Conference Power Rankings: Week 3

2008-09-17T17:46:33-04:00

2008-09-15T11:38:02-04:00

146

2008-09-15T11:49:37-04:00

2008-09-17T17:46:33-04:00

HuskerPhil

Mc Cool Junction 540696

146 You know what else I'm sick of hearing? How great the SEC is compared to all the other confrences. I'll give them their props they've had a rather impressive track record over the past couple of years. Two national championships and a slew of bowl wins is impressive, however until teams from BCS confrences begin playing other BCS schools during their non-confrence slate I do not believe that it is possible to really judge which confrences among the BCS's best confrences (Big 12, SEC, Big 10 and prior to this week the Pac 10) is actually superior. Right now I like the SEC for their defensive play and the Big 12 for their offensive explosiveness, picking between the two however would I believe be a fruitless act due to the lack of any real power confrence matchups. 2772627

2008-09-17T17:31:06-04:00

HuskerPhil

Mc Cool Junction 540696

145 Quoting Tudosabi #31 This is an abomination. How the BCS is allowed to continue amazes me. Separate and unequal. I though the NCAA regards this as the same level for 11 conferences, but overlooks an obvious caste system because money speaks louder than justice. How do teams like Baylor, Rutgers, Syracuse, and PAC-9 get a chance at winning a national title, but 5 other conferences have to prove their worth just to play a crappy BCS game that means nothing except money. If you take San Diego State out of the mix the MWC has only lost two non-conference games. When will we stop being hypocrites and demand equal rights for college football's top division? Hey ESPN, SI, and Fox: Money is just as good at censorship as the communist party, dictatorships, and any other government controlled press. The automatic BSC bid is decided by three factors as stated by SI's Stewart Mandell ??? Average BCS ranking of each conference's highest ranked team. ??? Average BCS ranking of each team in the conference. ??? Number of teams from each conference in the BCS top 25. These factors are reviewed every fourth year and that is the basis for what confrences enjoy BCS status. So for all you MWC fans out there crying into your beer about how the BCS is robbing your confrence of it's rightful place amoung college football's elite programs, the truth of the matter is and always has been it's put up or shut up. GO BIG RED 2772503

2008-09-17T13:49:17-04:00

mattsmoore

Milan 540424

144 ummmmm. 1 Comment. Let's see, this is in response to everyone griping about the SEC coming out west to play some 'real' teams.... 2 National Title Games b2b and 2 National Title Trophies to represent the SEC.... 'nuff said 2769748

2008-09-17T13:48:47-04:00

mattsmoore

Milan 540424

143 ummmmm. One comment for everyone griping about the SEC coming out west. 2 National Title Games b2b and 2 National Title Trophies to represent the SEC. 'nuff said. 2769731

2008-09-17T10:44:06-04:00

soonertinker

Smyrna 85927

142 YES!!!!! TCU beat OU 1-- when OU was in a slump in the 90's..and 2---after losing a bunch of starters... being an OU fan it's similar to this....OU got beat in the late 80's by the Canes'... so when the Canes came last year to Norman..........and let me say the Canes are definitely on a slump..........we killed them............some fans bragged...but I DID NOT... there's nothing to brag about when you beat a team that is rebuilding or on a slump........... all fans of various teams do it...even my beloved Oklahoma.............. but let me say this...............OU will DESTROY TCU IN TWO WEEKS............. believe me TCU will be shown what it's like to play an OKlahoma team when it's in its normal state of power 2766724

2008-09-17T00:44:05-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/198/456/thumb/Tims_Car.jpg 174 OK

toe slide 360

Tulsa 198756

141 I check back 24 hours later and you MWC fans are still going at it! I love it when a fan base is still talking about beating OU (or any top tier team) years after the fact. I didn't realize it was ever the goal of any program to beat OU once and then return to mediocrity while you revel in your past "glory". Thanks for elevating us to the level you do. If your program plays at a level sufficient to beat OU and teams like it year after year, then the smack you talk may have a bit of sting to it. A few years ago USC handed us our lunch and then proceeded to teach us how to eat it ... and they very well may do it again. TCU ... maybe, likely not. Boise State ... I don't think so. 2762532

