The 2018 season is now complete. And, it was a hell of a season, for a schizophrenic variety of reasons.
So, who's the best team? Duh, I think that was proven, as well as it can be in the Invitational Era last night in Santa Clara.
But, what's the best conference? That is a bit more interesting.
| Conference | Win-Loss Record |
|---|---|
| ACC | 6-5 |
| B1G | 5-4 |
| BIG XII | 4-3 |
| SEC | 6-6 |
| Pac 12 | 3-4 |
| Conference | Win-Loss Record |
|---|---|
| ACC | 6-13 |
| B1G | 12-9 |
| Big XII | 8-9 |
| SEC | 14-8 |
| Pac 12 | 6-7 |
I think most reasonable people would set the Pac-12 aside for the purposes of this discussion. Nothing about that conference says they have a dog in this fight.
Before last night, if you did a blind poll, you would have likely found a response that the best conference is the SEC. But, last night's ass beating happened. It happened like 41-14 happened. It happened like 31-0 happened. And, it deserves the lingering effect of those respective losses.
Diving In
- The ACC - Conference of the King of college football. But, after that? Syracuse is the next best team. Traditional powers Florida State and Miami are dumpster fires, and I don't think that you can easily say the ACC is the best conference with that 6-13 record OOC against P-5 teams.
- The B1G - The king of the B1G is obvioulsy the two-time defending B1G Champions - The Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are riding consecutive NY6 bowl wins, but they still have 31-0 hanging over their heads, and couldn't get out of their own way for the second consecutive season, losing inexplicably to Purdue. This bowl season was a mixed bag for the B1G (as it was for everyone), but it certainly looks like the West is on the uptick (posting a 4-1 bowl record). They have outstanding QB talent coming into that division, and they carried the water for the B1G in bowls - only Ohio State won a bowl from the East. The B1G did post a 12-9 record OOC against P-5 teams, which may surprise many given the narrative on the conference. Does this make a solid argument for the B1G?
- The Big XII - No defense = Not the best conference. While Texas may be back, they're not there yet. They scored an outstanding win over an overrated (in my opinion) Georgia team in the Sugar Bowl, but beyond that the conference is a gigantic question mark. Lightning struck twice in Norman, I am not optimistic it strikes a third time. Their 8-9 OOC record against P-5 teams illustrates an overall weak schedule for the conference.
- The SEC - The conference that has been widely accepted as the best conference in college football simply cannot hold onto that crown, at least not without some scrutiny. They did go 3-2 in the NY6 but their, hands down, two best programs got absolutely handled, so I don't think they're retaining the title. But, the conference did send 11 teams to bowls, going 6-6 overall, so they can't be discounted either. Also, their 14-8 OOC record against P-5 competition is offset by Chicken Shit Saturday.
- The Pac-12 - LOL
So, what's your takeaway? Who do you think was the best conference in college football in 2018?
