I am looking through who the two conferences have played and it is seriously a joke. Talk about an echo chamber, they only maintain their high standing because they rarely play anyone good from outside the conference, here are who the SEC and Big Ten have played this year with the Massey composite rankings next to them because I don't trust any other computer metric right now.
Alabama:
vs. Wisconsin (W) (25)
vs. Middle Tenn St (W) (92)
vs. Louisiana Monroe (W) (121)
vs. Charleston Southern (FCS, 11/21) (124 in Sagarin)
LSU
vs. McNeese St (DNP) (FCS, 110 in Sagarin)
at Syracuse (W) (85)
vs. Eastern Mich (W) (127)
vs. Western Kentucky (W) (42)
Ole Miss
vs. Tenn-Martin (W) (FCS, 156 in Sagarin)
vs. Fresno St (W) (110)
vs. New Mexico St (W) (128)
at Memphis (L) (15)
Tennessee
vs. Bowling Green (W) (38)
vs. Oklahoma (L) (12)
vs. Western Carolina (W) (FCS, 154 in Sagarin)
vs. North Texas (11/21) (123)
Florida
vs. New Mexico St. (W) (128)
vs. East Carolina (W) (75)
vs. Florida Atlantic (11/21) (114)
vs. Florida St (11/28) (20)
Miss St.
vs. Southern Miss. (W) (79)
vs. Northwestern St. (W) (FCS, 200 in Sagarin)
vs. Troy (W) (105)
vs. Louisiana Tech (W) (59)
Texas A & M
vs. Arizona St. (W) (49)
vs. Ball St. (W) (100)
vs. Nevada (W) (98)
vs. Western Carolina (11/14) (FCS, 154 in Sagarin)
Now some Big Ten teams
Ohio St.
at Virginia Tech (W) (60)
vs. Hawaii (W) (116)
vs. Northern Illinois (W) (74)
vs. Western Michigan (W) (58)
Michigan St.
at Western Michigan (W) (58)
vs. Air Force (W) (70)
vs. Oregon (W) (37)
vs. Central Michigan (W) (63)
Michigan
at Utah (L) (14)
vs. Oregon St. (W) (97)
vs. UNLV (W) (107)
vs. BYU (W) (30)
Iowa
vs. Illinois St. (W) (FCS, 73 in Sagarin)
at Iowa St. (W) (64)
vs. Pittsburgh (W) (35)
vs. North Texas (W) (123)
Penn St
at Temple (L) (26)
vs. Buffalo (W) (88)
vs. San Diego St. (W) (56)
vs. Army (W) (113)
Wisconsin
at Alabama (L) (4)
vs. Miami of Ohio (W) (124)
vs. Troy (W) (105)
vs. Hawaii (W) (116)
Northwestern
vs. Stanford (W) (11)
at Eastern Illinois (W) (FCS, 142 in Sagarin)
at Duke (W) (36)
vs. Ball St (W) (100)
Well that's the top 7 or so teams from each conference and you can clearly see the SEC schedules no one remotely tough out of conference. If you look at how many team ranked 100 or higher both conferences have played, the SEC easily wins (14-9)
Games against the top 50(25) in computer rankings:
SEC: 4-2 (1-2)
Big Ten: 5-3 (1-2)
Games against FCS Opponents:
SEC: 6
Big Ten: 2 (Including Illinois St., currently ranked #2 in FCS)
Avg. Strength of Non Con Opponent:
SEC: 94
Big Ten: 71
Hopefully the SEC will get brought down to earth again this season during the bowls but it is a little ridiculous how easily their OOC schedules are.
Alabama:
vs. Wisconsin (W) (25)
vs. Middle Tenn St (W) (92)
vs. Louisiana Monroe (W) (121)
vs. Charleston Southern (FCS, 11/21) (124 in Sagarin)
LSU
vs. McNeese St (DNP) (FCS, 110 in Sagarin)
at Syracuse (W) (85)
vs. Eastern Mich (W) (127)
vs. Western Kentucky (W) (42)
Ole Miss
vs. Tenn-Martin (W) (FCS, 156 in Sagarin)
vs. Fresno St (W) (110)
vs. New Mexico St (W) (128)
at Memphis (L) (15)
Tennessee
vs. Bowling Green (W) (38)
vs. Oklahoma (L) (12)
vs. Western Carolina (W) (FCS, 154 in Sagarin)
vs. North Texas (11/21) (123)
Florida
vs. New Mexico St. (W) (128)
vs. East Carolina (W) (75)
vs. Florida Atlantic (11/21) (114)
vs. Florida St (11/28) (20)
Miss St.
vs. Southern Miss. (W) (79)
vs. Northwestern St. (W) (FCS, 200 in Sagarin)
vs. Troy (W) (105)
vs. Louisiana Tech (W) (59)
Texas A & M
vs. Arizona St. (W) (49)
vs. Ball St. (W) (100)
vs. Nevada (W) (98)
vs. Western Carolina (11/14) (FCS, 154 in Sagarin)
Now some Big Ten teams
Ohio St.
at Virginia Tech (W) (60)
vs. Hawaii (W) (116)
vs. Northern Illinois (W) (74)
vs. Western Michigan (W) (58)
Michigan St.
at Western Michigan (W) (58)
vs. Air Force (W) (70)
vs. Oregon (W) (37)
vs. Central Michigan (W) (63)
Michigan
at Utah (L) (14)
vs. Oregon St. (W) (97)
vs. UNLV (W) (107)
vs. BYU (W) (30)
Iowa
vs. Illinois St. (W) (FCS, 73 in Sagarin)
at Iowa St. (W) (64)
vs. Pittsburgh (W) (35)
vs. North Texas (W) (123)
Penn St
at Temple (L) (26)
vs. Buffalo (W) (88)
vs. San Diego St. (W) (56)
vs. Army (W) (113)
Wisconsin
at Alabama (L) (4)
vs. Miami of Ohio (W) (124)
vs. Troy (W) (105)
vs. Hawaii (W) (116)
Northwestern
vs. Stanford (W) (11)
at Eastern Illinois (W) (FCS, 142 in Sagarin)
at Duke (W) (36)
vs. Ball St (W) (100)
Well that's the top 7 or so teams from each conference and you can clearly see the SEC schedules no one remotely tough out of conference. If you look at how many team ranked 100 or higher both conferences have played, the SEC easily wins (14-9)
Games against the top 50(25) in computer rankings:
SEC: 4-2 (1-2)
Big Ten: 5-3 (1-2)
Games against FCS Opponents:
SEC: 6
Big Ten: 2 (Including Illinois St., currently ranked #2 in FCS)
Avg. Strength of Non Con Opponent:
SEC: 94
Big Ten: 71
Hopefully the SEC will get brought down to earth again this season during the bowls but it is a little ridiculous how easily their OOC schedules are.