2008-09-16T23:29:20-04:00

Dogfrog

Houston 538539

140 TCU has been to Norman twice in the last 12 years and won both times. And after both OU losses, OU fans whined that this was the worst OU team in years. Look, if you are big bad OU, from the Big 12, you shouldn't have to resort to excuse making for losing to so-called non BCS teams. It's demeaning. Sooner Bob asks if OU wins by three touchdowns, will TCU still deserve a place on the big stage? If TCU didn't earn a place on the big stage after the last two wins in Norman, why would they lose the right after one loss? 2762364

2008-09-16T18:31:29-04:00

soonertinker

Smyrna 85927

139 wow......I read a comment saying how "TCU beat OU in 05 so they should get props"...are you kidding me???!!!..... that was a season in which Oklahoma had lost 17 starters and had the third youngest team in the nation.............. a team which lost 10 starters to the NFL the year before...it took what was considered a "great" 05 TCU team to beat a mediocre OU team that was having a rebuilding year 2759337

2008-09-16T17:03:38-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/122/64/thumb/polamalu-si-cover.jpg 78 UT

aglebagel

Provo 12284

138 After this weekend, I thought, "OK, this is finally the week that Bill Trocchi swallows his pride and sticks the Mountain West Conference in the rankings." I seriously can't believe that I was wrong. Bill, you are losing credibility and the only sportswriter who isn't giving the MWC some credit. It's one thing when you leave non-BCS conferences (mid-major is a ridiculous term) out of your rankings when it's assumed that BCS conferences are the six best, but when they're not, you're just coming across as stupid and egocentric. To all those saying that MWC teams couldn't handle a BCS schedule, how do you know? And what do you mean by "handle?" I don't think anyone is saying that BYU or Utah would go undefeated in the Pac-10, but they could certainly be in the top half of the conference. Remember, BYU hasn't lost a conference game the last two seasons. 2758614

2008-09-16T16:39:44-04:00

Badger1985

Madison 537517

137 Just because OSU continues to make the Big 10 look bad in big games, it doesn't mean the other 10 teams can't carry the conference. What if OSU is just what we all think it is? A team that can beat who it's supposed to beat but doesn't play well in big games? A la Oklahoma a few years ago. The Big 10 has a far superior overall record and BCS+ record than the Pac 10 and ACC, and you could only "make an argument" that it's better right now? Stop looking at the Big 10 as OSU, Michigan, and everyone else. It hasn't been that way for 10 years. 2758343

