Ted Miller: Obsessed
August 4, 2011
PAC 12 Blog (12:57 entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/23856/big-ten-going-to-nine-conference-games
For example, take Mississippi State. Here's what they did last year. The Bulldogs have improved under Dan Mullen, but they would have been a middle-of-the-road team in the Pac-10 in 2010. They didn't beat any good teams, but they ended up 9-4 due to scheduling and finished ranked a wildly-inflated 15th.
And that earned them a No. 20 preseason ranking in the coaches poll, which the Bulldogs figure to maintain because they've scheduled four easy nonconference victories again: Memphis, Louisiana Tech, UAB and Tennessee-Martin.
No offense Mississippi State, but we'd love to see you schedule a game out West. You might enjoy a trip away from Starkville.
August 4, 2011
Chat
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/39596/ncaa-fb-with-ted-miller
JS (Pensacola, FL)
Do you honestly feel the Pac-12 is better than the SEC? If Mississippi State were in the pac-12 they win the conference, agree or disagree?
Ted Miller
(3:38 PM)
1. No I don't think the Pac-12 is better than the SEC; 2. I don't think the gap between the two conferences is terribly large; 3. I'd pick Oregon, Stanford, Arizona State, USC, Utah, Washington and Arizona to beat Mississippi State.
February 6, 2012
PAC 12 Blog (12:20 entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/34199/acc-pac-12-and-big-12-to-play-nine-sec-heck-no
Mississippi State played in a bowl game last year despite going 2-6 in SEC play. No Pac-12 team played in a bowl game with fewer than four conference wins.
The Bulldogs best win last year? Probably an overtime win at home over Louisiana Tech, a game that Tech controlled but lost because of three turnovers.
When Mississippi State -- or many SEC teams -- makes its schedule, its singular goal is to guarantee four wins just about every year. That's what happens when you play teams like Memphis, UAB and Tennessee-Martin on an annual basis.
This wasn't always the case for Mississippi State. Just a few years back, it played home-and-home series with Georgia Tech and West Virginia. Solid teams. But after getting poleaxed in all four games by a combined count of 160-65, it decided it was better to get picked on by the Pac-12 blog than try to man-up against quality nonconference competition.
Oh, as a footnote, Mississippi State is already 4-0 in 2012: Jackson State, Troy, South Alabama and Middle Tennessee State. No, I did not make that nonconference schedule up.
April 27, 2012
Pac 12 Blog
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/37985/pac-12-lunch-links-no-wimpy-scheduling
The SEC is the nation's best football conference. Six consecutive national titles leave little doubt, particularly with five different teams claiming at least one in the BCS era. And the draft numbers for Thursday were impressive. There is a gap between the SEC and every other conference, and my belief is that gap has widened over the past 10 years -- from being mostly perception to become (self-fulfilling?) reality.
So what am I saying about scheduling? Well, dagnabit, I'm going to pick on Mississippi State again. Apologies in advance, lovely Starkville.
Last year, the Bulldogs' nonconference schedule featured Memphis, Louisiana Tech, UAB and Tennessee-Martin. This is hard to believe, but the 2012 slate is even more embarrassing: Jackson State, Troy, South Alabama and Middle Tennessee.
June 29, 2012 (11am entry)
PAC 10 Blog
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/40642/what-should-the-selection-committee-look-like
“This sort of statement needs to be made, if necessary: "It's great that Mississippi State has shocked everyone and won the SEC West. But its nonconference schedule means it can't be a final four team. This will be a hard lesson for the Bulldogs and, by extension, the SEC. But they surely will thank us for it later."
June 29, 2012 (6 pm entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/40680/opening-the-mailbag-husky-roses-and-playoff-questions
“According to me, Oregon should be disqualified because of its weak nonconference schedule. Of course, the Ducks situation is different from teams like Mississippi State, which go to great lengths annually -- and without apology -- to avoid playing tough nonconference competition. Oregon is in a bind because Kansas State backed out of a home-and-home series. Further, the Ducks have a long and strong tradition of tough nonconference scheduling. Their 2012 slate is an anomaly and not something the Ducks sought out.”
November 28, 2012 (7 pm entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/50300/pac-12-has-7-5-disease
Arizona, Arizona State, USC and Washington fans: Go here. Soak it up. Take in the glory of Mississippi State.
(At this point, we'd encourage Mississippi State fans to turn away. Just as we are supposed to love the sinner but hate the sin, we love you but not your schedule).
The Bulldogs' best win this year was over Middle Tennessee, a team that lost to McNeese State. Its four SEC wins came against teams that went a combined 14-34.
Arizona, you beat Oklahoma State, Washington and USC. Arizona State, you beat Arizona. USC, you beat Arizona State and Washington. Washington, you beat Stanford and Oregon State. Heck, Arizona's win over Toledo and Washington's over San Diego State are better than anything Mississippi State did this year.
Each of you, I suspect, would pound Mississippi State. The Bulldogs, bless their hearts, aren't very good.
