| There is so much buzz and hype about the | | | | the top two dogs? It is easily the Pac 10. |
| Southeast Conference-better known as the | | | | If you are wondering, the team that has played |
| SEC-you would think there are no other NCAA | | | | the toughest schedule during the first 12 weeks |
| football conferences that can compare. | | | | of the 2007 college football season is the |
| Even Jeff Sagarin in his Sagarin Ratings lists the | | | | Washington Huskies, and that is why they are |
| SEC as the top conference with a central mean | | | | ranked No. 1 among the 242 Division 1A and 1AA |
| (that is Sagarin math talk) of 79.89 with the | | | | schools. |
| Pacific 10-better known as the Pac 10-second at | | | | For the record, Nebraska is No. 2, Stanford No. 3, |
| 79.19. On a scale of 100 the difference is 70 | | | | California No. 4 and Colorado No. 5, so 3 of Top 5 |
| 100ths of 1, or close enough to not make a | | | | teams in strength of schedule are from the Pac |
| difference in my mind. | | | | 10. |
| Ranked 11th among Division 1A conferences is | | | | Please, do not give me this garbage about the |
| Conference USA at 58.88. Three 1AA | | | | SEC playing the toughest schedule. The facts and |
| conferences are then rated above the last 1A | | | | statistics say otherwise. |
| conference-the Sun Belt-at 58.26. | | | | Another interesting fact of note is this: Since the |
| Sagarin rates all of the 242 individual 1A and 1AA | | | | NCAA established the Division 1A and 1AA |
| teams and then combines them among | | | | separation in 1978, only 5 Division 1A schools have |
| conferences to arrive at these figures. | | | | not played a Division 1AA school: Washington, |
| I read other factors into his mathematical formula | | | | Southern California, UCLA, Michigan State and |
| for deciding which conference is the toughest | | | | Notre Dame. Again 3 of the 5 teams come from |
| (best) conference. | | | | the Pac 10. |
| Knowing that the SEC is legion for scheduling | | | | The SEC already has 7 of its 12 teams with 7 or |
| Division 1AA teams in its non-conference schedule, | | | | more wins and bowl eligible by NCCA standards, |
| I suspect that the SEC's strength of schedule (the | | | | and now you know one of the reasons why. |
| quality of its opponents) may not be as strong. | | | | It is the same reason why Hawaii is unbeaten at |
| Turns out that I am right. | | | | 10-0, having defeated two 1AA schools in |
| The "tough" SEC played exactly 10 Division 1AA | | | | fattening up its impressive win record while |
| opponents this season, more than any other | | | | racking up the 153rd toughest schedule against |
| conference in the country. By comparison, the Big | | | | the other 119 Division 1A schools. |
| 12 played 10, the ACC and Big Ten played 7 | | | | Sometimes a 1AA school can beat a 1A school |
| games, the Big East 6, and the Pac 10 only 2. | | | | (like Appalachian State beating Michigan at home |
| When I add up the strength of schedule for the | | | | 34-32), not because they are necessarily better |
| 12 SEC teams I get an average of 30 compared | | | | but because the 1A school did not take them |
| to an average strength of schedule of 14 for the | | | | seriously. |
| Pac 10. Who plays the tougher schedule between | | | | |
