Is the SEC the Best Conference in America?

I’ll be honest. When I set out to write this article, it was my intent to show that the SEC is not the best conference in America.  While I still don’t think they are head and shoulders above everyone else like many SEC fans would have you believe, the numbers may tend to show otherwise.

I will admit that I am no mathematician, and I am sure someone will let me know how I have screwed up the numbers.  I also realize that stats never show the whole picture of anything in sports, and that on any given day, anyone can win a game. 

It is also not my intent to compare individual teams or games.  This is purely comparing the average rankings of all the FBS conferences on four statistical categories: offensive yards per game (YPG), average yards allowed, points scored per game (PPG), and points allowed per game.

If you would like to see the complete list with average rankings I would be happy to show it to you, but it wouldn't go in here easily so I left it out.

While I did not come to the conclusion I had hoped as someone who gets tired of hearing about the SEC, I did notice some very interesting things about college football as a whole.

SEC the Best?

First things first: Is the SEC the best conference in the country?

I was not surprised to find that they fall right around the middle when it comes to YPG with an average ranking of 57.3.  What surprised me far more was their average ranking for PPG, which was 50.8.

That made them No. 1.

I don’t think I am the only one surprised by this.  Granted, they are by no means running away with the No. 1 spot, being only .5 ahead of the Big 12, with numerous others close behind. 

Two things come as obvious explanations.  Having above average defense results in better field position, so fewer yards are gained when scoring.  It is also likely that their vaunted defenses score more points themselves, meaning no offensive yards gained.

When it comes to defense, there is no surprise that the SEC is No. 1 in yards allowed per game with an average ranking of 37. I was a little surprised that they were not exactly runaway leaders, being only about three better than the Big East.

What may surprise some people is that the Big East is actually better when it comes to points allowed with an average of 36.8 compared to 38 by the SEC.  It is not a huge advantage, but it is there.

So is the SEC the best conference in the country?

Like everything else that is so subjective with college football, maybe.  But what these numbers show is that they are not exactly the gods of college football that many seem to think they are. 

Once you get past Alabama and Florida, the rest of the conference is pretty average.

What do the numbers say about college football as a whole?

This is where I found some of my most interesting observations.  When it comes to YPG, the average rankings are pretty random when comparing AQ conferences and non-AQ conferences.

As mentioned before, the WAC is at the top with three AQ’s in the top half, and three in the bottom.  This doesn’t really lead me to any specific conclusions.

Perhaps a better indication of offensive quality is how many points they score, and the numbers show a very interesting thing.  The top five spots are all held by AQ conferences, with the Big Ten down at No. 8. 

So even with the prolific offenses at Boise St., Houston, Nevada, etc., there is still something to be said for the overall quality of the AQ conferences.

What about defense?

The overall strength of the AQ conferences is even more apparent here with both yards allowed and points allowed being led by the six AQ’s. 

We have all heard the saying that defense wins championships, and these numbers tend to support this idea, seeing as how throughout history, champions have come from the members of these conferences. 

I did also find it interesting that the Mountain West was No. 7 in both of these categories.

Once again, let me state that I am not making any definitive statements here.  The Big East is ranked first or second in both defensive categories, and I feel they are sharing the bottom with the ACC.  I am simply explaining some numbers that I found interesting.

Also, before people start crying about me being a biased AQ conference fan, take a look at most of my writing.  I am a diehard BYU fan, I always have been, and always will be.

Please feel free to tell me how wrong I am.  It is the conflict of sport that makes us so passionate about it, and that is what I love.