TPWW Forums - View Single Post

**BCWWF** · 08-05-2006, 06:22 PM

The SEC probably does the same thing the Big 12 does. There are two divisions of six, and each year you play your other five division opponents and three from the other division. Then the other division teams switch up every two years.

As for the SEC being the toughest conference, there is no doubt that it is. In the East, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee are three of the nations premier programs. At any given year, at least one of those teams should be in the top 10, and when the others aren't, they are rarely bad. South Carolina won seven games last year and bring back Sidney Rice and a second year under Spurrier. They could be the next big team (although Brad Smith owns them). Kentucky isn't good, but they have had a few decent seasons, and Vanderbilt is probably the worst team in the conference. The West is equally as scary. LSU, Auburn and Alabama are arguably bigger national powers than the ones in the East. Arkansas is always a solid program, held back by the other powers. Ole Miss had one of the nations top recruiting classes, which most of should be redshirt freshman next year, and I don't know much about Mississippi State.

Think about the other BCS conferences.

---------------------------------------------

Big Ten:
National Powers:
Ohio State
Michigan

Solid, usually ranked programs:
Wisconsin
Iowa
Purdue
Penn State

Average Programs:
Michigan State
Minnesota

Generally, ass:
Northwestern
Indiana
Illinois

---------------------------------------------

Big 12:
National Powers:
Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska (to an extent)

Solid programs, usually ranked:
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Colorado (for some time)

Average Programs:
Missouri
Iowa State
Oklahoma State
Kansas State

Generally, ass:
Kansas
Baylor

---------------------------------------------

Atlantic Coast Conference
National Powers:
Florida State
Miami (FL)
Virginia Tech

Solid Programs, usually ranked:
Virginia
Clemson
Boston College

Average programs:
Maryland
North Carolina State
Georgia Tech
North Carolina

Generally, ass:
Wake Forest
Duke
(I would say the difference between the solid and average programs in this conference is pretty small, you could almost combine them and meet in the middle)

---------------------------------------------

Big East
National Powers:
None

Solid programs, usually ranked:
West Virginia
Louisville
Pittsburgh

Average programs:
South Florida
Connecticut
Syracuse

Road Doggy Dog, awful:
Cincinnati
Rutgers
(To be honest, I don't know how good those two teams are, but I am pretty sure they are the worst programs in easily the worst BCS conference. Also, the Miz isn't that bad)

---------------------------------------------

Pacific 10
National Powers:
USC

Solid programs, usually ranked:
Oregon
Cal
Arizona State
UCLA

Average Programs:
Stanford
Oregon State
Washington

Generally, ass:
Arizona
Washington State

---------------------------------------------

Southeastern Conference
National Powers:
LSU
Georgia
Auburn
Florida
Tennessee
Alabama (to a certain extent)

Solid programs, usually ranked:
South Carolina
Ole Miss (to an extent, though not lately)

Average programs:
Kentucky
Arkansas
Mississippi State (I think?)

The Outlaw could play for 'em:
Vanderbilt

---------------------------------------------

So this isn't misinterpreted, the "National Powers" isn't a list of teams that are contending for the national championship year in and year out. It is a list of teams that have very strong programs, always have great recruiting, and are bound to challenge for a national title at some point within about a 10 year period. By challenge for, I don't mean they will be in the game, but at least ranked top 10 or higher at some point.

Also, this isn't a list based on what is going to happen this year. Tennessee was 5-6 last year, and might not be better than 7-6 this year, but within the next five years, if Tennessee doesn't crawl it's way back to the top 10 at some point, I would be shocked. Same goes for Ole Miss, who I could have placed worse because of recent years, but as a whole, that is a solid program that is held down by the powerful teams on top. They look to have a very prosperous next couple of years. The only team that I left out of the national powers that very well could have been there is Penn State, in my opinion, but the last couple of years really took them down.

The other thing about "National Powers", I listed 15. Of those 15, probably one or two will miss out on a bowl, maybe nine or ten more won't be ranked, and maybe five will be in the top 10, but besides a few random poor seasons, these teams are always good. How good, it just varies on the year. And that is why the SEC is so hard.

