Monday, September 10, 2012

Hindsight...does Colorado deserve to be in the PAC-12?

Colorado lost to FCS Sacramento State makes everyone wonder if the PAC-12 is overrated.  It is logical that if the PAC-12 is such a wonderful conference, shouldn't the worst PAC-12 team beat the best that the FCS has to offer?  Not only did Colorado suffer an embarrassing loss, but California struggled against FCS Southern Utah, Utah lost to WAC member Utah State and Washington State nearly lost to FCS Eastern Washington.  These performances do not reflect well on the overall strength of the PAC-12 conference.

But look at what the PAC-12 did well in the second week of the college football season.  UCLA was impressive in beating #15 Nebraska.  Oregon State beat #13 Wisconsin.  Arizona was all over #18 Oklahoma State.  It wasn't all wilted roses for the PAC-12 this last week.

But let's take a look at the performance of these teams individually.  For example, Colorado is a team that has been down for quite a while.  Perhaps one believed that the Buffalo Football program hit rock bottom already, but with losses to Colorado State and Sacramento State this season appears to be worse than last.

Colorado won the NCAA National Championship in 1990, and have won several conference championships and division championships since.  But at the end of the 2005 season, after losing to Nebraska 30-3 to end the season, and after losing to Texas 70-3 in the Big 12 Championship game, the administration decided that head coach Gary Barnett was at fault and the team has not been on the winning side of the coin since.  The best season since Barnett was dismissed; the Buffs were 6-7 in 2007.  Will Colorado be back?


Colorado joined the Big 8 in 1941 and won their first Big 8 championship in 1961, the second in 1976 and then they won three back to back from 1989 to 1991.  They produced one Big 12 Championship in 2001.  Colorado claims 16 conference championships, but only 6 of those since the close of the second world war.  Two of their conference championships were won during the war when most other schools suspended men's sports programs due to the lack of available young men to fill teams.   Most would-be athletes were soldiers from 1942 to 1945.

It does not mean that Colorado has been unsuccessful.  From 1941 to 1988 when the team only produced a pair of Conference Championships, but Colorado appeared in 12 bowl games during this time, winning 4 of them.  It was a time when not every 6-6 team was awarded with a bowl game.  Back then, bowl appearances were earned.

Overall, Colorado's program has been a consistent winner, even if they do not have dozens of championships.  They are currently the 27th winning major college program of all time.  Fellow PAC-12 member, Utah, is 30th.  Colorado's all-time winning percentage is 4th among all PAC-12 teams, behind USC, Washington and Arizona State.  Utah is 5th.  And they are ahead of UCLA, Arizona, Stanford and the rest.  Often, from 1948 to 1998, Colorado was playing in the shadow of Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Does Colorado deserve to be in the PAC-12?  The answer is yes.  Does Colorado bring the PAC-12 down?  The answer is no.  If averages hold out, it is only a matter of time before Colorado bounces back and wins again.  It may take another head coach or two.  Colorado is in a good-sized market and has first access to many quality front-range athletes.  They will eventually become a force to be reckoned with in the PAC-12.

All-time records for all FBS teams retrieved from the College Football Data Warehouse on September 9, 2012

