiny jumped to the Yankees for the rest of the '90s.
The disappointment I still feel from that '96 series is part of why I love following baseball. There's also joy, nostalgia, ballparks, conversations, box scores, radio broadcasts, and many other things to go with that disappointment, but I enjoy baseball and the memories it's given me through the years. And that's what I hope it can give our kids someday...years from now.
For today, Justice and Glavine are long gone from the lineup. Bobby Cox is starting his final year of coaching, 29 total years, 25 of those with the Braves. But Jason Heyward may be a better version of Justice and Tommy Hanson may be a combination of Smoltz and Glavine. There's hope in the spring air. Hopefully, the balls that were flying out of the park today will keep jumping off the Braves' bats all the way through November.
16-5 is a great start to the season. Let's go Braves!
Opening Day...along with my endless tidbits of information about all things baseball that she might not know and needs to in order to fully enjoy the moment and the coming season.
What it prompted was this prayer from her as the Braves were wrapping up their opening day win:
Dear God,
Please let me have sons that are not just interested in baseball. Please let them be interested in other sports and good in other sports.
Amen.
I'll pray that same prayer too, but not with the same sentiment. Though I'm not sure that baseball will be able to continue in the national spotlight in the coming years (due to a myriad of factors), I do hope it's around for them to play and to follow. I was lucky to grow up with a baseball team that discovered winning just as I was discovering newspaper box scores. A new right fielder came up at the same time my attention span grew to be able to follow a sport over the course of several months. Dave Justice and the Atlanta Braves were my first love in sports.
It was magical to be a part of their rise from worst to first, and then watch as they never dropped out of first for 14 seasons. Playoffs were a given, though the championships were not. The '95 season was the culmination of all the almosts and not-enoughs from the previous finishes. As sweet as Game 6 was, with my favorite pitcher (Glavine) getting the win in a 1-0 game in which my favorite player (Justice) hit the homerun, the '96 series was just as bitter and bothers me to this day. Playing in New York against the Yankees for the first two games, the Braves went up 2-0 and headed to Atlanta with strong possibilities of sweeping and getting back-to-back championships. Jim Leyritz, among others including the Braves' closer, had other plans and destiny jumped to the Yankees for the rest of the '90s.
The disappointment I still feel from that '96 series is part of why I love following baseball. There's also joy, nostalgia, ballparks, conversations, box scores, radio broadcasts, and many other things to go with that disappointment, but I enjoy baseball and the memories it's given me through the years. And that's what I hope it can give our kids someday...years from now.
For today, Justice and Glavine are long gone from the lineup. Bobby Cox is starting his final year of coaching, 29 total years, 25 of those with the Braves. But Jason Heyward may be a better version of Justice and Tommy Hanson may be a combination of Smoltz and Glavine. There's hope in the spring air. Hopefully, the balls that were flying out of the park today will keep jumping off the Braves' bats all the way through November.
16-5 is a great start to the season. Let's go Braves!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Team-Focus Wins Heisman for Ingram
I don't think Mark Ingram is the best football player in the country. I don't even think he's the best football player on his own team. (That distinction, in my mind, goes to linebacker Rolando McClain; that's another post). But I do believe that he is a deserving winner of the Heisman trophy, which recognizes the country's most outstanding college football player.
It was the closest vote in Heisman history, narrower than the 1985 vote that gave the award to another running back from the state of Alabama. (Which, by the way, how did Bo Jackson not win unanimously?) Toby Gerhart finished 28 points behind Ingram, who garnered 227 first-place votes to Gerhart's 222. Gerhart had an incredible season for Stanford, and probably suffered from a lack of exposure to the majority of the country. His stats, on the surface, were better than Ingram's:
Gerhart: 1736 rushing yards, 26 TDs; 10 receptions, 149 yards receiving, 0 TDs
Ingram: 1542 rushing yards, 15 TD; 30 receptions, 322 yards receiving, 3 TDs
However, upon closer inspection, Ingram's stats stand out a bit more:
Gerhart: 311 carries, 5.6 yds/carry, 63% of Stanford's rushing attempts
Ingram: 249 carries, 6.2 yds/carry, 45% of Alabama's rushing attempts
Stanford ran the ball 497 times this season; Alabama did so 550 times, which includes one more game than Stanford. Even with one more game played, Ingram had fewer carries than Gerhart and a lower percentage of the load to carry. This can be viewed in many ways: Ingram was kept fresher because of other running backs; Gerhart's stats are more impressive because he was the focal point of his team's rushing attack (thus, meaning teams focused their game plans on him and he still piled up yards); Alabama could have plugged another back in there and he would have done just as good as Ingram.
