Getting it done on the field

By Ted Miller

ESPN.com

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Last Saturday, I watched Arizona, which finished 2-7 in Pac-12 play last year, stomp the defending Big 12 champion, Oklahoma State, by three touchdowns.

On Monday, I was asked to write that the Pac-12 is the second-best conference -- behind, of course, the SEC -- ahead of the Big 12.

This is not the most difficult assignment I've ever had. And I feel bad for Big 12 blogger David Ubben.

Let's start with what should matter most: Résumé. As in: What have you done this season?

The Pac-12 is 6-1 against other BCS-conference teams. Three of those wins came against then-ranked teams: Oregon State held defending Big Ten champion and 13th-ranked Wisconsin to 207 total yards in a 10-7 victory, UCLA rolled up 653 yards in a 36-30 win over No. 16 Nebraska and those Wildcats beat the No. 18 Cowboys 59-38.

Note: These Pac-12 winners are not projected to finish at the top of the conference. This is the middle class.

Really, we could stop there. No need to mention wins over Illinois (Arizona State), Syracuse (USC) and Duke (Stanford).

Of course, there's the counter-argument for the Big 12. It has beaten ranked teams, too, right?

Nope. Zero. The Big 12 doesn't play that sort of schedule, as Ubben observed here:

Kansas State whipped rebuilding Miami -- an impressive performance, yes -- and Iowa State beat what looks like a woeful Iowa team. That's it for teams from BCS conferences.

Oh, Kansas State could have played Oregon in a home-and-home series in 2011-12. But the Mildcats ran away like a frightened little kitty.

Meow.

So, in terms of actual football, there is no debate. The Pac-12 is the far more accomplished league so far.

Then there's the elite. While both conferences presently have five ranked teams, you tick off two ranked Pac-12 teams -- No. 2 USC and No. 4 Oregon -- before you arrive at any Big 12 teams.

We can all agree that USC or Oregon would take any Big 12 team to the woodshed, right? Good. Glad you won't venture down unrealistic paths just for the sake of a false rhetorical flourish. I mean, really, would you rather have Oklahoma or USC take a shot at the SEC champion for the national title, knowing a seventh consecutive title would make our friends from down south even more insufferable?

Now, to be fair, you could make the "depth" argument for the Big 12: Oklahoma, West Virginia, Texas, Kansas State and TCU are quality programs, without a doubt. And Baylor has perked up, as has Iowa State. That leaves only mediocre-to-bad Texas Tech and Kansas, your doormat, the equivalent of Colorado in the Pac-12.

Cough, cough. Bet you guys miss the Buffaloes.

But in terms of on-field accomplishments and multiple elite teams, the Pac-12 shines. And, therefore, it's the conference that will knock off the SEC in the national title game on Jan. 7 and inspire sighs of relief nationwide.