1
Michigan
895
312
38
1245
0.73414
30799
14149
16650
2
Notre Dame (IN)
853
301
41
1195
0.73096
30126
15000
15126
3
Boise St. (ID)
378
145
2
525
0.72190
16910
10522
6388
4
Oklahoma
819
310
53
1182
0.71531
31951
15063
16888
5
Texas
858
333
34
1225
0.71429
29508
15787
13721
6
Ohio St.
825
316
53
1194
0.71315
28064
14471
13593
7
Alabama
814
320
43
1177
0.70986
28104
13413
14691
8
Nebraska
856
349
41
1246
0.70345
30719
16098
14621
9
Southern California
779
313
54
1146
0.70332
27675
14793
12882
10
Tennessee
794
347
54
1195
0.68703
26631
15368
11263
11
Florida St.
473
235
17
725
0.66414
20035
12491
7544
12
Penn St.
716
361
43
1120
0.65848
28096
15369
12727
13
Louisiana St.
734
390
47
1171
0.64688
24980
15368
9612
14
Georgia
748
400
54
1202
0.64476
25214
16591
8623
15
Auburn (AL)
718
405
47
1170
0.63376
24084
16179
7905
16
Miami (FL)
566
326
19
911
0.63172
20179
13658
6521
17
Florida
669
385
40
1094
0.62980
24358
15939
8419
18
Miami (OH)
665
407
44
1116
0.61559
22586
15930
6656
19
Washington
672
417
50
1139
0.61194
24696
17528
7168
20
South Florida
108
69
0
177
0.61017
4899
3607
1292
21
Virginia Tech
690
434
46
1170
0.60940
23619
16303
7316
22
Arizona St.
559
361
24
944
0.60487
23613
16979
6634
23
West Virginia
701
457
45
1203
0.60141
24741
18376
6365
24
Central Michigan
577
377
37
991
0.60091
20887
16141
4746
25
Texas A&M
682
450
48
1180
0.59831
24746
16824
7922
26
Southern Mississippi
560
373
27
960
0.59740
19943
15734
4209
27
Colorado
676
452
36
1164
0.59622
24403
19204
5199
28
Georgia Tech
689
461
43
1193
0.59556
24607
17532
7075
29
Arkansas
679
456
40
1175
0.59489
24077
17454
6623
30
Utah
635
430
31
1096
0.59352
25261
18883
6378
31
Michigan St.
640
434
44
1118
0.59213
24935
17220
7715
32
Clemson (SC)
658
448
45
1151
0.59123
22776
17039
5737
33
Fresno St. (CA)
558
384
28
970
0.58969
22896
18740
4156
34
Bowling Green (OH)
498
345
52
895
0.58547
18386
15448
2938
35
Boston College (MA)
629
443
36
1108
0.58394
21847
17289
4558
36
Western Kentucky
517
365
31
913
0.58324
18994
14776
4218
37
UCLA
548
387
37
972
0.58282
21548
17462
4086
38
Syracuse (NY)
691
492
49
1232
0.58076
25072
18644
6428
39
Army (NY)
651
471
51
1173
0.57673
24189
17793
6396
40
Pittsburgh (PA)
678
493
41
1212
0.57632
23503
18974
4529
41
Brigham Young (UT)
524
386
27
937
0.57364
22099
18515
3584
42
Wisconsin
636
471
53
1160
0.57112
23652
18446
5206
43
Troy (AL)
494
368
27
889
0.57087
17652
15087
2565
44
Minnesota
648
482
44
1174
0.57070
24787
19219
5568
45
Arizona
567
423
33
1023
0.57038
22064
17923
4141
46
Stanford (CA)
585
435
50
1070
0.57009
22434
18293
4141
47
Middle Tennessee St.
527
394
28
949
0.57007
19136
15781
3355
48
Hawaii
532
399
26
957
0.56949
22468
19321
3147
49
Louisiana Tech
562
427
37
1026
0.56579
20789
17898
2891
50
California
643
491
53
1187
0.56403
23553
19061
4492
51
Texas Tech
524
405
32
961
0.56191
21617
17915
3702
52
Tulsa (OK)
583
455
27
1065
0.56009
24901
20081
4820
53
North Carolina
644
501
54
1199
0.55963
22711
18512
4199
54
Mississippi
621
486
35
1142
0.55911
22022
18618
3404
55
Western Michigan
524
412
24
960
0.55833
19891
16197
3694
56
San Diego St. (CA)
492
394
32
918
0.55338
20484
18251
2233
57
Oregon
590
473
46
1109
0.55275
21778
18380
3398
58
Navy (MD)
657
531
57
1245
0.55060
23851
19016
4835
59
Air Force (CO)
344
284
13
641
0.54680
15758
13555
2203
60
Missouri
632
522
53
1207
0.54557
23034
20103
2931
61
Texas St.
488
404
30
922
0.54555
18307
15596
2711
62
Toledo (OH)
482
401
24
907
0.54465
18642
17228
1414
63
