SEC versus PAC-10: Round 3

By Marc Hudgens  |   Thursday, August 30, 2007  |  Comments( 3 )

College Football
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Just to stoke the blazing fires of hate that exist between SEC and Pac-10 fans, here are some fun stats and national rankings of the conference's schools from 2006.

The ones in bold (USC and LSU) are the top two teams going into this season.

Total Offense
Rank School Conference
9 Oregon PAC-10
11 LSU SEC
13 California PAC-10
19 Florida SEC
20 South Car SEC
21 USC PAC-10
25 Wash State PAC-10
29 Arkansas SEC
32 Kentucky SEC
36 Tennessee SEC
42 Ariz State PAC-10
45 Oreg State PAC-10
52 Vanderbilt SEC
65 Alabama SEC
71 UCLA PAC-10
74 Washington PAC-10
76 Auburn SEC
90 Georgia SEC
103 Miss State SEC
111 Ole Miss SEC
115 Arizona PAC-10
118 Stanford PAC-10


Rushing Offense
Rank School Conference
4 Arkansas SEC
14 Oregon PAC-10
27 Ariz State PAC-10
31 LSU SEC
35 California PAC-10
38 Florida SEC
45 Vanderbilt SEC
47 Auburn SEC
49 South Car SEC
61 USC PAC-10
64 UCLA PAC-10
68 Wash State PAC-10
69 Washington PAC-10
71 Georgia SEC
74 Ole Miss SEC
77 Alabama SEC
81 Oreg State PAC-10
96 Tennessee SEC
101 Kentucky SEC
104 Miss State SEC
110 Arizona PAC-10
115 Stanford PAC-10


Passing Offense
Rank School Conference
9 Kentucky SEC
12 Tennessee SEC
14 USC PAC-10
15 Wash State PAC-10
17 California PAC-10
18 LSU SEC
19 South Car SEC
24 Oreg State PAC-10
25 Oregon PAC-10
28 Florida SEC
49 Alabama SEC
55 Vanderbilt SEC
56 UCLA PAC-10
61 Ariz State PAC-10
66 Washington PAC-10
69 Miss State SEC
79 Georgia SEC
88 Auburn SEC
94 Arizona PAC-10
95 Stanford PAC-10
108 Arkansas SEC
112 Ole Miss SEC


Offense 3rd Down Conversion
Rank School Conference
8 LSU SEC
9 Tennessee SEC
10 Oregon PAC-10
12 South Car SEC
14 USC PAC-10
21 Florida SEC
29 California PAC-10
32 Alabama SEC
34 Arkansas SEC
45 Auburn SEC
56 Georgia SEC
61 Ariz State PAC-10
70 Wash State PAC-10
71 Kentucky SEC
77 Oreg State PAC-10
81 UCLA PAC-10
83 Miss State SEC
96 Washington PAC-10
99 Vanderbilt SEC
109 Arizona PAC-10
111 Stanford PAC-10
114 Ole Miss SEC


Total Defense
Rank School Conference
3 LSU SEC
6 Florida SEC
8 Georgia SEC
19 Auburn SEC
20 USC PAC-10
22 Alabama SEC
26 Arkansas SEC
35 UCLA PAC-10
41 Miss State SEC
42 Oregon PAC-10
49 Arizona PAC-10
50 Tennessee SEC
51 Ariz State PAC-10
59 Oreg State PAC-10
63 South Car SEC
74 Vanderbilt SEC
76 Ole Miss SEC
81 Wash State PAC-10
91 California PAC-10
95 Washington PAC-10
97 Stanford PAC-10
118 Kentucky SEC


Rushing Defense
Rank School Conference
5 Florida SEC
9 UCLA PAC-10
10 USC PAC-10
14 LSU SEC
26 Georgia SEC
29 Oreg State PAC-10
31 Wash State PAC-10
33 Arkansas SEC
36 Miss State SEC
39 Ariz State PAC-10
42 Arizona PAC-10
45 Auburn SEC
46 Alabama SEC
47 California PAC-10
65 Washington PAC-10
73 Tennessee SEC
75 South Car SEC
86 Oregon PAC-10
91 Vanderbilt SEC
94 Ole Miss SEC
108 Kentucky SEC
117 Stanford PAC-10


Passing Defense
Rank School Conference
3 LSU SEC
5 Georgia SEC
14 Auburn SEC
16 Oregon PAC-10
20 Alabama SEC
23 Stanford PAC-10
27 Tennessee SEC
33 Florida SEC
36 Arkansas SEC
43 South Car SEC
46 Ole Miss SEC
51 Vanderbilt SEC
64 USC PAC-10
67 Miss State SEC
69 Arizona PAC-10
73 Ariz State PAC-10
87 UCLA PAC-10
88 Oreg State PAC-10
102 Washington PAC-10
103 California PAC-10
108 Wash State PAC-10
118 Kentucky SEC


Defense 3rd Down Prevention
Rank School Conference
2 Georgia SEC
5 UCLA PAC-10
16 LSU SEC
20 California PAC-10
22 Oreg State PAC-10
23 Arkansas SEC
26 Florida SEC
32 Alabama SEC
35 Washington PAC-10
42 Oregon PAC-10
49 Miss State SEC
50 South Car SEC
52 Ariz State PAC-10
64 Wash State PAC-10
65 Auburn SEC
66 Arizona PAC-10
68 USC PAC-10
80 Vanderbilt SEC
86 Tennessee SEC
95 Ole Miss SEC
109 Kentucky SEC
115 Stanford PAC-10

Strangely enough, Oregon led the Pac-10 in total offense, rushing offense, third-down conversions and passing defense. Furthermore, the Ducks led both conferences in total offense.

USC, the Pac-10's flagship school, only led its conference in two of these key categories: passing offense and total defense. What appears to have killed the Trojans' total offense ranking (21st) was a poor rushing attack last year (fourth in Pac-10, 61st overall). But then again, USC is a passing team, ranking 14th nationally in that category but (surprise) first in the conference. Only in rushing defense was USC in the top 10 of these categories.

The SEC ruled the roost in total defense, with the top four teams in that category being LSU, Florida, Georgia, and Auburn. The conference was also stout in passing defense. Specific to LSU, the Tigers led their conference in total offense, third-down conversions, total defense, and passing defense. Only in total offense was LSU not the leader across both conferences in those four categories. The Bayou Bengals were also ranked second in the SEC in preventing opponents from converting their third downs, rushing defense, and rushing offense.

Among top-10 placement, Pac-10 teams were listed five times while SEC teams took up 11 spots across all these categories.

Given this quandary as to which conference is better, it'll be next to impossible to tell this year, unless you completely buy into what's on preseason paper. The only regular-season game this year that features a matchup between these two hostile conferences is Cal hosting Tennessee this upcoming weekend. The only other way to make each side's argument more refined is if these conferences face each other in the bowl games. But that's a long shot as well because there's not one single bowl that pits these conferences against one another. It would take a BCS at-large berth or, as some are predicting, the national championship, which might feature USC and LSU.

Unlike last season, this year is very slim pickins for fans wanting to see the two conferences face off, which is tragic for college football die-hards.

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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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