Bowl stock up, stock down

While we are running a separate Saurian Sagacity Bowl Challenge, let us take a moment to reflect on the relatively poor results for the Pac Ten and Big Ten thus far.

While the Pac Ten scored a big win with Cal’s 45 – 10 rout of Texas A&M, and a narrow victory with Oregon State’s last second win over 8-4 Missouri, the conference was thoroughly undressed with the losses of Oregon, Arizona State and UCLA by a combined score of 123 -59. Overall, the Pac Ten has been outscored 171-143 in 5 games. (By contrast, in 13 games this season, Florida surrendered only 175 points).




Will the Big Ten join the Pac Ten in this building?







The Big Ten finds itself off to a 0-3 start with its narrow losses of Iowa to Texas, and Minnesota to Texas Tech, and a pretty convincing beat of Purdue by Maryland. However, unlike the Pac Ten with a single game remaining (and a best possible record of .500), the Big Ten has 4 games remaining.

The SEC is off to a great start with 3 wins, and 1 narrow loss by coachless Alabama. With Kentucky’s sound beating of Clemson, and Georgia laying 31 points against the nation’s number one defense in Virginia Tech, suddenly Florida’s “non-stylish” wins over these two teams look far more in vogue.

Which brings us to the match ups every SEC-Big Ten fan is waiting to see – Tennessee versus Penn State, Arkansas versus Wisconsin, and of course Florida against Ohio State. Head to head, the SEC against the Big Ten. We can count that the outcomes of these games will further fan the flames of the Michigan-Florida debate.

Of course, the “We beat Notre Dame Bowl”; formerly-known-as-the-granddaddy-of-them-all Rose Bowl, looms between USC and Michigan. And, the supposed “best 2 loss team on the planet” and “winner of the ESPN faux national championship” LSU faces those same Golden Domers in the Sugar Bowl.

Let the arguments begin.