The Mag's Bruce Feldman opened Pandora's Box with his picks of the best and worst conferences. Now fans across the nation (except in the heartland) take him to task.

From: Bill Vosik
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 11:11 PM

Bruce,

You are right. Conference strength is certainly cyclical among the powers. Big 12, SEC, and the Big Ten. But without conference championship games, the Big East and the ACC will continue to have an advantage in getting their teams to the national title game. Virginia Tech plays one team among the top 35 teams (Miami). Florida State should continue to play Miami and Florida as long as their conference continues to have no traditional top 20 college football programs (Clemson may be finally emerging). The other big 3 conferences (Big 12, Big 10, SEC) typically have 4-5 teams ranked in the top 25. The ACC and Big East cannot say that.

Bill Vosik

Hey Bill,

Thanks for the shout. I do think that folks who run the SEC and Big 12 may take issue with another ACC-Big East national title game down the road.

-Bruce

From: Troy Marvin
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 12:41 AM

Mr. Feldman,

Aloha from the 50th and most beautiful state! What criterion do you use to measure conference strength? Legit Heisman Trophy candidates, top teams, weakest teams, all-star teams from conference, No. of ranked teams throughout the season, a compilation of all those factors?

The Big 12 has just ONE quality non-conference W in 2000: Nebraska at Notre Dame. KSU and OU's non-conference schedules are weak. UT got beat at Stanford; I've seen Texas A&M 3 times this season and I also wonder how you can state "Texas A&M would be upper echelon team in any of the major conferences." Their D is superb, but their offense is very sporadic and sometimes is non-existent. Baylor is inept; Texas Tech is the worst 5-2 team in the country. Their Ws were achieved vs. mediocre competition. Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma State are not good this year, and certainly couldn't be comparable to 'middle of the road' teams such as Tennessee, Ole Miss, and South Carolina in the SEC or Northwestern-Wisconsin-Michigan State in the Big Ten.

I understand and appreciate that everyone has their biases, but I was wondering what decision-making process you used to come up with your conclusion that the Big 12 is America's Best Conference. Thanks for your time.

Troy Marvin
College Football Fan with 95 games already watched this year.

Hey Troy,

I think A&M is on a level with Purdue, Mich. State and those other teams in the Big Ten. Baylor stinks, although I think Tech is a better 5-2 team than UTEP (that help my argument?).

And what happened to your Rainbows? We throw a story to them in our preview and then they open up and play like Rutgers. Do you think we jinxed them?

-Bruce

From: Lance Wilkerson
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 1:14 AM

I have watched TV, read newspapers, and surfed the internet for years. Finally someone who gives the Big 12 some legitimate respect. I completely agree with your point about the Championship game could be between FSU and Miami. I know it's not possible, but I wish there would be a lot more non-conference games. That way the weaker conference powerhouses could bolster their schedules. I do agree that the SEC year in and year out is at or near the top, and it's not fair for SEC and Big 12 schools to have to fight through their conference schedule, and then a conference championship, and then a possible national championship game. I would love Nebraska or Florida or the likes to play FSU's or Virginia Tech's schedule. More reason for an 8-team playoff.

Thanks again for your insight,

Lance Wilkerson
Evansville, IN
(Husker Fan)

Yes, Lance, you are correct -- much more reason for a playoff. A few years ago, my only reason why I would've been against a playoff was because it would wash away the one-and-done aspect of the game. Meaning if someone upset a powerful ND or FSU team, their season was over so every game was huge. But now it doesn't happen that way any more.

-Bruce

From: John Malone
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 9:00 AM

I want some of the crack you're smoking. You state the SEC is the best conference and has been for years like it's a well-known and accepted fact. The way I see it is that you cannot judge how good a conference is during the season when conference teams are focused on each other. Especially when you throw in heated conference rivals, well known playbacks and unpredictable weather.

In other words, anything can happen. A 3-3 team can beat an undefeated team if the conditions for an upset are right. Obviously, a playoff would solve this problem but for now we will have to settle for head to head matches in bowl games. If you check the scores from last year's bowl games you will find that the Big 10 won in head to head matches with the SEC. I am not saying that the Big 10 is better, I am just saying that your statement that the SEC has been the best conference for years is totally unfounded. I assume you are a SEC fan, which is the only rational reason why you would say such a thing.

-John Malone

I am admittedly a fan of SEC football. You have some of the best rivalries in football in there and some of the most charismatic coaches. That said, I am big on the league because it has Florida, 'Bama and UT at the top, who rival FSU and Nebraska as the powers of the '90s. A bunch of other solid teams (UGA, MSU, Miss., Ark) and NO lightweights.

