CSNbbs

Records and Percentages (excluding Oklahoma/LSU game to be played)

MAC...............7-1 (.875)
Big East.......15-9 (.625)
ACC...........15-13 (.536)
WAC..............8-7 (.533)
SEC...........20-18 (.526)
Big Ten......17-17 (.500)
Big XII.......17-19 (.472)
Mtn West......7-8 (.467)
Pac 10.......13-15 (.464)
C-USA..........8-15 (.348)
Sun Belt.........1-2 (.333)

Some observations

1. Statistically speaking, seven of the conferences win as often as they lose in bowl games. Not surprising, given the overall parity in college football.

2. The Big East has more than held its own in bowl play. Too bad for them the ACC has raided their best teams (8-4 in bowls) and are replacing them from C-USA's best (1-6 in bowls). Ouch.

3. While no doubt C-USA hoops is taking a big hit in league shuffling, its football hasn't been that great to start with. It may actually get better, as they are replacing those 1-6 bowl teams with ones who've went 4-1.

4. Why has the MAC been so good? It's probably a combination of reasons: the MAC squads were better than the competition served and/or they were more highly motivated than their opponents. Obviously Marshall (4-0) has been great, but even without them the league is 3-1. How will the MAC fare without The Herd? Time will tell, but recent history tells us in the past five years Toledo, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, and Miami all fielded competitive teams that deserved to be in bowls.

After this year's dismal performance (particularly from their champion in the Liberty Bowl), will be still have to endure comments that C-USA is the best non-BCS conference? (and please spare me the "bottom feeder comments" cause just like after the NCAA hoops tourney, nobody cares what the losers of the conference do, it's the bowl participants that get noticed for their competitiveness, or lack thereof).

It'll be interesting to see if TCU "jumps ship now"...............most folks seem to think that it's a 50/50 proposition. Their loss would certainly weaken that conference even more, and allow Marshall to even more quickly become "King of the Hill" over there.