Everyone from the ACC, from John Swofford to Ted Roof, left Pinehurst believing this football season will be better than the last.

The truth is, it has to be, there's nowhere to go but up for the ACC and its football image. There's no better measure of a conference's strength than its record against the other Bowl Championship Series conferences (and Notre Dame).

In the ACC's case, that makes 2006 an unqualified disaster. The league went 4-12 against its BCS brethren during the regular season (see above chart). That ranks sixth, out of six, among the BCS conferences.

The Big East, which also went 5-0 in the bowl games, ranked first with a 11-7 mark, edging the SEC (9-6) by percentage points.

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The ranking doesn't get any better when you consider the ACC's record vs. the rest of I-A in 2006. The league went 17-6, which in terms of percentage points, also ranks sixth (the Big 12 went 20-6 with the benefit of playing three more I-A non-conference opponents).

The only good news for the ACC was it went 3-3 in the bowls, which was a better mark than the Big 12 (3-5) and Big 10 (2-5).

Note: The BCS totals do include games against Notre Dame but not bowl results. Due to an error on the SEC web site, that league's records vs. the BCS, and against I-A, have been adjusted. (Many thanks to Wendell Barnhouse.)

Check out the worst losses and best wins from 2006 non-conference schedule.

And here's the non-conference results from all six BCS conferences:

SEC (1-5)
Wake 27, Ole Miss 3
Alabama 30, Duke 14
Vanderbilt 45, Duke 28
Georgia 15, Ga. Tech 12
Florida 21, FSU 14
South Carolina 31, Clemson 28

Big East (3-5)
Rutgers 21, UNC 16
Wake 20, Syracuse 10
Pitt 38, UVa 13
West Virginia 45, Md 24
Wake 24, UConn 13
Louisville 31, Miami 7
Va. Tech 29, Cincinnati 13
South Florida 37, UNC 20

Big Ten (0-0)
No games

Pac-10(0-0)
No games

Big 12 (0-0)
No games

Independents (1-3)
Notre Dame 14, Ga. Tech 10
Clemson 63, Temple 9
Navy 38, Duke 13
Notre Dame 45, UNC 26

MAC (4-2)
BC 31, Cent. Michigan 24
Akron 20, N.C. State 17
Western Michigan 17, UVa 10
BC 41, Buffalo 0
Va. Tech 23, Kent State 0
FSU 28, Western Michigan 20

Mountain West (2-0)
UVa 13, Wyoming 12
BC 30, BYU 23 (2OT)

C-USA (3-3)
Southern Miss 37, N.C. State 17
FSU 55, Rice 7
Miami 14, Houston 13
ECU 31, UVa 21
VT 36, Southern Miss 6
ECU 21, N.C. State 16

WAC (1-0)
Clemson 51, La. Tech 0

Sun Belt (6-0)
Clemson 54, FAU 6
FSU 24, Troy 17
Maryland 24, Middle Tennessee 10
Ga. Tech 35, Troy 20
Maryland 14, FIU 10
Miami 35, FIU 0

Division I-AA (8-1)
Va. Tech 38, Northeastern 0
N.C. State 23, App State 10
Richmond 13, Duke 0
Maryland 27, W&M 14
Ga. Tech 38, Samford 6
Miami 51, FAMU 10
UNC 45, Furman 42
BC 22, Maine 0
Wake 34, Liberty 14

Big East (0-2)
Louisville 59, Kentucky 28
West Virginia 42, Mississippi State 14

Big Ten (0-1)
Michigan 27, Vandy 7

Pac-10 (3-1)
USC 50, Arkansas 14
Tennessee 35, California 18
Auburn 40, Washington State 14
LSU 45, Arizona 3

Big 12 (1-1)
Georgia 14, Colorado 13
Missouri 34, Ole Miss 7

ACC (5-1)
Wake 27, Ole Miss 3
Alabama 30, Duke 14
Vanderbilt 45, Duke 28
Georgia 15, Ga. Tech 12
Florida 21, FSU 14
South Carolina 31, Clemson 28

Independents (1-0)
Vanderbilt 43, Temple 14

Mountain West (1-0)
Tennessee 31, Air Force 30

MAC (2-0)
Auburn 38, Buffalo 7
Kentucky 45, Central Michigan 36

C-USA (9-1)
Florida 34, Southern Miss 7
Ole Miss 28, Memphis 25
Florida 42, UCF 0
Georgia 34, UAB 0
Tulane 32, Mississippi State 29
Mississippi State 16, UAB 10
LSU 49, Tulane 7
Tennessee 41, Memphis 7
Auburn 38, Tulane 13
Tennessee 33, Marshall 7

