Ultimate Fantasy League- The Conferences

As I previously mentioned, there will be 7 glorious conferences partaking in my ingenious concoction of a football league. Each conference will consist of 2 divisions made up of 6 teams. Obviously, I had to move some teams around to make this work. Here's what I came up with.

SEC








East

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Clemson
6. Georgia Tech

West

1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. LSU
4. Mississippi St.
5. Ole Miss
6. Kentucky

Now tell m that doesn't look like a bad ass conference.

What's New and why: I got rid of Vanderbilt due to the fact that they can't field a competitive team in the SEC. They should have stuck to the Magnolia Conference. I also did away with Arkansas, mainly for geographic reasons. Arkansas is nowhere near the other teams in the SEC. They make much more since in another conference. I moved Kentucky to the West to make room for the 2 new teams, Georgia Tech and Clemson. Both teams come over from the ACC and both will be joining their in-state rivals in the East. Now the Georgia-Georgia Tech and South Carolina-Clemson game will have even greater ramifications. If something this incredibly awesome were to happen in real life, the SEC teams would be given a waiver by the NCAA to schedule all D-III schools for out-of-conference opponents. But that ain't happening in this league...


Big XII

North

1. Colorado
2. Missouri
3. Kansas
4. Kansas St.
5. Nebraska
6. Arkansas

South

1. Oklahoma
2. Texas
3. Texas Tech
4. Texas A&M
5. Oklahoma St.
6. TCU

A bunch of teams from Texas and Oklahoma.

What I did and why: I got rid of Baylor and Iowa St. because they don't belong in the Big XII. Replaced Baylor with a much more capable Texas team in TCU. Moved Arkansas over from the SEC. The Hogs make so much more sense sense in this conference. All of their traditional rivals reside here. The Big XII defensive ratings also rise a bit with the addition of Arkansas and TCU.

Big Ten (Twelve)









East

1. Ohio St.
2. Illinois
3. Northwestern
4. Minnesota
5. Wisconsin
6. Purdue

West

1. Iowa
2. Michigan
3. Michigan St.
4. Indiana
5. Iowa St.
6. Notre Dame

One extra team gives them a better chance of winning a bowl game.Doesn't it?

What I did and why: I got rid of the Fighting JoePa's. They never really made much sense geographically in this conference. Brought in Iowa St. to play along with in-state rival Iowa in the same conference. Also moved the Irish into the conference. Something that should have been done a loooonngg time ago. Both teams are pretty bad, so they should fit right in.

PAC 10 (Twelve)













North

1. Washington
2. Washington St.
3. Oregon
4. Oregon St.
5. Stanford
6. Boise St.

South

1. USC
2. UCLA
3. California
4. Arizona
5. Arizona St.
6. San Diego St.

They still have USC!

What I did and why: I kept all original ten teams intact. The PAC-10 was the only BCS conference that made sense geographically. Added Boise St. and San Diego St. to the mix. Both for very different reasons. I brought in the Broncos simply because of their play on the field. While their blue turf may seem gimmicky, they are a bona fide BCS contender. Being in Idaho is a major hindrance to them however. I added San Diego St. to the conference simply because of their location. The PAC-10 will gain a valuable and big TV market with the San Diego area. Also, I truly believe Brady Hoke can get this thing turned around.

ACC













Atlantic

1. Miami
2. Virginia Tech
3. Virginia
4. North Carolina
5. North Carolina St.
6. Louisville

Coastal

1. Florida St.
2. Wake Forest
3. Maryland
4. Duke
5. South Florida
6. East Carolina

The best part, we don't have to put the stupid (FL) after Miami anymore.

What I did and why: I had to replace Georgia Tech and Clemson, which left for the greener pastures of the SEC. Also, I moved Boston College out of the conference. Replaced those three teams With Louisville and South Florida (formerly of the Big East) and East Carolina (Formerly of C-USA). I think Louisville just makes more sense in the ACC than in the Big East. No real logic behind it. Added South Florida because there is already two built-in rivalries in Florida St. and Miami. East Carolina was the last major Carolina school not included in the conference. So I thought, why the hell not? The Pirates also have a good history against ACC teams.

Big East












North

1. Connecticut
2. Syracuse
3. Rutgers
4. Penn St.
5. Boston College
6. Army

South

1. West Virginia
2. Pittsburgh
3. Cincinnati
4. Vanderbilt
5. Navy
6. Central Florida

We're still a good basketball conference!

