An All Pac-10 National Championship?

EasyMoney · Nov 3, 2004

WC,

I won't argue with you when you say USC or Cal has played a harder schedule than Auburn so far this year. But that is so far. When it's all said and done and the year is over Auburn's schedule is harder than USC or Cals. You can't discount games just because they haven't been played yet. The fact is Auburn will play UGA twice this year. Yes they haven't played yet, but they will. And UGA is at least as good as any team USC plays all year. Auburn plays them twice. Plus Tenn. You ask do I really think Tenn is that good. Well let me first say I absolutly hate Tennessee. But the fact is they are 7-1 and are always a great program with a great record. They are not a 1 year wonder like some of the teams that USC and Cal have played. ASU was 5-7 last year, UCLA 6-7 last year.

If you want to look at win loss records here you go. If you take all the games UGA, Auburn, USC and Cal either have played or will play this year here is their opponets win loss record.

USC 48-47 50.5%
Cal 40-40 50%
Auburn 45-41 52.3%
UGA 60-34 63.8%

Just by looking at that any reasonable person would say that UGA's schedule is the hardest and the other three are all pretty close. But if I'm a coach and I had the choice to either take Cal's, USC's, UGA's or AU's schedule I would take Cal's because it's the easiest of the 4. First of all they only play 10 games. Auburn plays 12. By years end AU will have played 3 games vs. top 9 teams (Tenn and UGA twice). Cal would have played 1 and lost that one. USC will have played 1 also. UGA will have played 3. (Tenn and AU twice).

What would you rather play 3 games vs. top 9 teams and then Florida, LSU, S Car., and some cupcakes. Or 1 game vs. a top 9 team and a bunch of decent teams like VT, ASU, UCLA, ND. USC and Cal should and will beat decent teams but I have a hard time believing that Cal would suvive playing decent LSU, Florida, S Car. teams plus 3 games vs. the top 9. Plus 2 more games.

EasyMoney · Nov 3, 2004

It also just occured to me that the WC in your name probably means west coast bias. Which means your much more personally involved in this argument than me. See I'm not an SEC fan. My bedroom walls are painted maize and blue with a big M on them. I just like talking college football and how f-ed up the system is. I have enjoyed talking with you but I don't think either of us will change our minds.

I also don't think you can use the this team beat that team theory. If you want to go there USC barely beat Stanford and ASU barely beat N'western, a big 10 bottom dweller. Auburn's only remotly close game was LSU, a 6-2 team. I just don't think this means much. Teams have bad games. Obviously Iowa played horrible against ASU. ASU is not that much better than Iowa.

CedarCreaker · Nov 3, 2004

Agree that SEC tough this yr....and most yrs...but how would you like to play this schedule ...every year
Okla
Okla State
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas tech
(Baylor)

and then play 3 of these every other yr
Kansas state
Missouri
Colo
Nebraska
(Kansas)
(Iowa state)
AND then play a championship game against one of the above teams again!!!!
Thats the Big XII...and yes I know that Neb has been down..and so has A&M but both (well maybe not NU yet) are on way back..and Kansas playing tough ball with new coach..and of course colo is a great place to visit for recruits!!!!
Think this yr Big XII is toughest conference and either USC or Cal would have a tough go there week in and week out!!!!

WCBias · Nov 3, 2004

Easy M...we're debating (notice I didn't say arguing) the same point. My last paragraph says by the end of the year, Auburn's schedule will be comparable to USC's, and I think you are right, even tougher.

Couple quick points. Tennessee beat Georgia, so for Georgia to get a shot to play Auburn in the SEC championship, Tennessee has to lose to either Vanderbilt or Kentucky. Ain't gonna happen so Auburn will not be playing Georgia twice, they will play Tennessee twice. They also play Alabama, which will be no walk in the park.

I believe Auburn is the 2nd best team in the country, and if they win out, the deserve to play in the national championship.

Cal will play Southern Miss (another top 25 team) at the end of the year and have 11 games. If you add Southern Miss' record to your table they move ahead of Auburn in terms of schedule strength...but really, the team that has played the most brutal schedule is Georgia. I would not argue one bit if they played in the national championship over Cal if both teams end with one loss.

If you are going to bring up last year's schedule, you might as well point out that USC shut out Auburn, Cal whipped Virginia Tech in the Insight Bowl, Washington State spanked Texas in the Holiday Bowl, and Tennessee lost their bowl game. When it's all said in done, it's how you finish...and the Pac 10 finished strong last year.

And yes, the WC does stand for West Coast, only to bring a little balance to the college football spectrum. But I watch as many college football games as humanly possible and I feel like I'm fairly balanced. I do believe Auburn is one of the best football teams in the country. I do believe Oklahoma is overrated and no better than Miami, Florida State, or Virginia. I do believe Texas would have three losses right now if it played in the SEC, and I do believe that whoever wins the Big 11 is going to get killed in the Rose Bowl by Cal...(if Cal and USC win out)

We both hate the system, I think most here do.