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Ranking the conferences as of today

Boilermaker03

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Oct 5, 2004
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For some reason I can't seem to change the title of the thread, but meant to have it say "How would you rank the conferences as of today"

To be honest, I don't usually get caught up in such things. I did find this interesting and I encourage everyone to take this with a grain of salt and I definitely don't think these numbers tell the whole story. However, I looked at each conference and their ranked teams and here's how it broke down.

Big East: 2 ranked teams, average rank of 3
ACC: 5 ranked teams, average rank of 15
Big 10: 4 ranked teams, average rank of 10
Big 12: 4 ranked teams, average rank of 13
SEC: 3 ranked teams, average rank of 16
Pac-12: 1 ranked team, average rank 13

This surprised me because I have always assumed the B10 was terrible this year. Perhaps it's not as bad as I had perceived. SEC doesn't look to be as strong as some have suggested. Big East is incredibly top heavy.

Rankings don't tell the entire story. I'm sure the SEC is probably stronger from the middle down than the B10 this year, but when we talk about how good/bad conferences are each year, I think we get a little carried away at how extreme we say these differences are sometimes.
 
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The Big10 is having their SEC moment. The top of the league is pretty good, probably not any better than most years (usually a couple teams that are top 10), but the middle and bottom are garbage. It's helping Purdue, OSU, and MSU. I think most B1G years, they would have tripped up a game or two more on the road.

SEC football was like this the past year. They were solid at the top (two playoff teams) with a couple other pretty good teams (like usual), but the middle and bottom were garbage.
 
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The Big10 is having their SEC moment. The top of the league is pretty good, probably not any better than most years (usually a couple teams that are top 10), but the middle and bottom are garbage. It's helping Purdue, OSU, and MSU. I think most B1G years, they would have tripped up a game or two more on the road.

SEC football was like this the past year. They were solid at the top (two playoff teams) with a couple other pretty good teams (like usual), but the middle and bottom were garbage.
Possibly. I think this years B10 is tough to judge because it's not what everyone expected. Purdue, Ohio St and Nebraska are over achieving. Northwestern, Wisconsin and Minny are underachieving. Michigan and Michigan St are doing what was expected. Penn St is having a decent season. With the flip flop of expectations of some teams, I think the perception is exceeding the reality that it's not as down as some believe. Definitely down though.
 
The Big10 is having their SEC moment. The top of the league is pretty good, probably not any better than most years (usually a couple teams that are top 10), but the middle and bottom are garbage. It's helping Purdue, OSU, and MSU. I think most B1G years, they would have tripped up a game or two more on the road.

SEC football was like this the past year. They were solid at the top (two playoff teams) with a couple other pretty good teams (like usual), but the middle and bottom were garbage.


Yup. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Buttgers, Indiana and Northwestern are all average to steaming pile of dung on any given night. Penn State with Reaves are a handful.
 
B1G is extremely top heavy. Any team can compete with any team on any given day (Purdue just beat Rutgers by 2, Ohio State lost to Penn State) but there is a pretty wide gap from 1-4 and 5-14
 
Possibly. I think this years B10 is tough to judge because it's not what everyone expected. Purdue, Ohio St and Nebraska are over achieving. Northwestern, Wisconsin and Minny are underachieving. Michigan and Michigan St are doing what was expected. Penn St is having a decent season. With the flip flop of expectations of some teams, I think the perception is exceeding the reality that it's not as down as some believe. Definitely down though.

As an overall league, advanced metrics have the Big 10 a good bit behind the top 4 conferences.
 
I would say:

1a. ACC
1b. Big 12
3a. SEC
3b. Big East
5. Big 10
6. Pac 12
7. AAC
 
Iowa State, the last place team in the Big 12, would be no worse than 7th in the Big 10. The top 4 of the Big 10 is damn good but I would love to play some of the bottom feeders in that conference. Could definitely say the same about the Pac 12.
 
Iowa State, the last place team in the Big 12, would be no worse than 7th in the Big 10. The top 4 of the Big 10 is damn good but I would love to play some of the bottom feeders in that conference. Could definitely say the same about the Pac 12.
Big Ten’s top is better than PAC 12’s top and it’s not close. The PAC 12 has 1 good team, Arizona, who has got blown out by the team tied for second, Purdue, by 25. It’s not even close.
 
Possibly. I think this years B10 is tough to judge because it's not what everyone expected. Purdue, Ohio St and Nebraska are over achieving. Northwestern, Wisconsin and Minny are underachieving. Michigan and Michigan St are doing what was expected. Penn St is having a decent season. With the flip flop of expectations of some teams, I think the perception is exceeding the reality that it's not as down as some believe. Definitely


I don't think any of those teams are "overachieving." Perhaps the media should just be better at their jobs.

Purdue is one of the most experienced teams in college basketball with a terrific back court and two 7 footers who can score and defend at elite levels.

Ohio State was redshirting a POY caliber player, and had a coaching staff sitting around evaluating their team and the rest of the league for a season. I think their success is surprising, but I don't believe they're overachieving.

Nebraska added 3 top 100 transfers from Georgetown, Miami, and Louisville. They have 7 former top 150 players on their roster. If you're a media member who picked them last in the conference, then you should stop acting like recruiting is important.
 
The Big 12 is, and has been for several years, the toughest conference when looking at regular season only. The reason is because it is a true round robin conference schedule. Each team plays each other home and home. So there are no excuses because of schedules.
 
I don't think any of those teams are "overachieving." Perhaps the media should just be better at their jobs.

