College Football Handicapping Analysis
One of the best water-cooler debates every fall: which college football conference is the strongest?
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In recent years, it’s been the SEC in landslide. However, with so many high-impact players leaving the SEC for the NFL this offseason, the balance of power may have shifted.
Which conference is king? Let’s have a look at the major ones.
ATLANTIC COAST
Ranked in coaches’ preseason pool: Florida State (5), Virginia Tech (13)
The ACC has two teams with great defenses and national title aspirations but also two teams breaking in new quarterbacks. The ACC also doesn’t have huge depth in terms of high-impact teams, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Maryland crept into the top 25 by year’s end.
BIG EAST
Ranked in coaches’ preseason pool: None
Not much to say here. The Big East was going strong with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati just a couple years ago but has taken a step backward.
BIG TEN
Ranked in coaches’ preseason pool: Wisconsin (10), Nebraska (11), Ohio State (16), Michigan State (17), Penn State (25)
The Big Ten has at least two schools that seriously believe they can win it all in Wisconsin and Nebraska and several other highly competitive teams. It may not be as strong at the top as it was during Ohio State’s peak but the Big Ten should be deeper and tougher overall this year.
BIG 12
Ranked in coaches’ preseason pool: Oklahoma (1), Oklahoma State (8), Texas A&M (9), Missouri (21), Texas (24)
With three of the top nine teams in the country plus two other top-25 teams, the Big 12 just might be the SEC’s top challenger this season. Oklahoma looks like the favorite to win it all. I don’t expect Missouri and Texas to remain in the top 25 this season, though.
PAC-12
Ranked in coaches’ preseason pool: Oregon (3), Stanford (6)
Don’t forget about factoring USC in here, as the Trojans should play like a top-25 team this season despite being BCS-ineligible. Oregon and Stanford both flirt with elite contender status. However, the Pac-12 has as many pushovers as it does contenders. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
SOUTHEASTERN
Ranked in coaches’ preseason pool: Alabama (2), LSU (4), South Carolina (12), Arkansas (14), Auburn (19), Mississippi State (20), Georgia (22), Florida (23)
The SEC is tough to assess this season. It easily has the most teams in the coaches’ preseason poll with eight. But how many of those teams have inflated reputations and are due for a regression? Arkansas and Auburn lost Ryan Mallett and Cam Newton, respectively, and may totally collapse this season.
THE VERDICT
Even though it’s slightly weaker than it was last season, the SEC is still college football’s top conference top to bottom. The other conferences boasting elite teams also have plenty of duds. The SEC has more tough outs than easy outs, with two thirds of its teams making the national top 25. It has two of the top four teams. Even if Arkansas and Auburn slide backward, Mississippi State and Georgia have the upside to be top-15 teams this season.
It isn’t a landslide victory but, in my opinion, the SEC is still college football’s creme-de-la-creme. If I were a betting man – and, oh wait, I am – I’d bet on the SEC having a representative in the national title game for the sixth straight season.
Pick: Southeastern Conference
