The Big 12

Sorry I haven't been updating more frequently. I will get back to it this week.

Many people are starting to believe that the Big 12 may be the best conference this year. This is in large part due to the crazy amount of points put up by some Big 12 offenses this year. Just look at the scores from this past weekend:

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/scoreboard?confId=4&weekNumber=8&seasonYear=2008

The Big 12 has some great quarterbacks, and I do believe that the QB position is the most important one on the field, but we still must remember that offense may win games, but defense wins championships. The SEC still fields the best defenses in the country.

Tennessee and Auburn being down this year really hurts the SEC. These two teams' poor showing thus far is really why the Big 12 has crept into the Best Conference discussion. Also, Missouri, Ok State, and Kansas are much better this year than they have been historically. Nebraska is the only traditional power from the Big 12 having a down year.

To be honest, I am really not sure which is the best conference, and we probably won't know who will come out on top until bowl season. Just for fun, though, lets match up the best six teams from each conference:

Texas vs Alabama

Oklahoma vs Florida

Oklahoma State vs Georgia

Texas Tech vs LSU

Missouri vs Vanderbilt

Kansas vs Kentucky

Really, all of these games are a push except for OSU/UGA and Mizzou/Vandy. Oklahoma State is a nice story, but they lack the athletes up front to stay with Georgia. Vanderbilt is a nice story, but they have been winning with smoke and mirrors and Chase Daniel would pick them apart. Besides OSU/UGA and Mizzou/Vandy, only one of these matchups has the potential to become the shootout that is seen week in and week out in the Big 12, and that is OU/UF.

The main problem the Big 12 offenses will face against SEC defenses is imbalance. Of all the Big 12 teams listed, only Oklahoma State has a reliable run game. Texas relies too much on McCoy to run the ball, OU's DeMarco Murray is going through a sophomore slump, Mike Leach does not list running back as an offensive position, and Kansas only averages 3.6 ypc and 125 yards a game on the ground. Teams who cannot grind out yards on the ground will not have much success against the best defenses the SEC has to offer. Only three teams in the SEC (Florida, Georgia, Alabama) have shown they can both run and throw the ball. These three teams also just happen to be ranked in the Top 10.

So what did you learn by reading this post? Not a whole lot, which is kind of the point. No real answers will come until the season is finished. However, I would love to see the SEC champ take on the Big 12 champ for the national title this year.