What I did and why: The Big East is the smallest of the BCS conferences, and that was before I stole USF, and Louisville away. So half of this conference is completely new. I added Penn St. to a conference that they should have already been in. I moved Boston College back to their rightful position in the Big East. I added Vandy and UCF to help the conference recover the areas that were lost with the aforementioned departures. And for the traditionalists out there, I added the two service academies. I really didn't want to add Army, but I just couldn't see Navy ended a season without dismantling the Cadets.

Mountain West










Mountain

1. Air Force
2. Colorado St.
3. Southern Miss
4. Baylor
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Troy

West

1. BYU
2. Utah
3, Wyoming
4. Tulsa
5. Houston
6. UNLV

The Big XII South ain't got nothing on the Mountain West West!

What I did and why: A lot. I admit this conference is kind of thrown together. Basically this is just the leftover teams, BYU, Utah, Tulsa, Troy would have probably made another conference had i been forced to only do 6, but they were put here to equal out the not so great teams. Teams like Wyoming and Air Force were kept because of their past ties to the Mountain West. Teams like Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss were added because of their past performance, and teams like Baylor and Houston were added because of their big markets. This will likely the be destination of future teams that are called up to the big time.

Battle for Inferiority

VS.













Last nights demolishing of Rutgers at the hands of North Carolina was the latest epic event in the battle between the Big East and the ACC for the title of the worst conference in America.

Notice I didn't just say BCS conference. These two pathetic excuses of a collection of "teams" are the worst conferences, period. The Sun Belt, WAC and C-USA all have teams that would ruin some shit in these douche infested leagues.

The first week brought a lot of attention to the shittiness of the ACC. All anyone talked about was how horrible the ACC was, and rightfully so. However, I'm not so sure the Atlantic Coast shit fest is the clear cut favorite for the worst conference award anymore. In enters, the Big East.

The Big East used to affectionately be called the Big Least by all the other major conferences. They took a massive hit after the departure of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to the aforementioned ACC. However, with the emergence of West Virginia and Louisville (and most recently,South Florida) as national players, it seemed the Big Least was becoming the Big Beast. They even felt so good about themselves they kicked poor ol' Temple out of the conference.

Now the Big East is back to sucking ass and Temple looks like a team that could contend for the Big East title.

Time for a little tale of the tape action between the two conferences.

First up, the Big East.


1. South Florida

• Good News- The Bulls seem to be the class of the conference right now. They are 2-0 and are the highest ranked team in the Big East. USF is also coming off a season in which they climbed as high as number 2 in the polls. Of course, they immediately choked as soon as they reached their pinnacle and began to tart looking like every other Big East squad.
• Bad News- South Florida needed overtime to beat a struggling Central Florida team last week. They have absolutely NO kicker and their QB always seems to make bad decisions in big games. They face a stiff challenge tonight against the Kansas Jayhawks in Tampa.

2. Connecticut

• Good News- Huskies coach Randy Edsall will most likely be a hot commodity in the off season. Connecticut burst on to the scene last season with a surprisingly good football team. They have also come out of the gates to a 2-0 start this season.
• Bad News- Like South Florida,UCONN needed overtime to beat an inferior opponent in Temple last week. Things could get a lot worse next season if Edsall bolts for a bigger program.

3. West Virginia

• Good News- The Mountaineers have been the dominant Big East team in recent seasons. This year, there was a lot of hype around this team with stars like Pat White and Noel Devine returning. They also have one of the better homefield advantages in the conference.
• Bad News- West Virginia didn't look all that impressive in their opening win over Villanova. They looked even worse during last week's loss to East Carolina. Bill Stewart probably won't last longer than two years in Morgantown, and Noel Devine is bound to be arrested soon.

4. Cincinnati

• Good News- Cincinnati is another team with a great coach in Brian Kelly. They also have a lot of depth at the more important positions, including QB. They were able to hang tough with Oklahoma last week until their Big East heritage began to shine through.
• Bad News- The second half of the OU game was a disaster. Good thing they have depth at QB, because starter Dustin Grutza is banged up.

5. Pittsburgh

• Good News- They have LeSean Mcoy.
• Bad News- McCoy hasn't done dick so far this season. Dave Wannstedt is their head coach, and they lost to a MAC team.

