Sagarin rated CAA over an FBS conference

[StonewallSpider]

Jeff Sagarin has the CAA rated above the FBS Sun Belt Conference. It's normal for FCS teams to be rated above a FBS teams, but a whole conference. Is this common?



CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE TEAMS

1 ATLANTIC COAST (A) = 79.21 78.93 ( 1) 12
2 BIG 12 (A) = 78.31 78.54 ( 2) 12
3 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 75.33 76.19 ( 3) 12
4 BIG EAST (A) = 75.01 74.14 ( 5) 8
5 BIG TEN (A) = 74.72 74.86 ( 4) 11
6 PAC-10 (A) = 72.85 72.16 ( 6) 10
7 MOUNTAIN WEST (A) = 70.51 71.03 ( 7) 9
8 MID-AMERICAN (A) = 65.28 65.14 ( 8) 13
9 WESTERN ATHLETIC (A) = 64.58 64.91 ( 9) 9
10 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 64.48 64.24 ( 10) 4
11 CONFERENCE USA (A) = 64.43 64.15 ( 11) 12
12 COLONIAL (AA)= 61.93 61.72 ( 12) 12
13 SUN BELT (A) = 59.98 59.57 ( 13) 8
14 SOUTHERN (AA)= 57.51 56.86 ( 14) 9
15 BIG SKY (AA)= 53.48 53.88 ( 15) 9
16 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA)= 50.39 49.92 ( 17) 9
17 PATRIOT LEAGUE (AA)= 49.99 48.94 ( 20) 7
18 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 49.80 49.36 ( 19) 8
19 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 49.20 49.56 ( 18) 8
20 GREAT WEST (AA)= 49.07 50.36 ( 16) 5
21 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 47.46 47.75 ( 21) 7
22 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 42.73 42.73 ( 22) 9
23 NORTHEAST (AA)= 40.10 39.74 ( 23) 8
24 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 37.61 37.44 ( 24) 10
25 PIONEER (AA)= 35.83 35.18 ( 25) 9
26 I-AA INDEPENDENTS (AA)= 29.90 29.98 ( 27) 5
27 SOUTHWESTERN (AA)= 29.89 30.44 ( 26) 10

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc08.htm?loc=interstitialskip

[tandemlax]

Obviously I'm pleased as a CAA and FCS fan, but I'm not sure how much stock is to be placed in a rankings system where the ACC comes out on top. Maybe the fact that the ACC had no truly terrible teams helped them out, and I guess the CAA would benefit in a similar way. I love the respect for the CAA but, just like the #1 conference would get whipped by #2, I'm not sure how JMU, Nova, Richmond et al. would stack up against the Sun Belt schools.

[onbison09]

Meh computers don't know much about football.

[achrist70]

Obviously I'm pleased as a CAA and FCS fan, but I'm not sure how much stock is to be placed in a rankings system where the ACC comes out on top. Maybe the fact that the ACC had no truly terrible teams helped them out, and I guess the CAA would benefit in a similar way. I love the respect for the CAA but, just like the #1 conference would get whipped by #2, I'm not sure how JMU, Nova, Richmond et al. would stack up against the Sun Belt schools.

That is exactly what I was thinking!

[BDKJMU]

The Sun Belch Conference is made up of a bunch of former I-AAs (most of whom weren't I-AA powerhouses) that is a joke of a I-A conference.

In 04' the A-10 (CAA) was ranked ahead of the Sun Belch.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc04.htm?loc=interstitialskip
In 05' the Gateway was ranked ahead of the Sun Belch
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc05.htm?loc=interstitialskip
In 06' the Great West was ranked ahead of the Sun Belch
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc06.htm?loc=interstitialskip
In 07' the So-Con and CAA were ranked ahead of the Sun Belch:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc07.htm?loc=interstitialskip

[ValleyChamp]

All you have to do is read who is ranked number 1, and this poll loses all credibility.

[wkuhillhound]

The Sun Belch Conference is made up of a bunch of former I-AAs (most of whom weren't I-AA powerhouses) that is a joke of a I-A conference.

I know the CAA was ranked ahead of them in 04'.

I'm glad you put "most", because I would have had some major beef. 2002 National Champions ring a bell. Just sayin'. xnodx

[ValleyChamp]

1 title=powerhouse?

[UNI Pike]

Being proud of being better than the Sunbelt is not goal to aspire to...

[wkuhillhound]

1 title=powerhouse?

0 = ???

[UNI Pike]

0 = ???

The rest of the SunBelt

[wkuhillhound]

The rest of the SunBelt

xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlmaox xlmaox xlmaox xlmaox

I'll have a sense of humor with that one. xthumbsupx

[nwFL Griz]

Wow, alot of you really have no idea how to rate a conference as a whole.