However, I think this points to an even greater year by Ingram. If he had as many carries as Gerhart, by Ingram's yard per attempt, he'd have gained over 1900 yards rushing. Though Ingram was the starter, he wasn't as featured as Gerhart was. Stanford's second- and third-leading rushers carried the ball 61 and 55 times each, respectively, for 354 and 298 yards. (Their quarterback was their second-leading rusher). For Alabama, the second- and third-leading rushers were both running backs, carrying 126 and 46 times each, respectively, for 642 and 290 yards.
This would seem to imply that Alabama's offensive line and running backs were stronger, giving Ingram an advantage. However, looking at each team's yards per attempt, Stanford has the edge. They averaged 5.4 yards per carry as a team; Alabama averaged 5.1 yards per carry. This means that Ingram averaged more than a yard better than his team, while Gerhart was 0.2 yards above his team's rushing yards per carry.
This isn't to take away from Gerhart's season, ability, or talent. The man is a great running back and had a fabulous season. But for those thinking that Ingram rode the coattails of #1 ranked team as his sole claim to the Heisman race (and victory), think again. Mark Ingram is a fantastic football player and was a steadying and consistent force for the Crimson Tide as they navigated the defenses of the SEC. And yet he simply played his role, not only running the ball, but blocking and receiving as well. He cheered for and encouraged the running backs behind him, particularly Trent Richardson, someone who may have even more raw talent than Ingram.
In games that were decided by half or the third quarter, Ingram didn't get a chance to pad his stats. In the games that he started slowly (Virginia Tech) or didn't have it (Arkansas and Auburn), his coach went to the other running backs in order for the team to succeed. Ingram didn't complain; he didn't lash out. He responded.
In an outstanding way.
And though it's brought individual attention to him and his ability, it should not be overlooked that his team is what's most important to him. It's the people in his life, from family and friends to coaches, trainers, and teachers at the university, that he mentioned in his speech that allowed this to happen. The Crimson Tide fans are doubtlessly excited to finally have a Heisman winner. They should be just as excited that's it's someone like Mark Ingram. A selfless team player, playing his role and doing his best to bring to Alabama what it wants most: another national championship.
It was the closest vote in Heisman history, narrower than the 1985 vote that gave the award to another running back from the state of Alabama. (Which, by the way, how did Bo Jackson not win unanimously?) Toby Gerhart finished 28 points behind Ingram, who garnered 227 first-place votes to Gerhart's 222. Gerhart had an incredible season for Stanford, and probably suffered from a lack of exposure to the majority of the country. His stats, on the surface, were better than Ingram's:
Gerhart: 1736 rushing yards, 26 TDs; 10 receptions, 149 yards receiving, 0 TDs
Ingram: 1542 rushing yards, 15 TD; 30 receptions, 322 yards receiving, 3 TDs
However, upon closer inspection, Ingram's stats stand out a bit more:
Gerhart: 311 carries, 5.6 yds/carry, 63% of Stanford's rushing attempts
Ingram: 249 carries, 6.2 yds/carry, 45% of Alabama's rushing attempts
Stanford ran the ball 497 times this season; Alabama did so 550 times, which includes one more game than Stanford. Even with one more game played, Ingram had fewer carries than Gerhart and a lower percentage of the load to carry. This can be viewed in many ways: Ingram was kept fresher because of other running backs; Gerhart's stats are more impressive because he was the focal point of his team's rushing attack (thus, meaning teams focused their game plans on him and he still piled up yards); Alabama could have plugged another back in there and he would have done just as good as Ingram.
However, I think this points to an even greater year by Ingram. If he had as many carries as Gerhart, by Ingram's yard per attempt, he'd have gained over 1900 yards rushing. Though Ingram was the starter, he wasn't as featured as Gerhart was. Stanford's second- and third-leading rushers carried the ball 61 and 55 times each, respectively, for 354 and 298 yards. (Their quarterback was their second-leading rusher). For Alabama, the second- and third-leading rushers were both running backs, carrying 126 and 46 times each, respectively, for 642 and 290 yards.
