While the Big Ten was down in bowls, it is clear it isn't just us...

[Sparlimb]

Think about the stat they kept saying last night. This is the 5th national title in a row for the SEC. Florida has two and LSU, Alabama and Auburn each have one title in that span. The two most embarassing losses in bowl games this year were Michigan State getting crushed by Alabama and Michigan getting crushed by Mississippi St. Both SEC teams. So while we, as a conference, certainly don't stack up at all comapred to the SEC, I'd argue that neither does any other conference. Think about it. No other conference has been able to stop the SEC from a title in five whole years. Them against everyone. So while it is alarming they are so far ahead, it is at least comforting to know they are that far ahead of all the other conferences. It can't last forever, so it will be interesting to watch over the next 10 years...

 

[Schnauzer]

I am going to have to go ahead and disagree with your police work there. The SEC has won 5 National titles in a row and that is impressive, even if it is with the BCS system which is questionable. No matter what, that is 5 big bowl wins in a row against very good teams. Can't deny that and the SEC just might be the best football conference. However, the gap isn't nearly as big as ESPN would like you to believe. The SEC bowl losses to non qualifiers, a long history of playing the Big 10 even up, and other bowl losses are somehow swept under the rug. They had some ugly bowl losses this year, like most years. But, all that is forgotten when they win the BCS championship.

The Big 10 is 14-16 in its last 30 bowl games with the SEC, and that includes 0-3 in OT games. Prior to this year's 1-3 results, the balance was actually tilted slightly in favor of the Big 10. The poor showing this year is actually remindful of the year "we" went 0-3. Outside of those two years, the Big 10 has stacked up well.

Anyway, I posted the following a few days ago but I think it pertains to this discussion...

Let's say there are two football conferences in a galaxy far away. Let's call these "make believe" conferences Red and Blue. The Red conference is generally considered to be superior to the other and there are a lot of reports this is because it is much, much faster. Aparently there is no strength the Blue conference can counter with. Further, the fans of the Red conference will remind everyone at every turn their group of teams is far better than anything else.

As these questions are debated, teams from the blue and red conferences lock horns each year in bowl games. Of course this doesn't account for several very important things: such as teams from both the red and blue conferences are also playing other teams from yellow and green conferences for other bowls. It also doesn't account for "National Championships" or many other things. But, at least these two groups do face off with one another each year at the end of the season. It also doesn't consider that most of these bowl games between blue and red are played as near 'home' games for the red teams. Anyway, play begins and the following results play out on the field...

Year 1
Red wins 28-25 in OT
Blue wins 37-34
Blue wins 35-34
Year 2
Red wins 24-7
Blue wins 31-28
Year 3
Red wins 31-28
Red wins 45-17
Red wins 47-34
Year 4
Blue wins 29-14
Blue wins 38-30
Red wins 13-9
Year 5
Red wins 28-14
Blue wins 37-17
Red wins 34-27 in OT
Year 6
Blue wins 20-16
Red wins 24-21
Blue wins 30-25
Year 7
Red wins 31-24
Blue wins 24-10
Year 8
Blue wins 20-10
Blue wins 17-10
Red wins 41-14
Year 9
Red wins 21-17
Blue wins 41-35
Red wins 38-24
Year 10
Blue wins 31-10
Red wins 24-12
Year 11
Red wins 38-35 in OT
Blue wins 19-17
Year 12
Red wins 49-7
Red wins 52-14
Red wins 37-24
Blue wins 31-26

After looking at the head to head results, would you think that it is possible the two leagues are pretty even, or should the Blue conference drop to a lower division? Is it possible that just by looking at head to head results, the Blue conference might have something to counter all that new generation speed?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't take this too seriously. It is very much tongue in cheek. We of course all know what this is about. I used ’99 as the cut off because that was as far back as the website went that I used to record the scores.

 

[mplsbadger]

Consider this:

SEC
- Four distinct champs since '07, five total (FL, LSU, AL, AU)
- Five distinct champs since '99, six total, seven since '97 (Tennesee)
- Six distinct champs since '80 (Georgia)
- Seven distinct champs since '64 (Arkansas - not in SEC at the time)

Big Ten
- One since '02 (Ohio State)
- Three since '98 (Michigan, Nebraska - not in conference at the time)
- Four since '86 (PSU - not in B10 at the time)
- Five since '60 (Minnesota)

To me this makes the difference stark, bowl records aside. It makes you realize that being in the bottom half of the standings in the SEC is no badge of shame.

 

[Sparlimb]

Well I was trying to point out it isn't just the Big Ten that has failed to stop the SEC for 5 years running, it is every other conference too. What I was trying to point out, probably poorly as usual, is that many pundits bashed the big Ten because they got blown out in 2 bowl games versus the SEC this year. But to me, no conference is doing any better. If they were, their champ would be able to beat the SEC champ. How unlikely is it that one conference has 5 titles in a row yet by 4 different teams. That's not what we'd expect at all. The ACC is drawing from the same talent pool, but they are no where near as good in football. The Big 12 has some good teams, but no where near the depth of teams, nor does the Big Ten which appears to have one team that can compete. I was cheering for Auburn last night and I came away very impressed again. They weren't a one trick pony. They were very solid on both sides of the football, which was more than Oregon could say.

 

[Schnauzer]

Well I was trying to point out it isn't just the Big Ten that has failed to stop the SEC for 5 years running, it is every other conference too. What I was trying to point out, probably poorly as usual, is that many pundits bashed the big Ten because they got blown out in 2 bowl games versus the SEC this year. But to me, no conference is doing any better. If they were, their champ would be able to beat the SEC champ. How unlikely is it that one conference has 5 titles in a row yet by 4 different teams. That's not what we'd expect at all. The ACC is drawing from the same talent pool, but they are no where near as good in football. The Big 12 has some good teams, but no where near the depth of teams, nor does the Big Ten which appears to have one team that can compete. I was cheering for Auburn last night and I came away very impressed again. They weren't a one trick pony. They were very solid on both sides of the football, which was more than Oregon could say.

Your point isn't making any more sense to me. If the Big 10 only has one team that can compete, how come in head to head bowls/games that one team is 1-10 over its last 11 games, yet the Big 10 as a WHOLE is 14-16 over the last 30 games? The Big 10 has stacked up very well against the SEC in bowl games. Just look the results. There have been two bad years and the rest have been either pretty even or (gasp) advantage Big 10. As I said, the SEC has built a resume (especially with the championships) that makes it easier to argue it is the best football conference. I wouldn't argue that. However, statements like yours "the Big Ten appears to have one team that can compete" are flat out wrong when the head to head results are nearly EVEN.

 

[MaxyJR1]

The SEC and B1G match-up 3-4 times every year in bowls. These bowls all take place in the heart of SEC country.

ACC has 2 with SEC.
Big 12 has 1-2 depending on BCS.

It is obvious the SEC is better, but it is magnified by the OSU losses and the fact that there are 3-4 match-up every bowl season.