Seven years after a banner flew over Cal’s football stadium reading “SEC rules, Pac-10 drools”–only to have Cal beat Tennessee–the Pac-12 received some help in their claim to be the best conference when Notre Dame upset LSU on Tuesday in the Music City Bowl.
Two Pac-12 teams had beaten Notre Dame by an average score of 52-23 in November as the Pac-12 dethroned the SEC as regular season champ. But the SEC’s LSU, which had defeated Ole Miss and Texas A&M during regular season conference play, fell to a team that fell to USC and Arizona State.
The two conferences have not played this year, but in 2006 opened the season with four games and the SEC dominated three of them with only USC winning for the Pac-12. The next year the Pac-12 had it’s revenge. Some SEC fans–feeling their oats from 2006–paid a plane to fly over the Tennessee at Cal game with a banner that read “SEC rules, Pac-10 drools.” The Pac-12 had the last laugh as Cal not only beat Tennessee, but Cal went on to go 3-6 in the Pac-12 while Tennessee went 6-1 in the SEC before barely losing the SEC Championship game to LSU.
That being said, the SEC still has a slight edge over the Pac-12 in this year’s Bowl standings (+18.7 to +16.2) with both conferences being nine points ahead of the next best conference (the Big Ten). The fact that the Big Ten rebounded from a terrible first couple of weeks and his now ranked ahead of every conference besides the top two conferences only added to the excitement over Michigan’s signing of Jim Harbaugh (read Breitbart Sports story here) as their new coach.
Outside of the Notre Dame-LSU game, the SEC has won their other four games by 58 points and the Pac-12 is credited for 57 points in wins (win margins are capped at 25 points, thus holding down Utah’s credit for destroying Colorado State). The SEC has faced tougher opponents overall, and narrow escapes for Arizona State and USC have held the Pac-12’s Bowl rating a little below that of the SEC. Arizona could close the gap further today with a strong showing against Boise State, while the SEC will be judged based on both Mississippi teams on the field today.
| Conference Team | %W | Pred | Opponent | Win? | Margin | Adjust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 40% | -3.5 | Virginia Tech | 0 | -16.0 | (1.30) |
| East Carolina | 21% | -10.5 | Florida | 3-Jan | ||
| Houston | 30% | -6.5 | Pittsburgh | 2-Jan | ||
| Memphis | 49% | -0.5 | BYU | 1 | 1.0 | 1.08 |
| UCF | 47% | -2.5 | NC State | 0 | -7.0 | (1.12) |
| American Athletic starts at -8 | 1.9 | (23.5) | – | 1.0 | (22.0) | (9) |
| – | ||||||
| Boston College | 65% | 5.5 | Penn St | 0 | -1.0 | (1.56) |
| Clemson | 41% | -3.5 | Oklahoma | 1 | 25.0 | 2.32 |
| Duke | 28% | -7.5 | Arizona St | 0 | -5.0 | (0.46) |
| Florida St | 20% | -10.5 | Oregon | 1-Jan | ||
| Georgia Tech | 39% | -3.5 | Mississippi St | 31-Dec | ||
| Louisville | 29% | -6.5 | Georgia | 0 | -23.0 | (1.24) |
| Miami FL | 46% | -2.5 | South Carolina | 0 | -3.0 | (0.94) |
| NC State | 53% | 2.5 | UCF | 1 | 7.0 | 1.12 |
| North Carolina | 59% | 3.5 | Rutgers | 0 | -19.0 | (2.08) |
| Pittsburgh | 70% | 6.5 | Houston | 2-Jan | ||
| Virginia Tech | 60% | 3.5 | Cincinnati | 1 | 16.0 | 1.30 |
| Atlantic Coast starts at 7 | 5.1 | (12.5) | – | 3.0 | (3.0) | 5.0 |
| – | ||||||
| Illinois | 37% | -4.5 | Louisiana Tech | 0 | -17.0 | (1.24) |
| Iowa | 37% | -4.5 | Tennessee | 2-Jan | ||
| Maryland | 15% | -14.5 | Stanford | 0 | -24.0 | (0.68) |
| Michigan St | 50% | -0.5 | Baylor | 1-Jan | ||
| Minnesota | 29% | -7.5 | Missouri | 1-Jan | ||
