itk said:
Watch this I can mess with numbers and make my argument look good to. ;D 40% of the AP top ten came from the Big 12 while only 20% came from the SEC. Maybe we should both get into politics since we are both so good at manipulating the numbers to make ourselves look smarter then we actually are. If Mizzou wouldn't have got screwed over we might have had three teams in the BCS and a possibility of two BCS wins. They could have given Georgia a better game then those folks from the islands.
Since you want to talk numbers...
Why not start by explaining why you think that the previously UNDEFEATED "folks from the islands" were any worse than the Big 12's own Kansas Jayhawks? Both teams played a bunch of nobody's, IMHO. However, Hawaii did beat 10-3 Boise State & 9-4 Fresno State, while Kansas only beat one good team all year in 11-3 Virginia Tech & they only won that game by 3 points!! Both teams finished 12-1. If anything, I think a case could be made for Hawaii! Regardless of who is better, I don't think it's that much of a difference. UGA would've spanked Kansas too!!
Back to Kansas... they beat Virginia Tech 24-21. However, LSU mauled that same Virginia Tech team by a score of 48-7!! 3 points verses 41 points!! How's that for numbers? ;D
Furthermore, while Kansas was whipping Florida International. Kentucky was whipping Florida Atlantic. Florida Atlantic actually won 8 games this year & guess what? Florida Atlantic stomped Florida International... but, not only that. Florida Atlantic & Kansas both scored 55 points against Florida International. So, if Florida Atlantic & Kansas are somewhat similar & Kentucky whipped Florida Atlantic, that's just another feather in the SEC hat!
Going one step further... Kentucky played 8 bowl teams this year. Kentucky played 11 teams that won 6 or more games & they played 12 teams (out of 13 opponents) that won 5 or more games. Not only can Kansas not say that, but there isn't one team in the Big 12 who can say that!!
The SEC's bowl record was 7-2. The Big 12's bowl record was 5-3.
Head to head bowl match ups...
Bama, the 9th or 10th best team in the SEC (depends if you go with a 6-6 Bama or a 6-6 South Carolina) beat the #7 team in the Big 12, Colorado.
Missouri beat the 7th best SEC team (1. LSU, 2. Georgia, 3. UT, 4. UF, 5. Auburn, 6. Kentucky {same record, but they beat Arkansas & finished ranked higher} 7. Arkansas, 8. Miss St. 9 & 10 Bama or South Carolina). That's still an impressive win for Missouri!! However, I do wonder if Houston Nutt hadn't left for Ole Miss if Arkansas would've played with more passion. Also, while it's a good win, it was the Big 12's best or 2nd best verses the 7th best in the SEC & that is a fact that can't be denied!!
Furthermore... Out of 12 teams, the SEC had 10 bowl eligible teams & 1 team that fell 1 win short. No other conference can say that because no other confernce is as good from top to bottom as the SEC. When you realize just how good & how balanced the SEC actually was, it's hard to believe that 2 of it's teams would have records good enough to be the National Champs & the Runner Ups.
Most importantly of all, the SEC has back to back National Champs. But, not only that this year they have the National Runner Ups, too!!
The only numbers on your side is the AP top 25 poll, but only if you just look @ the top 10. You failed to mention that the SEC has 5 teams in the top 15 to only 4 for the Big 12. You also fail to mention that the SEC had 8 teams receive votes in the AP poll, while the Big 12 only had 5 teams receive votes!! But, the most impressive of all, is the fact that the SEC has 100% of the top 2!!
Look the Big 12 is solid. Missouri & Kansas are legit. However, lets not confuse the Big 12 with the SEC & lets also not confuse Missouri & Kansas with LSU & Georgia.