With all the debates and arguments floating around about college football supremacy, I've noticed that one conference is really lacking some love and respect.
The Big 12 is definitely one of the top three conferences in the land right now.
Now, I would never dare argue that the Big 12 has the SEC's history or passion, or the Pac-10's flair and talent.
But if I'm a coach right now in the NCAA this season, the last place I'd want to be is the Big 12 South.
Let's assume for argument's sake that the Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC are the best three conferences in college football right now (That's alphabetical order there, not order of best to worst. Relax people!). No disrespect to the Big 10 or ACC, but they just don't stack up right now.
There are so many polls and picks out there right now, so I'll use Lindy's Top 25 as a base (if you want to use a different one, use the stats or listings from that edition, and we can argue based on those).
Using this Top 25, the Big 12 and SEC are tied with most teams in the Top 10, with three apiece. The Pac-10 only has one. Rounding out the Top 25 are six SEC clubs, five Big 12 schools, and three Pac-10 teams.
But the real depth of my argument lies deeper in these numbers. The Big 12 South has four teams in the Top 30 and five in the Top 41, while no SEC division has more then five (the SEC East has their top five in the Top 63).
So if you're following me here, that leaves the Big 12 South and the SEC East as the two most difficult divisions to play in this year. Looking at the two straight up, the argument favors the Big 12 South.
Let's do a head-to-head matchup of each team in the conference and show what seems to slip by most fans: The Big 12 South is no joke.
No. 1: Oklahoma VS Georgia
Yes, I love the Bulldogs and the incredible run they went on last season, but the Sooners are also a legitimate powerhouse. I know that they've struggled in BCS bowl games as of late, but I don't think that's enough to throw the ball Georgia's way.
On offense, the two teams are remarkably similar. Sam Bradford was much better than Matthew Stafford last season, but Knowshon Moreno and Caleb King are a deadlier attack then DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown.
I call this a draw. You can argue either way, but the similar styles of play and almost equal talent levels render this game unpredictable.
No. 2: Texas VS Florida
23 comments Last one added 12 months ago — Leave a Comment
Liger 12 months ago
Wow...I must say that I very much disagree with your conclusion particularly about UGA v Oklahoma...a draw. Really?
But the reality is that we can argue amongst ourselves and use whatever *facts* that help our respective cases and ignore those facts that don't help.
But two things:
1) I said this to the PAC 10 guy as well...why did you feel compelled to compare your division to an SEC Division...you mentioned the PAC 10...why didn't you compare your division against the PAC 10? My belief is because you know the SEC is the best.
2) In the end, you should ask the experts what they think...that would be the NFL. There are more SEC players currently in the NFL than any other conference. And it's been that was for a while. ANd by the way, the ACC is 2nd.
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Thanks for reading, Liger.
1) I compared the Big 12 South to the SEC East because I think the SEC East is the second best division in the nation. I said that, if you had read the article.
2) I wasn't trying to decide which conference or division had the best talent, or NFL prospects. I stated which division I thought was the best going into this year's football season. Considering the NFL players are no longer in college, they would not factor into this at all.
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Derek Stephens 12 months ago
I'm a diehard SEC fan, but you bring up a lot of great points. As for overall depth, I have to honestly say I don't know if Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Baylor have more overall depth than the SEC East.
The SEC West will eventually be the more competitive side of the conferences. Just look at the strides each teams are making and the head coaches for each team. It's like an All-Star team of head coaches.
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Derek Stephens 12 months ago
When I said I have to honestly say......I mean't either way you look at it, it's a tossup. I think both divisions are very strong. Good article.
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Thanks for the comments Derek.
Just wanted to stir the pot a little bit and see how people felt about it. The Big 12 doesn't get as much pub but to be honest the competition is just as fierce as any. We should start with three teams in the Top 10. It's not SEC, but I think it's pretty darn close.
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Quantumt 12 months ago
i am Gators fan and even i have to admit that Georgia will beat OU. I mean common, what has OU done lately in the past four years? They choked against Boise St and West Virginia.
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
You can say what you want about the Sooners, but bottom line is since 2000, they're 90-17. This year they return the top-rated QB in the country, among other things. They will be good as usual.
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David Wunderlich 12 months ago
I'd actually put Oklahoma State over Texas A&M myself, and still give the edge to either over South Carolina and Kentucky for this year.
I will stick up for Vandy versus Baylor though. If you check the rankings*, you'll see that neither had much of an offense last season, but while Baylor was in the triple digits in defensive ranking, Vandy was 16th in total and 32nd in scoring defense. Vandy was also one win away from bowl eligibility while Baylor was just 3-9.
I have to give the edge to the Commodores, making it a closer 3-2-1 edge for the Big 12 South.
Regardless of who anyone wants to crown as "best" between them, we're going to see a lot of great football out of these divisions in 2008. Throw in an elite Missouri, a Kansas team that will fall back down to earth but still be good, and a growing Colorado team, and I can't see the Big 12 being worse than #2 in the conference hierarchy for this season.
*http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp?year=2007&div=4&site=org
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Thanks for reading David.
No doubt Vandy VS Baylor would be a weird yet probably even matchup. I figure since nobody knows what to expect from Baylor this year, they could surprise, whereas the Commodores are returning almost nobody. That's the angle I was seeing.