WAC (3-0)
Alabama 25, Hawaii 17
Arkansas 20, Utah State 0
LSU 38, Fresno State 6

Sun Belt (8-0)
LSU 45, La. Lafayette 3
Alabama 41, Louisiana Monroe 7
South Carolina 45, Florida Atlantic 6
Alabama 38, FIU 3
Arkansas 44, Louisiana Monroe 10
Auburn 27, Arkansas State 0
Kentucky 42, Louisiana Monroe 40
South Carolina 52, Middle Tennessee 7

Division I-AA (8-0)
Georgia 48, Western Kentucky 12
Kentucky 41, Texas State 7
South Carolina 27, Wofford 20
Vanderbilt 38, Tennessee State 9
Arkansas 63, Southeast Missouri 7
Mississippi State 35, Jacksonville State 3
Ole Miss 27, Northwestern State 7
Florida 62, Western Carolina 0

SEC (2-0)
West Virginia 42, Mississippi State 14
Louisville 59, Kentucky 28

Big Ten (3-3)
Rutgers 33, Illinois 0
Michigan State 38, Pitt 23
Ohio State 37, Cincinnati 7
UConn 14, Indiana 7
Iowa 20, Syracuse 13 (OT)
Syracuse 31, Illinois 21

Pac-10 (0-0)
No games

Big 12 (1-1)
Louisville 24, Kansas State 6
Kansas 13, USF 7

ACC (5-3)
West Virginia 45, Maryland 24
Louisville 31, Miami 7
USF 37, UNC 20
Rutgers 21, UNC 16
Pitt 38, UVa 13
Virginia Tech 29, Cincinnati 13
Wake 24, UConn 13
Wake 20, Syracuse 10

Independents (3-1)
Louisville 62, Temple 0
Rutgers 34, Navy 0
Navy 41, UConn 17
UConn 21, Army 7

MAC (5-0)
Rutgers 24, Ohio 7
Pitt 45, Toledo 3
Cincinnati 24, Miami (Ohio) 10
Cincinnati 20, Akron 14
Syracuse 34, Miami (Ohio) 14

Mountain West (1-0)
Wyoming 40, Syracuse 34 (OT)

C-USA (4-0)
West Virginia 42, Marshall 10
West Virginia 27, ECU 10
USF 24, UCF 17
Pitt 52, UCF 7

Sun Belt (2-0)
Louisville 44, Middle Tennessee 17
USF 21, FIU 20

Division I-AA (6-0)
West Virginia 52, Eastern Washington 3
USF 41, McNeese State 10
Rutgers 56, Howard 7
Pitt 51, The Citadel 6
Cincinnati 31, Eastern Kentucky 0
UConn 52, Rhode Island 7

SEC (1-0)
Michigan 27, Vandy 7

Big East (3-3)
UConn 14, Indiana 7
Ohio State 37, Cincinnati 7
Iowa 20, Syracuse 13 (OT)
Rutgers 33, Illinois 0
Syracuse 31, Illinois 21
Michigan State 38, Pitt 23

Pac-10
Cal 42, Minnesota 17

Big 12 (2-0)
Ohio State 24, Texas 7
Iowa 27, Iowa State 17

ACC (0-0)
No games

Independents (3-3)
Minnesota 62, Temple 3
Notre Dame 40, Michigan State 37
Michigan 47, Notre Dame 21
Notre Dame 41, Penn State 17
Penn State 47, Temple 0
Notre Dame 35, Purdue 21

MAC (16-1)
Minnesota 44, Kent State 0
Indiana 39, Western Michigan 20
Indiana 24, Ball State 23
Penn State 34, Akron 16
Ohio State 35, Northern Illinois 12
Ohio State 35, Bowling Green 7
Iowa 24, Northern Illinois 14
Wisconsin 35, Bowling Green 14
Wisconsin 35, Buffalo 3
Purdue 38, Miami (Ohio) 31 (OT)
Purdue 38, Ball State 28
Ohio 20, Illinois 17
Northwestern 21, Miami (Ohio) 3
Northwestern 14, Eastern Michigan 6
Michigan State 52, Eastern Michigan 20
Michigan 41, Central Michigan 17
Michigan 34, Ball State 26

