Phil Steele's Daily Blog - Weekend July 4th - 5th

A couple of days ago I gave you 3 BCS conferences and their current and possible teams of the decade. Today I look at the SEC, Big 12 and Pac 10.

The Big 12 has been in its two division format all decade long. Here are the standings overall for the conference. I will name a team of the decade at the end of the year and a team of the Big 12 North as well (yes, the team of the decade will be from the South). Here are the current standings and they do include the title game records as those were Big 12 games.

Only 4 teams have won a Big 12 title this decade and they are Oklahoma (6), Texas (1), Colorado (1) and Kansas St (1).

Here the the number of division titles or Co-division titles for each team. Oklahoma (7), Texas (4), Texas Tech (1). A surprise is that Texas A&M has not even won a share of the South division title since they won the Big 12 title back in 1998.

The North has had all 6 teams win at least a share of the division title. Nebraska and Colorado have 4 each. Kansas St and Missouri have 2 each. Iowa St and Kansas have 1 each.

Only 4 teams have a winning conference record this decade which is probably due to the dominance of Texas and Oklahoma who have each won over 80% of their games. With Oklahoma having won SIX Big 12 titles this decade they are clearly the team of the decade with Texas a clear #2 and that will not change regardless of the results of this year. Nebraska has the clear lead in winning % out of the North teams but if Colorado was to finish a couple of games ahead of them in the North standings they would have a shot at being the Big 12 North team of the decade as they would have more conference and division titles this decade so that one is up in the air.

The SEC has been the overall toughest conference this decade. Four teams have won over two thirds of their games in this rugged league I Florida, Georgia, LSU and Auburn. Here are the current standings for the SEC this decade.

Florida and LSU have each taken home 3 SEC titles overall this decade and a 4th would probably put that team in the top spot. Georgia has two and Auburn has one.

In the West division Auburn and LSU have each finished with the best record 4 times, Alabama 3 times and Arkansas and Ole Miss one time each. Only Miss St has not won at least a share of the West title and I doubt they will contend this year.

When I think of the SEC East I think of 3 powers in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. In the 9 years of the SEC East these three teams have each won or shared the East title 4 times each! Steve Spurrier has been at South Carolina 4 full years but is just 15-17 and has not managed even a share of the division nor has Kentucky or Vandy this decade.

I always root for teams that I pick #1 and last year the Gators did not let me down by winning the national title despite Georgia being #1 in the AP poll. Florida can make it easy on me this year by winning the SEC they would have the best overall record this decade and most conference titles and would be the team of the decade. If either Georgia or LSU was to win the SEC this year those teams would both have the opportunity to win that title.

The Pac 10 is a pretty easy conference to figure out the team of the decade but it did not start out that way as USC was just 7-9 the first two years of the decade. Here are the current Pac 10 standings for this decade.

Here are the Pac 10 titles or co titles won this decade. USC 7, Oregon 2, and Oregon St, Washington, Wash St, California and Arizona St have one each. The only schools not to win at least a share of the league title are Arizona Stanford and surprisingly UCLA! Even if USC were to go 0-8 in the Pac 10 and Oregon 8-0 the Trojans would still have the best record and double the Pac 10 titles and are clearly the Pac 10's King of the Decade. Does it surprise
you that Arizona is currently at the bottom winning just 32% of the time?

60 DAYS UNTIL THE FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME!!