6. Louisville

• Good News- The Cardinals still have a loyal fan base despite recent struggles. I truly believe that Hunter Cantwell and this Louisville offense will get things going and return to a bowl game. Who knows, with the way the rest of the teams are playing, the 'Ville could even make a run at the conference crown.
• Bad News- They only netted a safety in their opening game thrashing by Kentucky. Up until this point, Cantwell and the offense have looked really bad. Also, it can't be easy for Steve Kragthorpe to coach when he's always looking over his shoulder.

7. Rutgers

• Good News- There is none.
• Bad News- They have 10 more games this season.

8. Syracuse

• Good News- Greg Robinson will be fired soon. Hopefully.
• Bad News- Greg Robinson, as of this moment, is still the coach.

Now it's the ACC's turn.

Atlantic

1. Wake Forest

• Good News- Wake has easily been the best team in the ACC so far this season. They are 2-0 and are lead by Heisman hopeful Riley Skinner. They also have one of the best coaches in America in Jim Grobe.
• Bad News- They almost lost to middle of the road Ole Miss last week. Then again, Ole Miss would probably be the favorite to win the ACC this year.

2. Florida St.

• Good News- The Seminoles looked pretty good in their first game. Even though it was against Western Carolina.
• Bad News- They have no quarterback play to speak of. Bobby Bowden is fading as a figurehead. The NCAA is getting closer and closer to dropping the hammer on this program.

3. Clemson

• Good News- Clemson has a ton of athletes. Both sides of the ball are littered with future NFL players. They have one of the better backfields in the country with James Davis and C.J. Spiller.
• Bad News- Clemson always seems to stumble on their own vaginas in games they're supposed to win. Tommy Bowden is not a very good coach. Also, their will probably be a mass exodus of talent from Clemson in the off season. This was probably their last shot at a NC.

4. Boston College

• Good News- The Red Sox will be in the playoffs again. Maybe that will take away some of the attention from this program. Although, the Eagles should make it back to a bowl game.
• Bad News- Matt Ryan is now a Falcon, and the Eagles have set the bar for expectations a little to high for their program to meet on a consistent basis. Getting run through by Georgia Tech last week didn't help them.

5. North Carolina St.

• Good News- Tom O'Brien is a solid coach. Once the Wolfpack get their quarterback situation figured out (which will probably be next year) they should be back competing for the ACC title.
• Bad News- Their quarterback play right now is ass awful. During their week 1 loss to South Carlina, they made the 'Cock QB's look like NFL Hall of Famers.

6. Maryland

• Good News- They get all kinds of free crap from under armour.
• Bad News- Ralph Friedgen is no longer a good coach. They barely beat Delaware in week 1 and lost to Middle Tennessee in week 2. There's almost no D-1 team that has had a worse 2 games in the nation.

Coastal

1. Georgia Tech

• Good News- The Yellow Jackets have looked pretty solid under new coach Paul Johnson. His triple option attack has looked flawless against J-Ville St. and Boston College in the first two weeks.
• Bad News- Teams should figure out how to stop the triple option pretty soon. Once that happens, Tech is screwed. They don't rally have a passing game to speak of. Or at least, they haven't shown it yet.

2. North Carolina

• Good News- They just annihilated Rutgers last night. I don't know what that counts for but it was an impressive win.
• Bad News- They barely beat McNeese St. in week 1. Hey, North Carolina vs. Duke might be a big game in the ACC this year.

3. Miami

• Good News- Miami looked impressive against Charleston Southern in week 1. They also looked solid in their defeat to the awesomeness that is Florida in week 2. Sean Spence is a star in the making.
• Bad News- Randy Shannon won't stop crying long enough to game plan for their next opponent. Maybe he should stop worrying so much about the Gators' offense and work with his Hurricane defense.

4. Virginia Tech

• Good News- They have a 1 game winning streak heading into week 3.
• Bad News- That streak could end against Paul Johnson's Yellow jackets. Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor are not D-1 QB's. You knew this was going to be a long season when the Hokies lost to East Carolina on a blocked punt.

5. Duke

• Good News- Duke has already won a game this season! Also, David Cutcliffe is probably the best coach outside of Jim Grobe in the ACC.
• Bad News- Duke is still Duke when it comes to football. They're just not very good. Which means they fit right in with the rest of the conference.

6. Virginia

• Good News- Thanks to their loss to ESPN's personal spank bank in week 1, they have received a lot of national exposure.
• Bad News- After being torched by USC, they then went out and played a clunker against Richmond. Not a good start for the Cavs.