| Nebraska | 37% | -4.5 | USC | 0 | -3.0 | (0.68) |
| Ohio St | 31% | -6.5 | Alabama | 1-Jan | ||
| Penn St | 35% | -5.5 | Boston College | 1 | 1.0 | 1.56 |
| Rutgers | 41% | -3.5 | North Carolina | 1 | 19.0 | 2.08 |
| Wisconsin | 32% | -6.5 | Auburn | 1-Jan | ||
| Big 10 starts at 6 | 3.4 | (58.0) | – | 2.0 | (24.0) | 7.0 |
| – | ||||||
| Baylor | 50% | 0.5 | Michigan St | 1-Jan | ||
| Kansas St | 51% | 0.5 | UCLA | 2-Jan | ||
| Oklahoma | 59% | 3.5 | Clemson | 0 | -25.0 | (2.32) |
| Oklahoma St | 32% | -6.5 | Washington | 2-Jan | ||
| TCU | 49% | -0.5 | Mississippi | 31-Dec | ||
| Texas | 26% | -7.5 | Arkansas | 0 | -24.0 | (1.18) |
| West Virginia | 47% | -1.5 | Texas A&M | 0 | -8.0 | (1.20) |
| Big 12 starts at 10 | 3.1 | (11.5) | – | – | (57.0) | 5 |
| Louisiana Tech | 63% | 4.5 | Illinois | 1 | 17.0 | 1.24 |
| Marshall | 72% | 7.5 | N Illinois | 1 | 25.0 | 1.26 |
| Rice | 55% | 2.5 | Fresno St | 1 | 24.0 | 1.76 |
| UTEP | 20% | -10.5 | Utah St | 0 | -15.0 | (0.58) |
| W Kentucky | 67% | 5.5 | C Michigan | 1 | 1.0 | 0.48 |
| Conference USA starts at -8 | 2.8 | 9.5 | (4) | |||
| – | ||||||
| BYU | 51% | 0.5 | Memphis | 0 | -1.0 | (1.08) |
| Navy | 44% | -2.5 | @ San Diego St | 1 | 1.0 | 1.26 |
| Notre Dame | 28% | -7.5 | LSU | 1 | 3.0 | 1.86 |
| FBS Indep starts at -1 | 0.7 | (10.0) | – | 2.0 | 4.0 | 1 |
| – | ||||||
| Bowling Green | 48% | -1.5 | South Alabama | 1 | 5.0 | 1.30 |
| C Michigan | 33% | -5.5 | W Kentucky | 0 | -1.0 | (0.48) |
| N Illinois | 28% | -7.5 | Marshall | 0 | -25.0 | (1.26) |
| Toledo | 53% | 1.5 | Arkansas St | 4-Jan | ||
| W Michigan | 45% | -2.5 | Air Force | 0 | -14.0 | (1.36) |
| Mid-American starts at -14 | 2.1 | (15.5) | – | 1.0 | (35.0) | (16) |
| Air Force | 55% | 2.5 | W Michigan | 1 | 14.0 | 1.36 |
| Boise St | 29% | -6.5 | Arizona | 31-Dec | ||
| Colorado St | 33% | -6.5 | Utah | 0 | -25.0 | (1.40) |
| Fresno St | 45% | -2.5 | Rice | -24.0 | (1.76) | |
| Nevada | 66% | 5.5 | ULL | 0 | -13.0 | (2.06) |
| San Diego St | 56% | 2.5 | Navy | 0 | -1.0 | (1.26) |
| Utah St | 80% | 10.5 | UTEP | 1 | 15.0 | 0.58 |
| Mountain West starts at -7 | 3.6 | 5.5 | – | 2.0 | (34.0) | (12) |
| – | ||||||
| Arizona | 71% | 6.5 | Boise St | 31-Dec | ||
| Arizona St | 72% | 7.5 | Duke | 1 | 5.0 | 0.46 |
| Oregon | 80% | 10.5 | Florida St | 1-Jan | ||
| Stanford | 85% | 14.5 | Maryland | 1 | 24.0 | 0.68 |
| UCLA | 49% | -0.5 | Kansas St | 2-Jan | ||
| USC | 63% | 4.5 | Nebraska | 1 | 3.0 | 0.68 |
| Utah | 67% | 6.5 | Colorado St | 1 | 25.0 | 1.40 |
| Washington | 68% | 6.5 | Oklahoma St | 2-Jan | ||
| Pac 12 starts at 13 | 5.6 | 56.0 | – | 4.0 | 57.0 | 16 |
| Alabama | 69% | 6.5 | Ohio St | The | 1-Jan | |
| Arkansas | 74% | 7.5 | Texas | 1 | 24.0 | 1.18 |
| Auburn | 68% | 6.5 | Wisconsin | 1-Jan | ||
| Florida | 79% | 10.5 | East Carolina | 3-Jan | ||
| Georgia | 71% | 6.5 | Louisville | 1 | 23.0 | 1.24 |
| LSU | 72% | 7.5 | Notre Dame | 0 | -3.0 | (1.86) |
| Mississippi | 51% | 0.5 | TCU | 31-Dec | ||
| Mississippi St | 61% | 3.5 | Georgia Tech | 31-Dec | ||
| Missouri | 71% | 7.5 | Minnesota | 1-Jan | ||
| South Carolina | 54% | 2.5 | Miami FL | 1 | 3.0 | 0.94 |
| Tennessee | 63% | 4.5 | Iowa | 2-Jan | ||
| Texas A&M | 53% | 1.5 | West Virginia | 1 | 8.0 | 1.20 |
| Southeastern starts at 16 | 7.9 | 65.0 | 4.0 | 55.0 | 19 | |
| – | ||||||
| Arkansas St | 47% | -1.5 | Toledo | 4-Jan | ||
| South Alabama | 52% | 1.5 | Bowling Green | 0 | -5.0 | (1.30) |
| ULL | 34% | -5.5 | Nevada | 1 | 13.0 | 2.06 |
| Sun Belt starts at -14 | 1.3 | (5.5) | – | 1.0 | 8.0 | (13) |
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.