Although this is beating a dead horse, ESPN.com has just brought any PAC 10 fan with a brain back to reality!!!!
WAR EAGLE!!!!
GO SEC!!!!
:clap: :moon:
WAR EAGLE!!!!
GO SEC!!!!
:clap: :moon:
Poll on ESPN.com - Greatest Conference
- Thread starter medlisg
- Start date
It's a subjective (read non-scientific) poll. The question is which conference do you think is the TOUGHEST?
Ask most of the average Joes out there who know a smidgen about college football and of course they will say that the SEC is "toughest"--meaning that public perception is that SEC teams are most competitive within their own conference from top to bottom and, as a result, more battle-tested.
It also helps that the SEC gets more national air time than probably any other conference.
Ask most of the average Joes out there who know a smidgen about college football and of course they will say that the SEC is "toughest"--meaning that public perception is that SEC teams are most competitive within their own conference from top to bottom and, as a result, more battle-tested.
It also helps that the SEC gets more national air time than probably any other conference.
medlisg, are you coming back to any Auburn games? Also enjoyed hearing about the llama reference fear factor cut.
AU
-999-
AU
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Definitely Georgia and possibly one game before then. I'll be going to TENN. and OLE MISS for sure!
I can't believe Fear Factor wouldn't air the llama comment!
I can't believe Fear Factor wouldn't air the llama comment!
Remember when Washington was rugged? And Oregon was a national title contender victimized by the BCS? Or when Dennis Erickson was building a strutting, rogue program at Oregon State, a.k.a., Miami-Northwest, that spanked Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl?
Memories...like the corners of our minds...
It's time to talk Northwest football, because it's looks like there won't be any reason to do so during the bowl season.
Is Arizona State for real? Can Cal keep Jeff Tedford in Berkeley? Will Stanford shock the world at USC? Does Washington have any answers on defense? Our Pac-10 notebook addresses those questions, along with looks at Arizona CB Antoine Cason, Oregon State's kicking woes, UCLA RB Maurice Drew, and more.
Even Washington State, coming off three consecutive top-10 finishes, doesn't look like itself these days.
The four Northwest teams are a combined 3-7 this year. Those wins have come against such luminaries as New Mexico (twice!) and Idaho.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Pac-10 -- the sunny parts -- are 13-3.
It wasn't always like this. Way back in 2000, Northwest teams filled the top three spots in the Pac-10. In 2001, it was three of the top four. Winning percentage those years: .745 (70-24).
The past two seasons, that percentage has slipped to .621 (64-39), and 20 of those victories belong to Washington State.
It's not inconceivable that all four could slip into the bottom half of the Pac-10, which hasn't happened since 1976, when the conference only had eight teams.
Oregon once looked to be a budding elite program, building fabulous facilities while winning 33 of 36 games during one period from 1999 to 2002. But since a 45-42 defeat to Arizona State snapped an 11-game winning streak in October of 2002, the Ducks are 9-13.
It's fortunate that Oregon plays Idaho on Saturday, otherwise the Ducks could be looking at their first 0-3 start since 1982, when they finished 2-8-1.
Washington, which hasn't had a losing season since 1976, isn't so lucky. After a pair of dispiriting defeats, it visits Notre Dame on Saturday and appears ripe to fall to 0-3 for the first time since 1969, when the Huskies finished 1-9.
Oregon State hasn't been the same since it appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as the preseason No. 1 in 2001.
How did this happen?
First, USC's resurrection and tenacious recruiting made it the luxury destination for top talent in Southern California. UCLA comes in second. Then the rest of the Pac-10, with the Northwest schools and other conferences picking over the leftovers.
Second, California is now a recruiting force in the Bay Area under Jeff Tedford. Not only is he keeping the locals home, he brought in quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the nation's second-rated quarterback, and tailback J.J. Arrington (179 yards rushing per game) from junior colleges.
Recruiting California is tougher than it was five years ago, but it's never been easy. USC and UCLA, even during mediocre years, will always have an edge.
The bigger problem is that when there's a squeeze in California, in-state talent has to step in to fill gaps. That's been a problem of late for both Oregon and Washington.
"USC has been dominating everybody and (Pac-10 teams) live and die with what they can get in California, so the competition has been fierce," recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "The talent pool has shrunk. And the last three years (in Oregon and Washington) the talent has been weak."
Consider the Huskies. A majority of the program's top stars over the past 15 years, from Steve Emtman, to Corey Dillon to Marques Tuiasosopo to Reggie Williams, were homegrown.
And now? Other than fullback Zach Tuiasosopo (yes, Marques' brother) all of Washington's current top players -- the few there are -- are from out of state.
The Cougars have a legitimate excuse this year. Their seven returning starters rank among the fewest in the nation. It remains to be seen, however, if a program that has never had an extended period of winning can continue its impressive run.
Both Oregon State and Washington changed coaches over the past two years, and the Huskies' transition from Rick Neuheisel to Keith Gilbertson couldn't have been sloppier. The Huskies also continue to await a verdict from the NCAA on gambling and recruiting violations, which does little to lift the mood in Seattle.
Oregon doesn't have an obvious excuse. With coach Mike Bellotti in the midst of his 10th season in Eugene, he's the conference's longest tenured coach by a wide margin.
A loss at No. 2 Oklahoma shamed no one. But a season-opening home defeat to Indiana, Bellotti's first non-conference loss in Autzen Stadium, is embarrassing.
