ESPN Insider's Bruce Feldman has come out with a interesting feature on the toughest college football conferences around the country, and HeismanPundit has the scoop. Basically Feldman broke down the conferences like one would break up the boxing divisions. Here is his take on the PAC-10:
5. Pac-10: It does have the heaviest of all heavyweights at this point. Trouble is, do you think any other team in the league would be higher than fourth in any of the conferences listed above? (I don't, now that Aaron Rodgers has bolted for the NFL.)
Heavyweight: USC.
Light heavy: Cal, Arizona State, Oregon.
Middleweight: UCLA, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford.
Welterweight: Washington, Arizona.
Flyweight: None.
Total: 33. Average: 3.30.
Hmmm ... I think Cal is all right at their slot. They are going to be fine with Tedford breaking in hot shot young guns Ayoub or Longshore. I think I would switch around Oregon and Oregon State. I have a feeling Matt Moore up at Corvallis may have a breakout season and make KD regret for FUBARing our QB situation in his first season. UCLA has the talent to be in the "Light Heavy" division no doubt, but because of Dorrell's buffoonery of last two years, we are deservedly not getting any love from the national media.Heavyweight: USC.
Light heavy: Cal, Arizona State, Oregon.
Middleweight: UCLA, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford.
Welterweight: Washington, Arizona.
Flyweight: None.
Total: 33. Average: 3.30.
You can read the entire break down here. Other issues I have with the list:
-in the ACC, I would downgrade UVa to middleweight. What have they ever done to gain any respect? They are a freaking joke.
-re. the SEC, if Alabama under white Dorrell aka Coach Shula is "lightheavy," then so are we.
-Minnesota needs to be downgraded to middleweight. They have had some nice above average seasons last couple of years, but always choked in the big games - hey kind of like us!
-re. the Pac-10, I am not sold on ASU yet. I know HP is high on them, but I am not sold. They got lucky against us because Kerr forgot how to adjust his defense in second half, and we were playing with the DO. If we had a QB who actually played like a 3rd year college starter, he wouldn't have thrown 4 picks to blow the game. I'd move ASU down to middleweight with us, and keep Cal, UO where they are.
As for the Big Least and rest of the alphabet soups - who cares about bunch of colleges providing community college level education (except for the ones with good coaches like BSU, who'd look great in Blue and Gold!).