Which League's All-Conference Team Would Win in a Playoff?
The conclusion of college football's regular season brings announcements of all-conference teams, sparking debates about obvious choices and snubs alike.
But if those teams actually met on the field, which league would take home the national championship?
We'll be focusing on the five power leagues and using the all-conference team as voted on by the coaches. For reference, these are the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC squads.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
One noteworthy imperfection of the system is each league uses a different protocol. For example, there are two wide receivers in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC, three in the ACC and four in the Big 12.
While the rankings are subjective, a cumulative point system helps lessen one unit receiving too much significance.
First, we need to determine which conference to eliminate from the College Football Playoff itself. A first-place ranking is worth five points, a second-place nod is worth four and so on. The tiebreaker is most units with top finishes.
| ACC | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 24 |
| Big Ten | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 21 |
| Big 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| Pac-12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 21 |
| SEC | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 26 |
Oddly enough, the overall tally matches what happened in the final CFP poll. The SEC earned the top seed, followed by the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 in that order with the Big 12 on the outside.
Baker Mayfield, D'Onta Foreman and Joe Mixon compose a formidable backfield, while KD Cannon, Dede Westbrook and James Washington are each excellent vertical threats. However, the Big 12's defense pales in comparison to other conferences.
At every level, the league is respectable. We shouldn't expect anything less than that on an all-conference team anyway. But there's a significant gap between decent and excellent.
Peach Bowl: No. 1 SEC vs. No. 4 Pac-12
If special teams were to decide the outcome, the Pac-12 would hold the edge. Adoree' Jackson was the only player to return two kickoffs and two punts for a touchdown, Zane Gonzalez hit an FBS-long 59-yard field goal and Mitch Wishnowsky consistently blasted punts during his first season as a starter.
Like the upcoming tilt between Alabama and Washington, though, it all depends on if the Pac-12 can actually score.
"SEC First-Team defensive linemen: Myles Garrett, Jonathan Allen, Carl Lawson, Derek Barnett -- group is *stacked*
— Alec Shirkey (@AShirkey) December 6, 2016"
A front seven of Myles Garrett, Jonathan Allen, Carl Lawson, Derek Barnett, Kendell Beckwith, Zach Cunningham and Reuben Foster is absolutely ferocious. And the latter three compose as reliable a tackling trio as you'll find in college football.
However, the Pac-12 has terrific talent at skill positions with John Ross stretching the defense, Gabe Marks owning intermediate routes and Christian McCaffrey as the mismatch out of the backfield. The one glaring negative is Browning's lack of mobility.
That wouldn't be the case for the SEC, which has Jalen Hurts flanked by power in Kamryn Pettway and finesse in Derrius Guice. The Pac-12 would be stretched in every direction to stop inside runs, jet sweeps to ArDarius Stewart, screens to Christian Kirk, vertical passes to Evan Engram and Hurts' scrambling.
Give Lane Kiffin these offensive weapons, and watch the SEC prosper. But it wouldn't be without a four-quarter fight from the Pac-12.
Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 ACC vs. No. 3 Big Ten
The Big Ten can essentially be described as Michigan in 2016. You're simply not going to score many points on the defense, but if you can stall the offense, that's the winning blueprint.
One important element for the Big Ten is the offensive line's collective run-blocking ability. It would be dominant.
Although J.T. Barrett isn't a great thrower, all he needs to do is follow Ryan Ramczyk, Billy Price, Pat Elflein, Billy Price and Erik Magnuson anyway. Complementing him with Saquon Barkley and Corey Clement makes for a dangerous attack against an ACC defensive line better equipped to rush the passer.
Now, the Big Ten cannot afford to play from behind. Otherwise, the ACC will unleash DeMarcus Walker, Ejuan Price and Devonte Fields with a ballhawking cornerback trio of Cordrea Tankersley, Corn Elder and Tarvarus McFadden.
The question becomes whether the Big Ten can stop Heisman Trophy favorite Lamar Jackson on designed runs. Though with the right coordinator—which in this hypothetical world is Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown—scheme and talent can contain Jackson.
Once he and Dalvin Cook are limited, well, how exactly does the ACC plan on throwing against Jourdan Lewis, Desmond King and Marshon Lattimore with Malik Hooker patrolling deep? As long as Jabrill Peppers isn't an every-down man in coverage, there's no weak spot in the Big Ten secondary.
We're giving a slight advantage to the Big Ten because of its defensive prowess, but it'd be a one-possession finish.
National Championship: No. 1 SEC vs. No. 3 Big Ten
If the All-SEC and All-Big Ten squads met for one special matchup, college football would never see a better defensive battle.
Both units match up wonderfully. The SEC offense is built to run out of the spread and take downfield shots, but the Big Ten boasts a few of the nation's best vertical defenders. The Big Ten wants to run, run and run some more, but the SEC is stout in the box.
The difference in this matchup would come down to which team has more success turning quick-hitting routes into explosive plays and also special teams. Both categories narrowly favor the SEC.
Stewart is a dynamic player on jet sweeps, and Kirk is one of the country's best playmakers after the catch. Together, Austin Carr and Curtis Samuel don't have the same explosiveness.
Between Kirk and Peppers, the return game is a wash. JK Scott and Cameron Johnston are both outstanding punters. But Daniel Carlson takes the edge over Tyler Davis. Carlson was 6-of-6 from 40-49 yards and drilled four 50-plus-yard field goals, while Davis never attempted a kick outside of 40.
While the final score might be 16-13, the SEC's slight advantages in the trenches and on special teams would be just enough to secure the College Football Playoff national championship.
As a whole, the Big Ten was the better conference in 2016. But individually, the SEC can still claim a narrow lead.
All recruiting information via Scout. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
