Which is the best conference in college football?

Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:14 PM EST

It's one argument that stirs passion across college football -- what's the best conference? Michael Ventre argues in Trash Talk that it's not the SEC ... even though SEC teams have won the past three national titles. So what's your take?

Results with 21 short comments
Total of 5,688 votes - click on the "Display Comments" bar below to sort comments

SEC	50.4% (2,868 votes)
Pac-10	16.8% (953 votes)
Big 12	13.5% (768 votes)
Big Ten	9.5% (539 votes)
Big East	3.6% (203 votes)
Mountain West	3.4% (195 votes)
ACC	2.8% (162 votes)

Display Comments:

SEC

SEC, What a stupid question!

1 vote

- dsmith44444

- 3:31 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

Pac-10

Always underrated. Everyone thinks USC is the power-horse in a no-competition conference. Not so!!!!!!!!!!!!

- dragonswizardz

- 3:32 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

SEC

No Question SEC is the Best!

- SaffDaddy

- 3:35 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

SEC

SEC is football. Trash Talk doesn't look at tradition - which conference has the most National Champions?

- ROy-510367

- 4:03 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

SEC

Top to bottom match SEC teams with opponents from other conferences then you decide. I say the SEC wins the majority of match-ups.

- tgwnola

- 4:20 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

SEC

The simple truth is the SEC beats up on each other. When Slimey Slive leaves, we'll do even better.

- mapreader

- 4:32 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

SEC

Primary reason there's only 3 is because those three are beating the rest and the best of the rest are beating each other!

1 vote

- birdpilot

- 4:43 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

SEC

When you have to play each other, yeah, you're going to knock some of your own conference rivals out of the top 25. Learn anything ventre?

1 vote

- ScubaGolfJim

- 4:57 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

Pac-10

pac 10, I live in calif

- bob-727048

- 4:59 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

Pac-10

This year the class is in the Pac 10!

#10

- Bosox Fan in Oregon

- 5:40 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

Pac-10

The SEC votes to "keep the money in the family." The only other conference as overrated is the Big Ten.

#11

- captamerica-1462337

- 5:45 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

Pac-10

Pac-10 Top to Bottom

#12

- MerBnz

- 5:51 pm EST on Tue Nov 10, 2009

SEC

No conference even close to the SEC. Fans didn't think Bama would be ready this year OR last and they're still making nat champ run.

#13

- BamaJS

- 9:35 am EST on Wed Nov 11, 2009

Big Ten

I'm from Ohio; what can I say? And Randy Walker was a friend of mine.

#14

- PSzymeczek

- 12:32 pm EST on Wed Nov 11, 2009

Pac-10

PAC 10 teams don't play minor schools to rack up wins like some other conferences (You know who you are).

#15

- Craig-1463557

- 2:32 pm EST on Wed Nov 11, 2009

SEC

What an idiotic column. Big 10 is a joke. No "D" in Big 12. Mountain West? Please. Only in SEC do you see a "complete" game.

#16

- David-1161626

- 10:38 am EST on Thu Nov 12, 2009

SEC

When 6 of the best teams in the nation play someone has to come away a loser. What other conference has two undefeated teams ranked #1 & 2

#17

- Mark Warner

- 1:51 pm EST on Thu Nov 12, 2009

SEC

The author is obviously an idiot. Never been to the south I guess. Typical. Looks like over half of everyone else agrees the SEC is #1!

#18

- Josh-692058

- 2:41 pm EST on Thu Nov 12, 2009

SEC

My take is that we will have a better idea after the bowls play out which conference is the best. At the moment I vote with my heart.

#19

- EdFLA

- 11:46 pm EST on Wed Dec 16, 2009

SEC

I think the SEC is, but why some team, like SC lately, seem not to care about the bowl games gets me.

#20

- SCTexan

- 10:07 am EST on Mon Jan 4, 2010

SEC

sec for the past 5 yrs. easily. Pac 10 was only a one horse conf. and you know how sec handle big 12 in NC.

#21

- vincehap

- 9:58 pm EST on Mon Jan 18, 2010

Background reading

Trash Talk: SEC not living up to its reputation

Explore related topics: college-football, sec, big-ten, acc, big-12, pac-10

Jump to discussion page: 1 2 3

Chiggerticky

I voted SEC because in the past 20 years it has been the best, but Michael Ventre is right in his Trash Talk post: 2009 ain't the SEC's banner year.

#1 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:47 PM EST

MikeFla

i agree that this isnt the sec's finest year. florida's offense has NO deep threat and alabama is offensively weak as well. the other teams typically ranked, tennessee, auburn and georgia are very average. however, there are 3 sec teams in the top 10 and in reality, while i'll agree with the statement that no one out there is an obvious top choice, i will not say that every johnny come lately team out there is deserving of the shot at #1 just because they are having a good year, usually against very mediocre, if not weak, conference competition.

