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SEC VS Other Power Five Conferences

Doom and gloom surrounded the SEC in week one of the college football season. With high-profile losses and losses to lesser conferences, it wasn’t its normal self

But is the SEC really in danger of becoming the weakest of the new Power Five conferences? Now that two weeks have been played, there is a larger sample size to judge the SEC to the other four.

The SEC has five wins over other Power Five conferences: the University of Southern California, University of California, Los Angeles, Texas Christian University, Virginia Tech University and the University of North Carolina. But the SEC suffered four losses to Power Five conferences: Auburn University, Louisiana State University, University of Mississippi and University of Missouri.

Mississippi State University and the University of Kentucky both lost to non-Power Five conference schools. The SEC is the only Power Five conference not to have lost, yet, to a FCS school.

Here is how the other Power Five conferences have fared two weeks into the season.

The ACC has four wins over other Power Five conferences, with wins over Auburn, Mississippi, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Illinois. It also has three losses to Power Five schools: Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia and North Carolina.

North Carolina State lost to non-Power Five school East Carolina University, which was a bad loss for the ACC. Virginia also lost to a FCS school: the University of Richmond.

So the ACC has a 4-3 record against other Power Five conferences and two losses to either a non-Power Five or FCS team. Not bad, and the conference has several high-profile wins over the SEC, although Virginia did suffer a 17-point loss to a FCS school.

The Big 12 has just two wins over Power Five schools, with victories over Missouri and the University of Notre Dame. Of all the Power Five conferences, the Big 12 is the only one with a losing record, with four losses to other Power Five schools: TCU, Kansas State University, Iowa State University and Texas Tech University.

No Power Five conference has more losses to non-Power Five and FCS schools. Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma and the University of Kansas all lost to non-Power Five schools, and Iowa State lost to an FCS school.

Two weeks into the season, it is reasonable to believe that the weakest Power Five conference is the Big 12. Iowa State and Kansas might be the weakest Power Five schools after two weeks.

The Big Ten has the fewest wins over other Power Five schools, with just three over Oregon State University, LSU and Iowa State. The conference just has three losses to Power Five schools: Rutgers University, Penn State and Illinois.

In keeping with its theme, the Big Ten has three losses to non-Power Five or FCS schools. Northwestern University has lost to a non-Power Five school and a FCS school, and Purdue University has a loss to a non-Power Five school.

Of all the Power Five conferences, the Big Ten has played the safest schedule. Northwestern is struggling after a breakout season last year.

The Pac-12 has four wins over Power Five schools in Kansas State, Rutgers, Virginia and Texas Tech. It has just three loses to Power Five schools by Oregon State, USC and UCLA.

The conference is tied with the Big 12 in losses to non-Power Five or FCS schools. Washington State University has a loss to a non-Power Five as well as, a FCS school, and the University of California and University of Arizona.

Most of the Power Five schools are closely grouped in wins and losses to others and bad losses to non-Power Five and FCS schools. The Big 12 and Big Ten have work to do to catch up to the other power-five conferences.

This week, ACC teams will play three other Power Five teams and seven games against non-Power Five or FCS schools. The Big 12 plays three other Power Five teams and four games against non-Power Five or FCS schools.

Week three sees the Big Ten step up in weight class with five games against other Power Five teams and six games against non-Power Five or FCS schools. The Pac-12 plays just three games against Power Five teams and six games against non-Power Five or FCS schools.

Taking the week off is the SEC with just one game against another Power Five team. The conference plays five games against non-PAower Five or FCS teams.

To paraphrase something Mark Twain never said, rumors of the SEC death have been greatly exaggerated just two weeks into the season.

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