So there's your arguments between the two conferences. I'm not so sure which one is the worse in America. It's a close race. Or crawl.

Playoffs?!?!?!? Who's talking about playoffs?!?!?!?

Several college commissioners have come out of the wood works recently to beat down the notion of a playoff system in CFB.

Here's what some notable conference commissioners said when asked about the idea of a playoff system being implemented in the near future:

BIG EAST COMMISSIONER MIKE TRANGHESE: "I have not seen anything that works unless you do things that presidents aren't going to accept. Presidents are not going to allow a football playoff to venture into the second semester, deep into the second semester. They're not going to allow football playoffs to take place during exams. And they're not going to start playing football early in August. ... I find it interesting because I hear football coaches say we ought to have a four-team playoff, I mean, don't insult my intelligence. Once there's a four-team playoff there will be an 8-team playoff. Once there's an 8, there will be a 16."

Translation: No playoffs until school presidents get the used douche bags removed from their anus.

MOUNTAIN WEST'S CRAIG THOMPSON: "Everybody says a playoff. And my coaches and administrators included. And I said — what are you talking about? Are you talking about an 8-team playoff and is the Mountain West guaranteed one of the eight berths? It's easy to say you're in favor of a playoff, but if you don't know what the format is, I can't say unequivocally, 'Heck, yeah, let's have a playoff.'"

Translation: My conference sucks balls. You know it and I know it.

SEC'S ROY KRAMER: "Not in my lifetime. I don't see much support for it nationally. I don't see any overwhelming sentiment nationally to move in that direction. And the Pac-10 and Big Ten don't have any interest in it and I don't see that changing."

Translation: The Big 10 and PAC 10 is made up of a bunch of pussies. I can't wait to die so I can kick their grandfather's asses in hell.

Here's what some commissioners said when approached with the idea of conference expansion:

ACC'S JOHN SWOFFORD: "I think in terms of our league, we're probably rather stable for a good while to come. I don't think we currently have any interest in being any larger than 12. You get beyond that, it becomes a more difficult enterprise to manage and scheduling becomes even more complicated."

Translation: We suck enough with 12 teams. Why dilute that suckiness with more shitty programs?

TRANGHESE: "Well, there aren't four schools back that would make the football league any better in my view. Now if you said to me, pick any four schools, I could make us a lot better. But those schools are currently playing in other leagues. And I think schools that are available who have expressed a desire to be here I just don't think collectively make us any better. And I'm not one that believes having a football [championship game] is necessarily the right thing."

Translation: We don't want no shitty ass teams stinking up our league. We already have Syracuse for that.

This was an interesting moment when the debate between the ACC and Big East was brought up:

TRANGHESE: "You know what, people have really tried to engage me in conversation about the ACC and I've lasted five years without it, so I'm going to make it one more year."

Translation: Bring it Bitches!

SWOFFORD: "Well, first of all, I don't think you measure a conference totally on what you do in the BCS games. You know, the only way to rectify that is to win some of them. ... I think what we've done league-wise is put ourselves in a position to be stronger than we've ever been before and play at the very top level at a consistent basis."

Translation: We get paid just to PLAY in the BCS. Who care about actually winning the games?

When asked a general question about change in CFB's near future, here's what was said:

TRANGHESE: "I don't think anybody knows — that's the challenge. Put it this way, [look at] the last 15 years. And go back to '90, let's say the last 18 years. ... Penn State leaves and goes to the Big Ten. Florida State loses its independent status and goes to the ACC. The SEC expands. The Big East takes on football. The Southwest Conference goes away. The Big 12 realigns. I mean, if you went to sleep in 1990 and you woke up today, you'd be overwhelmed by it all. I'd like to think that because of the size of the leagues, that generally speaking, we're done with expansion."

Translation: Do you expect Rosie O' Donnell to get any fatter before she croaks?

C-USA'S BRITTON BANOWSKY: "I do think we're in a period of relative stability right now and I think the challenges and some of the difficulty that people experienced going through the last time, the last round of realignment, has caused folks to carefully consider making moves before they make them. And so I think that's helping us right now kind of get traction with our current alignments, get our branding mechanisms in place and really grow."

Translation: We already crashed and burned with the Army experiment. I'm not in any hurry to screw up royally again.

SWOFFORD: "History would tell us that in college athletics that at some point, there may be other shifts that are coming. ... I think we're probably in a reasonably stable period. Ultimately down the road, anther decade, another two decades, history would tell us maybe there'll be some movement again."

