Oregon sophomore running back De’Anthony Thomas carries the ball downfield during the Ducks’ 51-26 win over Washington State on Sept. 29. (Photo courtesy of Alex McDougall/ Emerald)The Pac-12 conference may be lacking in elite, historic football programs, but its depth is unrivaled throughout the country, and that's what makes it the nation's best.
Yes, you read that correctly, and yes, I am aware of the existence of the SEC that, for decades, has been lauded as the unquestionably elite conference of college football.
But what the SEC has in history, it lacks in depth, and while other conferences are mired in self-cannibalizing chaos, the Pac-12 has emerged as the best conference in college football.
The Pac-12 has just two teams with .500 or worse records midway through the college football season. The SEC has twice that number.
Now, don't get me wrong: When I say that the Pac-12 has more depth than the SEC, I am not ignorant of the fact that, top to bottom, the Southeastern conference has some very good teams.
I count at least seven teams in that conference that could have a decent chance at beating the NFL's worst teams.
But don't let the name recognition of programs like Alabama, LSU and Florida fool you. The west coast is the new hub of college football.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaelen Strong waves to the crowd before a game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. There were 70,131 people in attendance Saturday, Nov. 23. (Photo by Dominic Valente)Few, if any, are talking about how the Pac-12's worst team from last year is now 4-2 and just a single game behind Oregon in the Pac-12 North.
Colorado, the team with the worst conference record, is really the only true lowlight of the Pac-12 when you consider that Washington State can routinely put big point totals on the board despite a 2-5 record.
And while the conference separates itself based on the caliber of teams at the bottom of the rankings, the teams at the top aren't too shabby either.
Oregon has been in the national title picture for the better part of a decade, Stanford has emerged as a pro-style powerhouse even after the days of Andrew Luck and Jim Harbaugh, USC has finally shed the disappointment of Lane Kiffin and scholarship limitations to return to elite form, and of course there's ASU, which has skyrocketed to conference contender status after years of mediocrity.
Stanford head coach David Shaw speaks to media on day two of Pac-12 Football Media Day. (Photo by Bill Slane)The Big Ten is a quality conference with just one losing team, but outside of Michigan State, they have a gaping hole when it comes to elite talent.
The Big 12 has some stellar talent in the likes of offensive juggernaut Baylor, upstart TCU and perennial bully Oklahoma, but the bottom half of the conference is atrocious.
No matter which way you slice it, the other conferences are hamstrung in one way or another: depth or star power. The Pac-12 has both and because of that, the argument is over. Move over, SEC, there is a new king of college football.
Reach the sports editor at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @statepresssport
