What is the Best Major Conference in College Football?

Every year, we all do it. Every year, we all boast that we have the best conference in the country. The Pac 10 fanatics go on and on about USC. The Big XII shoots off with teams like Nebraska and Oklahoma. The Big Ten? Well we all know the two most talked about teams at the bar on Saturday afternoon. And the SEC? There's no perfect comment about us.

So who really is the best conference in college football? Let's go through them and find out.

The ACC Conference

Before Miami brought their brand of smash mouth football (and fight club mentality) from the Big East, Florida State and Virginia Tech were the two teams mentioned in every National Championship talk. With the addition of the Hurricanes, they took a vicious rivalry that only took place every couple of years, and gave it a bigger meaning.

Now things are a little different. Maryland is starting to make itself a powerhouse as well, Wake Forest is becoming a team on the hunt, and Boston College is trying to rekindle the spark that almost saw them in the BCS Championship Game last season. But is the ACC really as good as advertised?

The most recent event that occurred in Miami was the brawl with Florida International over a field goal. Florida State has had problems both on and off the field. Virginia Tech finally got over the stupidity of Marcus Vick only to suffer tragedy last year with a school shooting. The biggest question isn't about the national championship. It's who will emerge from the carnage to bring the ACC back to its early supremacy?

The Big XII Conference

Smash mouth football defied almost every team in the Big XII Conference. From Oklahoma's constant BCS considerations to the emergence of bigger threats in the form of Missouri and Kansas, the Big XII was the talk of the country last season. But, like with most talks about Big 12 football, they seem to have a knack for coming up short on the hype.

Case in point was last season's biggest Big XII game between Kansas and Missouri. Both teams came in undefeated, and it was believed that one of them would play for the National Championship. Though the game was as exciting as any game in memory, Mizzou came up short in the Big XII Championship against Oklahoma...more like they got smashed quicker than Paris and Britney at a Hollywood Nightclub.

Now, with a new season on the horizon, and both Todd Reesing and Chase Daniel both returning this season, could we see another nail-biter in the future of the Big XII Conference? Can Oklahoma get past their off the field problems and return to the dominance that they possessed at the beginning of the decade?

The Big East Conference

Considered one of the most under spoken conferences last season, the Big East produced several marquee teams for all of us to drop our jaws over. From the Ultimate Opportunist (West Virginia) to the Ultimate Underdogs (Rutgers) and the Ultimate Upset (South Florida), the Big East was a race to the finish. When it was all done, everything was different.

After the smoke cleared, West Virginia lost its coach to the Big Ten, Rutgers lost another piece of their power offense to the NFL, and South Florida lost its speed demon to the pros. New season. New emergences. Who can step up and show Miami that the Big East is better off without them? Just remember that there is nothing better than winning in royal fashion then doing so much to the chagrin of a former school rival.

The Big Ten Conference

Every year, two teams out of this conference lock horns, and out of those two teams, a national championship team emerges. Out of the Big Ten, only Ohio State and Michigan get more public exposure than Lee Corso's picks. But every year, something happens in this conference that leaves people wondering what will happen next.

For the last two years, Ohio State has played for the national championship. For the last two years, they have lost the national championship. Michigan saw the beginning of the end for coach Lloyd Carr on opening weekend when Appalachian State came in and shocked The Big House. Then Oregon came in and picked up the pieces the following week. The only major highlight of Michigan's season: A bowl win over defending champs Florida to send Carr off on a high note.

In the process of the annual soap opera between Ohio State and Michigan, several other teams made their case to get recognized in the Big Ten. So with a new season, and lots of changes and animosity already in the conference, will it be either the Jim Tressel-led Buckeyes or the Rich Rodriguez-ran Wolverines being crowned the 2008 Big Ten Champions? Or will a new challenger emerge from the wreckage and shock us all?

The Pac-10 Conference

In a conference stacked with upset minded teams, only one team seems to get talked about the most: USC. The Trojans were the true powerhouse of the Pac-10 at the beginning of the decade. But it seemed that after Ohio State shocked them in the Fiesta Bowl a few years back, Pete Carroll hasn't been able to get his boys out of third gear.

After losing to UCLA a few years ago, it seems that they haven't gotten over the BCS snub they say they received. But it's clear that something has to change soon, right? Oregon lost Dennis Dixon to the pros while UCLA will try to improve from last season's fall-rise-fall season. Oregon State will look to emerge as a legitimate contender to the Pac-10's finest. While the duo in Emerald Country will try not to go through another slump.

As for USC, they're just going through the motions. Even with a successful season, it would mean nothing to them if they don't win the National Championship this year. And with a vengeful Ohio State team coming to town in September, the Trojans could have the resume for a BCS appearance...but can they fulfill their "destiny" and win it all?

The SEC

What can you say about the SEC? They have four teams that are no strangers to postseason play (Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU) plus a set of teams that are emerging as threats in big time situations (Mississippi State, Arkansas, Auburn, and Kentucky). But with every success story, there's a downside.

Though we'll never see an all-SEC BCS game anytime soon, the SEC has proven that it is one of the premier conferences in the country if not the premier conference. The last two National Champions have emerged from the SEC, and they both can say that they beat the Big Ten at its own game. But with so many dominant teams in the SEC, is the SEC the cause of its own destruction?

Despite all the anarchy of the offseason involving the program, LSU is obviously a frontrunner for the BCS. Despite losing Matt Flynn to the draft and Ryan Perilloux to the Chrontanamo Bay Potheads, LSU could be just as dangerous as ever. Florida lost a key portion of their defense to the draft, but they still have Superman in their offensive arsenal. Who wouldn't want to pick Florida as this year's National Champions?

Georgia wouldn't. After getting snubbed out of the SEC Championship, Georgia took a bid to the Sugar Bowl and defeated another team who got snubbed out of the BCS, Hawaii. To say they beat them is an understatement. They destroyed them is more accurate. But despite all that, thanks to a stacked conference, the SEC is almost guaranteed at least two teams in the Bowl Championship Series this year.

So, with all of these thoughts and possibilities, I ask the question again: Who is the best major conference in college football? A great argument can be made for any of the conferences. If you're thinking year round dominance, either the Big XII, SEC, or Big Ten can make that argument. But if you're going by strength in numbers, I think it's pretty clear which conference holds the title.

But I don't have to tell you who I'd vote for. You most likely already know.