So How Good Is the Big XII?

ATLANTA - When the dust settled after Saturday’s pandemonium, the Big XII emerged with three of the top.

For fans accustomed to five weeks of one team, USC, and one conference, the SEC, reigning supreme, the sudden emergence of the Big XII leaves many wondering just how good the Big XII is - past, present, and future?

The Big XII’s Potential

The Big XII has the potential to be a line ‘em up smash ‘em up nemesis for the SEC.

For the first time this season, if you were to match the teams up side by side, the Big XII could be favored in 7 of the 12 games against the SEC.

#	Big XII vs. SEC	Favorite
1	Oklahoma [26.47 VSI] vs. Florida [19.50 VSI]	Big XII
2	Missouri [21.12 VSI] vs. Alabama [19.00 VSI]	Big XII
3	Texas [20.36 VSI] vs. Georgia [16.33 VSI]	Big XII
4	Texas Tech [15.23 VSI] vs. LSU [15.50 VSI]	SEC
5	Oklahoma State [15.01 VSI] vs. Tennessee [8.87 VSI]	Big XII
6	Kansas [10.18 VSI] vs. Auburn [8.53 VSI]	Big XII
7	Nebraska [8.12 VSI] vs. South Carolina [6.27 VSI]]	Big XII
8	Kansas State [5.73 VSI] vs. Kentucky [5.50 VSI]	Big XII
9	Colorado [3.36 VSI] vs. Mississippi [5.27 VSI]	SEC
10	Baylor [-3.53 VSI] vs. Vanderbilt [2.03 VSI]	SEC
11	Iowa State [-5.82 VSI] vs. Mississippi State [-2.88 VSI]	SEC
12	Texas A&M [-5.99 VSI] vs. Arkansas [-5.50 VSI]	SEC

Nationally, the Fan Formula Vegas Spread Index (VSI) has, according to the latest lines, the Big XII as one point better than the SEC, a field goal better than the Pac-10 and Big 10, and a touchdown better than the Big East and ACC.

#	Conference	VSI
1	Big XII	9.18
2	SEC	8.20
3	Big Ten	5.79
4	Pac-10	5.46
5	ACC	3.44

The Big XII’s Performance

On the field, however, the Big XII still has some big shoes to fill.

The Big XII’s resume consists of just three victories against top 20 teams:

• Missouri’s 52-42 season opening win against then #20 Illinois.
• Colorado’s OT victory against then #21 West Virginia.
• Oklahoma’s 35-10 shellacking of then #24 TCU.

These “marquee" wins are counterbalanced by failures in seven tests against the ACC and Big East:

• Kansas losing a 3-point shootout at USF.
• Colorado’s 39-21 defeat against the Seminoles in Jacksonville.
• Texas A&M being routed 41-23 by the Miami Hurricanes.
• Baylor’s losses to Wake Forest and Connecticut.
• Nebraska’s 35-30 home loss to Virginia Tech.
• Kansas State’s 38-29 road loss to a better team playing better football in “The Oven” in Louisville.

With this kind of record vs. the ACC and Big East it would be quite a stretch to think they would have fared better against the SEC whose non-conference wins include:

• Alabama’s opening night beat down of Clemson.
• Florida’s thrashing of Miami.
• Georgia’s 2000 mile road trip to beat the ASU Sun Devils.
• Kentucky’s knocking off cross-state rival Louisville for the second year in a row.

Of course the SEC is far from perfect with five non-conference losses of their own including:

• Tennessee’s 2nd half meltdown at UCLA.
• Arkansas being routed at Texas 52-10.
• Mississippi State’s pair of lopsided losses at LA Tech and GA Tech.
• Mississippi losing to Wake Forest on a last second field goal.

Non-conference performance ratings show the Big Twelve squarely in the middle of the pack.

#	Non-Conference Performance Rankings	Wins Ranking	Losses Ranking
1	SEC	3	1
2	Mountain West	4	3
3	Big East	8	2
4	ACC	1	6
5	Big XII	5	4
6	Pac-10	2	8
7	Big Ten	9	5
8	WAC	7	7
9	Sun Belt	10	9
10	Conference USA	6	10
11	MAC	11	11

So when will we know if the Big XII’s performance can catch up to its potential? We won’t know for sure until bowl season (the Big XII was 1 - 1 vs. the SEC last year).

In the meantime, circle these dates on your calendar and evaluate the Big XII for yourself:

• 10/11 Red River Shootout at noon.
• 10/18 Missouri at Texas.
• 11/1 Texas at Texas Tech.
• 11/22 Texas Tech at Oklahoma.
• 11/29 Missouri vs. Kansas and Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State.
• 12/6 Big XII Championship Game in Kansas City, MO.