This would seem to imply that Alabama's offensive line and running backs were stronger, giving Ingram an advantage. However, looking at each team's yards per attempt, Stanford has the edge. They averaged 5.4 yards per carry as a team; Alabama averaged 5.1 yards per carry. This means that Ingram averaged more than a yard better than his team, while Gerhart was 0.2 yards above his team's rushing yards per carry.
This isn't to take away from Gerhart's season, ability, or talent. The man is a great running back and had a fabulous season. But for those thinking that Ingram rode the coattails of #1 ranked team as his sole claim to the Heisman race (and victory), think again. Mark Ingram is a fantastic football player and was a steadying and consistent force for the Crimson Tide as they navigated the defenses of the SEC. And yet he simply played his role, not only running the ball, but blocking and receiving as well. He cheered for and encouraged the running backs behind him, particularly Trent Richardson, someone who may have even more raw talent than Ingram.
In games that were decided by half or the third quarter, Ingram didn't get a chance to pad his stats. In the games that he started slowly (Virginia Tech) or didn't have it (Arkansas and Auburn), his coach went to the other running backs in order for the team to succeed. Ingram didn't complain; he didn't lash out. He responded.
In an outstanding way.
And though it's brought individual attention to him and his ability, it should not be overlooked that his team is what's most important to him. It's the people in his life, from family and friends to coaches, trainers, and teachers at the university, that he mentioned in his speech that allowed this to happen. The Crimson Tide fans are doubtlessly excited to finally have a Heisman winner. They should be just as excited that's it's someone like Mark Ingram. A selfless team player, playing his role and doing his best to bring to Alabama what it wants most: another national championship.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Top 10, Week 14
- Alabama (13-0) Unbelievably impressive win over Florida, like Saban had been stewing and preparing for the game since last year's championship game. They played their best game of the season so far. The hype is going to be in their favor heading to Pasadena; hopefully they've got one more dominating performance in them.
- Texas (13-0) The Longhorns didn't finish the season with anything close to flair, but they did win. Their defense held down a not-so-potent Nebraska offense; it's their own offense that left the question marks. But they pulled it out, which is a mark of a winner. Another good sign for the Horns: a 7-0-1 all-time record against Alabama.
- TCU (12-0) Great season, great team, unfortunate ending in the Big 12 Championship Game for them. What a match-up it would be to see them go against Texas. We'll have to settle for them against Boise State in the Fiesta, if the Fiesta knows what's good for them.
- Cincinnati (12-0) Wild, wild finish in Pittsburgh today. Pike showed resilience in coming back from a rough start. Another great season for the Bearcats; they'll be hungry for some gator meat in the Sugar Bowl.
- Boise State (13-0) Any chance of a letdown in their last game was quickly wiped out. Yet another team with a fantastic season; they too should go BCS bowling.
- Florida (12-1) Tough, tough loss to the Tide. They got hit in the face from the get-go and couldn't recover. Giving up a 69-yard reception immediately after making it a 12-10 game in the second quarter broke their spirit; the touchdown run on the next play practically sealed the outcome.
- Oregon (10-2) Pac-10 champions pull it out at home in the Civil War. They get a better-than-earlier-in-the-season Ohio State team in the Rose Bowl.
- Georgia Tech (11-2) They jump back into the Top 10 with their ACC Championship Game win, which is one reason their ahead of the Big Ten champ. They sit behind the Ducks because the ACC wasn't as strong as the Pac-10.
- BYU (10-2) Florida State? At home? Still mind-boggling. But at least it wasn't to a middle-of-the-pack Pac-10 team with a freshman quarterback.
- Ohio State (10-2) Get a championship game. Beat a decent out-of-conference opponent. Get ready for a fast, tough game against the Ducks.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
By the numbers
1 -- penalty called against the Tide, for 5 yards
3 -- touchdowns scored by Ingram
11 -- number of 3rd down conversions made by Alabama out of 15
20:23 -- amount of time Florida held the ball
22 -- number of SEC Championships Alabama has now won
39:37 -- amount of time Alabama held the ball
69 -- yards gained on a pass play to Ingram immediately after Florida cut the lead to 12-10, swinging the momentum back in Bama's favor
89 -- total rushing yards for the Gators
96 -- yards receiving for Maze on 5 receptions, double his season average
113 -- yards rushing for Ingram
239 -- yards passing for McElroy
251 -- total rushing yards for Alabama
490 -- total yards gained by Alabama, 250 more than Florida's defense averaged before this game
3 -- touchdowns scored by Ingram
11 -- number of 3rd down conversions made by Alabama out of 15
20:23 -- amount of time Florida held the ball
22 -- number of SEC Championships Alabama has now won
39:37 -- amount of time Alabama held the ball
69 -- yards gained on a pass play to Ingram immediately after Florida cut the lead to 12-10, swinging the momentum back in Bama's favor
89 -- total rushing yards for the Gators
96 -- yards receiving for Maze on 5 receptions, double his season average
113 -- yards rushing for Ingram
239 -- yards passing for McElroy
251 -- total rushing yards for Alabama
490 -- total yards gained by Alabama, 250 more than Florida's defense averaged before this game
SEC Champions
Initial thoughts from the SEC Championship Game:
- Greg McElroy played an incredible game. This was the type of poise and decision-making I was hoping for from him this season. Great job of hanging in the pocket and making precision passes.
