I think I do, too.

And, since y'all expect it...GO BIG BLUE!!!

Sure.. look at this season. The SEC as a whole has beaten like what... 4 teams total OOC? What is that supposed to prove? Domination lists 6 "marquis" wins the SEC can claim for '07.

Of those, 3 have winning records. Only one, Virginia Tech, has any shot at all of a BCS game this year. Wow. kudos.

As for the best conference this year? I'd probably give that honor to the Pac-10 for doing better than any other conference against out of conference BCS teams.

We'll see how the bowls shake out, but to suggest that no other league is close to the SEC isn't supported by the w/l records depending on what you want to look at, or at least the results of such an inquiry would be inconclusive.

you got that right. :D

I suppose it all depends on what your highly objective concept of a 'great team' would be.

It's very difficult these days to say that any conference is a lot better than any other because it's so rare for teams of the same caliber to play one another in their OOC.

I think there's a lot of parity within the BCS conferences -- I think they're all just about the same. Just look at the Pac-10. Bottom-dweller, Arizona knocked off Oregon. They damn near knocked off USC. There's a lot of parity there too.

Look at the Big XII. Oklahoma, a pretty damn good team lost to Colorado and Texas Tech, neither of which are doing so well against other teams in that league.

The SEC ain't the only conference that beats up on itself. I don't think any conference is a cakewalk this year. I highly doubt LSU or Florida would go undefeated in any of the other conferences.

According to Sagarin.
Updated: 11/30/2007 11:58:28 AM

CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS

1 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 80.74 80.55 ( 1) 12
2 PAC-10 (A) = 78.92 78.76 ( 2) 10
3 BIG EAST (A) = 78.77 78.28 ( 3) 8
4 BIG 12 (A) = 77.36 77.14 ( 4) 12
5 ATLANTIC COAST (A) = 76.43 76.02 ( 5) 12
6 BIG TEN (A) = 75.81 75.49 ( 6) 11
7 MOUNTAIN WEST (A) = 70.28 70.27 ( 7) 9
8 WESTERN ATHLETIC (A) = 62.51 63.13 ( 8) 9
9 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 62.08 62.13 ( 9) 4
10 MID-AMERICAN (A) = 60.21 60.41 ( 10) 13
11 SOUTHERN (AA)= 59.38 58.57 ( 12) 8
12 COLONIAL (AA)= 58.80 58.53 ( 13) 12
13 CONFERENCE USA (A) = 58.69 58.98 ( 11) 12
14 SUN BELT (A) = 58.41 58.27 ( 14) 8
15 GATEWAY (AA)= 58.33 56.52 ( 15) 7
16 GREAT WEST (AA)= 56.59 56.45 ( 16) 5
17 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 46.40 46.40 ( 17) 8
18 BIG SKY (AA)= 45.86 46.36 ( 18) 9
19 PATRIOT LEAGUE (AA)= 44.89 43.24 ( 20) 7
20 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 42.98 43.56 ( 19) 8
21 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 39.67 39.64 ( 21) 5
22 SOUTHWESTERN (AA)= 38.47 37.57 ( 23) 10
23 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 37.94 37.63 ( 22) 10
24 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 36.19 36.71 ( 24) 10
25 PIONEER (AA)= 33.25 32.91 ( 25) 8
26 NORTHEAST (AA)= 29.92 30.48 ( 26) 7
27 I-AA INDEPENDENTS (AA)= 29.06 28.65 ( 27) 4
28 METRO ATLANTIC (AA)= 20.50 18.96 ( 28) 4
29 ***UNRATED*** (**)= -90.00 -90.00 ( 29) 1


There are two group ratings, the "central mean" and the
"simple average" (also known as the "arithmetic mean")
The "central mean" gives the most weight to the middle team(s)
in the group and progressively less weight to teams as you go
away from the middle in either direction, up or down.

This tends to smooth out the effect of anomalous teams that are rated
much higher and lower than the middle team(s) in the group. The
"simple average" ("arithmetic mean") weights each team equally
no matter where they are relative to the middle.

Here are a few examples of how the "central mean" is computed.
4-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-2-1
5-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-2-1
6-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-3-2-1
7-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-3-2-1
8-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1
9-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1
10-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-5-4-3-2-1
11-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-1
12-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-6-6-5-4-3-2-1
13-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
This is in a sense the continuous version of the discrete "tri-mean".

As usual, you always have the best and most appropeate comment.

Go Cats!

TSteven, if you want to live and die by the Sagarin ratings, that's fine. The SEC has been a couple points or less up on the #2 conference for both '06 and '07.

But in 2005? Next to last among BCS conferences.

CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS

1 BIG TEN (A) = 80.72 80.55 ( 1) 11
2 ATLANTIC COAST (A) = 78.96 78.26 ( 4) 12
3 BIG 12 (A) = 78.96 80.02 ( 2) 12
4 PAC-10 (A) = 77.92 78.65 ( 3) 10
5 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 75.28 74.92 ( 6) 12
6 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 74.44 75.02 ( 5) 3
7 BIG EAST (A) = 72.12 72.42 ( 7) 8
8 MOUNTAIN WEST (A) = 69.51 69.58 ( 8) 9
9 CONFERENCE USA (A) = 65.02 64.69 ( 9) 12
10 MID-AMERICAN (A) = 63.20 62.28 ( 10) 13
11 WESTERN ATHLETIC (A) = 61.90 61.49 ( 11) 9
12 GATEWAY (AA)= 57.07 55.53 ( 12) 8
13 SUN BELT (A) = 54.45 54.22 ( 13) 8
14 BIG SKY (AA)= 53.69 52.97 ( 15) 8
15 GREAT WEST (AA)= 53.42 52.65 ( 17) 6
16 SOUTHERN (AA)= 52.79 52.93 ( 16) 8
17 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 52.60 53.40 ( 14) 7
18 ATLANTIC 10 (AA)= 51.30 51.37 ( 18) 12
19 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 46.06 45.23 ( 19) 8
20 PATRIOT LEAGUE (AA)= 39.22 38.69 ( 20) 7
21 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 37.88 38.52 ( 21) 9
22 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 37.61 37.78 ( 22) 9
23 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 32.25 32.75 ( 24) 5
24 SOUTHWESTERN (AA)= 32.16 32.78 ( 23) 10
25 PIONEER (AA)= 26.88 26.47 ( 25) 9
26 NORTHEAST (AA)= 25.21 25.23 ( 26) 8
27 METRO ATLANTIC (AA)= 18.99 19.56 ( 27) 5
28 I-AA INDEPENDENTS (AA)= 11.91 11.91 ( 28) 1
29 ***UNRATED*** (**)= -90.00 -90.00 ( 29) 1

or '04? Again, next to last among BCS conferences.

CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS

1 ATLANTIC COAST (A) = 77.91 78.09 ( 2) 11
2 PAC-10 (A) = 77.84 78.89 ( 1) 10
3 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 76.98 76.98 ( 4) 2
4 BIG 12 (A) = 76.42 77.08 ( 3) 12
5 BIG TEN (A) = 75.63 75.29 ( 5) 11
6 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 74.13 74.31 ( 6) 12
7 MOUNTAIN WEST (A) = 72.08 72.91 ( 7) 8
8 BIG EAST (A) = 71.98 71.56 ( 8) 7
9 WESTERN ATHLETIC (A) = 67.40 68.40 ( 9) 10
10 ATLANTIC 10 (AA)= 65.74 65.14 ( 11) 12
11 CONFERENCE USA (A) = 65.66 66.75 ( 10) 11
12 SUN BELT (A) = 60.24 60.46 ( 12) 9
13 GREAT WEST (AA)= 56.73 56.72 ( 13) 6
14 BIG SKY (AA)= 55.90 56.49 ( 14) 8
15 MID-AMERICAN (A) = 55.69 56.35 ( 15) 14
16 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 55.53 55.73 ( 17) 6
17 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 54.93 55.78 ( 16) 8
18 SOUTHERN (AA)= 52.40 52.82 ( 18) 8
19 PATRIOT LEAGUE (AA)= 52.00 50.73 ( 20) 7
20 GATEWAY (AA)= 51.30 52.16 ( 19) 8
21 I-AA INDEPENDENTS (AA)= 46.44 46.34 ( 21) 5
22 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 43.77 43.66 ( 22) 9
23 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 41.90 41.90 ( 23) 8
24 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 41.73 41.34 ( 24) 5
25 SOUTHWESTERN (AA)= 38.70 37.75 ( 25) 10
26 NORTHEAST (AA)= 35.26 35.10 ( 26) 8
27 PIONEER (AA)= 27.25 28.60 ( 27) 9
28 METRO ATLANTIC (AA)= 22.77 24.00 ( 28) 5
29 ***UNRATED*** (**)= -99.00 -99.00 ( 29) 1

Thank God for the Big East, eh?

So much for year in/year out. Like everyone else, the SEC has its ups and downs.

I agree with everything you said except for line 2 and below.

Perhaps a better numbers game (subjective as hell) would be to ask all the coaches which conference they feel is the overall strongest conference. However, they could not rank/list their own conference. Then compare it with sports writers. I would venture to guess that the SEC would be ranked at or near the top most years. And if one was to compile the numbers over say ten or more years, I would guess there would be a perception - justified or not - that the SEC is strongest conference year in and year out.

Fixed.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if anyone would notice.

Unless someone does as you suggest, perhaps for a school project, we will never know if what you posted is true or false.
It is a very interesting idea; perhaps send it over to SI or Sporting News.

I'm attacked everytime I say this but will say it again.

Fixed.

I agree 100%.

Frankly, there is no way to qualify which conference is the best that isn't going to be subjective in some way. But I would bet dollars to donuts that if a survey was conducted, and regional bias is considered, the general perception would be that the SEC is one of - if not the - strongest football conference year in and year out.