@wargograw said:

Ohio State is the defending national champion and #1 in all the polls. So I guess I am not worried about them.

But everyone else should worry about them. You sound worried.

@wargograw said:

PFF graded Andrew Whitworth better than Joe Thomas for the 2014 season. That does not mean he's the best LT in the NFL (and PFF wouldn't tell you that either).

@wargograw said:

No, I think what has been said that there is no denying that it had the best top teams......overall conference during that stretch? I am still not convinced.

Also "was" is the operative term.

@tiamat63 said:

This makes no sense. After 7 straight titles, people like you still denied that it was the best conference.

@the-gipper said:

Again, I could say the same to you. Why don't you worry about what your team has accomplished (or revel in it, or whatever)....and not worry about what SEC teams have done?

Yes it took the entire conference, but you were only playing one at a time. It is hard to lose 8 or 9 straight games to one conference.

@the-gipper said:

Then there's no point in us debating since we don't have the same criteria.

@wargograw said:

You're telling me that ESPN didn't start pimping "SEC Speeeeeeeeed" January 2007? Because I sure as fuck remember them doing that. I also remember M*chigan being beaten by USC and the 'Big 10 is slow, can't compete' etc etc was in full go by that point.

As it stands, the SEC hasn't had a title game winner in a couple years yet you hear about conference superiority still. They shouldn't have had 2 representatives in 2011 either. That was such horse shit. For some reason that superiority mantra didn't take long to establish yet doesn't seem to be going away anywhere near as quickly.

@wargograw said:

You see though....it took the entire conference to do that.

What you have here apparently is an entire conference measuring itself against one team.

Probably appropriate.

(but remember...YOUR team was not one of those 7-8 teams you are talking about.....wasn't even part of the conference during most of that time)

Why don't you talk about what your team has accomplished....and not worry about what other teams have done.

@wargograw said:

OK, fine: the standard for determining the best conference is which conference schedules the toughest non-conference schedule combined with not scheduling cakewalks.

Do I really care? No......but honestly....is it at all interesting to see these schools scheduling these cream puffs and winning 76-0.

I mean, sure, an FBS school can play a mid major and win 76-0 on rare occasion....but that is an exception.

Then dismissing the team(s) and conference(s) that had lost in a BCS or Title game... i.e. tOSU in 2006.

@the-gipper said:

I think the way the Big Ten is going to do it could be the standard for the future of the P5 teams:

Minimum 9 conference games.

Mandatory 1 non-conf. game vs. other P5 conf. team.

NO games vs. FCS by P5 teams.

(and yes, I think the P5 conferences should have 16 teams each....80 total, per my proposal).

I think the other P5 teams will feel pressured to adopt this setup once the Big Ten does so.

It still preserves the "warm up games" that a team can schedule against mid majors...MAC/SunBelt/MWC.

Those mid-majors would not have the same restrictions. Example: Akron and Kent St. ...FBS teams, have had games against near rival Youngstown St....FCS....which is really not that much of a step down in strength of program.

That's not the standard I was asking about. I was asking what the standard was for determining the best conference. Neither you, nor Woody, nor every other drive-by poster that comes here and bashes the SEC has a coherent answer.

But again, why do you care what other teams besides OSU do?

Cal vs. Grambling

Oregon vs. East. Washington

Ore. St. vs. Weber St.

Washington vs. Sacramento St.

Washington vs. Portland St.

Arizona vs. Northern Arizona

AZ St. vs. Cal Poly SLO

Colorado vs. Nichols St.

Baylor vs. Lamar

Iowa St. vs. N. Iowa

Kansas vs. South Dakota St.

Kansas St. vs. South Dakota

OK St. vs. Central Arkansas

TCU vs. Stephen F. Austin

Texas Tech vs. Sam Houston St.

W. Va. vs. Liberty

BC vs. Maine

BC vs. Howard

FSU vs. Chattanooga

L-ville vs. Samford

NC St. vs. E. Ky.

Syracuse vs. Rhode Island

Wake vs Elon (which mighy actually be D-III)

Ga. Tech vs. Alcorn St.

Miami vs. Bethune-Cookman

NC vs. NC A&T

Pitt vs. Youngstown St.

Virginia vs. William and Mary

Va. Tech vs. Furman

Getting rid of the cupcakes on the schedule is a first start.

The Big Ten has not completely gone away from it yet.....but they are starting to. Here are the Big Ten FCS opponents that will not be allowed in the future:

Indiana vs. So. Illinois

Maryland vs. Richmond

Rutgers vs. Norfolk St.

Illinois vs. West. Illinois

Iowa vs. Illinois St.

Northwestern vs. East. Illinois

Purdue vs. Indiana St.

only 7 of the 12 Big Ten schools have an FCs opponent.

Ohio St., Penn St. Michigan, Michigan St., Wisconsin do not have FCS opponents.

The SEC's record is much worse: 13 of the 14 schools have an FCS opponent on their schedule:

Georgia vs. Southern

Kentucky vs. E. Ky.

Missouri vs. SE Missouri

South Carolina vs. The Citadel

Tenn. vs. Western Carolina

Vandy vs. Austin Peay

Alabama vs. Charleston Southern

Arkansas vs. Tenn. Martin

Auburn vs. Jacksonville St.

LSU vs. McNeese St.

Mississippi St. vs. Northwestern St.

Ole Miss vs UT Martin

Texas A&M vs. Western Carolina

ONLY Florida did not have an FCS school scheduled.

When Spurrier and Beilama get rid of their schedule fodder, they can talk.

Will the SEC adopt the no FCS school rule?

Why do I feel they will be gutless here?

I will have to check on how the other conferences fare in this area.

@wargograw said:

I think the way the Big Ten is going to do it could be the standard for the future of the P5 teams:

Minimum 9 conference games.

Mandatory 1 non-conf. game vs. other P5 conf. team.

NO games vs. FCS by P5 teams.

(and yes, I think the P5 conferences should have 16 teams each....80 total, per my proposal).

I think the other P5 teams will feel pressured to adopt this setup once the Big Ten does so.

It still preserves the "warm up games" that a team can schedule against mid majors...MAC/SunBelt/MWC.

Those mid-majors would not have the same restrictions. Example: Akron and Kent St. ...FBS teams, have had games against near rival Youngstown St....FCS....which is really not that much of a step down in strength of program.

@mld-woody said:

Inflate SEC rankings in the preseason

Give SEC teams ranked wins

"They beat a ranked team! They should move up!"

"They lost to a ranked team, they shouldn't drop that far!"

Rinse and repeat.

Arkansas just didn't hold up their end of the bargain

So what is the standard? Bowl games? Whoever Woody decides is the best conference?

@axe said:

Arkansas should start scheduling more FCS schools.....someone they can beat.

@the-gipper said:

Yeah, it's just usually against a Big10 school 95% of the time

I'm surprised one of you Moes hasn't broken this one out yet.

it's a good one..

Yer welcome..