College Football Conference Realignment: The Logical Superconferences Revisited

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West Virginia will be joining the Big 12 Conference. The Mountaineers' closest conference opponent will be 870 miles away in Ames, Iowa. Hmm, that’s strange.

The Big East, in an act of complete desperation, is begging the likes of Boise State, Air Force, Houston and SMU to join the conference. That’s even more strange.

A team from Boise, Idaho could possibly play in a conference championship located in or near New York City. Huh?

It is time to revisit the logical superconference solution to solve the loitering misery of conference realignment that plagues 2011 with its impending doom.

Last month I dreamt up what could be the ideal solution. If you haven’t read the article yet, it’s not too late.

After a few gentle and mostly not-so-gentle suggestions from fans, I finally assembled the sensible college football league that pays due respect to geography, rivalries and established tradition.

Each of the four conferences consist of upper and lower tiers. Members in Tier A of each conference meet in a four-team playoff to determine the national champion.

Order is restored. Ding-dong the wicked BCS is dead!

The Tier B champion of each conference is promoted to Tier A the following year, taking the place of the Tier A team with the poorest performance.

A team that performs consistently at the bottom of its Tier B division can be challenged by an outsider to be removed from the league entirely. That means you, New Mexico.

Here is a look at the current superconference standings if the daydreamed league were in place this season.

The Pacific Conference

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Tier A

No. 1: Boise State 7-0

No. 1: Stanford 7-0

No. 3: Oregon 6-1

No. 3: USC 6-1

No. 5: BYU 6-2

No. 6: Arizona State 5-2

No. 6: Washington State 5-2

No. 8: California 4-3

No. 9: UCLA 3-4

No. 9: Utah 3-4

No. 11: Arizona 2-5

No. 11: Oregon State 2-5 

 

Tier B

No. 1: San Diego State 4-2

No. 1: Wyoming 4-2

No. 3: Hawaii 4-3

No. 3: Nevada 4-3

No. 3: UTEP 4-3

No. 6: Air Force 3-4

No. 6: Colorado State 3-4

No. 6: Washington State 3-4

No. 9: Fresno State 3-5

No. 10: UNLV 1-5

No. 11: Colorado 1-7

No. 12: New Mexico 0-7

 

This year's Pacific Conference would likely give us the Boise State Broncos as champions. If Stanford and Boise State were to play this year, I'd pick Boise.

Wyoming and San Diego State play tomorrow night. The winner of this game would have the edge to take the Tier B Championship and swap places with Oregon State or Arizona for next season. My money would be on the Beavers to finish last in Tier A.

The Midwest Conference

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Tier A

No. 1: Penn State 7-1

No. 2: Michigan 6-1

No. 2: Michigan State 6-1

No. 2: Nebraska 6-1

No. 2: Wisconsin 6-1

No. 6: Iowa 5-2

No. 6: Texas Tech 5-2

No. 6: TCU 5-2

No. 9: Notre Dame 4-3

No. 9: Ohio State 4-3

No. 9: Purdue 4-3

No. 12: Northwestern 2-5

 

Tier B

No. 1: Kansas State 7-0

No. 2: Cincinnati 6-1

No. 3: Illinois 6-2

No. 4: Northern Illinois 5-3

No. 5: SMU 4-2

No. 5: Baylor 4-2

No. 7: Western Michigan 4-4

No. 8: Iowa State 3-4

No. 9: Kansas 2-5

No. 10: Central Michigan 2-6

No. 11: Minnesota 1-6

No. 12: Indiana 1-7

 

Penn State may be on top of The Midwest Conference's standings now, but the Nittany Lions are not going to win the Big Ten—and they wouldn't win this league either.

Sparty rolled over the Badgers last week, but still I'd pick Wisconsin to win the league and face Boise State in the national semifinals.

Kansas State would move up to Tier A for the next season, replacing Northwestern unless the Wildcats are able to make up some ground.

The South Conference

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Tier A

No. 1: Alabama 8-0

No. 1: LSU 8-0

No. 3: Oklahoma State 7-0

No. 4: Arkansas 6-1

No. 4: Oklahoma 6-1

No. 6: Texas A&M 5-2

No. 7: Auburn  5-3

No. 8: Texas 4-2

No. 9: Louisville 3-4

No. 9: Missouri 3-4

No. 9: Tennessee 3-4

No. 12: Ole Miss 2-5

 

Tier B

No. 1: Houston 8-0

No. 2: Southern Miss 6-1

No. 3: South Florida 4-3

No. 3: Tulsa 4-3

No. 3: Vanderbilt 4-3

No. 6: Central Florida 3-4

No. 6: Kentucky 3-4

No. 6: Louisiana Tech 3-4

No. 6: Mississippi State 3-4

No. 10: Troy 2-5

No. 12: Memphis 2-6

No. 12: Rice 2-6

 

If the South Conference were in play this season, Oklahoma State, Alabama and LSU would meet in a clash of the Titans. I pick LSU to beat Alabama on Nov. 5 and would pick the Tigers to win this league.

The winner of Houston vs. Southern Miss would be promoted to Tier A, replacing Ole Miss.

The East Conference

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Tier A

No. 1: Clemson 8-0

No. 2: Virginia Tech 7-1

No. 3: South Carolina 6-1

No. 4: Georgia Tech 6-2

No. 5: Georgia 5-2

No. 5: Wake Forest 5-2

No. 5: West Virginia 5-2

No. 8: Florida 4-3

No. 8: Florida State 4-3

No. 10: Miami 4-4

No. 10: Pittsburgh 4-4

No. 12: Boston College 1-6

 

Tier B

No. 1: Rutgers 5-2

No. 1: Syracuse 5-2

No. 3: North Carolina 5-3

No. 3: Virginia 5-3

No. 5: NC State 4-3

No. 6: Duke 3-4

No. 6: East Carolina 3-4

No. 8: Connecticut 3-5

No. 8: Marshall 3-5

No. 10: Army 2-5

No. 10: Maryland 2-5

No. 10: Navy 2-5

 

The Clemson Tigers would win The East league this season and go on to the national semifinals while Boston College would drop down to Tier B.

Give Me a P-L-a-Y and an O-F-F. Rah Rah Rah!

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Boise State                

Pacific Champ                             Boise State             

Wisconsin                 

Midwest Champ

                                            National  Championship

LSU                          

South Champ                                   LSU                    

Clemson                   

East Champ

 

The BCS computers could actually get the championship matchup right this year. But how much more awesome would it be if these two teams earned their spot in the game?