PAC the class of the Power 5...so far

[VFL-82-JP]

One-quarter of the way through the regular season...but already about halfway through the OOC games.

Teams tend to play most of their out-of-conference games early in the season before diving into conference play. The OOC schedule is usually front-loaded. And that means, though we're only three games into the season, it's not too early to see how the conference-versus-conference records are shaping up.

This, combined with bowl games and the playoffs, is the stuff conference reputations are made of.

So who looks best so far in 2017? Keep in mind, 2016 was the ACC's year. And every year prior to that for almost as far as they eye could see belonged to the SEC. Neither of them have the lead this season.

• #1 PAC: 75% win rate against Power 5 (6-2) ... 80% win rate against Group of 5 and FCS (20-5)
• #2 B10: 58% vs Power 5 (7-5) ... 88% vs Group of 5 and FCS (22-3)
• #3 SEC: 45% vs Power 5 (5-6) ... 100% vs Group of 5 and FCS (21-0)
• #4 B12: 40% vs Power 5 (4-6) ... 79% vs Group of 5 and FCS (15-4)
• #5 ACC: 38% vs Power 5 (5-8) ... 94% vs Group of 5 and FCS (17-1)

Look at that. The ACC, who ruled 2016, are (so far) tail-end Charlie for 2017. Meanwhile, the PAC has put on an impressive performance in the big games. The SEC is meh in the middle.

One curious note, though, is that the PAC is losing a surprising number of games to G5/FCS teams: 5 thrown already this season.

I've come to think of the G5/FCS stat as an indicator of how good the conference is in its lower half. After all, it is not the ranked teams of each conference (usually) losing to the pipsqueaks...it is normally the teams at the bottom of the barrel.

So when you look at which conferences are deeper top to bottom, the G5/FCS win % is pretty useful. And it says the SEC (100%) and ACC (94%) are deepest, while the PAC (80%) and B12 (79%) are weak in their nether regions.

Any of this can change. There are still a host of regular season OOC games to be played (about as many as have already run).

But for right now, the PAC is leading the way among the Power 5.

 

[vol-un-tear]

Alabubba...

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

You gotta look at who is playing who. I personally have not been impressed at all by the Pac 12. UCLA got lucky against A&M and just lost to Memphis. USC struggled with Western Michigan and a bad Texas team. Their only decisive win was over a Stanford team that just lost to San Diego State. And just like last year, Washington hasn't played anybody.

Pac 12 looks like fool's gold to me.

 

[508mikey]

Stanford and UCLA lost to mid majors not buying it

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Stanford and UCLA lost to mid majors not buying it

And neither are now ranked.

Look, I'm not buying the PAC being all that and a bag of chips, either. I think USCw is perennially over-ranked. I think Washington is only a story last year and this because their schedule is so incredibly weak. I think Washington State is just as propped up as Washington. And I think whoever you put in at the 4th and 5th ranked teams of the conference (currently Utah and Oregon) are just waiting to be exposed the way Stanford and UCLA were.

Nevertheless, they're the conference that has gone 6-2 against Power 5 competition. Everyone else has done worse.

So they lead. Whether we believe it lasts, or not.