There are so many ways to evaluate one conference against another -- something like overall record weighs a league's worst team as equally as its best, when in reality, a league is often judged based on the success of its best two or three teams.
So as we revisit the Conference Scorecard, it's a good time to remember that this is just one metric -- we could also use each conference's record vs. ranked opponents, or its record as ranked teams. Anyway, a 3-0 mark over the past two weekends has strengthened the Big East's position with the second-best mark behind the Southeastern Conference.
There's a familiar logjam behind the SEC, which has a 7-4 record against teams from other BCS conferences. The ACC (8-8), Pac-10 (7-7) and Big East (6-6) are all at .500, with the Big Ten (5-8) and Big 12 (4-7) bringing up the rear. We'll break the tie with overall nonconference record as we unveil the new standings:
SEC 30-6 (.833) 7-4
Big East 29-7 (.806) 6-6
Pac-10 20-10 (.667) 7-7
ACC 28-15 (.651) 8-8
Big Ten 29-10 (.744) 5-8
Big 12 34-13 (.723) 4-7
Notre Dame is 5-2 against BCS opponents to round out the field.
As we pointed out over the weekend, you can also look at each league's record vs. ranked opponents, though much of those games involve league teams against one another. The ACC is 10-14, the Pac-10 is 8-12, the Big 12 is 8-17, the Big East is 3-7, the SEC is 9-23 and the Big Ten is 4-15. How, you ask, is the SEC 9-23? The league's lesser teams are a combined 0-14 against Florida, Alabama and LSU -- the conference hasn't done as good a job of bringing down its best teams with upsets.
Back to the BCS busters and the outsiders' record against BCS conference teams -- they're 16-80 overall, including a rough 1-17 mark in the month of October, the lone win coming from Houston against Mississippi State. The Mountain West is 5-9, Conference USA 4-18, the Western Athletic 2-10, the Mid-American 3-25 and the Sun Belt 2-18.
Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
Are you going to post this record synopsis again?
Posted by: craig neudorf | November 21, 2009 at 10:19 AM
the fact every conference is getting flak this year means nobody knows. But I would say the SEC surely is the toughest conference AND the BIG EAST is the conference that moved forward big time this year. Big East is in any conversation for second best conference thsiyear IMO. I am not saying they are number two, but their is certainly no evidence they are not second either.
Posted by: craig neudorf | November 21, 2009 at 10:17 AM
For what it's worth, I'd move them all up a notch: Pitt and Cinc as very good; USF, UConn, WVU, and Rutgers as good; and Syracuse and Louisville as so-so (just hoping we beat that other so-so team, which we didn't last year).
If teams in top 15 aren't at least very good, who are? USF, really, may be between that top group and the next one, but needs to prove itself against Rutgers--win there and we move up.
Posted by: Ken | November 02, 2009 at 09:13 PM
Good comments, BULL-iever.
Oh, and it's "parity" -- just for future reference.
Posted by: Turd Ferguson | November 02, 2009 at 03:45 PM
Rankings are a joke. It's all about "tv viewership."
Posted by: Wade | November 02, 2009 at 03:39 PM
I'd agree with your assessment Turd. Exactly where i would place the league's teams.
If I were to look at the top 25, I wouldn't put ANY team in the category of GREAT. There is no GREAT team this year. There are a lot of GOOD teams though. Every team at the top of the polls can be had on a given day. Lots of parady this year...which is a good thing. Until the BCS system blows up that is.
Posted by: BULL-iever | November 02, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Ken's right about starting the scorecard before the season.
I hope to have an injury report today -- will check with Jim Leavitt during the Big East coaches teleconference in a sec, and will also check at practice tonight.
Posted by: G.A. | November 02, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Pitt & Cincy are good teams.
Rutgers, USF, UConn, and WVU are decent teams.
Syracuse and Louisville are terrible teams.
Posted by: Turd Ferguson | November 02, 2009 at 11:36 AM
everyone is jumping on the Oregan and Pac-10 bandwagon now. I've heard multiple analysts say that the Pac-10 is better than the SEC this year. It's always funny to me how people judge wins/losses within conference. For instance: USC gets stomped by Oregan, and the conference gets an A+. However, come Dec. 5th, when Pitt and Cincy face off (and are competing for the Big East Championship), no matter who loses - it'll be said that the conference is horrible. National perception rules i guess. People don't like to think for themselves, and thus go with the popular vote. I've been rather impressed with the Big East top to bottom this year...but we've only got 8 teams, so less room to faulter.
Posted by: BULL-iever | November 02, 2009 at 11:25 AM
The Big East isn't very strong, but neither is the ACC or the Big Ten.
Posted by: Turd Ferguson | November 02, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Do you expect to have an injury report later today? And what's the practice situation for the team this week?
Posted by: Ken | November 02, 2009 at 11:08 AM
One point in favor of your method of doing this, Greg, is that, if I'm remembering correctly, you told us you were going to do it this way before the season started (or perhaps in a very early week), and thus you can't be accused of looking through the data 50 different ways to find the one that makes conference X or Y look good or bad.
Posted by: Ken | November 02, 2009 at 11:06 AM