Purdue is one of the most experienced teams in college basketball with a terrific back court and two 7 footers who can score and defend at elite levels.

Ohio State was redshirting a POY caliber player, and had a coaching staff sitting around evaluating their team and the rest of the league for a season. I think their success is surprising, but I don't believe they're overachieving.

Nebraska added 3 top 100 transfers from Georgetown, Miami, and Louisville. They have 7 former top 150 players on their roster. If you're a media member who picked them last in the conference, then you should stop acting like recruiting is important.
Ohio St wasn't very good last year and KBD never did anything of note until this year. There was no way to know he would have had this kind of year.

Everyone expected Purdue to take a step back since loosing Swanigan.

Nebraska might be the one team you have an argument for here.
 
The Big 12 is, and has been for several years, the toughest conference when looking at regular season only. The reason is because it is a true round robin conference schedule. Each team plays each other home and home. So there are no excuses because of schedules.
I do miss the round robin. I hate not getting a "true" conference champion because of unbalanced schedules.
 
Surprised to hear Dick V say the SEC was best top to bottom.
I think they're better than the B12 but not as good as the ACC .

B12 has only 3 teams with a winning conference record right now and 6 teams with a losing conference record .
In comparison the ACC has 9 of 15 at .500 or better
The B10 has 7 of 14 at .500 or better
The SEC has 8 of 14 at .500 or better
 
I think they're better than the B12 but not as good as the ACC .

B12 has only 3 teams with a winning conference record right now and 6 teams with a losing conference record .
In comparison the ACC has 9 of 15 at .500 or better
The B10 has 7 of 14 at .500 or better
The SEC has 8 of 14 at .500 or better

You're aware that means the bottom of those conferences suck while the bottom of the Big XII is Iowa State who is a slightly below average team.
 
I gotta go with the SEC, cause it just means more...:)
 
You're aware that means the bottom of those conferences suck while the bottom of the Big XII is Iowa State who is a slightly below average team.
No it doesn't . More likely the B12 is just very average after the top few .
 
Last place has 4 wins, everyone else has 5 or more. If the Big XII had a Rutgers or a Pittsburgh the records of the top would be boosted. The Big XII doesn't have a top 6 team in the country IMO but it litters 7-35 with 60% of the league.
 
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I think they're better than the B12 but not as good as the ACC .

B12 has only 3 teams with a winning conference record right now and 6 teams with a losing conference record .
In comparison the ACC has 9 of 15 at .500 or better
The B10 has 7 of 14 at .500 or better
The SEC has 8 of 14 at .500 or better
That's .. pretty vanilla

The big 10 has 4 teams (KP) ranked lower than the Big XII's lowest.
4 gimmie wins. And the top 3 teams only play each other once, not twice.

The Big XII has all of their programs (currently) ranked btwn 7-95 on KenPom
With Iowa State at 95, the next easiest, OSU at #71

The SEC, 9-96 on KP rankings
Mississippi at 96, the next easiest, 92 Vandy, 91 SCar and 79 Georgia are all lower than the Big XII's second easiest game.

Big 10 top 3 (5, 6 and 13) are solid, but their bottom 3 (106, 112 and 148) are atrocious.
ACC, KP window goes from 1 (Virginia) to 231 (Pitt), but throw out Pitt and it's still (GT) 116.

Every conference you mentioned, sans Big 12, has the benefit of playing unbalanced schedules.
Some of their best competition play only once, helping their overall w/l.
B10 sees/saw OSU/Purdue once; Purdue/MSU once; MSU/OSU once
Pretty easy to accumulate wins and avoid losses.

But, I'm sure just quick glancing at conference wins/losses is a much better barometer for strength.

If the Big XII is littered with average teams, so is the SEC.. with the SEC being weaker at the bottom.
 
That's .. pretty vanilla

The big 10 has 4 teams (KP) ranked lower than the Big XII's lowest.
4 gimmie wins. And the top 3 teams only play each other once, not twice.

The Big XII has all of their programs (currently) ranked btwn 7-95 on KenPom
With Iowa State at 95, the next easiest, OSU at #71

The SEC, 9-96 on KP rankings
Mississippi at 96, the next easiest, 92 Vandy, 91 SCar and 79 Georgia are all lower than the Big XII's second easiest game.

Big 10 top 3 (5, 6 and 13) are solid, but their bottom 3 (106, 112 and 148) are atrocious.
ACC, KP window goes from 1 (Virginia) to 231 (Pitt), but throw out Pitt and it's still (GT) 116.

Every conference you mentioned, sans Big 12, has the benefit of playing unbalanced schedules.
Some of their best competition play only once, helping their overall w/l.
B10 sees/saw OSU/Purdue once; Purdue/MSU once; MSU/OSU once
Pretty easy to accumulate wins and avoid losses.

But, I'm sure just quick glancing at conference wins/losses is a much better barometer for strength.

If the Big XII is littered with average teams, so is the SEC.. with the SEC being weaker at the bottom.
Didn't the SEC beat the B12 head to head this year?
 
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As a matter of fact the SECs worst team did play and WON

But did the secs best team play? Nope.
Ugh, never know if Missisippi is Ol Miss or State.
I don't put much stock into vs without weighing home/away. Helps skew things a bit.

However, should they play those games for real measure at a neutral site, that stock would be worth more.

SEC and the Big XII are close, but numbers say the SEC has more bottoms.
I don't see a Final Four worthy team in either conference with exception to Auburn and Texas Tech.
But, that's not exactly how the tourney plays out.

Either league would be my pick for 2nd place behind the ACC.
And I'd put the nBE over the B1G all day.
 
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