1 vote

#1.1 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:32 AM EST

Jeff-393477

Is Ventre kidding me? If you wanna talk trash Ventre then here come some: First of all you began by bashing every person from the South. Nascar, bass fishing and football is all we have huh? Hey Ventre maybe you don't care for 100K plus fans that show up to Nascar events because it remind you of how many men your mom has been with. But rest assured that if you took a DNA test you might possibly find that daddy you must need to tuck you into bed at night and keep all the scary monsters away. You must be having some bad dreams if you think that SEC football is mediocre and overrated. You know you sit at a computer and type about football while these guys get out and put themselves on the line every week. . .might have a bit more respect for you if you knew the difference between a "wide reciever" and your own sexual orientation as a "wide reciever." And by the way Mr. Smarty sports writer when has it been bad to grind things out on the field. So what if a pac 10 team can toss up 50 on the board when their defense couldn't stop an average pop warner program. Oops sorry I said the word "pop" I know it reminds you of that daddy thing again.

#1.2 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:09 PM EST

Skiddy

Michael Ventre is rarely right about anything. Who dies and made him the expert on this?

#1.3 - Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:09 PM EST

boree73

I think the SEC is still the best by default. I don't see any other conference that stands out.

#2 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:34 PM EST

G. Silver

According to the Sagarin Computer Model, which uses facts and not emotions to rank conferences, the Pac 10 is the strongest conference thus far in 2009. Much to the dismay of Yankees, like the guy writing this article, the SEC ranks 2nd followed by the ACC in 3rd, and the Big 10 bringing up the rear in 6th. Southern Football always beats out northeast football, but sports writers like this idiot will continue to rank Ohio St. #1 each year. Enjoy your winter months, I will enjoy my 70+ weather here in Tampa.

#3 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:47 PM EST

cab694

The SEC rules! What conference is looking good? C-USA!!HAAAAHAAAA!!!

#4 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:51 PM EST

White Middle Class

IT's tough being in the SEC when no matter how good you are (Tennessee) you lose to teams that are better than you in your own conference (Alabama, Florida). You will never rise in the polls if you are playing against the best in the nation. I would hate to be a pretty descent team in the SEC, in any other conference you would be a great team.

1 vote

#5 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:51 PM EST

Mike-397032

You will rise when you beat the best in the nation. Isn't that what it is about?

#5.1 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:40 PM EST

American Voter in London

Are you seriously using Tennessee as an example of a "pretty good" team unfortunate enough to be in the SEC? Tennessee, as I recall, lost to a woeful UCLA at home!

If the Pac-10's bad teams are beating the SEC's "pretty good" teams in their own backyard, then I guess the "which conference is better" debate has ended.

#5.2 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:56 PM EST

Josh-692058

While I'm not sure about Tennessee being a pretty good team this year - they are getting better. Although with 3 players being arrested for armed robbery today - things will likely get worse.

But you look at teams like UK and Vandy and Mississippi State and put them in another conference and they'd likely be THE teams to beat. But regularly get beaten up in the SEC.

A couple years ago UK beat eventual national champions LSU in the regular season - this year they beat Auburn, another great SEC school at Auburn - the first time that's been done since the 60's.

While a lot of these teams look poor in the SEC - put them in another conference and suddenly they are a much, much better looking team.

#5.3 - Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:47 PM EST

wckdwoo

What you say may be true about the SEC as a whole given the past record of this dymanic conference. But this is a stupid discussion! Florida and Alabama are 1 and 2 in the nation! If they are mediocre what does this say about all the other conferences out there? Come on, your little snarky article has managed to insult the attributes of all the other conferences while highlighting that the SEC is the only one with teams in the top two positions. So, the moral of this story is even in a bad year there are no teams better than those in the SEC!

1 vote

#6 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:54 PM EST

American Voter in London

I agree - the level of play throughout the NCAA is fairly mediocre this season.

1 vote

#6.1 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:57 PM EST

Joe Washington

TCU, Utah OR BYU would kick Florida's overrated a$$ this year...

Urban isn't good enough to coach in the Mountain West these days!!!

#7 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:07 PM EST

ScubaGolfJim

Wake up Joe. Wake up now. You're just having a dream. Wake up Joe.

2 votes

#7.1 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:01 PM EST

MikeFla

you cant be serious

#7.2 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:34 AM EST

Peteyrox

The same BYU that got COMPLETELY destroyed by FSU (aka the worse defense in the nation) in their OWN HOUSE?! ROFL! HAHA man, thanks that made me laugh really hard, you must be a 35 year old white mormom like the boys on BYU. hahahah

#7.3 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:09 PM EST

NC Rob

SEC is still cream of the crop right now, but ROy-510367 asked which conference has won the most national championships. I am pretty sure it is the Big 10.

#8 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:10 PM EST

Mr. Grizz

Hey, Joe Washington, what weed are you smoking out in the MWC? BYU got KILLED, at home, on ESPN's Game Day by Florida State, which is not too great this year and then the Cougars got KILLED again by TCU, at home, AGAIN! Yes, the Gators are WAY over-rated, as is the SEC, generally, and the MWC is a good, and getting better, conference, but kicking the Gator's butt, come on now!!!

2 votes

#9 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:15 PM EST

RussMK

SEC is not now and has never been the premier conference! How many teams in the conference have won 6 or more National Championships (Traditional Powers)? How many 10 or more (Elite Programs)? Yup that would be Alabama, end of story.

