Best FCS Conference....Big Sky? Missouri Valley?

[jdub27]

In 2013, there is no doubt.

CONFERENCE CENTRAL MEAN SIMPLE AVERAGE

1 SEC-WEST (A) = 83.08 82.75 ( 1)

2 PAC-12(NORTH) (A) = 82.63 81.39j ( 2)

3 PAC-12(SOUTH) (A) = 82.03 81.08 ( 3)

4 SEC-EAST (A) = 77.28 76.92 ( 5)

5 BIG TEN-LEGENDS (A) = 76.81 77.51 ( 4)

6 BIG 12 (A) = 75.86 75.60 ( 7)

7 ACC-COASTAL (A) = 74.97 74.08 ( 8)

8 BIG TEN-LEADERS (A) = 74.02 73.55 ( 9)

9 ACC-ATLANTIC (A) = 73.45 75.60 ( 6)

10 AMERICAN ATHLETIC (A) = 65.02 65.96 ( 10)

11 MWC-WEST (A) = 63.48 63.74 ( 11)

12 MWC-MOUNTAIN (A) = 61.69 62.12 ( 12)

13 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 61.54 61.37 ( 13)

14 CONFERENCE USA-WEST (A) = 61.08 60.04 ( 14)

15 MAC-WEST (A) = 60.25 59.30 ( 15)

16 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA)= 59.04 58.99 ( 16)

17 COLONIAL (AA)= 58.71 57.77 ( 18)

18 SUN BELT (A) = 58.46 57.62 ( 19)

19 MAC-EAST (A) = 58.27 58.05 ( 17)

20 CONFERENCE USA-EAST (A) = 57.65 56.59 ( 20)

21 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 52.73 52.25 ( 21)

22 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 51.43 51.69 ( 22)

23 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 49.86 48.14 ( 23)

24 SOUTHERN (AA)= 48.44 47.88 ( 24)

25 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 47.31 47.66 ( 25)

26 BIG SKY (AA)= 47.02

27 PATRIOT (AA)= 45.61 45.34 ( 27)

28 I-AA INDEPENDENTS (AA)= 41.84 41.18 ( 28)

29 NORTHEAST (AA)= 40.81 40.86 ( 29)

30 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 39.29 39.94 ( 30)

31 SWAC-EAST (AA)= 34.32 33.40 ( 31)

32 SWAC-WEST (AA)= 27.34 27.42 ( 32)

33 PIONEER (AA)= 26.86 25.98 ( 33)

34 ***UNRATED*** (__)= -90.00 -90.00 ( 34)

Sagarin also had the Great West conference ranked almost dead even with the MVFC in 2010 and 2011.

[UNDBIZ]

For all those great computer rankings, the MVFC still only got 2 teams into the playoffs. Kind of tells you what those rankings are worth. As for the title of this thread, they are both FCS power-conferences so it varies from year to year. NDSU is obviously the best team in FCS right now and they're in the MVFC, but the rest of the MVFC is nothing special.

[Herd]

The last place team in the MVFC (INState) would have 4 teams below them in the BSC. The 9th place team (9 of 10) in the MVFC (SD) would be exactly middle of the pack in the BSC, nearly even with Portland St. If you dropped NDSU out of the MVFC, the other teams have a 56.40 rating, placing them easily as the 2nd place conference in the FCS behind only the CAA.

You decide, just giving you the facts based on Sagarin ratings.

[jodcon]

The last place team in the MVFC (INState) would have 4 teams below them in the BSC. The 9th place team (9 of 10) in the MVFC (SD) would be exactly middle of the pack in the BSC, nearly even with Portland St. If you dropped NDSU out of the MVFC, the other teams have a 56.40 rating, placing them easily as the 2nd place conference in the FCS behind only the CAA.

You decide, just giving you the facts based on Sagarin ratings.

You realize that playing bad teams affects your rating too right?

[Hayduke]

I think it's pretty obvious that the MVC with the University of Agriculture and Applied Science in it is the best of the two conferences right now. But, that will change in the future and then change again. Both are top obviously FCS conferences.

With that said, UND is in a good position being in the Big Sky Conference, which is not a football conference only. Should have been there years ago.

[UND-1]

Horse a piece. How the Sky do in the playoffs this year? 2-4? Valley? 4-1 thus far.

Cause it's better that you only got two teams in so the other two (YSU-UNI) couldn't lose, right? Bragging about the fact you didn't get teams in, therefore, they couldn't lose. That is a strong argument.

The selection committee must have thought the Big Sky was a bit better. Computers didn't.

[Herd]

Cause it's better that you only got two teams in so the other two (YSU-UNI) couldn't lose, right? Bragging about the fact you didn't get teams in, therefore, they couldn't lose. That is a strong argument.

The selection committee must have thought the Big Sky was a bit better. Computers didn't.

