Ranking FBS Conferences After September 2016

After teams having completed most, if not all, of their non-conference games, it is time to access the relative strengths of the conferences. I have created a system to rank the ten FBS conferences in an objective fashion. Teams earn points for victories versus other FBS teams. Victories on the road are worth more than those at home or at neutral sites.

Southeastern (.695)

The sports media repeatedly emphasized the SEC's 6-6 record in non-conference games during the first week of this season. Just as journalists ignore the norm such as 999 flights safely landing, they harp on the outlying single airplane crash. The SEC rebounded fairly well. The SEC won both contests against the PAC 12. The conference holds a 5-1 and 4-1 mark versus Conference USA and the Sun Belt respectively.  The SEC did not lose to any of its five opponents from the FCS or to any of its three from the MAC, unlike some other conferences.

Big Ten (.604)

The Big Ten has scored an impressive tally in non-conference contests. They swept all six games versus the Mountain West and both against the Big 12. They also won four out of five of the contests against the AAC plus three of four versus the PAC 12.

However, a conference's strength depends as much on its front-runners as it does on its cellar-dwellers. The Big Ten members have lost two of seven matches with the MAC. More glaringly, they lost two of the eight contests versus FCS opponents.   

American Athletic (.547)

The other members of the AAC are bolstering Houston's claim for a bid to the College Football Playoff. They have won three of four games against the Big 12. Additionally, they have swept all eleven of their matches when pitted against other Group of Five members. They have even managed a respectable 3-4 tally versus the ACC.

However, the AAC needs some more high-profile wins to justify its champion's inclusion in the playoffs. Twelve of the AAC's victories were over FCS opponents. Those account for nearly a third of the total number of non-conference wins.  Also, the AAC has only won one of its five contests with Big 10 members.

Atlantic Coast (.506)

The ACC looked mediocre in the first three weeks. Then the conference swept all nine of its non-conference games on the last weekend of September. The ACC has held its own versus the Big Ten (3-1). They also swept all three contests versus CUSA.

The number of quality wins is lacking. More than a third of the ACC's wins came at the expense of FCS opponents. Nearly 20 percent of their victories occurred versus the three weakest conferences.

Pacific Twelve (.484)

The Pacific Twelve has proved it superiority over the Big Twelve. Its score is significantly higher than the Big Twelve's. Plus, the PAC 12 won all three games in which these two have met.

Against the other conferences, the PAC Twelve has struggled. They lost both games versus the SEC. They won only one of the four contests with the Big Ten. They have even piled up a mediocre 6-3 tally in presumed rent-a-wins against the Mountain West. More bad news for the dozen from the Left Coast: they only have three non-conference games remaining to bolster they reputation.

Big Twelve (.375)

This group would love to hit the re-set button on this season. Unfortunately for them, this is reality, not a video game. Worsening the situation, the Big Twelve have completed all of their scheduled non-conference contests. It seems certain that the Big Twelve champion will be excluded from the College Football Playoff. If so, that will be based in part on its weak showing against the rest of the conferences.

The wins were mostly unimpressive when they occurred. The group finished the non-conference slate 2-6 against the other Power Five members. Seven of the conference's 18 wins occurred over FCS teams. Four other victories came at the expensive of Conference USA, the weakest FBS conference to this point.

Mountain West (.300)

The MWC can take some pride in having won three of nine versus the PAC 12.  Those victories kept the MWC out of the basement in these rankings.

More than a half of the MWC's non-conference wins were against FCS teams. This group has a winning tally versus only two other conferences. One of those two is Conference USA against whom the MWC is 1-0. The other is the Sun Belt (3-2). 

Sun Belt (.258)

The Sun Belt Conference managed to show that it is not just a collection of programs, which should be in the FCS. This group has decent records versus other conferences in the Group of Five: MAC (2-3), CUSA (1-1) and MWC (1-2).

The Sun Belt is still merely hoping to be considered as a mid-range conference. The group has only one win in ten games against the Power Five. The conference has only played six FCS opponents but has lost one of those.

Mid-American (.239)

The MAC has scored some notable wins. They have won both games versus the Big Twelve. They have a 3-3 record against the MWC. They have also beaten the Big Ten twice in seven tries.

The MAC's reputation also has been tarnished rather noticeably. Its members have 0-3 marks versus both the SEC and AAC. This group also has four losses in its thirteen contests with FCS teams. 

Conference USA (.171)

CUSA has only won 13 of its 41 non-conference games. Nine of those wins were against FCS opponents. CUSA is 0-4 versus the AAC and ACC respectively. The conference is 2-17 against Power Five members.

On the bright side, CUSA still has 11 non-conference games remaining. Victories in most of those should help the conference escape the title of "weakest FBS conference".

Also, the group does have one win over an opponent from the Big Ten and the SEC.

Readers should check back at the end of October for updated standings.