Comments on: Conference Strength Report http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/ Mike Harding's Blog Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:08:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Conference Strength Report http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32742 Conference Strength Report Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:38:02 +0000 http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32742 [...] CSR: Through November 10, 2007 [...] [...] CSR: Through November 10, 2007 [...]

]]> By: Deceiving http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32663 Deceiving Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:18:52 +0000 http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32663 First, I appreciate your effort to gather these stats. Second, I do believe that a conference's strength can only be ascertained by the OOC games (during season or bowls). However, the strength of the OOC teams played should come into account as well, as beating up on lower tier conference teams (SEC seems to take on an inordinate number of DII and lower tier conference teams) can be deceiving. First, I appreciate your effort to gather these stats. Second, I do believe that a conference’s strength can only be ascertained by the OOC games (during season or bowls). However, the strength of the OOC teams played should come into account as well, as beating up on lower tier conference teams (SEC seems to take on an inordinate number of DII and lower tier conference teams) can be deceiving.

]]> By: mike http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32662 mike Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:58:34 +0000 http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32662 There's nothing deceiving about it, the data is what it is. And in fact, though the MWC isn't included in this analysis, the on-field performance suggests that they are better than some of the bottom tier BCS conferences. And, on the Big 10, I don't claim the conference is the best, but I object to characterizing it as weak and use data to support my argument. Also, last year has zero bearing on this year - those players are gone, I don't want to hear about Ohio State and Michigan's bowl performances, disappointing as they turned out to be. This season, the Big 10 has 10 bowl eligible teams, the same as the vaunted and over-rated SEC. We'll see what the bowl performance says about conference strength during this bowl season. Until then, this is a status report, not a conclusion. And yes, I will incorporate non-BCS conferences into future updates, but the real world has intruded on my ability to do so at this time. Thanks for the comment. There’s nothing deceiving about it, the data is what it is. And in fact, though the MWC isn’t included in this analysis, the on-field performance suggests that they are better than some of the bottom tier BCS conferences.

And, on the Big 10, I don’t claim the conference is the best, but I object to characterizing it as weak and use data to support my argument. Also, last year has zero bearing on this year - those players are gone, I don’t want to hear about Ohio State and Michigan’s bowl performances, disappointing as they turned out to be.

This season, the Big 10 has 10 bowl eligible teams, the same as the vaunted and over-rated SEC. We’ll see what the bowl performance says about conference strength during this bowl season. Until then, this is a status report, not a conclusion.

And yes, I will incorporate non-BCS conferences into future updates, but the real world has intruded on my ability to do so at this time.

Thanks for the comment.

]]> By: Deceiving http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32661 Deceiving Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:09:14 +0000 http://montaraventures.com/blog/2007/11/14/conference-strength-report-4/#comment-32661 The stats are deceiving. Who outside of the Big 10 (and those remembering the Oregon dismantling of MI and OSU and MI season ending performances end of last year) believes their conference is the best? The MWC has a 50% win rate over OOC BCS teams (with their bottom 3 teams racking up 6 of the 8 losses, including 4 teams in the top 25 today). The bottom half of the MWC has also lost to top tier WAC and Conf-USA teams, including Boise St. and Hawaii, thus dragging their total OOC non-BCS record to only 63%. Is the MWC a better conference than Big East, Big 12 and as good as SEC? The stats are deceiving. Who outside of the Big 10 (and those remembering the Oregon dismantling of MI and OSU and MI season ending performances end of last year) believes their conference is the best?
The MWC has a 50% win rate over OOC BCS teams (with their bottom 3 teams racking up 6 of the 8 losses, including 4 teams in the top 25 today). The bottom half of the MWC has also lost to top tier WAC and Conf-USA teams, including Boise St. and Hawaii, thus dragging their total OOC non-BCS record to only 63%. Is the MWC a better conference than Big East, Big 12 and as good as SEC?

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