The Mountain West has two teams in the top 15 in the country, and Air Force is just outside of the top 25 (for now.) The MAC doesn’t have a single team in the top 25. And before you say it, the WAC has the #3 team and the #25, and Nevada will be climbing the rankings all season. Both conferences are better than the Big East, too.
And…? Seriously - this isn’t even close to any argument or point I was trying to make.
I’d cut UT some slack, at least in the last 32 years. During that time they’ve played home and home against Notre Dame 8 times (winning 4 and losing 4). I only know that because I went to the game in South Bend IN in 2001 and that damn song “Rocky Top” is still ringing in my ears.
Just for the heck of it I checked my favorite team’s record and found that BCS school Notre Dame has never played the following 11 BCS schools: Arkansas, Auburn, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
The quality of a conference is not measured by the top teams, but top-to-bottom. The WAC and MWC each have 2-3 quality teams, along with 2-3 teams that fit in with the MAC/Sun Belt.
It is a well-known fact that SEC teams don’t leave the South much; but most of them still play at least one major-conference team every year. Most of the BCS teams don’t play more than one big-conference team a year.
FTR, In 2010, The 12 Big 10 teams (including Nebraska) play 13 Out of Conference games against BCS conferences teams + Notre Dame.
In 2010, The 12 SEC teams play 15 OOC games against BCS Conference teams.
Did anyone take a look at who the Big 10 played this past weekend?
Indiana vs Akron
Iowa vs Ball St
Michigan vs Bowling Green
Mich St vs Northern Colorado
Minnesota vs Northern Illinois (LOSS)
Northwestern vs Central Michigan
Ohio St vs East Michigan
Penn St vs Temple
Purdue vs Toledo (LOSS)
Wisconsin vs Austin Peay
Illinois (idle)
Nebraska vs South Dakota St.
You said “There you go. The MAC sucks, but they’re no worse than the Mountain West (Colorado State).”
That is false.
The SEC rarely plays challenging games out of conference, and even more rarely on the road. That’s just how it is. Deal with it, or change it.
Yes Florida plays a couple of cupcakes every year. But they got Florida State on their schedule every year. Yes, FSU has been down for last few years but they still have multiple national championships in the last 20 years.
I cannot think of another team besides Florida (and Notre Dame) who has a annual non-conference opponent that has won multiple National Championships in the last 20 years.
UGA, USC, UK and UF have annual in-state rivalries with out of conference BCS teams.
Tennessee usually has a home and home with a PAC 10 team
Arkansas has been playing Tex A/M for the last few year.
Auburn went to Clemson this year
LSU played North Carolina and West Virginia this year.
Great. And…? I wasn’t arguing FOR the SEC, I was casually dismissing the argument that Vanderbilt’s schedule was somehow proof of how much effort the SEC goes to to create challenging OOC schedules.
And Oh, BTW, all these games were home games for the Big 10.
Yeah, they play the dregs of the two worst BCS conferences (ACC and Big East) and Colorado and Northwestern. Points for Oregon and Penn State.
The Big Ten plays against Notre Dame (3X), Missouri (2X), UNLV, Az. State, Arizona, USC, and Alabama.
While you make a fair point, the Huskers are still in the Big 12 this season. 
Notre Dame? should change their name to Notre Levant as in “Not Re levant” in college football anymore.
Missouri, 2X? Huh? Illinois is the only current Big 10 team that they are playing this year. And they are about 6 or 7th best program in the over rated Big 12.
UNLV??? You are bragging because Wisconsin played UNLV? Puleezzze, they haven’t had a winning record since 2000 when they went an incredible 8-5. In the last 6 years, they have won a grand total of 18 games against 52 losses.
Arizona St? 9-15 in the last two years.
Arizona? Ok, 8-5 records the last two years, 55-75 in the 12 years.
I’ll give you USC and Bama.
Maybe Notre Dame is irrelevant because they play all those Big Ten and PAC-10 schools every year. Unlike the SEC, who play the lower half of the ACC and Big East and a bunch of hyphenated and directional schools.
You’re the one who originally brought Nebraska into the conversation.
Missouri plays both Nebraska and Illinois this season. You’re the one who lumped Nebraska in with the Big 10 this year.
If you notice, in post 26, I added Nebraska to give an even point of reference between the # OOC games btwn the Big 10 and the SEC.
I would assume that if Lamar Mundane is going to count Nebraska’s games, he would have included Texas and Oklahoma State. And FTR, How many Big 10 teams is Nebraska playing.
See Post above. I was including OOC games for Big 10 teams. Why didn’t you include Texas and Oklahoma State.
And tell me, since when did UNLV become a good college football team?
oops, the post above should have been replied to Lamar Mundane. Sorry, Missed edit window
Not the big tens fault. They all dance to the BCS formula that reward victories over everything else. It should be shitcanned. I know why it was invented, but it has had an unintended consequence of teams scheduling cupcakes at every chance. Years ago teams were proud of the difficulty of their schedules. Now a tough schedule is a drawback.