[Husker] Cap bowl

[Steve Reichenbach]

When looking at any team, it is fairly easy to identify relative
weaknesses or short-comings.  However, such a microscopic view
doesn't tell much about the broader perspective --- here, how
South Carolina rates compared to other teams.

Yes, you can make an argument that South Carolina is over-rated
(as you can do for about half the teams in the top 10), but it is
likely at the end of the season that:

The AP will have South Carolina in the top 10 (#10 before the bowls).

The USA Today Coaches poll will have South Carolina in the top 10
(#9 before the bowls).

Massey MOV (which I think is one of the best computer ratings, at
least as good as Sagarin's predictor) will have South Carolina in
the top 10 (currently #9).

I'm guessing that Sagarin too will have South Carolina in the top 10
after the bowls.

Yes, Auburn stumbled at home against Auburn and lost to Arkansas in
the road after trailing by two points late in the game, but you'll
find such stumbles and losses for almost every team, even those in
the top 10.

OTOH, South Carolina closed with two solid wins over ranked teams
(Clemson and Nebraska) to finish 11-2.  (And, I think there is a
better case to be made that their best win was on the road over
Georgia, rather than a quasi-home game against Nebraska.)

Of course, we both are entitled to our "IMHO", but South Carolina
will be a top-10 team in the most recognized rankings.


> > Still, NU was pretty successful stopping a top-10 team both running 
> > (except some QB scrambles) and passing (except a couple of big plays). 
> > And, on offense, NU looked like it was going to take control for more 
> > than half the game. So, despite problems, NU is not that far from 
> > being a top-10 team.
> [snip]
> 
> IMHO, SC is not a top-10 team.  They are over-ranked due to being in the 
> SEC during a year when voters are especially in love with the SEC.
> 
> Using Sagarin's Predictor version, which is his most accurate,...
>    SC was ranked 18th before the bowl.  Their top-40 opponents were:
>     #13 Arkansas (also over-ranked by voters)
>     #21 Nebraska
>     #22 Georgia (slightly over-ranked at #16)
>     #27 Clemson (over-ranked at #15)
> Though in the SEC, they did not play LSU or Alabama.
> 
> SC lost 44-28 to Arkansas and 16-13 to Auburn (#56 and way over-ranked 
> at #25 in the BCS).  Their best victory is their 30-13 win over Nebraska.
> 
> Go Big Red
> Andy
>