- Mark Ingram had great TD runs and had a good bounce-back game from last week.
- What about the offensive line? These guys made all Tide fans forget about last year's group. What a performance. Vlachos' block of Spikes in the first quarter on a sweep or toss helped set the tone for evening. The O-line played their best game of the year.
- The defense was outstanding. The pressure was there from the D-line and linebackers and the secondary held strong. Good pick by Arenas; Woodall should've had one too. Erik Anders did a great job of shadowing Gonzalez and Ro was awesome watching Tebow.
- Cody's presence in the middle kept Florida from attempting to run. That Florida didn't have many rushing attempts was huge.
- The coaching staff had a great offensive and defensive game plan. The players executed it to near perfection.
- I thought Saban might get wet with a Gatorade bath, but the players may have decided to save that for Pasadena.
- My TV messed up right after Florida scored to make it 12-10 and I thought the game was going to start messing up as well. Neither the tide nor the Tide turned and I was able to get CBS back.
- Roll Tide!
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Conference Debate
As a fan and follower of the Southeastern Conference, I believe I watch the nation's best conference week after week. I've held this belief since my elementary school days, reflecting an obvious point in the debate for college football's best conference: where you live heavily influences your answer.
In college, the guys on my dorm hall were a mix of SEC and Big Ten/11 fans, with Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU, Kentucky, Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan, and Indiana represented in some way or another. We gladly agreed that the Pac-10 and Big 12 sucked and little else.
With this year's college football season winding down, I decided to spend Sunday afternoon compiling information about the BCS conferences, as well as the Mountain West Conference since they have three teams ranked in the Top 25, including #4 TCU.
Looking at out-of-conference games, here are the records for the seven conferences, in order by number of wins:
Since the Pac-10 requires each of its teams to play the other, giving them nine conference games instead of the seven or eight like the other conferences, they only have a total of 30 out of conference games. Also, the Big East only has eight members, limiting them to seven conference games. Here are the ranking of the conferences by winning percentages:
These percentages, though, do not include games against Notre Dame. Since Notre Dame has the possibility for a BCS tie-in in the BCS contract, I also worked out the percentages if Notre Dame games were included:
As far as scheduling goes, based merely on playing other BCS schools, the Pac-10, Big East, ACC, and MWC are on the right track. I'd love to see more SEC vs Pac-10 games (only three this season), SEC vs Big 12 (only three this season), SEC vs Big East (only two this year), and some regular season SEC vs Big Ten games as well (none this year).
But scheduling doesn't give the full picture, in the same way that non-conference wins or percentage of wins doesn't provide the whole shebang. I looked through the wins and losses against other BCS conferences and found that a lot of those wins were against the lesser competition from those conferences. For example, the SEC has 10 wins against other BCS schools. They've got wins against Georgia Tech and Clemson (the ACC's two division winners) and West Virginia (3rd in the Big East), but that total also includes some mediocre and lowly teams, like Florida State (6-6), Arizona State (4-8), and Louisville (4-8).
So, I looked at wins and losses against the current BCS Top 25 (Week 13, 2009). Here's what was found, by number of wins:
The last measurement that I'll list concerns wins against FCS schools (formerly Division 1-AA). In my assessment, the fewer FCS schools on the schedule, the better. The shame list reads as such:
Taking all of this into account, I still think the SEC is this year's top conference. They have some improvements to make as far as their scheduling goes, needing to reduce the number of games against FCS opponents and increasing the number of games against other BCS teams, especially beyond the ACC. However, they keep winning, whether it is against inferior, superior, or equal competition.
This is how I see the conferences stacking up, by strength from top to bottom. It includes information from above, as well as some input from the BCS rankings.
