(04-12-2019 03:24 PM)NothingButKnight Wrote: Seems to me like we are more likely to have an upper-level football team. The middle and bottom of the conference, whoever that is in a given year (we've been at the top and the bottom), is pretty equal to the other G4 leagues. Overall, we have more fans in the stands and the games. The games are on TV more. We also get more overall P5 wins every year. Sometimes more than the other 4 conferences combined.
Well, actually, the data show that the AAC is better at the top, in the middle, and at the bottom year after year.
I looked at the final Massey Composite rankings, average ranking of top four, middle four, and bottom four for the five non-contract-bowl conferences. For fourteen team conference, omitted #5 and #10 to get a true middle. For a ten team conference, #4 and #7 got counted for both middle and top/bottom. With odd numbers I kept the top the top, kept the bottom the bottom, and gave the middle the benefit of the higher group of four possible. Oh, and I counted Navy with the AAC in 2014 (would have been fourth in the AAC at composite #58).
2018
Top 4: mwc 35,
AAC 40, Belt 48.25, CUSA 59.25, MAC 64.25
Middle4: mwc 86,
AAC 87, SBC 91.25, MAC 92.75, CUSA 93
Bottom 4: mwc 113.75,
AAC 114.5 , SBC 117.25, MAC 121.5, CUSA 124.75
2017
Top 4:
AAC 26, mwc 43.25, CUSA 59.5, MAC 59.75, SBC 69.5
Middle 4:
AAC 65, MAC 87.75, CUSA 91, mwc 91.75, SBC 105.25
Bottom 4:
AAC 107.5, mwc 117.25, MAC 117.75, SBC 119.75, CUSA 124.25
2016
Top 4:
AAC 35.25. mwc 43.75, SBC 53.5, CUSA 55.75, MAC 57
Middle 4:
AAC 65.75, mwc 74.75, SBC 87.75, MAC 95, CUSA 109.5
Bottom 4:
AAC 106, mwc 111.75, SBC 115.25, MAC 115.75, CUSA 123.5
2015
Top 4:
AAC 28.75, MAC 48, CUSA 52.25, mwc 57.75, SBC 64.75
Middle 4:
AAC 70.5, MAC 80, mwc 89.5, CUSA 103.75, SBC 104.75
Bottom 4:
AAC 109.25, mwc 116.5, MAC 116.5, SBC 119.25, CUSA 119.75
2014
Top 4: mwc 35.25,
AAC 47.75, CUSA 48, MAC 69.5, SBC 74.5
Middle 4:
AAC 80.5, mwc 84, CUSA 84.5, MAC 100, SBC 104
Bottom 4: mwc 110, CUSA 111.5,
AAC 118.75, MAC 120.75, SBC 125.5
On 15 lines, AAC is #1 10 times, #2 four times, and #3 only once in the bottom four five years ago.
On 15 lines, mwc is #1 the other five times, with the AAC #2 80% of the lines mwc is #1. (mwc is #2 on 70% of the lines AAC is #1.) mwc is #3 on one line and #4 on two lines.