So...according to some of the Teams’ websites in the BSC, their 2018 games with North Dakota count as BSC Conference games even though North Dakota is not a Member of the BSC and they have 2018 games showing with other Teams that ARE Members of the BSC that do not count as BSC Conference games. Does this make sense to anyone?

As we can tell from some of the recent posts in this thread, trying to assess a Conference A’s strength relative to Conference B’s by using historical Playoff results data can be greatly skewed by the timeframe selected. Head-to-Head is a far better assessment tool and the only one I can recall is Chattanooga absolutely THUMPING Weber 45-14 in 2016. As we know though, due to regionalization in the Playoffs (and generally with regular season schedules), we have very few Head-to Head comparisons between the 2 Conferences at issue in this discussion. The SoCon has been cannibalistic in Round 2 games & had some very close 2nd & 3rd losses to SemiFinalists & Finalists (as Weber did last year) recently, but, alas, they have not, recently, made it to the Semi’s. Other than EWU’s Nice runs in 2016 & 2013, I just don’t see where any other BSC has shined recently in the Playoffs with the Weber exception already noted. I do see 2 embarrassing 1st round home losses to non-scholarship Teams in the past 2 years by highly-touted BSC Teams.

So, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t think a legitimate ‘call’ can be made which of these 2 conferences is stronger in 2018...yet.

Which brings me back to the 1st paragraph. I think 2018 OOC success (or lack of) during the regular season will be the only reasonable way to evaluate Teams from these Conferences as At-large Playoff berths are being determined - not how many Championships Furman, Georgia Southern, and App State won in the past AND also NOT how EWU did in the 2013 Playoffs. And with the ‘mess’ that I mentioned in the 1st paragraph, I think only the “TRUE” OOC contests (which also excludes the games vs. NDak) for BSC Teams should be considered for this purpose; otherwise there is the distinct risk of using circular logic or confirmation bias to make those assessments.

Most, if not all, of the Teams in both Conferences have competitive OOC schedules. I’ll wait to evaluate those games before stating my case that the SoCon should actually have 5 Teams in the Playoffs in 2018 or maybe only 2 and/or the BSC should have 5 or even 6...or maybe only 2...or even 1. Of course, those numbers are also dependent upon how the MVFC and the CAA fare out of conference, and to a lesser extent the SLC & the OVC. All the rest are 1 bid leagues, IMO.

Fun discussion, but the right answer is...