-Bruce

From: Tony Stanton
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 9:12 AM

I enjoyed your article claiming that the Big 12 is the best conference in 2000. However, I've noticed that you and many other writers are claiming that K-State's non-con schedule caused K-State to play poorly against OU. Has anyone bothered to look at OU's non-con schedule? Arkansas State, UTEP and Rice. OU seemed to play just fine despite these soft opponents. I think the better players show up to play at the big games - OU's players did, KSU's didn't, period.

-Unbiased Big 12 fan

Tony,

I attributed that to the players being sharper. Maybe the Kansas game got OU ready for Texas or maybe Stoops is just a better big-game coach than Snyder, but you're right the Wildcat players just didn't make plays.

-Bruce

From: Dave Cooper
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 9:47 AM

Enjoyed your column confirming the Big 12 as the premier football conference this year. But if you recall, '95-'96 ended with 3 Big 8 teams in the final top 10, Kansas, K State and, of course, Nebraska. Who can forget their destruction of the mighty SEC champion, Florida. And to be sure, the Big East deserves recognition this year for Pitt, Temple, Boston College etc., that have increased the overall quality of the conference significantly. As for the ACC, even there it appears that overall strength has improved. While I grew up on SEC football, I've always considered the conference to be highly overated.

Dave Cooper

Hey Dave,

I agree, although with respect to the Big East, while Temple and Pitt are on the upswing, Syracuse has plummeted and I don't think WVa is quite as strong as it was in the early '90s.

-Bruce

From: Matt Schreiner
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 9:47 AM

Bruce,

First of all, go buy yourself a clue. How on God's green Earth could you not rank the Big 10 in the top 3 conferences? That is absolutely ridiculous.

I am not going to dispute opinions however. Let's simply examine the facts. You said that this year is the first time in years that the SEC isn't the best conference? HA! I seem to recall that the Big 10 went 5-1 or 6-0 last Bowl Season, by far the greatest of any conference. Why don't you check your reasons for ranking the Big 12 the number one conference. Is it because a few teams have good records? Look at WHY they have good records. THEY PLAY NOBODY!!! It is a joke how Nebraska, Kansas State, and Oklahoma have gotten away with ridiculously easy non-conference schedules. You, like many other foolish sportswriters, have let them fleece you.

I'll leave you with one question to ponder as you sleep at night. How do you think a team like Kansas State, Oklahoma, or Nebraska would fare in the Big 10? I mean, you think about that honestly. The reality is, there is no way any of those teams get through the Big 10 Schedule with less than 2 losses. Period.

Hey Matt,

I think the Big Ten doesn't have a powerhouse team in the league this year and may not have a top 10 team even. Good teams, yes. Great ones? No way. And do you think any Big Ten team could go into Lincoln and Tallahassee and stay within two TDs?

-Bruce

From: Adam Christopher Beck
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 12:42 PM

I am still trying to figure out why the Big 10 conference gets no love. Why is that? There is a reason why a Big 10 team will never win the National Championship after Michigan won it in 1997 (which is a whole different subject considering Nebraska got a share when the played absolutely horrible teams).

This is because the Big 10 is the greatest football conference in the country. Every week you are playing a tough team. At this moment there are four Big 10 teams in the top 25 and four Big 12 teams. Now let's go over toughness of opponents; the number 1 team in the country right now is Nebraska. Who have they played that is worth mentioning? Their big test was Texas Tech. WHO'S TEXAS TECH? Then there is Kansas State, who has proved that they can't play in a big game, and Oklahoma. Who else have they played besides KSU? Then Texas is right where they belong in the top 25. I don't understand why people think the Big 12 is so great when they play two tough games a year then play one more in the Big 12 title game.

In the Big 10 and SEC, every week you better be ready to play or else you will lose no matter who you play. Each of these conferences beat themselves up and never get a chance to crush inferior teams. Granted Michigan beat IU 58-0, but this next week we play MSU, which is a game that cannot be taken too lightly. Then we play Northwestern, then we play Penn State, then Ohio State. Nebraska, they play Baylor -- oooh, watch out it might only be 45-3 -- then they play Oklahoma. Tough game, I will give them that, then who do they play? My point is, what about the Big 10, by far the toughest conference to play in week-in and week-out? I would love to see Nebraska try and play a Big 10 conference schedule once, and if they did and won I would keep my mouth shut, but for now they will keep playing cream puff teams that for some reason impress you.

Adam Beck

Hey Adam,

Do you think Michigan could beat Nebraska on a neutral site? My point is the Big Ten is a little down this year. These things are cyclical.

-Bruce