The selection committee looked at records for the most part, something which tends to be pretty deceiving in the BSC, cause there were some pretty easy wins in the middle and the bottom of the conf. Heck, if MT State would have beaten MT, they would have been 8-4 and the BSC would have gotten 5 teams in the playoff field. That doesn't change one's opinion about the overall strength of the conference.

[darell1976]

The selection committee looked at records for the most part, something which tends to be pretty deceiving in the BSC, cause there were some pretty easy wins in the middle and the bottom of the conf. Heck, if MT State would have beaten MT, they would have been 8-4 and the BSC would have gotten 5 teams in the playoff field. That doesn't change one's opinion about the overall strength of the conference.

Pretty easy wins? Anybody can beat anybody. I guess last season Indiana St thought NDSU was an easy win...right?

[jodcon]

The selection committee looked at records for the most part, something which tends to be pretty deceiving in the BSC, cause there were some pretty easy wins in the middle and the bottom of the conf. Heck, if MT State would have beaten MT, they would have been 8-4 and the BSC would have gotten 5 teams in the playoff field. That doesn't change one's opinion about the overall strength of the conference.

Actually the selection committee is starting to use their SRS ratings to determine playoff teams, comparable to the RPI ratings they use to determine teams for the NCAA hoops tournament. This is the first year they have used it but it will be the norm going forward.

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/fcs/fcs-srs-poll

[jdub27]

The selection committee looked at records for the most part, something which tends to be pretty deceiving in the BSC, cause there were some pretty easy wins in the middle and the bottom of the conf. Heck, if MT State would have beaten MT, they would have been 8-4 and the BSC would have gotten 5 teams in the playoff field. That doesn't change one's opinion about the overall strength of the conference.

I posted this previously, but here is how the MVFC fared OOC during the regular season:

If my math is correct, the MVFC went 19-18 in OOC play. Take out FBS (2-10) and D-2 games (5-0), their record OOC against FCS is 12-8. Take out Pioneer league games (4-0, non-scholarship) and their OOC record is 8-8. Don't think I missed any, but was just a quick look so I may have.

2-0 vs the MEAC (NDSU over Delaware St, WIU over Hampton)

1-3 vs the OVC (SIU over SEMO St, ISUr and SIU losses to EIU, MSU loss to Murray St)

3-2 vs the Big Sky (SDSU over UND, UNI over UNC, USD with a win over UC Davis and losses to NAU and UM)

2-3 vs the Southland (SDSU over SELO, UNI over McNeese St, MSU with losses to Northwestern St and UCA, ISUb loss to Tennesee Tech)

[Johnny Five]

A good another big wiener contest where nothing can be proved.

[Sioux68]

Considering the MVFC only got 2 teams in and had the highest sagarin rating in the FCS, not sure how the Big Sky got 4 in. Head to head SDSU was one of the last to get in and smoked Northern Arizona. Southern Utah proved they were not playoff worthy. Coastal Carolina beat Montana and then NDSU smoked Coastal Carolina. The only team that showed anything is Eastern Washington beating SDSU.

I think Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, Illinois State, and Southern Illinois would have faired better than Southern Utah and Northern Arizona... and those 4 teams missed the playoffs. The playoff committee is clueless

[jdub27]

Considering the MVFC only got 2 teams in and had the highest sagarin rating in the FCS, not sure how the Big Sky got 4 in. Head to head SDSU was one of the last to get in and smoked Northern Arizona. Southern Utah proved they were not playoff worthy. Coastal Carolina beat Montana and then NDSU smoked Coastal Carolina. The only team that showed anything is Eastern Washington beating SDSU.

I think Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, Illinois State, and Southern Illinois would have faired better than Southern Utah and Northern Arizona... and those 4 teams missed the playoffs. The playoff committee is clueless

Youngstown played SDSU the week before the playoffs started and got beat considerably worse than NAU did, 42-13. Not sure how that shows they would have fared better.

[homer]

Considering the MVFC only got 2 teams in and had the highest sagarin rating in the FCS, not sure how the Big Sky got 4 in. Head to head SDSU was one of the last to get in and smoked Northern Arizona. Southern Utah proved they were not playoff worthy. Coastal Carolina beat Montana and then NDSU smoked Coastal Carolina. The only team that showed anything is Eastern Washington beating SDSU.

I think Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, Illinois State, and Southern Illinois would have faired better than Southern Utah and Northern Arizona... and those 4 teams missed the playoffs. The playoff committee is clueless

They should have won a few more games than and they would have had a chance to prove it. Its easy to speculate now. Like the Big Sky this year was EWU and everyone else, the MVFC was FU and everyone else.

[bincitysioux]

I think the Big Sky is a much deeper conference. It has more dogs too, like ISU, UNC, and sadly North Dakota right now. I guess both cases are to be expected since it has more teams.