After three mediocre years, Oregon made a push in recruiting last February, hauling in a class that ranked 19th in the nation. The emphasis was on speed, and a number of those freshmen are now playing.
"I don't expect to be at a .500 level very long," Bellotti said. "The difference is we are still developing playmakers. We are lacking speed on both sides of the ball."
Washington fans, who, of the foursome, are most accustomed to winning, are already turning away based on the tumult of the past two seasons. Husky Stadium is usually overflowing with 73,000 fans every fall. Crowds for the first two home games this year were less than 66,000, smallest in 15 years.
Is the Northwest headed for an extended downturn while the rest of the conference is on the uptick? Perhaps, but it won't last forever.
"They didn't capitalize (when they were up), but it's also just the way it worked out in terms of talent," Lemming said. "I think it's just a cycle."
Ted Miller covers the Pac-10 for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Memories...like the corners of our minds...
It's time to talk Northwest football, because it's looks like there won't be any reason to do so during the bowl season.
Is Arizona State for real? Can Cal keep Jeff Tedford in Berkeley? Will Stanford shock the world at USC? Does Washington have any answers on defense? Our Pac-10 notebook addresses those questions, along with looks at Arizona CB Antoine Cason, Oregon State's kicking woes, UCLA RB Maurice Drew, and more.
Even Washington State, coming off three consecutive top-10 finishes, doesn't look like itself these days.
The four Northwest teams are a combined 3-7 this year. Those wins have come against such luminaries as New Mexico (twice!) and Idaho.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Pac-10 -- the sunny parts -- are 13-3.
It wasn't always like this. Way back in 2000, Northwest teams filled the top three spots in the Pac-10. In 2001, it was three of the top four. Winning percentage those years: .745 (70-24).
The past two seasons, that percentage has slipped to .621 (64-39), and 20 of those victories belong to Washington State.
It's not inconceivable that all four could slip into the bottom half of the Pac-10, which hasn't happened since 1976, when the conference only had eight teams.
Oregon once looked to be a budding elite program, building fabulous facilities while winning 33 of 36 games during one period from 1999 to 2002. But since a 45-42 defeat to Arizona State snapped an 11-game winning streak in October of 2002, the Ducks are 9-13.
It's fortunate that Oregon plays Idaho on Saturday, otherwise the Ducks could be looking at their first 0-3 start since 1982, when they finished 2-8-1.
Washington, which hasn't had a losing season since 1976, isn't so lucky. After a pair of dispiriting defeats, it visits Notre Dame on Saturday and appears ripe to fall to 0-3 for the first time since 1969, when the Huskies finished 1-9.
Oregon State hasn't been the same since it appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as the preseason No. 1 in 2001.
How did this happen?
First, USC's resurrection and tenacious recruiting made it the luxury destination for top talent in Southern California. UCLA comes in second. Then the rest of the Pac-10, with the Northwest schools and other conferences picking over the leftovers.
Second, California is now a recruiting force in the Bay Area under Jeff Tedford. Not only is he keeping the locals home, he brought in quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the nation's second-rated quarterback, and tailback J.J. Arrington (179 yards rushing per game) from junior colleges.
Recruiting California is tougher than it was five years ago, but it's never been easy. USC and UCLA, even during mediocre years, will always have an edge.
The bigger problem is that when there's a squeeze in California, in-state talent has to step in to fill gaps. That's been a problem of late for both Oregon and Washington.
"USC has been dominating everybody and (Pac-10 teams) live and die with what they can get in California, so the competition has been fierce," recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "The talent pool has shrunk. And the last three years (in Oregon and Washington) the talent has been weak."
Consider the Huskies. A majority of the program's top stars over the past 15 years, from Steve Emtman, to Corey Dillon to Marques Tuiasosopo to Reggie Williams, were homegrown.
And now? Other than fullback Zach Tuiasosopo (yes, Marques' brother) all of Washington's current top players -- the few there are -- are from out of state.
The Cougars have a legitimate excuse this year. Their seven returning starters rank among the fewest in the nation. It remains to be seen, however, if a program that has never had an extended period of winning can continue its impressive run.
Both Oregon State and Washington changed coaches over the past two years, and the Huskies' transition from Rick Neuheisel to Keith Gilbertson couldn't have been sloppier. The Huskies also continue to await a verdict from the NCAA on gambling and recruiting violations, which does little to lift the mood in Seattle.
Oregon doesn't have an obvious excuse. With coach Mike Bellotti in the midst of his 10th season in Eugene, he's the conference's longest tenured coach by a wide margin.
A loss at No. 2 Oklahoma shamed no one. But a season-opening home defeat to Indiana, Bellotti's first non-conference loss in Autzen Stadium, is embarrassing.
After three mediocre years, Oregon made a push in recruiting last February, hauling in a class that ranked 19th in the nation. The emphasis was on speed, and a number of those freshmen are now playing.
"I don't expect to be at a .500 level very long," Bellotti said. "The difference is we are still developing playmakers. We are lacking speed on both sides of the ball."
Washington fans, who, of the foursome, are most accustomed to winning, are already turning away based on the tumult of the past two seasons. Husky Stadium is usually overflowing with 73,000 fans every fall. Crowds for the first two home games this year were less than 66,000, smallest in 15 years.
Is the Northwest headed for an extended downturn while the rest of the conference is on the uptick? Perhaps, but it won't last forever.
"They didn't capitalize (when they were up), but it's also just the way it worked out in terms of talent," Lemming said. "I think it's just a cycle."
Ted Miller covers the Pac-10 for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
