Big 12

nobody is talking about it because the SEC is still believed to be the strongest conference out there. I have even heard some ESPN pundits, caugh, caugh, Craig James, say that the Pac-10 is the second best conference in the land. The bottom half of the Big 12 truly is terrible. It’s like they always say, you are only as strong as your weakest link.

that the Pac-10 IS the second best conference in the land, under the assumption that the SEC is the best (an assumption that ESPN just doubled down on to the tune of $2.25Bil), and the statistical reality that the Pac-10 has largely out-played the SEC when matched head-to-head.

Where the Big 12 figures into this is anybody’s guess, but as far as I’m concerned debate over which league is the best is usually (not always) dominated by unthinking, blind partisanship. I think the Pac-10, Big 12, and SEC ALL have elite teams, strong middle-conference contenders, and weak sisters.

As for the “5 in the top 10” scenario posed by SwimTexas above, it seems to me as a distinct possibility going into Texas-OU. If all teams play to their potential, the only Big 12 team significantly threatened is Kansas against USF next week, which could drop them out. Texas also faces CU, which has upset potential.

The other teams in the current top 10 don’t have it so easy – either OSU or USC will drop out by next week, Georgia plays tough games against Arizona State and and Alabama, and the LSU-Auburn tilt will knock one of them out. West Virginia could theoretically lose either today at ECU, or next week at Colorado, but they should be heavily favored in both.