BCS Conference Power Rankings 1. Big Ten: It's hard to argue with seven bowl teams and two BCS appearances. While Purdue and Michigan State bombed and Michigan failed to meet expectations with four losses, Penn State and Ohio State were two of the best teams in the nation and Wisconsin and Northwestern were pleasant surprises. 2. SEC: There wasn't much offense to speak of in the SEC, but no conference in the country can compare with the conference's defensive talent. Tennessee's demise took away from impressive seasons by Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina. 3. Pac-10: USC sets the standard, and Oregon and UCLA exceeded expectations, but the drop off after that is considerable. Disappointments from Cal and Arizona State hurt most. 4. ACC: Not as strong at the top, but its depth is impressive. Virginia Tech, Miami and Florida State are the cream of the crop. Georgia Tech, Boston College, Clemson, N.C. State, Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland are all competitive. 5. Big 12: The Big 12 is down despite Texas' run to the Rose Bowl. The North is a joke and Oklahoma's rebuilding year didn't help, either. 6. Big East: If it weren't for West Virginia, the Mountain West would have an argument for the nation's sixth-best conference. http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/columns/story?columnist=mcshay_todd&id=2256372