146

<div class="photo_container image_center"> <div class="photo_attributes"> <div class="photo_container image_center"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/p1.maryland.jpg" alt="P1" width="614" height="409" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes">Maryland scored an impressive home victory against Cal, which tumbled out of the Top 25 after its first loss.  Mark Goldman/Icon SMI</div> </div> </div> </div> The USC-Ohio State game offered the Conference Power Rankings its biggest matchup of the season, and the Trojans sent a pretty loud message over a three-hour period in Los Angeles.   To describe the far-reaching effects of USC's 35-3 victory, I'll turn to former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit, who called the game for ABC. Toward the end of the telecast, Herbstreit let the Big Ten have it for OSU's underwhelming performance.   "When you get outside of the Midwest, the Big Ten has kind of become a punch line to the people around the country," Herbstreit told his audience. "When [fans] talk about how overexposed and overhyped and a bit of a fraud the conference is overall ... the team captain of that, of course, is Ohio State. This hurts the Big Ten as much as it hurts Ohio State."   Herbstreit didn't exactly sugarcoat it for his alma mater. The Buckeyes could have legitimized the conference in a big way and lost by 32. The league better hope Penn State ends up representing it in the BCS this year.   NOTE: The BCS+ notation reflects BCS conference teams, plus other teams ranked in the current AP Top 25.   1. SEC (23-3 overall, 4-2 vs. BCS+) Last Rank: 1  The Good: A 6-0 non-conference mark with an average margin of victory of more than 24 points.   The Bad: Kentucky needed a tackle at the one-yard line after a Hail Mary completion on the final play to beat Middle Tennessee State 20-14. South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn and Mississippi State combined for a whopping two touchdowns in two league games.   The Verdict: The SEC is barely holding on. In fact, if the Texas-Arkansas game had not been postponed and the Longhorns won, the Big 12 would have the best BCS+ record and may have taken the top spot.   2. Big 12 (28-4, 5-3 vs. BCS+) Last Rank: 2 The Good: All six non-conference wins came by at least 28 points. Oklahoma continues to look like a legit national title contender, and Chase Daniel appears headed for New York as a Heisman finalist.   The Bad: Iowa State couldn't make it two straight over Iowa, and Kansas lost a heartbreaker to South Florida on the road.   The Verdict: Next week's schedule includes four non-conference BCS games (Kansas State at Louisville, West Virginia at Colorado, Baylor at Connecticut and Miami at Texas A&M). An unbeaten run could propel the Big 12 right to the top.   3. ACC (17-8, 4-8 vs. BCS+) Last Rank: 5 The Good: North Carolina looked much improved in smoking Rutgers on the road. Maryland scored a very nice win over Cal. Clemson and Florida State moved into the Top 25, bumping out Pac-10ers Cal and Arizona State.   The Bad: Virginia stunk it up at UConn, the conference's lone loss this week.   The Verdict: Sorry, Pac-10. The ACC had to sneak by you this week thanks to Maryland-Cal. Not sure the ACC would be 0-5 against the Mountain West.   4. Pac-10 (10-10, 5-7 vs. BCS+) Last Rank: 3 The Good: USC looked like an unstoppable force against Ohio State, even leaving a few points on the field in its 35-3 win. That was about the only good news for the conference.   The Bad: The league went 3-7, with four losses to the Mountain West (bringing the season record to 0-5). Oregon barely beat a mid-level Big Ten team (Purdue). Stanford was crushed by TCU. UCLA lost by 59 at BYU. Arizona State lost at home to UNLV. Washington lost by 41 to Oklahoma. Washington State lost by 28 to Baylor. There was carnage up and down the coast.   The Verdict: You have to credit the Pac-10 for scheduling tough, but a .500 non-conference record doesn't cut it. The league has just two Top 25 teams, one of which (Oregon) probably would have lost its spot had Purdue made a 44-yard field goal on the final play of regulation. The league can get a boost next week if Arizona State beats Georgia in Tempe.   5. Big Ten (25-6, 6-6 vs. BCS+) Last Rank: 4 The Good: Penn State has looked fantastic ON the field this season and is on its way to the Top 10. Wisconsin picked up a quality win at Fresno State.   The Bad: The league's two signature programs, Ohio State and Michigan, flopped on the same Saturday. The Wolverines didn't give themselves a chance against a suspect Notre Dame squad.   The Verdict: You could make an argument for the Big Ten to be in the four slot, but not 48 hours after the undressing at the Coliseum that <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/stewart_mandel/09/14/mandel.trojans.buckeyes/index.html" target="_blank">Stewart Mandel documented</a>.   6. Big East (10-9, 2-8 BCS+) Last Rank: 6 The Good: With the <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/andy_staples/09/13/usf.ku/index.html" target="_blank">help of a clutch kicker</a>, South Florida avoided what would have been a damaging loss to the conference with a narrow victory against Kansas. The Bulls can carry the torch for the league with a respectable AP ranking (12).   The Bad: Rutgers has clearly lost its way with two home losses of at least 17 points, which is as many as Rutgers has had over the last five years.   The Verdict: The league has some work to do to get out of the cellar, but four BCS opponents this week offers the opportunity. 4362 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/425/01/thumb/trocchi_bill.jpg 0 GA

Bill Trocchi

Tucker 42721