Translation: I'm gay and I'm in to water sports....

The top 25 players: Big East

The Big East enjoyed a terrific season last year. West Virginia was in the title hunt all season long, South Florida climbed all the way up to # 2, and Cincinnati and Connecticut were both nice surprises.

The conference formerly known as the Big Least is next on my list of player breakdowns.

Here are the top 25 players in the Big East.


1.LeSean McCoy - Pittsburgh RB - McCoy is one of my favorites to remain in Heisman contention throughout the season. The Panthers seem like they're ready to take that next step this year, and LeSean McCoy is a big reason for that.

2. Pat White = West Virginia QB - Pat White is another player that I think will be in Heisman contention this year. The Mountaineers are hoping to not miss a beat during the transition to Bill Stewart as HC. With White at the helm, that should be no problem.

3. George Selvie - South Florida DL - Selvie is a serious contender for defensive MOP this season. George will be trying to make it back to back years leading the nation in sacks. Hopefully, the departure of Dan McCarney won't affect his play.

4. Noel Devine - West Virginia RB - Noel Devine is one of the most exciting players in the nation. I predict it will be early in the season when this guy makes Mountaineer fans forget all about Steve Slaton.

5. Ryan Stanchek - West Virgnia OL - Stanchek will lead the O-line in Morgantown. It will be his responsibility to clear the hole for Devine and Slaton. Stancheck is also a tremendous pass blocker for WVU.

6. Terrill Byrd - Cincinnati DL -If not for George Selvie at South Florida, Terrill Byrd would be the most talked about defensive player in the conference. This guy is just straight scary. He has fast become one of Brian Kelly's favorite players.

7. Matt Grothe -South Florida QB - I've said it before, Grothe is a poor man's version of Tim Tebow. Don't get me wrong Bulls' fans, that's a compliment, not a put down. Grothe can do every thing Tebow can, just on a smaller level.

8. Scott McKillop - Pittsburgh LB - McKillop will be the leader of a much improved Panther defense this season. McKillop could also receive strong consideration for All-American honors this year.

9. Eric Wood - Louisville OL - It's not all bad for the Cardinals this year. Eric Wood is a top notch offensive linemen that will be in charge of protecting new QB Hunter Cantwell. Wood should help Cantwell adjust to the starter role rather quickly.

10. Mike Mickens - Cincinnati DB - It's players like Mickens that have Bearcat fans extremely excited heading into this year. Brian Kelly has instilled a much tougher attitude at Cincinnati and Mickens has bought into it.

11. Jamaal Westerman - Rutgers DL - Westerman may not get some of the pub that his fellow Rutgers teammates get, but Jamaal just may be the best player on this Scarlet Knights team.

12. Dominick Goodman - Cincinnati WR - Goodman should be aided greatly by an emerging Marcus Barnett at the other receiver position. Goodman should see less double teams this year, which should translate to better production.

13. Greg Isdaner - West Virginia OL - Isdaner joins Ryan Stanchek on the West Virginia O-line to form one of the better units in America.

14.Dustin Grutza - Cincinnati QB - Everyone is worried about Cincinnati's QB situation coming into this year. Honestly, I don't see why all the concern. Grutza has the talent to be the best QB in the conference. His spring game converted a lot of doubters into believers.

15. Courtney Greene - Rutgers DB - I expect the Scarlet Knights to be right in the thick of things come November. If they get outstanding play from their stars like Greene, that could be an underestimation.

16. Donald Brown - Connecticut RB - The Huskies have a solid one - two punch coming out of the backfield. Donald Brown will be teaming up with Andre Dixon to give UConn one of the better running tandems in the Big East. I look for Brown to get more of the carries.

17. Mike Ford - South Florida RB - This pick is purely on potential. Ford has the ability to be a top flight RB in CFB. Last season, Ford showed flashes of greatness as well as ineptness. HC Jim Leavitt also seemed reluctant to give Ford the ball a lot. With a full season under his belt, the Bulls coaching staff should get him the rock more often, and Ford should be able to make more plays once it's in his hands.

18. Hunter Cantwell - Louisville QB - Cantwell will be replacing a Louisville legend in Brian Brohm this season. Although America hasn't seen much of Cantwell, he is expected to pick up where Brohm left off. If he can produce like expected, the Cardinals could be bowling once again.

