This conference comparison page is an absolute joke.

by Jeff R
(Jacksonville, FL)

The only way the sec would obtain a point total like that is with the mathematical formula this site came up with that weighs heavily on the sports the sec has done well in the past few years, and lighter on the ones they aren't very competitive in.

The big ten finishing last in your mock rankings, shows more than ever how ridiculous and sec-fan catered your rankings are. Where is wrestling? Interestingly enough, this is the sport that the big 10 and big 12 dominate, and that the sec doesn't do very well overall. The big 10 placed 3 of the top 4 teams in the country at the 2008 championships, and the big 12 had several in the top 10.

Where is hockey? Hmmm, convenient to leave this out as well since hockey in the south is terrible. Don't use the title 9 excuse for the schools that do not have hockey in the south, because the schools that have it up north have cut other sports programs such as cross country, swimming, track and field to accomodate their hockey...sports that the sec has used to build the inflated point total you have given for conference rankings.

Ohio State and several other big 10 schools always place very high in gymnastics, swimming, and diving, but conveniently only receive 1 pt in your mock scale for those. Ohio State was in the mens soccer championship game in 2007 as well, losing a close contest. Three team championship games in 1 year - no other team did that. Really it's 4 if you include the NIT this past year.

Regarding your top three factors (fans, money, wins), you forgot to mention the number 1 factor: MEDIA HYPE. Now of course I am basing that on the overrating the sec has in football. Although i do concede that last year the sec was the best in the country in football.

The sec fans are very dedicated to their teams, but as a whole they are very one-dimensional, not knowing much about the rest of the sport outside of the sec...except for of course what the media hypes. Being intelligent sports fans as you appear to be, you should know that the media hype quite often has no valid base or backing. It's more about a money pump and what will create the best news story to do the pumping.

For example, the media focuses on bashing osu's football team ever since the got thumped by florida in what was simply a fluke. No disrespect to what florida accomplished, but it was done by amped up emotions - not just the "speed" of the team. Anyone following the gators all year knows they were a whisper away in 3 other games from not even having the chance to play in the nc game. Anyone who watched osu, saw one of the most dominant teams in modern college football history, destroying everyone we played (including at texas) other than arch rival michigan, who was #2 in the country and had extra fuel playing the game the day after bo died. Clearly the same teams that played during the reg season, for whatever reasons, did not take the field in the nc game.

In 2007 then, everyone wanted to bash OSU for their light schedule, that of course we put together the day before the season started (hear the sarcasm?). OSU scheduled Washington when the were pac 10 champs and #3 in the country. The fact they fell off the wagon since is not OSU's fault. They did their job and traveled over 3000 miles to destroy them...although Wash was 2-0 at the time, coming off a win against boise st, and were top 30 in the country.

SEC teams never leave the southeast, save a few rare trips from tenn and ark, and maybe a few others. Florida - never leaves the south. Georgia is traveling to Ariz St this year, the first time they have left the south in 41 YEARS! This might be a small part in the "money" factor of the sec conference. If you never travel, then you're not spending much money. A couple hundred K to bring some cupcake in.

One thing I do find about the average sec fan is that they are very arrogant and uneducated about the rest of the conferences and their teams. This poll displays just that. Appears to me that the traditional power conference (big 10) is a conference you actually appear to want to belittle, and use a measly 1 1/2 to 2 yrs of it being down in the top 2 sports to try and prove it. Although after sec's lackluster basketball season in 2007-08, and the fact the big 10 did better overall in hoops, then really i can only say that relative to the sec, football is the only major sport we didn't excel in.

The big 10 was the first conference in the country, even older than the ncaa itself. In fact, the big 10 was formed in 1895 by presidents of 7 midwest universities in order to build a set of guidelines and ethics for sports that did not exist prior. These guidelines became the foundation for the ncaa organization, and all other conferences. This stands the test of time and can never be changed...even if the big 10 does have a couple down years.



Editor's Note: Wow, thanks Jeff for your lengthy post. You raise many interesting points. I'm sure others will respond to many of them.

I do want to point out that the SEC does not officially sponsor teams in Wrestling or Hockey -- which is why we don't cover it on this site. There may be some schools that have a club team in those sports, but, as a conference, the SEC just doesn't particpate at the NCAA level.

Of course, this opens up other obvious points you are free to make. Some will be good.

But, I did want to clarify that. I still think when you look overall at all the sports, the SEC is way out in front. Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Baseball, Track and Field, Gymnastics, Swimming and Diving -- The SEC, overall, leads the way. We do weight the sports differently and I think that's the right thing to do. If you think Swimming is as significant as football in the world of sports, well, you are in a different world than me.

you mention osu in gymnastics. sorry, the Super 6 just came out -- 4 SEC schools; none from the Big 10.

I could go on and on.

you make good points. but, if you want to give us a full analysis of all big ten teams in all sports vs. all sec teams in all sports (as we have done) then, I will gladly post it here for all to see.

Cheers.