Texas A&M and LSU

LSU? Did I miss something? I don't even like them but they crushed a solid Kentucky team.

LSU is 6-2, beat a non-conference team who was ranked top 15 and is currently winning their game 41-3. Their only losses are to top 5 teams. More proof you're an idiot.

TAMU has only lost to SEC West opponents. In fact the SEC West FINALLY lost against a non-division opponent when #10 Georiga best the worst SEC West team, Arkansas, 45-32. Not exactly domination...

mini me wrote:

LSU is 6-2, beat a non-conference team who was ranked top 15 and is currently winning their game 41-3. Their only losses are to top 5 teams.

They got murdered by Auburn and were down big to Miss St. before coming back to make it close. They barely beat Florida. Sneaking by Wisconsin is not an accomplishment. Northwestern has beaten Wisconsin.

TAMU has only lost to SEC West opponents. In fact the SEC West FINALLY lost against a non-division opponent when #10 Georiga best the worst SEC West team, Arkansas, 45-32. Not exactly domination...

Arkansas was down 38-6 at the half then got some garbage time scores. I would say that is domination. And the only reason A&M was ranked highly in the first place is because they beat up on a bad South Carolina team. They have done nothing of note since.

The SEC west is 4 teams deep. LSU could be close but I don't see them having much of a chance against Bama or Ole Miss.

And here is a list of those prestigious programs beaten by SEC West teams outside of their division:

Florida (x2)

Vandy

Kentucky

Tennessee

South Carolina

Kansas State

West Virginia

Texas Tech

Wisconsin

Northern Illinois

Boise State

Southern Miss (x2)

UL-Lafayette

Memphis

UAB

South Alabama

Florida Atlantic

San Jose State

Louisiana Tech

Sam Houston State

UL-Monroe

New Mexico State

Lamar

Rice

SMU

Nicholls State

There is currently one team of the above that is ranked (Kansas State), and another who might be after this week in West Virginia. Both of those teams gave their respective SEC West opponents trouble, especially Kansas State who basically handed Auburn the game.

And here is a list of those prestigious programs beaten by SEC West teams outside of their division:

Florida (x2)

Vandy

Kentucky

Tennessee

South Carolina

Kansas State

West Virginia

Texas Tech

Wisconsin

Northern Illinois

Boise State

Southern Miss (x2)

UL-Lafayette

Memphis

UAB

South Alabama

Florida Atlantic

San Jose State

Louisiana Tech

Sam Houston State

UL-Monroe

New Mexico State

Lamar

Rice

SMU

Nicholls State

There is currently one team of the above that is ranked (Kansas State), and another who might be after this week in West Virginia. Both of those teams gave their respective SEC West opponents trouble, including Kansas State basically handing Auburn the game.

sorry for the double post...there needs to be a way to delete posts on this forum.

SEC dominance is a mirage. Stack the rankings with 8 SEC teams before a down has been played and at the end of the season, either they will be the top 8, or whichever SEC teams beat them will be the top 8 instead because they beat a bunch of supposedly top 8 teams.

Of course this only works if they only play each other, which of course they do by tradition. Down south they keep it in the family if you know what I mean.

Yep. Lost to two top 5 teams from the SEC West. Nothing you posted refutes what I said.

Really, Miss St, Ole Miss, Auburn and Alabama may very well be the four best teams in the country. Auburn went on the road and beat Kansas St, who just won in Norman. Alabama beat West Virginia, who just beat #4 Baylor and will be ranked. The Mississippi teams beat those two respectively. When LSU losses to a non-SEC West then tell me they suck. You have weak to no evidence suggesting the SEC is overrated. Any evidence this season and in recent years suggests otherwise. You have essentially zero evidence suggesting any other conference is close. The LRC community gets proven wrong about the SEC EVERY year and the playoff will only further this...

Except they also beat non-SEC teams. They always have a winning record against other power conference teams, have gone 13-6 in bowl games the last two years and went 9-2 in BCS championship games. One of the losses being LSU to Alabama. But other than you being an idiot... Maybe you are on to somet... No, wait. You're just full of crap.

The SEC West is by far the #1 division. The SEC East? Mediocre at best - Georgia is elite, South Carolina might be .500 or close to it in several divisions, but the rest of the division? No.

I'm interested to see what the Selection Committee thinks. They SHOULD have the top 4 SEC West teams in the top 10, possibly Top 8 (though I'm not sold on Auburn yet). Not so sure LSU will make the rankings as their lone OOC game now looks rather unimpressive and they barely got past a mid level SEC East team (Florida). I'll also be interested to see how highly they rank the Pac-12 South teams - that division isn't as strong up front as the SEC West, but I think the #5 and team is better.

I think there are 27 teams that are deserving of a good look for the Top 25. By division:

ACC Atlantic (3/7): Clemson, Florida State, Louisville

ACC Coastal (1/7): Duke

Big 12 (5/10): Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia

Big Ten East (2/7): Michigan State, Ohio State

Big Ten West (2/7): Minnesota, Nebraska

Pac-12 North (1/6): Oregon

Pac-12 South (5/6): Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, Utah

SEC East (1/7): Georgia

SEC West (4/7): Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn

American (1/11): East Carolina

MWC Mountain (1/6): Colorado State

Independents (1/4): Notre Dame

... though yes, there are cases like East Carolina losing to South Carolina or Boston College beating USC. I don't think a 3-3 or 4-3 team is going to get real consideration at this point, though, particularly when they have fewer quality wins than they have losses (maybe it would be different if they've gone, say, 3-3 against Top 25 type teams).