August 4, 2011
PAC 12 Blog (12:57 entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/23856/big-ten-going-to-nine-conference-games
For example, take Mississippi State. Here's what they did last year. The Bulldogs have improved under Dan Mullen, but they would have been a middle-of-the-road team in the Pac-10 in 2010. They didn't beat any good teams, but they ended up 9-4 due to scheduling and finished ranked a wildly-inflated 15th.
And that earned them a No. 20 preseason ranking in the coaches poll, which the Bulldogs figure to maintain because they've scheduled four easy nonconference victories again: Memphis, Louisiana Tech, UAB and Tennessee-Martin.
No offense Mississippi State, but we'd love to see you schedule a game out West. You might enjoy a trip away from Starkville.
August 4, 2011
Chat
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/39596/ncaa-fb-with-ted-miller
JS (Pensacola, FL)
Do you honestly feel the Pac-12 is better than the SEC? If Mississippi State were in the pac-12 they win the conference, agree or disagree?
Ted Miller
(3:38 PM)
1. No I don't think the Pac-12 is better than the SEC; 2. I don't think the gap between the two conferences is terribly large; 3. I'd pick Oregon, Stanford, Arizona State, USC, Utah, Washington and Arizona to beat Mississippi State.
February 6, 2012
PAC 12 Blog (12:20 entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/34199/acc-pac-12-and-big-12-to-play-nine-sec-heck-no
Mississippi State played in a bowl game last year despite going 2-6 in SEC play. No Pac-12 team played in a bowl game with fewer than four conference wins.
The Bulldogs best win last year? Probably an overtime win at home over Louisiana Tech, a game that Tech controlled but lost because of three turnovers.
When Mississippi State -- or many SEC teams -- makes its schedule, its singular goal is to guarantee four wins just about every year. That's what happens when you play teams like Memphis, UAB and Tennessee-Martin on an annual basis.
This wasn't always the case for Mississippi State. Just a few years back, it played home-and-home series with Georgia Tech and West Virginia. Solid teams. But after getting poleaxed in all four games by a combined count of 160-65, it decided it was better to get picked on by the Pac-12 blog than try to man-up against quality nonconference competition.
Oh, as a footnote, Mississippi State is already 4-0 in 2012: Jackson State, Troy, South Alabama and Middle Tennessee State. No, I did not make that nonconference schedule up.
April 27, 2012
Pac 12 Blog
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/37985/pac-12-lunch-links-no-wimpy-scheduling
The SEC is the nation's best football conference. Six consecutive national titles leave little doubt, particularly with five different teams claiming at least one in the BCS era. And the draft numbers for Thursday were impressive. There is a gap between the SEC and every other conference, and my belief is that gap has widened over the past 10 years -- from being mostly perception to become (self-fulfilling?) reality.
So what am I saying about scheduling? Well, dagnabit, I'm going to pick on Mississippi State again. Apologies in advance, lovely Starkville.
Last year, the Bulldogs' nonconference schedule featured Memphis, Louisiana Tech, UAB and Tennessee-Martin. This is hard to believe, but the 2012 slate is even more embarrassing: Jackson State, Troy, South Alabama and Middle Tennessee.
June 29, 2012 (11am entry)
PAC 10 Blog
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/40642/what-should-the-selection-committee-look-like
“This sort of statement needs to be made, if necessary: "It's great that Mississippi State has shocked everyone and won the SEC West. But its nonconference schedule means it can't be a final four team. This will be a hard lesson for the Bulldogs and, by extension, the SEC. But they surely will thank us for it later."
June 29, 2012 (6 pm entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/40680/opening-the-mailbag-husky-roses-and-playoff-questions
“According to me, Oregon should be disqualified because of its weak nonconference schedule. Of course, the Ducks situation is different from teams like Mississippi State, which go to great lengths annually -- and without apology -- to avoid playing tough nonconference competition. Oregon is in a bind because Kansas State backed out of a home-and-home series. Further, the Ducks have a long and strong tradition of tough nonconference scheduling. Their 2012 slate is an anomaly and not something the Ducks sought out.”
November 28, 2012 (7 pm entry)
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/50300/pac-12-has-7-5-disease
Arizona, Arizona State, USC and Washington fans: Go here. Soak it up. Take in the glory of Mississippi State.
(At this point, we'd encourage Mississippi State fans to turn away. Just as we are supposed to love the sinner but hate the sin, we love you but not your schedule).
The Bulldogs' best win this year was over Middle Tennessee, a team that lost to McNeese State. Its four SEC wins came against teams that went a combined 14-34.
Arizona, you beat Oklahoma State, Washington and USC. Arizona State, you beat Arizona. USC, you beat Arizona State and Washington. Washington, you beat Stanford and Oregon State. Heck, Arizona's win over Toledo and Washington's over San Diego State are better than anything Mississippi State did this year.
Each of you, I suspect, would pound Mississippi State. The Bulldogs, bless their hearts, aren't very good.