Nevada
511
442
34
987
0.53495
23050
20022
3028
64
Purdue (IN)
586
508
48
1142
0.53415
22514
19276
3238
65
Houston (TX)
383
334
15
732
0.53347
18482
16332
2150
66
Texas Christian
591
516
57
1164
0.53222
20590
19331
1259
67
Iowa
595
523
39
1157
0.53111
22883
20049
2834
68
Virginia
628
556
48
1232
0.52922
23465
20429
3036
69
Northern Illinois
522
462
51
1035
0.52899
19360
18651
709
70
Maryland
614
547
43
1204
0.52782
21201
19704
1497
71
Ball St. (IN)
412
379
32
823
0.52005
15792
15592
200
72
Illinois
580
534
50
1164
0.51976
21447
19255
2192
73
East Carolina (NC)
400
371
11
782
0.51854
16726
16310
416
74
Central Florida
194
181
1
376
0.51729
9933
9017
916
75
Marshall (WV)
537
513
48
1098
0.51093
21638
20122
1516
76
North Texas
477
458
35
970
0.50979
18216
18303
-87
77
Louisville (KY)
456
440
17
913
0.50876
18852
18467
385
78
North Carolina St.
554
537
55
1146
0.50742
20107
19572
535
79
Rutgers (NJ)
623
606
42
1271
0.50669
22097
21685
412
80
South Carolina
555
542
44
1141
0.50570
19672
18874
798
81
Oklahoma St.
533
523
48
1104
0.50453
21629
20096
1533
82
Cincinnati (OH)
564
557
50
1171
0.50299
20545
20264
281
83
Kentucky
578
572
44
1194
0.50251
21728
19250
2478
84
Kansas
576
570
58
1204
0.50249
21490
21763
-273
85
Baylor (TX)
542
541
43
1126
0.50044
19983
20128
-145
86
San Jose St. (CA)
454
459
37
950
0.49737
19696
20305
-609
87
Vanderbilt (TN)
565
574
50
1189
0.49622
22043
19526
2517
88
Akron (OH)
487
496
37
1020
0.49559
17776
18288
-512
89
Washington St.
502
514
45
1061
0.49434
20740
20537
203
90
Utah St.
494
507
31
1032
0.49370
20110
20591
-481
91
Ohio
515
533
46
1094
0.49177
19251
18758
493
92
Connecticut
485
510
38
1033
0.48790
18066
17661
405
93
Duke (NC)
457
485
31
973
0.48561
18683
18496
187
94
Wyoming
494
525
28
1047
0.48520
19882
21154
-1272
95
Louisiana-Lafayette
484
515
31
1030
0.48495
17896
19866
-1970
96
Arkansas St.
428
456
37
921
0.48480
16540
18122
-1582
97
Southern Methodist (TX)
462
494
54
1010
0.48416
17883
18545
-662
98
Mississippi St.
507
544
39
1090
0.48303
19084
18384
700
99
Oregon St.
505
546
50
1101
0.48138
19207
20148
-941
100
Memphis (TN)
438
481
33
952
0.47742
17701
17513
188
101
Colorado St.
480
539
33
1052
0.47196
19641
21681
-2040
102
Iowa St.
498
597
46
1141
0.45662
19748
21171
-1423
103
Alabama-Birmingham
107
128
2
237
0.45570
5673
6166
-493
104
Tulane (LA)
493
593
38
1124
0.45552
19746
21291
-1545
105
New Mexico
452
546
31
1029
0.45432
19794
21780
-1986
106
Eastern Michigan
436
535
47
1018
0.45138
16129
18353
-2224
107
Nevada-Las Vegas
223
272
4
499
0.45090
11856
13762
-1906
108
Idaho
442
558
26
1026
0.44347
20083
22549
-2466
109
Temple (PA)
426
548
53
1027
0.44060
17078
20053
-2975
110
Florida Atlantic
58
74
0
132
0.43939
2802
3712
-910
111
Kansas St.
475
613
41
1129
0.43888
19480
22193
-2713
112
Northwestern (IL)
489
632
44
1165
0.43863
18541
23769
-5228
113
Rice (TX)
437
565
32
1034
0.43810
17910
21422
-3512
114
Louisiana-Monroe
278
367
8
653
0.43185
12518
15078
-2560
115
Buffalo (NY)
363
487
28
878
0.42938
14298
17799
-3501
116
New Mexico St.
422
577
31
1030
0.42476
20132
23182
-3050
117
Indiana
448
631
44
1123
0.41852
18770
22436
-3666
118
Texas-El Paso
373
537
28
938
0.41258
18463
22423
-3960
119
Wake Forest (NC)
420
609
33
1062
0.41102
17225
21438
-4213
120
Texas-San Antonio
4
6
0
10
0.40000
266
214
52
121
Kent St. (OH)
316
505
28
849
0.38869
13897
17715
-3818
122
Florida International
39
79
0
118
0.33051
2595
3371
-776

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