08-05-2006, 06:22 PM	#62
BCWWF The People's Member Posts: 18,092	The SEC probably does the same thing the Big 12 does. There are two divisions of six, and each year you play your other five division opponents and three from the other division. Then the other division teams switch up every two years. As for the SEC being the toughest conference, there is no doubt that it is. In the East, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee are three of the nations premier programs. At any given year, at least one of those teams should be in the top 10, and when the others aren't, they are rarely bad. South Carolina won seven games last year and bring back Sidney Rice and a second year under Spurrier. They could be the next big team (although Brad Smith owns them). Kentucky isn't good, but they have had a few decent seasons, and Vanderbilt is probably the worst team in the conference. The West is equally as scary. LSU, Auburn and Alabama are arguably bigger national powers than the ones in the East. Arkansas is always a solid program, held back by the other powers. Ole Miss had one of the nations top recruiting classes, which most of should be redshirt freshman next year, and I don't know much about Mississippi State. Think about the other BCS conferences. --------------------------------------------- Big Ten: National Powers: Ohio State Michigan Solid, usually ranked programs: Wisconsin Iowa Purdue Penn State Average Programs: Michigan State Minnesota Generally, ass: Northwestern Indiana Illinois --------------------------------------------- Big 12: National Powers: Texas Oklahoma Nebraska (to an extent) Solid programs, usually ranked: Texas A&M Texas Tech Colorado (for some time) Average Programs: Missouri Iowa State Oklahoma State Kansas State Generally, ass: Kansas Baylor --------------------------------------------- Atlantic Coast Conference National Powers: Florida State Miami (FL) Virginia Tech Solid Programs, usually ranked: Virginia Clemson Boston College Average programs: Maryland North Carolina State Georgia Tech North Carolina Generally, ass: Wake Forest Duke (I would say the difference between the solid and average programs in this conference is pretty small, you could almost combine them and meet in the middle) --------------------------------------------- Big East National Powers: None Solid programs, usually ranked: West Virginia Louisville Pittsburgh Average programs: South Florida Connecticut Syracuse Road Doggy Dog, awful: Cincinnati Rutgers (To be honest, I don't know how good those two teams are, but I am pretty sure they are the worst programs in easily the worst BCS conference. Also, the Miz isn't that bad) --------------------------------------------- Pacific 10 National Powers: USC Solid programs, usually ranked: Oregon Cal Arizona State UCLA Average Programs: Stanford Oregon State Washington Generally, ass: Arizona Washington State --------------------------------------------- Southeastern Conference National Powers: LSU Georgia Auburn Florida Tennessee Alabama (to a certain extent) Solid programs, usually ranked: South Carolina Ole Miss (to an extent, though not lately) Average programs: Kentucky Arkansas Mississippi State (I think?) The Outlaw could play for 'em: Vanderbilt --------------------------------------------- So this isn't misinterpreted, the "National Powers" isn't a list of teams that are contending for the national championship year in and year out. It is a list of teams that have very strong programs, always have great recruiting, and are bound to challenge for a national title at some point within about a 10 year period. By challenge for, I don't mean they will be in the game, but at least ranked top 10 or higher at some point. Also, this isn't a list based on what is going to happen this year. Tennessee was 5-6 last year, and might not be better than 7-6 this year, but within the next five years, if Tennessee doesn't crawl it's way back to the top 10 at some point, I would be shocked. Same goes for Ole Miss, who I could have placed worse because of recent years, but as a whole, that is a solid program that is held down by the powerful teams on top. They look to have a very prosperous next couple of years. The only team that I left out of the national powers that very well could have been there is Penn State, in my opinion, but the last couple of years really took them down. The other thing about "National Powers", I listed 15. Of those 15, probably one or two will miss out on a bowl, maybe nine or ten more won't be ranked, and maybe five will be in the top 10, but besides a few random poor seasons, these teams are always good. How good, it just varies on the year. And that is why the SEC is so hard.