Whoa. It's one thing to fear an item of clothing, but quite another to fear a nut. I fear bad clothing choices, but never a nut. Sorry! ;)

Personally, I'd love to see WVU and Mizzou lose, so that UGA would have a shot to play OSU for the national championship. Last time we played OSU was in the former Citrus Bowl at the end of the 1992 season and I'm pretty sure that game is the reason that Kirk Herbstreit hates the Dawgs.

There are rumors, though, that if one of the top teams drops, UGA might go to the Rose Bowl gainst USC, which would be awesome, too. We haven't been there since we beat UCLA there for the national championship in 1942.

If not the Rose, the other strong possibility is the Fiesta against the Big XII champion. At first, there were a bunch of rumors about the Orange, but that seems to be fading away. UGA played VaTech last year, so it's a little soon for a rematch. We also played BC not too long ago, so our AD is out campaigning for other bowls on our behalf.

The good news is that everything has to shake out soon, so we'll know for sure soon! Go Dawgs, Go Pitt and Boomer Sooner! :)

I know, right!?! :p

OMG! I'd love to have that rivalry with TonyB06 for a few weeks. I feel tears of happiness forming in my tear ducts at the giddy idea. :D

It's hilarious that my coworker is a USC fan, and he's damn near orgasmic at the prospect of UGA facing USC in the Rose Bowl. I'm just proud of those damn good Dawgs, and the haters make us stronger.

I'm not putting too much faith in them, but I'll cheer for Pitt, too. I still hate West Virginia.

Whoa, slow down there Dawg fans...I'm excited that you'll get to go to a major bowl, but a shot at the National Championship? Tell me the last National Champ who didn't even win (or play in) their Conference Championship?

We have lots of fabulous t-shirts mocking BSU. The standards as "Boise is NOT a State" and "Buck the Froncos" however the newer ones have either "the shocker" or a manipulation of their bronco logo into a donkey.

The Bowl in Boise is sponsored by a Truck Stop company, which is pure comedy to those of us looking out of our ivory tower in Moscow. Sadly no one pays much attention to Idaho State University in Pocatello. I mean srsly, it is in POCATELLO!

Nebraska in 2001, perhaps?

Yes, it would have been ideal for us to win the SEC, but that wasn't in the cards for us this year. Perhaps we should leave the SEC, so we can play in an easier conference, where we are guaranteed a conference championship every year, so we can play for the national championship? :rolleyes:

Nah, to be the best, you have to play the best, week in and week out. Plus, I'd miss all of the rivalry fun! :)

SEC is the best?

What OOC games has the SEC won to prove this?

I didn't mean best as a qualifier. It's a cliche that everyone uses. Hell, I bet even Notre Dame uses it and it's clear that they aren't the best... ;)

But, I do think top to bottom, that the SEC is probably the most competitive conference in the nation. People can point at us and laugh because UK beat LSU, but I believe that just speaks to the fact that on any given Saturday any team in our conference can beat any other team.

LSU beat Virginia Tech...

(hold on, I'm thinking of others) :)

A thousand times YESSSS!!! I love SEC Football.

Thanks for the answer. I just started appreciating NCAA football about 3 years ago, so I wouldn't have had a clue.

The answer? As in "Nebraska in 2001?" Nebraska was not the National Champion in '01.

Are you looking for just this season? I started thinking and thinking, and the first that came to mind was when Tennessee whooped all over Cal in '06. I was in the gym screaming like a maniac from the elliptical watching that game.

Oops! Sorry, I thought you meant played in the national championship, since you mentioned that UGA had no business even thinking of playing in the game since they won't have won the SEC Championship. It has happened in the past and given our topsy-turvy college football world this year, nothing should shock anyone anymore.

I think the last non-conference champion who won at least a share of the national championship was UT in 1950. I could be wrong, as I am not a UT fanatic. If you know, please enlighten me! :)

Not all of the SEC play fluff OOC games. That's one thing UGA has been working on the last few years. Last year, UGA played Boise State and Colorado. This year, UGA beat OK State and Troy. Next year, we pick up Arizona State University. Of course, we always play GA Tech every year, too.

GO SEC!

GO UGA!!

Sure it is.

Does stuck up mean arrogant in the South?

The SEC is easily the most talented and difficult football conference in the NCAA. I have no problem agreeing with that. I don't really even see how it's debatable.

So what teams are going to which bowls?

So much is up in the air until after this weekend.

^^^ I think I love this guy.

For some reason, I think a "Well, bless his little heart" comment is needed. Y'all sure are precious ;)

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.

Thank you.

"Okie" refers to Californians.

Sorry

Okies were the folks who left Oklahoma during the dust bowl, mostly for California.

Will Rogers said of them:

"When the Okies left Oklahoma and moved to California, they raised the average intelligence levels in both states."

I've been to all but three of the game this season, including away games. Boyfriend is a season ticket holder. I had a ticket for tonight, but figured a) we'd get blown out; b) it's cold and miserable and c) it's Morganhole - why go?

Went out to dinner with my friends and headed to someone's house afterwards. Checked the score on my blackberry and saw that it was 7-3 WVU at the half. Was super excited at holding WVU to 7 in the entire first half. We watched the second half. What a game. Kicking myself for not going now, of course.

HAIL TO PITT!!!