The conference is competitive with itself because you have 12 teams all built the same way to play the same kind of game, not the 8 different pro style offenses found in the Pac10, not the bruising defenses and sophisticated running games found in the Big10, not even the defense vs. running games found in the Big12.

Additionally, media bias aside, well you have fanatical fans and fantastic college football traditions you also have the lowest graduation rates in the nation, and like all 12 team conferences the ability to at most play 1 or 2 tough games in the entire season prior to the conference championship through schedule manipulation and an SEC tradition (again some exceptions for Alabama) of scheduling patsies instead of powers in the non-conference games.

The media loves the SEC (and to a lesser extent the Big12) and so they look in the polls like powers but watch the games and they are not.

#10 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:21 PM EST

BikerSaint

The SEC hasn't always been the favored conference. It wasn't that long ago an undefeated Auburn team was shut out of the NC game in favor of traditional northern teams that had always previously favored. So now it is our time. Live with it.

I recall many years ago Notre Dame and (I think) Ohio State were ranked 1 and 2, and played each other to a tie? They still outranked the best undefeated SEC team which I believe at the time was Alabama. So when you go about saying the SEC is a media favorite, well, fans of the SEC know all about that. I mean, Notre Dame is horrible the past 10 years or so, and they Still get their own Feature section on MSNBC!!

#10.1 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:18 AM EST

Tenn Cup

For about 5 seconds I was taking Ventre's artilce seriously, but quickly got over it. Never been bass fishing or been to a NASCAR race. A pregame tour of the Grove at Ole Miss will enligten even the most arcane sports writer. The ladies are world class and so it the football. Life is good in the South and there's more a lot than left turns and fishing lures to enjoy.

#11 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:30 PM EST

e.g Heavy Tiger

You know what they say in the SEC, if you ain't cheatin you ain't tryin!

#12 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:34 PM EST

JIM -657002

It ain't the B10 with the overrated "Luckeyes"....go SEC the best

#13 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:42 PM EST

DougTucson

At least this year, the PAC10 wins. Does OK historically, too.

#14 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:43 PM EST

Thomas Paine CS

An accurate comparison would be to see who wins the most bowl matchups head to head historically. I.E. when an SEC team plays a Pac-10 team, who wins the bowl. I'm not sure but I'd like to see the factual results.

#15 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:49 PM EST

American Voter in London

Hard to do that, too... Do you use winning percentage? Winning percentage with a threshold (e.g., minimum number of Bowl games played)? Number of teams sent to post-season play? Total number of wins?

Last year:
by winning percentage: Pac-10 (1.000)
by number of teams sent: ACC (10)
by total number of wins: SEC (6)

Historically is difficult, too, because of change of University affiliation, e.g., would the ACC get credit for Miami's success only from when they joined, or their entire existence even when with the Big East? Similarly, the Big 10 only allowed one team to play in bowl games up until 1976 - conference champion went to the Rose Bowl, everyone else went home...

Depending on how you slice it historically, you might get the SEC (by total games and historic conference affiliation win %), the WAC (current conference win %)...

1 vote

#15.1 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:02 PM EST

American Voter in London

I meant the PAC, not the WAC...

#15.2 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:09 PM EST

Brown-1195162

Texas in the Big-12 will win the National Championship. You can count on it; they're the most balanced team in the nation. THEY WILL BE CHAMPIONS...

#16 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:01 PM EST

Dawg019

Big Ten #1 because they can play in real weather. I dare any of the other conferences to play the bowl games in OSU or Michagan stadiums in January. They would run to the locker room like weeee little girls after getting their butts kicked.

Like JoePa says "Come to Penn State" to play your bowl games instead of always in your own backyards.

#17 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:14 PM EST

MikeFla

yeah so that an always overranked ohio state can come in there and beat the biggest choke team in history...penn state.

1 vote

#17.1 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:37 AM EST

Kingmendicant

Don't tell me the SEC beats up on each other when so does every other conference. The SEC isn't winning the out of conference games they used to win.... as a conference. The SEC isn't the conference it was, but neither is the Big 12, which is where my Longhorns are. I would argue that the other weaker conferences, like the WAC, the MAC, the ACC, the PAC 10, and the Big 11, (I mean 10...nudge nudge)... are catching up to the SEC and Big 12 and that we are beginning to see less dominant conferences, and more parity. Now we need a playoff system to understand who the best team is. We can't depend on what we think we know are the stronger conferences anymore.

#18 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:31 PM EST

BikerSaint

yeah, I agree with you. A playoff system would solve it. Never see Basketball fans in discussions like this do we?

#18.1 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:27 AM EST

jpadamski

Top to bottom, the PAC10 has the deepest league. I don't dismiss the Big 10 or the SEC, but in the PAC10, almost every team can beat any team on a given Saturday.

#19 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:11 PM EST

MikeFla

that's called mediocrity.

#19.1 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:39 AM EST

citizen john

The sec plays more cupcake teams than anybody around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why won,t Auburn try and schedule Troy, because they might get beat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#20 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:26 PM EST

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