Damaramu Posted February 16, 2004 Report Posted February 16, 2004 You know I hear a lot in NCAA Football and Basketball about "Well they play in a tough conference!" Which got me to thinking. If you were in the toughest conference then wouldn't all the teams in that conference be full of non-top 25 teams? I mean because if it's so damn tough then everyone in the conference should be running around beating up on each other killing one another's win loss records....right? I just don't see how a conference can be considered the toughest when you have 2 teams that blow through everyone in it. In football the SEC has LSU who was whipping everyone's ass. And the Big XII was getting blown through by OU(until KSU) and everyone says those are the two toughest conferences. So am I just off base with my assumption here? Or am I catching on to something?
Guest Salacious Crumb Posted February 16, 2004 Report Posted February 16, 2004 The Big Ten is considered by most to be the toughest football conference. Any year at least 8 out of the 11 teams can potentially beat any of the others. Look at the previous season for proof. 8 teams were ranked before conference play began.
lomasmoney Posted February 16, 2004 Report Posted February 16, 2004 No, the teams won' always be all ranked in the top 25, since many of them will just beat up on and lose to each other which drops them in the rankings.
nl5xsk1 Posted February 16, 2004 Report Posted February 16, 2004 When I'm trying to determine a conference's "toughness", I try to avoid their ranking in the top 25, but instead compare it to a different conference. For example, could the #5 team in one conference beat the #5 team in a different conference? What about if the bottom teams from each conference played each other? Or the top teams? If the top 2, 3, 4 teams in one would beat the same ranked in the other, then that conference is tougher. If the bottom 2 or 3 teams in one would beat the other (but not the top teams) then that conference is DEEPER but not necessarily tougher. I'm unsure if I worded that well, but I'm too damn lazy to erase it and try to re-explain it. Hopefully it makes sense.
Vern Gagne Posted February 16, 2004 Report Posted February 16, 2004 One thing I like to look at is the bad teams in the conference. Are they at least competive, how do they play in non-conference. The Big 10 in basketball this season is not tough. In fact it's down right horrible.
Damaramu Posted February 16, 2004 Author Report Posted February 16, 2004 So then what are the toughest conferences in football? People frequently say the Big XII and SEC. I don't watch much SEC so I can't comment but the National Champions are from their conference. The Big XII always just seems to have a dominant team(like OU) that beats up on the rest of the conference. Though this season it did have a couple of teams(such as KSU and Texas) that did well but got beat up in the post season(well Texas did....KSU made a comeback) then you have OU who will always be in a big time bowl game for the next 10 years. Because they have on of the frequent Top 5 teams does that make the Big XII tough.....or just mean that they have a really good team in their conference? If we're looking at how they pound one another then wouldn't the Pac 10 be the toughest? I mean didn't all of it's teams beat up on each other(with SC beating up on all of them) all season?
CanadianChris Posted February 16, 2004 Report Posted February 16, 2004 Most people usually just look at out-of-conference record. Look at the ACC in basketball this year...seven of the nine teams have two losses or fewer in out-of-conference play, yet only four of those teams (plus NC State) will likely go to the tournament. North Carolina went 10-1 in non-conference play, with a win over No. 1 UConn, yet will likely get a lower seed in the NCAAs due to (currently) having a losing conference record. Virginia went 10-1 in non-conference and doesn't have a prayer of making the tournament, aside from snagging the ACC tournament. THAT is a tough conference. They routinely go seven or eight teams deep.
Damaramu Posted February 18, 2004 Author Report Posted February 18, 2004 So what do you guys think are the toughest conferences then? I mean I don't know much about basketball but I've heard that the ACC is the toughest and I tend not to disagree when I watch them play ball. For Football. I really think the SEC is the toughest. I mean they're like the Big XII only tougher. The Big XII plays big man hard hitting football.......and the SEC hits harder and plays bigger men. Must be a southern thing.
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