19. Kenny Britt - Rutgers WR - Rutgers will feature a dynamic duo at the WR position this season. Britt will form half of that combo.

20. Derek Kinder - Pittsburgh WR - Derek Kinder is another reason why the Panthers are expected to be much better this season. With LeSean McCoy in the backfield, the deep ball should be available to Kinder all year long.

21. Anthony Davis - Rutgers OL - This may actually be underselling Davis. I should have placed him a little higher. I think with one more year under his belt, this kid could become one of the better linemen in the country.

22. Tiquan Underwood - Rutgers WR - Underwood is the second half of that Rutgers WR combo. Britt and Underwood could go down as the number 1 and 2 receivers in school history.

23. Arthur Jones - Syracuse DL - How bad have things gotten in Syracuse? It's a sad sight to see because Syracuse is one of my favorite teams. Gregg Robinson has got to go. At least they have a talent like Jones for the fans to see.

24. Tyrone McKenzie - South Florida LB - South Floria lost a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Fortunately for them, they have George Selvie on the line and Tyrone McKenzie leading the linebackers.

25. Kevin Huber - Cincinnati P - I know it seems sacrilegious to have a punter on this list, but Huber is the best punter in the nation. Anytime you have a player that is the best in the nation ,you have to include him.

Big East Expansion?

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese announced that he is retiring from his position after the season. Tranghese saw the Big East make tremendous strides during his tenure despite the departure of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to the ACC. The Big East also added South Florida, Cincinnati, Louisville and Connecticut as well as booted out Temple in recent years.

I got to thinking, Why doesn't the Big East expand to 12 teams so they can have a championship game? The big East catches a lot of heat because they're champion isn't decided through a conference title game.

Their situation is different than that of the Big Ten and PAC-10 because their teams do no have the name recognition and tradition as those programs.

I believe I have selected four schools that would make good additions to the conference. They are listed below along with their record since 2005 (when USF, Louisville and Cincy were added.)

1. Central Florida- Their record since 2005 is 22-17. They have a big name coach in George O'Leary and are located in a recruiting hot bed. If the Knights were elevated to a bigger conference they could see a similar success as their rival South Florida has seen in recent years.

2.Memphis- Their record since 2005 is 16-21. That number is somewhat skewed by an out of character 2-10 season 2 years ago. Memphis has always been able to get top talent recruits that slip through the cracks or don't qualify academically elsewhere. Memphis' induction into the football conference could be boosted by their basketball program which is looking to join the Big East.

3.Southern Miss- Their record since 2005 is 23-18. The Golden Eagles have always been well respected as a non-BCS school. With a recent stadium upgrade, Southern Miss could have one of the premiere facilities in the Big East.

4.Navy- Their record since 2005 is 25-13. Army made a disastrous attempt to play in a conference when they spent 3 years in C-USA. This would be different. Navy has clearly shown that they are the class of the service academies. Air Force is in the Mountain West, so I see no reason why Navy can't join a conference.

While I'm on the subject, I feel there should be no more independents. Notre Dame should join the Big Eleven, Army should join back with C-USA (especially since I'm proposing the Big East take 3 of their teams) and Western Kentucky is actually already committed to join the Sun Belt.

To see how these teams would stack up against the current Big East, here are the teams' records since 2005.

1. West Virginia 33-5
2. Louisville 27-10
3. Rutgers 26-12
4. South Florida 24-14
5. Cincinnati 22-15
6. Connecticut 18-18
7. Pittsburgh 16-19
8. Syracuse 7-28

So, in the past five years, Central Florida would have been the 6th best team, Memphis would be 8th, Southern Miss would be 5th and Navy would be 4th.

Another reason for the expansion would be the fact that the Big East now has 7 bowl tie-ins. That is a ridiculous amount for a conference that only has 8 teams. Only 6 teams qualified last year with 5 of them receiving bids.

With this expansion, the conference would have to be split into two divisions. Here's how it could look

North

1. Rutgers
2. Navy
3. Cincinnati
4. Connecticut
5. Pittsburgh
6. Syracuse

SOUTH

1. West Virginia
2. Louisville
3. South Florida
4. Southern Miss
5. Central Florida
6. Memphis

That seems like a pretty decent conference to me.

Also, imagine where the championship games could be played. I don't think any other conference could play their title game in cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston or Baltimore. They also would be able to pick form the usual hot spots of title games like Tampa, Charlotte or Miami.