I definitely think the Big 12 will be good, but I think the North will hold them back. Mizzou is definitely legit, but has a tendency to choke. Hopefully they won't this year. I think Kansas could lose four to five games, and Colorado, Nebraska, and K-State will be respectable at best.
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Justin Goar 12 months ago
mark me down for vandy over baylor too. i think south carolina could surprise.
last year, i would have had OU over UGA, this year it'll be tough. i like UGA better on paper but not by much.
at least you had some fun with it and didn't proclaim your conference to be the best without a doubt.
the big 12 south will be great this year.
good read!!
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Thanks a lot for reading Justin! Glad you enjoyed it.
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Tim Pollock 12 months ago
Interesting take, Peter.
While I disagree with some other picks, the one I most disagree with is actually Vandy. People dog them every year, but because they aren't on TV, people don't realize that they are competitive in nearly every game. I know that sounds lame to say "They almost won," but they have pulled some shockers (almost two in a row over GA) and rarely get blown out. Baylor was embarrassed by any decent team last year.
To be fair, though, are you going to compare the Big 12 North to the SEC West?
A comparison of both division, I feel, would be a fairer assessment of the entire conference.
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Hey Tim, thanks for reading. I didn't want to compare the both conferences heads up because to be honest I think the SEC is definitely superior overall, and I don't know anybody making a case otherwise, so it seems like a moot point.
The only reason I'm not picking Vandy is because of their lack of returning talent. Yeah, they played well last year, but did you know they're only returning nine starters on offense and defense? I haven't seen anything that makes me think they'll be able to carry over the momentum.
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Scott Taylor 12 months ago
I would take all six of those SEC teams in those positions, hands down...
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Kim Harrelson 12 months ago
How many times must Oklahoma get pasted in a bowl game before people quit ranking them so high in pre-season polls???
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Well Kim, like I said before, until they start losing in the regular season, they will probably keep getting attention. Their overall body of work lately is very impressive, but they've run into some upstart teams and gotten painfully upset.
Trust me, I have loved watching OU get beat. They ruined my Tiger's season last year. But they are also a very good team, and will be again, as I can attest to.
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Will Shelton 12 months ago
Very solid...I think Texas Tech is the real wildcard in this whole conversation.
I think it's always been true that the Big 12 South is the toughest division outside of the SEC. Texas and OU are the flagships, and even though A&M hasn't won the division since 1998 to my recollection, they've got enough history and tradition to still garner national respect.
As an SEC fan, when I look at Texas Tech, I still think "gimmick". They're good for 8-9 wins a year and an upset or two along the way, which is very solid...but until they win the division, finish in the Top 10 or secure a major bowl victory, it's hard for me to look at them as on the same level as OU/Texas/A&M and give them the respect they probably feel like they deserve.
They're like Kansas in a way - the Jayhawks could end up being one of the best teams in the country and had a great season last year, but you won't see them ranked as high as they should be in the preseason AP/Coaches polls because everyone still looks at them as a one year wonder. Same thing happened to Wake Forest this time last year.
People look at Texas Tech as "that team that throws on every down and scores 40 points per game" instead of looking at them as a good football team. Until they shed that image with more tangible success, this is a hard argument to win to me.
Now, maybe this becomes the season when TTU breaks down that wall and finds enough success where they transcend and reach those goals. There's a lot of "this is their year" going around...but until it actually is their year, it's hard for me to get on board.
Right now, I'd even go so far to say that it's a draw between OU/Texas and UGA/Florida at the top of both divisions. But until A&M gets back to the success they once enjoyed or Texas Tech finally breaks through, it's awfully tough to go against Florida/Georgia/Tennessee, with South Carolina coming up behind.
One thing's for sure - both divisions are going to be incredibly tough to win.
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Thanks a lot for reading Will. It's great to hear from SEC fans on this article that aren't angry or offended, just open for some conversation. Also a special thanks to Zach Stevens, who nominated this article as his pick of the day.
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Jordan Coleman 12 months ago
Mark it down... Texas Tech will go to a BCS bowl this season. I'm not a Red Raider fan either.
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Mark Rupert 12 months ago
Interesting article with some good points. If these teams finish the exact way this top 25 says they will, then you have a strong argument, I think when you look at recent history, you would have to lean toward the SEC east. I don't have stats in front of me to prove this but Fla won the MNCG in 06, Ga won the SEC in 02, 05 and finished in the top 5, Tenn won the SEC east last year and has been a competitive team in most recent years, I doubt the recent history of the big 12 south would stack up to the SEC east.
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matthew baker 12 months ago
Im excited to see everyone underestimate Colorado again and let them sneak a 8-4 season...ask Oklahoma who missed a NC game because they underestimated CU
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Matt Baker 12 months ago
I raelly think Colorado is a huge darkhorse for the big 12 north...I watched their game against Alabama in the Independence Bowl. Colorado lost but the level of play they showed in the 2nd,3rd,and 4th quarter was good football.
Gaining the number 1 RB in the country and they are returning everyone on the O-Line this could a great running year...not to mention the new no-huddle offense with the runner up for the Freshmen QB of the year Cody Hawkins....could be a big underdog year.
But we will find out early when they play WVU.
Im a UGA fan, but good luck Buffs
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Peter Fleischer 12 months ago
Ok to Matthew/Matt Baker, who apparently found the need to log in under two different names with the same questionable idea.
I'm glad you're reading this article, but I'm not so sure I can agree with your idea at all.
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