BCS Conferences as Road Warriors

As long as we are stuck with the BCS system we are stuck with a beauty contest where style points matter. And that means people’s opinions of the relative strengths of the BCS conferences also matters. We already have a look at how the six BCS conferences did in non-conference action in 2008. Is there anyway to look at the BCS conferences over the length of the BCS?

I decided one factor to concentrate on was the non-conference road records of the BCS schools. My reasoning is that life on the road will expose your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Tougher opponents, unfamiliar surroundings, a hostile environment – that’s what you find on the road. .

Life on the road can be tough for even BCS Road Warriors.

We will take a look at a breakdown of the road records for the six BCS conferences – along with Notre Dame – from 1998-2008. We begin with the two conferences that are perceived to be at the bottom of the BCS food chain, the Big East and the ACC.

Big East Non-Conference Road Results 1998-2008
Total vs BCS
81-74 52% 35-55 39%

Those numbers include a total of 12 teams who have played in the Big East over the past 11 years.

There are four programs (Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia) who have been in the Big East since the inception of the BCS. Temple dropped out and three (Miami, Va. Tech and Boston College) were convinced to move to the ACC. Their replacements are Cincinnati, Louisville, S. Florida and Connecticut.

If you look at the numbers of the current members of the BCS it is even bleaker.

Total vs BCS
53-54 49.5% 20-42 32%

* Of the current members of the Big East, only Louisville has a winning road record against other BCS opponents (3-1).

* Cincinnati is 0-4 on the road, but have played Penn State, Ohio State, Va. Tech and OU.

* The league does have a winning road record against Notre Dame -- 7-6.

ACC Non-Conference Road Results 1998-2008
Total vs. BCS
71-62 53% 44-44 50%

* Over this period, the ACC has played other BCS opponents in 66% of their road games.

* The ACC has held its own with the SEC with a 15-16 record in the home stadiums of that conference.

* Georgia Tech has a 7-3 road record against BCS opponents, including three wins in Athens against the Georgia Bulldogs.

*Need more evidence as to how good a coach Wake Forest's Jim Grobe is? Since he arrived on campus, Wake is 9-2 in non-conference road games, and 6-1 against BCS opponents on the road. This includes road wins over Purdue, Boston College (right before they joined the ACC) Ole Miss, Baylor, Connecticut and Vanderbilt. The one loss was at Nebraska.

* The other ACC team with a winning road record against BCS opponents is Florida State with an 8-4 mark.