It does not surprise me at all that the ACC is rated #1. Top-to-bottom, which is how a conference should be rated, the ACC is the best this year. While there was no national title contender from the conference, the rest of the teams were very evenly matched and would win head-to-head against the majority of the Big12 and SEC.

FYI, outside of Bama and Florida, the ACC was 6-1 against the SEC. Just an example.

[ValleyChamp]

0 = ???

Never claimed to be one.

[MacThor]

Just be careful not to let any Hokie fans see this. They will consider themselves the best team in the country for winning the best conference!

[ValleyChamp]

Wow, alot of you really have no idea how to rate a conference as a whole.

It does not surprise me at all that the ACC is rated #1. Top-to-bottom, which is how a conference should be rated, the ACC is the best this year. While there was no national title contender from the conference, the rest of the teams were very evenly matched and would win head-to-head against the majority of the Big12 and SEC.

FYI, outside of Bama and Florida, the ACC was 6-1 against the SEC. Just an example.

Oh, ok. I get it now, the ACC is good against the bad teams, and have an impressive record against other conferences if you simply discount the losses to good teams.

FYI, UNI is 12-1 this season against teams that are not BYU.

[bostonspider]

Well considering 10 ACC schools are going to bowl games, I guess I can see how it is ranked highly, just no stellar teams at all, a whole bunch of mediocre to good teams.

[MSU_77]

The Sun Belch Conference is made up of a bunch of former I-AAs (most of whom weren't I-AA powerhouses) that is a joke of a I-A conference.

I thought they were known as the "Slum Belch." xthumbsupx

[nwFL Griz]

Oh, ok. I get it now, the ACC is good against the bad teams, and have an impressive record against other conferences if you simply discount the losses to good teams.

FYI, UNI is 12-1 this season against teams that are not BYU.

Yeah, that's why I made my earlier statement. When rating a CONFERENCE, you do not heavily weight individual teams. You look at the whole conference, top to bottom. So your UNI analogy is misplaced and pretty much proves my point.

Looking at the SEC, outside Bama and Florida, the rest are average at best....with a few stinkers in there. The Big 12 is worse. The defense is terrible as a whole, and outside Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech, the rest are forgettable.

[Big Al]

I don't understand how the Pac 10 can be ahead of the Mountain West -- the MWC freakin' pwned the Pac 10 in inter-conference play.

[walliver]

I'm glad you put "most", because I would have had some major beef. 2002 National Champions ring a bell. Just sayin'. xnodx

Didn't UL-M (as NE Louisiana) also win a I-AA championship?

[Hoyadestroya85]

On average the ACC is the best conference because there isn't one tremendously bad outlier... the other conferences have those

[UNI Pike]

Looking at the SEC, outside Bama and Florida, the rest are average at best....with a few stinkers in there. The Big 12 is worse. The defense is terrible as a whole, and outside Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech, the rest are forgettable.

NO, NO, NO - trust me, every time I so a "highlight reel" of Iowa State playing, which usually is the same play run in a slow motion loop to fill the entire 45 seconds, it gives me nightmares for weeks.

[igo4uni]

On average the ACC is the best conference because there isn't one tremendously bad outlier... the other conferences have those

for example: the Iowa State Cyclowns of the Big 12.xcoolx xcoolx xcoolx xcoolx xcoolx

[ValleyChamp]

Even the bottom team of the big 12 is better than a good FCS team......err wait, nevermind.

[wkuhillhound]

Didn't UL-M (as NE Louisiana) also win a I-AA championship?

Yep. I just don't remember when. xreadx

[89Hen]

Oh, ok. I get it now, the ACC is good against the bad teams...
Oh, ok. I get it now, the SEC other than Florida and Bama is bad teams... YOUR words, not mine. xrulesx

[appfan2008]

that is wonderful that the caa is better than the sun belt but lets face it... year in and year out the sun belt is terrible... and this year is certainly no exception

[WileECoyote06]

Wow, alot of you really have no idea how to rate a conference as a whole.

It does not surprise me at all that the ACC is rated #1. Top-to-bottom, which is how a conference should be rated, the ACC is the best this year. While there was no national title contender from the conference, the rest of the teams were very evenly matched and would win head-to-head against the majority of the Big12 and SEC.

FYI, outside of Bama and Florida, the ACC was 6-1 against the SEC. Just an example.

Your logic is not welcome here!:D

xsmiley_wix

[danefan]

I like how the NEC is ranked above the MEAC though! Right on.

[ValleyChamp]

Oh, ok. I get it now, the SEC other than Florida and Bama is bad teams... YOUR words, not mine. xrulesx

This year, it was bad.