Mountain West (1-0)
Wisconsin 14, San Diego State 0

WAC (1-2)
Michigan State 27, Idaho 17
Hawaii 42, Purdue 35
Nevada 31, Northwestern 21

Division I-AA (6-2)
Minnesota 10, North Dakota State 9
Southern Illinois 35, Indiana 28
Penn State 37, Youngstown State 3
Iowa 41, Montana 7
Wisconsin 34, Western Illinois 10
Purdue 60, Indiana State 35
Illinois 42, Eastern Illinois 17
New Hampshire 34, Northwestern 17

SEC (1-3)
USC 50, Arkansas 14
Tennessee 35, Cal 18
LSU 45, Arizona 3
Auburn 40, Washington State 14

Big East (0-0)
No games

Big Ten (1-0)
Cal 42, Minnesota 17

Big 12 (3-2)
USC 28, Nebraska 10
Oregon 34, Oklahoma 33
Arizona State 21, Colorado 3
Oklahoma 37, Washington 20
Washington State 17, Baylor 15

ACC (0-0)
No games

Independents (1-3)
USC 44, Notre Dame 24
Notre Dame 20, UCLA 17
Navy 37, Stanford 9
Notre Dame 31, Stanford 10

Mountain West (2-0)
UCLA 31, Utah 10
Arizona 16, BYU 13

C-USA (1-0)
UCLA 26, Rice 16

WAC (6-2)
Oregon 31, Fresno State 24
Arizona State 52, Nevada 21
Boise State 42, Oregon State 14
Oregon State 38, Idaho 0
Washington 35, San Jose State 29
Washington 21, Fresno State 20
Washington State 56, Idaho 10
San Jose State 35, Stanford 34

Division I-AA (5-0)
Oregon 55, Portland State 12
Arizona State 35, Northern Arizona 14
Cal 42, Portland State 16
Oregon State 56, Eastern Washington 17
Arizona 28, S.F. Austin 10

SEC (1-1)
Missouri 34, Ole Miss 7
Georgia 14, Colorado 13

Big East (1-1)
Louisville 24, Kansas State 6
Kansas 13, USF 7

Big Ten (0-2)
Ohio State 24, Texas 7
Iowa 27, Iowa State 17

Pac-10 (1-4)
Oklahoma 37, Washington 20
Oregon 34, Oklahoma 33
Washington State 17, Baylor 15
USC 28, Nebraska 10
Arizona State 21, Colorado 3

ACC (0-0)
No games

Independents (1-1)
Texas A&M 28, Army 24
Army 27, Baylor 20 (OT)

MAC (2-1)
Missouri 31, Ohio 6
Toledo 37, Kansas 31 (OT)
Iowa State 45, Toledo 43 (OT)

Mountain West (2-3)
TCU 12, Texas Tech 3
TCU 17, Baylor 7
Missouri 27, New Mexico 17
Colorado State 14, Colorado 10
Iowa State 16, UNLV 10

C-USA (5-1)
Oklahoma 24, UAB 17
Texas 52, Rice 7
Houston 34, Oklahoma State 25
Texas Tech 35, SMU 3
Texas Tech 38, UTEP 35 (OT)
Kansas State 23, Marshall 7

WAC (1-0)
Texas A&M 45, Louisiana Tech 14

Sun Belt (9-0)
Oklahoma 59, Middle Tennessee 0
Texas 56, North Texas 7
Texas A&M 51, Louisiana-Lafayette 7
Oklahoma State 48, Florida Atlantic 8
Oklahoma State 35, Arkansas State 7
Nebraska 49, La. Tech 10
Nebraska 56, Troy 0
Kansas State 45, Florida Atlantic 0
Kansas 21, Louisiana-Monroe 19

Division I-AA (10-1)
Texas 56, Sam Houston 3
Texas A&M 35, The Citadel 3
Oklahoma State 52, Missouri State 10
Texas Tech 62, SE Louisiana 0
Baylor 47, Northwestern State 10
Missouri 47 Murray State 7
Nebraska 56, Nicholls State 7
Kansas State 24, Illinois State 23
Montana State 19, Colorado 10
Kansas 49, Northwestern State 18
Iowa State 28, Northern Iowa 27

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