A Look at BCS Non-Conference Results

by srr50 on Dec 9, 2008 4:23 PM CST in Texas Longhorns and Other Football

With all the talk of "style points" and strength of schedule being bandied about this week, and with the bowl season about to be unleashed, there no doubt will be more talk about the relative strengths of the BCS conferences. Before the bowl matchups between leagues get started, here are some basics

Overall

BCS Opponents

Yes, the Pac 10 did suck this year. The two BCS conferences who are the most maligned year-in, year-out ( the Big East and the ACC) actually schedule BCS bretheren more often than other BCS leagues, and they are the only leauges to have winning records against BCS opponents.

% Home Games

Conference

The teams in the BCS leagues like to play at home, and they like to mix in some pastry selections along with a few meaty match ups.

% vs BCS

%vs 1-AA

Conferences

Conference Notes

Big 12
* The league went 0-4 against the ACC and 2-3 against the Big East.

* The Big 12 South was 20-4 in non-league action, and 5-3 against BCS squads. The top three South teams went 4-0 against BCS opponents, with Cincinnati the best of the bunch.

* The Big 12 North was 18-6 in non-league action, and 2-5 against other BCS teams.

* One Big 12 team didn't play a single BCS non-conference opponent, and played two D 1-AA (or FCS if you prefer) opponents. Gee, I wonder who that was?

The Pirate looted two 1-AA teams and a couple of lousy D-1 teams (SMU & Nevada) for his non-conference slate this season.

ACC
* The league went 15-8 against BCS foes, going 4-0 against the Big 12, beating Nebraska, Colorado, A&M and Baylor.

* The ACC went 2-1 against regional rival SEC teams in the final week. Georgia Tech beat Georgia, Clemson beat South Carolina, while Florida ripped Florida State.

SEC
*The top two teams (Florida and Alabama) went 3-0 against other BCS programs, which means the rest of the vaunted league went 3-9 against the other power leagues.

*The ACC went 6-4 against the SEC, with the swing game being a Duke win over Vanderbilt.

Big 10
*As bad as the Pac 10 was the Big 10 was just as putrid. The Big 10+1 went 1-3 vs. the Pac 10, which should stop any more arguments over Penn State getting the shaft in the polls.

* Well, that and the fact that Toledo (3-9) beat Michigan at the Big House and Wisconsin needed overtime to beat 1-AA Cal Poly, also at home.

Big East
* The league went 9-7 against other BCS foes this year, thanks in part to catching several programs when they were down. Big East teams had wins over Auburn, Colorado and Virginia all of whom failed to reach expectations.

*Of course, their worst team -- Syracuse -- did beat Notre Dame in South Bend, so they have that going for them.

Pac 10
* This league is the BCS equivalent of the classic blind date with a "great personality." They try hard to make up for a lack of natural assets. The Pac 10 played nearly half (43%) of their non-conference games against fellow BCS opponents. They also ignored the pastry shelf of nearby 1-AA opponents. Only 2 (7%) FCS teams were on Pac 10 schedules in 2008.

Finally, a list of the teams that avoided playing any other BCS team in non-conference play.

Texas Tech
LSU
Arizona
Minnesota
Indiana
Wisconsin

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Fascinating. Thanks for doing this. I was quite impressed with the ACC until I saw the wins against the Big 12 North. However, they certainly owned the SEC. Duke even had a nice little win over Vandy as well.

by Scipio Tex on Dec 9, 2008 4:34 PM CST reply actions

The Duke win was on the final weekend, giving the ACC an actual 3-1 record as opposed to the 2-1 record. FYI.

Next year we’ll be on the pathetic list of teams not playing anyone from a BCS conference, unless UTEP, Wyoming, Central Florida, or Louisiana Monroe somehow make a jump.

Having watched a ton of games as always, like many on this board, I have to say that the records for the conferences against the other BCS conferences are pretty telling. The ACC from 1-12 was good. It was not very good or great. In fact, it was weak at the top, but strong throughout the rest of the conference. The Big East won’t slay any dragons, but its teams can play with everyone else.

Have you looked at the Mountain West conference record against everyone else? I know they owned the Pac 10, just not sure what else they did. My guess is that they look pretty stout too.

by CloseToJumping on Dec 9, 2008 5:24 PM CST reply actions

“and they like to mix in some pastry selections along with a few meaty match ups”

The English have mastered the art of cooking meat inside pastry, so that you get both at once.

Arguably, like playing Michigan this year.

by Parlin Hall on Dec 9, 2008 6:08 PM CST reply actions

Parlin-

Well played, sir.

by bateshorn on Dec 9, 2008 6:48 PM CST reply actions

Haha. CTJ. You got called out over at BON, asshole.

by honkskillet on Dec 9, 2008 8:26 PM CST reply actions

Have you looked at the Mountain West conference record against everyone else? I know they owned the Pac 10, just not sure what else they did. My guess is that they look pretty stout too.

Yep, CTJ the Mountain West was 9-5 against BCS schools, and 25-11 overall.

by srr50 on Dec 9, 2008 9:09 PM CST reply actions

Great stuff srr50. I join Scipio in thanking you for this – the kind of stuff we all think about but don’t bother to run the numbers.

by Phenomenal Smith on Dec 9, 2008 9:39 PM CST reply actions

But TT was sooo good this year..

by Drunken Rooster on Dec 10, 2008 9:02 AM CST reply actions

srr50—

Thanks for that. I think that’s pretty impressive. I also think that conference should be pretty good every year. If they’d add Boise State and two more like Houston and Fresno State and you’ve got a good conference of BCS quality, or Big East quality, at least.

hornskillet—

This site got linked by another site because of a take I had. I am happy for that. There is all kinds of irony in your behavior and the position that PB took in his response. I appreciate the laugh.

by CloseToJumping on Dec 10, 2008 10:30 AM CST reply actions

Texas Tech deserves an * next to their schedule. As, Tulsa bailed from the schedule too late for Texas Tech to schedule a BCS school other than LSU. Who shared an open date with Texas Tech but refused to do a home-and-home. LSU said they would gladly do a home-and-Neutral site(Houston), Texas Tech declined for obvious reasons.