By the end of the month, we will all be glued to our TVs every Saturday. Even though we have done our picks for these conferences before, I wanted to look at the different Power Five dynamics.
The SEC
Let’s start with the obvious, most well known Power 5 Conference in the nation. Leading the way of this particular pack is Alabama and fierce rival Auburn. These two have had some of the all time great clashes. Both teams are great fun to watch and have been dominant over the past decade (Auburn less so, but don’t tell their fans that or all you will hear about is the few statement wins they had over Bama for a few hours). The SEC is known for their all around skill, talent, and discipline in every facet of the game. Georgia and Texas A&M are all good examples of this as well. Consistently year in and year out, the SEC (again a lot of it is about the Crimson Tide) has been a power house that is always right there to keep the other conferences in check. The utter domination by Alabama has really watered down the rest of the SEC. Other teams in the SEC also show this overall control of their game and general ability to be well coached on all fronts. Why do I think this? Well, mostly because they resemble NFL play style the most. Why do they play like this? You tell me.
The PAC-12
Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more fun than watching the PAC-12. Especially, when you have no direct affiliation or stake in any one team. I genuinely feel bad for fans of the PAC-12 because they don’t get to enjoy the games the way I would. I love the fast paced, running-and-gunning type of mentality of this conference. Every team looks as if the took the track and field kids (those that have actual talent) and put them on the football field. You’ve got the sprinters and long-distance runners at the skill positions, javelin throwers are your quarterbacks, and discus/shot-putters as your linemen. They are all super well conditioned and could run for miles on end. The only downside to these boys is that they will get lit up and suffer 4 broken ribs if caught by a good defense. Which segues perfectly into this next conference.
The Big 10
Yes, the big house. The big dogs. The I-will-crush-your-nuts-like-a-grape defense. The Big 10. Known for their historic bouts, unmovable defenses, and enormous stadiums. The Big 10 hosts some of the top programs (and stadiums) in the country, all while remaining remarkably well balanced. Yes, you have the top tier programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, Nebraska, etc., but any given year you could have a massive upset. For that, one can look no farther than Iowa. In the past 5 years they have shown themselves as serious contenders, mainly due to their not-to-shabby defense. In a color scheme that would have you reminiscing about the Iron Curtain of the Pittsburgh Steelers, they have produced some great linebackers as well as a 2018 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in Amani Hooker. If you really want a good linebacker core, you go to Penn State. Affectionately nicknamed “Linebacker U”, Penn State has produced some of the greatest LB’s in history. Now, I am assuming that everyone reading this article is under 30, so I’ll keep it recent. Apologies to all those over 30 as I wasn’t even alive yet, so I can’t debate you on the finer details of the LB core in the 1986 season and subsequent championship. If you want defensive linemen then one must travel West of Pennsylvania to the land of Michigan and Ohio. These show stoppers have had a good few draft picks coming out of their D-lines and I don’t expect this to change anytime soon.
The ACC
The underdogs, the overlooked, the its-just-not-that-great-of-conference. This would mostly be true, with the enormous exception of Clemson, who have made one hell of a name for themselves. This conference is once again watered down heavily by their individual success. However the teams from the southern part of that conference shouldn’t be over looked. Virginia and Virginia Tech are always fun to watch, especially their rivalry match up. Syracuse shouldn’t be written off either. They have had some impressive wins and one massive upset beating Clemson back in 2017. The most constant thing I notice about the ACC is that the top dog is constantly shifting (at least within the conference itself). Yes, Clemson has had a recently long run of successes, but that may not last. They aren’t like Alabama who have had great coach, after great coach. Their success is impressive, but look for other teams to really push the Tigers hard this year for the top spot.
The Big 12
First off, let me say how much I hate the name “The Big 12 Conference. ” Ripping off the name of the well-established Big 10 Conference and using 12 teams initially to make it seem better. “The Big 12” doesn’t roll off the tongue well either. Get this, it also only consists of 10 full-time members. How does that work? Ok, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Hosting four universities from Texas alone makes this a rivalry conference if I’ve ever seen one. Who doesn’t love a good rivalry match-up? Not to mention the other in-state rivalry of Oklahoma vs Oklahoma St. If the “dynamic” of this conference were to be summed up right now it would be rivalries. Hard-hitting, tough, ground-and-pound games are what to watch for in the Big 12. I feel as though these teams often go old school when they play in conference. Constantly running the ball straight up the middle to make the opposition’s defense their… well you get it. With that being said TCU, Baylor, and West Virginia all boast decent passing yards and TDs. The Big 12’s dynamic then, is their rivalries. While there are other conferences and individual teams may have equally big rivalries. I believe that the Big 12 does it bigger, more intense, and more bragging rights (especially in the state of Texas). Not matter how a particular team is doing that year, when rivalry weekend comes around, you can bet I’m watching those games.
