Popular opinion is that the SEC is the toughest football conference and the Big 10 is one of the weakest. Listen to ESPNU College Football podcast and you’ll hear Beano Cook expound on the weak non conference schedule of the Big 10. I decided to look for myself. First up, the projected top teams of the Big 10. Teams that played in a bowl in 2008 marked with an asterisk.

Ohio St.
Navy *
USC *
@Toledo
New Mexico St

Penn St.
Akron
Syracuse
Temple
E Illinois

Michigan St
Montana St
C Michigan *
@Notre Dame *
W Michigan *

Iowa
UNI
@Iowa St
Arizona *
Arkansas St

Out of 16 nonconference opponents and 6 went to bowls last year and 3 are away games. Only one is considered a top team for 2009. As I’ve said before, Penn State’s schedule is a joke. They could at least play Pitt instead of Temple.

The SEC:

Florida
Charleston Southern
Troy *
Florida International
Florida St *

Alabama
Va Tech *
Florida International
North Texas
Chatanooga

Georgia
Oklahoma St *
Arizona St
Tenn Tech
Ga Tech *

LSU
@Washington (0-12 in 2008)
Lousiana-Layafette
Tulane
La Tech *

Out of 16 nonconference games, 6 are against bowl teams and only one is an away game.

So you look at the nonconference schedules and the Big 10 has USC, while the SEC has Va Tech and Florida St. Both have the same number of bowl teams on their schedules. I seem to recall some nice Iowa victories over the SEC (S Carolina in 2009, LSU in 2005, Florida in 2004). Unfortunately the Nittany Lions bring down the league with their crappy scheduling. Maybe once JoPa retires they can get a coach that doesn’t follow the Bill Snyder school of scheduling.