When it comes to postseason bragging rights for the 2018-19 bowl cycle, it’s a Group of Five league that can crow the loudest this time around.
With Clemson laying an ass-whooping for the ages on Alabama Monday night, the 40-game postseason has officially been put to bed -- well, 39-game with the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl canceled because of weather. With 100 percent of precincts now reporting, Conference USA can stake its claim to the highest winning percentage of all 10 FBS leagues as they finished .667 (4-2) in the postseason. All of that league’s wins, of course, came against fellow Group of Five conferences.
The Big 12 had the best winning percentage among Power Five conferences at .571 (4-3), just edging out the Big Ten’s .556 (5-4). Three of the Big 12’s four postseason wins this season came at the expense of the SEC; conversely, three of the Big Ten’s four losses came at the hands of the same conference. Speaking of which, the SEC finished at an even .500 (6-6), just a bit behind the ACC’s .545 (6-5).
The Pac-12 once again brought up the Power Five postseason rear, although its 3-4 mark (.429) was exponentially better than the 1-8 egg they laid in the 2017-18 bowl cycle.
Power Five leagues were 3-2 against their Group of Five counterparts, with the ACC beating a pair of AAC teams and the SEC dropping the same conference. The Group of Five’s two wins came from the AAC beating the ACC and the Mountain West beating the Pac-12.
Conference USA -- 4-2 (.667)
Independents -- 2-1 (.667)
Mountain West -- 3-2 (.600)
Sun Belt -- 3-2 (.600)
Big 12 -- 4-3 (.571)
Big Ten -- 5-4 (.556)
ACC -- 6-5 (.545)
SEC -- 6-6 (.500)
Pac-12 -- 3-4 (.429)
AAC -- 2-5 (.286)
MAC -- 1-5 (.167)