In college, the guys on my dorm hall were a mix of SEC and Big Ten/11 fans, with Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU, Kentucky, Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan, and Indiana represented in some way or another. We gladly agreed that the Pac-10 and Big 12 sucked and little else.
With this year's college football season winding down, I decided to spend Sunday afternoon compiling information about the BCS conferences, as well as the Mountain West Conference since they have three teams ranked in the Top 25, including #4 TCU.
Looking at out-of-conference games, here are the records for the seven conferences, in order by number of wins:
- SEC: 42-6
- Big 12: 35-13
- Big East: 32-8
- Big Ten: 31-11
- ACC: 30-18
- Pac-10: 21-9
- MWC: 21-15
Since the Pac-10 requires each of its teams to play the other, giving them nine conference games instead of the seven or eight like the other conferences, they only have a total of 30 out of conference games. Also, the Big East only has eight members, limiting them to seven conference games. Here are the ranking of the conferences by winning percentages:
- SEC: 0.875
- Big East: 0.800
- Big Ten: 0.738
- Big 12: 0.729
- Pac-10: 0.700
- ACC: 0.625
- MWC: 0.583
- SEC: 10-4
- Big East: 8-6
- ACC: 8-9
- Pac-10: 6-5
- MWC: 5-9
- Big 12: 4-7
- Big Ten: 3-7
- MWC: 38.89%
- Pac-10: 36.67%
- ACC: 35.42%
- Big East: 35.00%
- SEC: 29.17%
- Big Ten: 23.81%
- Big 12: 22.92%
These percentages, though, do not include games against Notre Dame. Since Notre Dame has the possibility for a BCS tie-in in the BCS contract, I also worked out the percentages if Notre Dame games were included:
- Pac-10: 50.00%
- Big East: 40.00%
- MWC: 38.89%
- ACC: 37.50%
- Big Ten: 30.95%
- SEC: 29.17%
- Big 12: 22.92%
As far as scheduling goes, based merely on playing other BCS schools, the Pac-10, Big East, ACC, and MWC are on the right track. I'd love to see more SEC vs Pac-10 games (only three this season), SEC vs Big 12 (only three this season), SEC vs Big East (only two this year), and some regular season SEC vs Big Ten games as well (none this year).
But scheduling doesn't give the full picture, in the same way that non-conference wins or percentage of wins doesn't provide the whole shebang. I looked through the wins and losses against other BCS conferences and found that a lot of those wins were against the lesser competition from those conferences. For example, the SEC has 10 wins against other BCS schools. They've got wins against Georgia Tech and Clemson (the ACC's two division winners) and West Virginia (3rd in the Big East), but that total also includes some mediocre and lowly teams, like Florida State (6-6), Arizona State (4-8), and Louisville (4-8).
So, I looked at wins and losses against the current BCS Top 25 (Week 13, 2009). Here's what was found, by number of wins:
- ACC: 4-5 (W: Pitt, BYU, Nebraska, Stanford; L: TCU (2), Alabama, Florida, California)
- SEC: 3-4 (W: Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, West Virginia; L: Ok St, Georgia Tech (2), Houston)
- Pac-10: 2-4 (W: Utah, Ohio State; L: Boise St, Cincinnati, LSU, Iowa)
- Big East: 1-3 (W: Oregon St; L: Miami, Penn State, Utah)
- Big 12: 0-6 (L: Virginia Tech, Iowa, Houston (2), BYU, Miami)
- Big Ten: 0-4 (L: USC, Oregon, California, Cincinnati)
- MWC: 0-3 (L: Oregon, Texas, Oregon State)
The last measurement that I'll list concerns wins against FCS schools (formerly Division 1-AA). In my assessment, the fewer FCS schools on the schedule, the better. The shame list reads as such:
- ACC: 12-2
- SEC: 11-0
- Big East: 10-0
- Big 12: 9-0
- Big Ten: 8-0
- MWC: 6-0
- Pac-10: 4-0
Taking all of this into account, I still think the SEC is this year's top conference. They have some improvements to make as far as their scheduling goes, needing to reduce the number of games against FCS opponents and increasing the number of games against other BCS teams, especially beyond the ACC. However, they keep winning, whether it is against inferior, superior, or equal competition.
This is how I see the conferences stacking up, by strength from top to bottom. It includes information from above, as well as some input from the BCS rankings.
- SEC
- Pac-10
- ACC
- Big East
- Big Ten
- Big 12
- MWC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)