Really, Miss St, Ole Miss, Auburn and Alabama may very well be the four best teams in the country. Auburn went on the road and beat Kansas St, who just won in Norman. Alabama beat West Virginia, who just beat #4 Baylor and will be ranked.

I will give you a quote from noted SEC apologist Gary Danielson during Auburn/Mississippi State: "This sure doesn't look like #2 vs. #3, does it?"

When LSU losses to a non-SEC West then tell me they suck.

When they beat a ranked team then tell me they are good

You have weak to no evidence suggesting the SEC is overrated.

I never said the conference was overrated. It is the best conference in college football. They just preserve their own reputation by not playing many quality opponents out of conference. Then when a team loses a conference game they can use the convenient strength of conference excuse.

Good analysis. Though I will go on a limb and predict South Carolina beats Clemson and Kentucky beats Louisville later this season. Remember this, I'll admit if I'm wrong. South Carolina beat East Carolina & Georgia btw... Then Kentucky beat them.

watchoutxcrankings wrote:

ACC Atlantic (3/7): Clemson, Florida State, Louisville

ACC Coastal (1/7): Duke

Big 12 (5/10): Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia

Big Ten East (2/7): Michigan State, Ohio State

Big Ten West (2/7): Minnesota, Nebraska

Pac-12 North (1/6): Oregon

Pac-12 South (5/6): Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, Utah

SEC East (1/7): Georgia

SEC West (4/7): Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn

American (1/11): East Carolina

MWC Mountain (1/6): Colorado State

Independents (1/4): Notre Dame

I would put Marshall in over one of those teams. Yes, they haven't played anyone, but they haven't been in any danger of losing and probably won't be for the rest of the regular season. They at least deserve a top 25 nod. I would probably take Colorado State out. I'm also not sold on Minnesota yet though their loss to TCU looks a little better with TCU a 4th quarter meltdown away from being ranked in the top 5.

mini me wrote:

Good analysis. Though I will go on a limb and predict South Carolina beats Clemson and Kentucky beats Louisville later this season. Remember this, I'll admit if I'm wrong. South Carolina beat East Carolina & Georgia btw... Then Kentucky beat them.

South Carolina over Clemson wouldn't surprise me at all - it would be much less of an upset than when they beat Georgia. Not sure about Kentucky/Louisville - I think Louisville has been playing pretty well, but anything could happen. My post was just based on what games have already been played - I'm sure it would change in future weeks.

LSU already beat a team that was ranked. Auburn won on the road against the team that just beat #11 Oklahoma on the road. Mississippi St cruised past Auburn. Alabama beat the team that just beat #4 Baylor by 14. Ole Miss beat Alabama. You can't play this game without the ultimate result being easily the best conference, and the SEC West being particularly strong. The season has and will further prove you wrong. The playoffs and bowl games will only further display this. Will you come back to this thread and admit how wrong you were?

Fair enough. I've seen both Kentucky and Louisville play this year. Kentucky impressed me more. And their coach Mark Stoops is the real deal. It's a road game but I like them over Louisville. I guess we'll see.

FitzyXC wrote:

watchoutxcrankings wrote:

ACC Atlantic (3/7): Clemson, Florida State, Louisville

ACC Coastal (1/7): Duke

Big 12 (5/10): Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia

Big Ten East (2/7): Michigan State, Ohio State

Big Ten West (2/7): Minnesota, Nebraska

Pac-12 North (1/6): Oregon

Pac-12 South (5/6): Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, Utah

SEC East (1/7): Georgia

SEC West (4/7): Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn

American (1/11): East Carolina

MWC Mountain (1/6): Colorado State

Independents (1/4): Notre Dame

I would put Marshall in over one of those teams. Yes, they haven't played anyone, but they haven't been in any danger of losing and probably won't be for the rest of the regular season. They at least deserve a top 25 nod. I would probably take Colorado State out. I'm also not sold on Minnesota yet though their loss to TCU looks a little better with TCU a 4th quarter meltdown away from being ranked in the top 5.

Until Marshall actually plays someone, I'm not even going to pay them attention. I'm a big believer in SOS - you have to actually beat someone at least mediocre before I give you any credit. Unfortunately, they won't play anyone "decent" until the C-USA Title game (Louisiana Tech will probably win the West, and Marshall should win that game, but it could be close).

Colorado State: They beat Colorado, Boston College, and a Nevada team that beat Washington State. Their lone loss was to an OK team in Boise State. They aren't great, but they'd be a ~.500 team in most AQ divisions, and at 6-1 while playing decent teams in their OOC schedule they deserve some credit (and someone has to be in the Top 25 after all).

Minnesota: I'm not sold on them either, but again they are 6-1 with their only loss to a good TCU squad. None of their wins were impressive, but they are pulling out wins over AQ teams so that's something. I'll replace them with someone else once someone else wins some more games ;)

And please list all the schools from any D1 major conference that played at least 2 tough non-conference games. Fact is that after conference games, all teams pad their schedules with non-conference cupcake games and usually 1 respectable non-conference game.

And for the respectable non-conference games, those games were scheduled years in advance when some of those teams were actually good. A few years ago when Georgia scheduled Boise State for this year, or Alabama scheduled WV, those teams were actually decent. Same with Arkansas scheduling Texas Tech.

mini me wrote:

Fair enough. I've seen both Kentucky and Louisville play this year. Kentucky impressed me more. And their coach Mark Stoops is the real deal. It's a road game but I like them over Louisville. I guess we'll see.

Interesting. I haven't actually watched Kentucky play this year, so I'm only really going off the scores I've seen. I guess their game against Missouri in a couple weeks will tell me more about them.