With the season done aside from the chipper let's review how each conference did. I'll list non-conference records, playoff results,# of teams in the final AGS poll, and my grade of the overall conference. Non-conference games against conference teams are not counted in the FCS numbers. I've listed Coastal Carolina as FBS.
Sagarin conference rankings:
MVFC
Southern
Big Sky
CAA
Big South
OVC
Southland
Patriot
NEC
Ivy
SWAC
MEAC
Pioneer
Big Sky
10-4 FCS
1-15 FBS
6-1 non-D1
2-4 playoffs
4 in AGS
Grade: D
Geography limits their non-conference scheduling but I see a lot of body bag games(in both directions). EWU was a season long contender for the championship and only a stellar game from YSU stopped their trip to Frisco. However, 1 team does not make a conference. Playoffs were an abysmal failure, which is becoming a pattern. As long as the selection committee keeps rewarding great records against bad teams you'll get plenty of teams in a 24 slot field. The bottom half of this conference is really, really bad.
Unfortuantely with EWU as the only team worth anything, I officially demote the Big Sky as a power conference. Have 2 or more teams win at least 1 playoff game each against scholarship teams for 2 years in a row and you're back in. I expect some strong responses to this. I've started another thread for that, please keep this thread to overall conference results.
Big South
12-6 FCS
1-12 FBS
4-0 non-D1
0-1 playoffs
1 in AGS
Grade: B-
Losing Coastal really hurt this up and coming group. Charleston Southern has built a solid program out of very little and Kennesaw looks like it might be doing the same. The addition of Campbell next year stabilizes the membership numbers. The bottom is still pretty bad though. Not saying this is a future power conference but they'll make some noise.
CAA
17-4 FCS
2-11 FBS
1-0 non-D1
7-3 playoffs, in title game
5 in AGS
Grade: A
Undisputed power conference for as long as anyone can remember. Champion cruised to Frisco, taking down NDSU at home. Other 3 teams were very respectable. We all wonder what Richmond could have done if they hadn't lost half their team. Not much else to say, other than the bottom 2 don't really belong.
Ivy
12-12 FCS
Grade: C
I have a hard time calling the Ivy FCS. They play the Patriot League, a few other eastern schools, and that's about it. Refuse to play a full 11 game schedule or even think about the playoffs. They're so disconnected from everyone else it's difficult to tell how good their top teams actually are. Doesn't stop some people from voting for them.
MEAC
0-9 FCS
1-19 FBS
3-0 non-D1
0-1 playoffs
2 in AGS
Grade: C
These guys suck just as bad as the SWAC, but without the party atmosphere. Main difference is they embarrassed themselves in the playoffs rather than stick to their own game. It's sad that 2 teams from here placed in the final AGS poll, but even sadder that we couldn't find anyone better.
MVFC
14-5 FCS(dammit UNI..)
4-6 FBS
1-0 non-D1
7-3 playoffs, in title game
4 in AGS
Grade: A-
NDSU has overshadowed the rest the last few years but I'd put this top half against their peers in any conference and expect wins.
Easily the highest percentage of FCS non-conference games played of the power conferences. No bonus to the grade for this but I'm a big fan of FCS matchups instead of FBS/D2 money games. 4-6 FBS speaks for itself. 2 teams in the semis and 1 on to Frisco, just not the 1 everybody was expecting. Giving a (-) for not sealing the deal on several non-conference games they should have won. That 14-5 is a disappointment is strange to say.
NEC
9-14 FCS
0-5 FBS
6-1 non-D1
0-1 playoffs
Grade: B
Just keeping on keeping on. Meets expectations, which aren't that high. Why do these guys get an autobid again? With limited scholarships these aren't FBS counters, which says something about the FBS that scheduled them.
OVC
4-8 FCS
2-10 FBS
3-0 non-D1
0-1 playoffs
1 in AGS
Grade: B
Jacksonville St and everyone else, though UT-Martin was probably better than some teams that were allowed in the playoffs. Another meets expectations. If the OVC was regarded as a power conference it would be a much lower grade. JSU didn't live up to the hype but they played a respectable non-conference schedule. Their loss to YSU doesn't look as bad now as it did at the time.
Patriot League
14-17 FCS
0-3 FBS
1-0 non-D1
0-1 playoffs
1 in AGS
Grade: B
Seem to have a scheduling arrangement with the Ivy League, very limited strength of schedule in those FCS wins. Conference appears to be getting better as a whole since introducting scholarships. Colgate's surprise run last year wasn't repeated but you still get a solid B for improvement the last few years.
Pioneer League
2-15 FCS
13-1 non-D1
1-1 playoffs
Grade: C
Almost as many sub-D1 as non-conference FCS games. With current NCAA rules I understand needing a place for teams that want basketball but won't fully fund a football team. That said, why the heck do they get an autobid? San Diego could probably handle moving to a real conference from a competition standpoint but the rest is garbage. Meets expectations but a little drop since I don't like pretenders.
Southern Conference
10-1 FCS
0-10 FBS
6-0 non-D1
3-4 playoffs
4 in AGS
Grade: A
The SoCon is back! Been a rough few years since some high profile defections. Shame the NCAA put your top 2 teams against each other right away. Would have liked some more SoS in those 10 FCS wins and fewer sub D1, but it's still 10-1.
Southland
2-3 FCS
1-11 FBS
4-1 non-D1
2-2 playoffs
2 in AGS
Grade: B-
Very limited non-conference FCS schedule, and not very impressive. SHSU and Central Ark are head and shoulders above the rest of the conference. They each won a playoff game against full scholarship teams so that's respectable. Bottom is terrible, though you can't expect instant success from recently formed teams. Absorbing that many hurts them overall. They're running out of time to use the newly formed team excuse though.
SWAC
0-5 FCS
0-11 FBS
1-1 non-D1
1 in AGS
Grade: B
The SWAC does what the SWAC does. Football is really just a reason to party, and in that they were successful. Non-conference records don't really matter. Based on their consistently high attendance, conference records don't seem to matter either.
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