• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

Strength of Schedule (merged)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
plum diamonds buckeye planet
Sort by date Sort by votes
The Schedule Thread

Not sure this needs its own thread, but unsure where exactly to put it. Please feel free to merge this.

The Wizard of Odds has a nice write up of this study wherein the art of filling your schedule with cupcakes was examined. Rabid CFB fans won't be surprised by this (although, shock of shocks, the 'soft' Big Ten doesn't schedule as many cupcakes as the Big XII and SEC), but it's a nicely quantified view of the whole scheduling issue.
 
Upvote 0
Interesting proposal for a nonconference game....

The Gophers are looking for two football games on the 2010 schedule, and with Michigan not on the slate the next two years, the Wolverines suggested that the Gophers play one of those games at Ann Arbor next year in their remodeled stadium and consider it a nonconference game. With the Big House seating more than 100,000 fans, the Gophers would have received $1 million or more. But Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi turned down the idea.

Twins' power surge lights up the Dome
 
Upvote 0
Back in the early-80s (I think), Illinois scheduled an extra game with someone in the league (back when it was only one team that you missed each year) and ended up going 9-0 in the conference. IIRC, they are the only team to beat all the other members of the conference since the league expanded to ten members.
 
Upvote 0
DaddyBigBucks;1478943; said:
Back in the early-80s (I think), Illinois scheduled an extra game with someone in the league (back when it was only one team that you missed each year) and ended up going 9-0 in the conference. IIRC, they are the only team to beat all the other members of the conference since the league expanded to ten members.
Click to expand...

In '83 and '84, all Big Ten members played 9 conference games. '83 Illinois is the only team that went undefeated in conference play over that 3-year span where 9 conference games were the norm, so they are the only team to have 9 Big Ten conference wins in a season.

In '82, all members played each other except for tOSU and Iowa. tOSU went 7-1, beating TSUN and missing out on a Big Ten Title due to 1 less win than 8-1 TSUN.
 
Upvote 0
Big not in top 4? It's just a coincidence that the Big Ten doesn't have an agreement with ESPiN!!!! :paranoid:

Why is this important? Well, strength of schedule(and ESPiN promotion) will have a say in who plays for the National Title.
How many teams were better than ND last year at the end of the season? Oregon, Texas A&M, probably Goergia. Even Stanford which beat ND twice before the refs gave the game to ND.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Stanford wouldn't have beaten ND with that TD, it would have just sent them to another overtime :wink2: Plus, if they can't convince their own conference refs they could break the plane on 4 rushing attempts from inside the 3, they didn't deserve to win. I won't argue the other teams. Georgia was certainly better, Texas A&M was better imo, Oregon was probably better too despite the fact they lost to Stanford. Irish got some breaks and got to the NCG before they were ready, theres no doubt.
 
Upvote 0
BigWoof31;2347064; said:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...464158/top-10-softest-nonconference-schedules


Report on which teams have the lightest strength of schedule.
Seeing Louisville on this list makes me sick.
Click to expand...

1. Arizona - Index: 1.33: Year Two of the Rich Rod Era sees the Wildcats face two of their three non-conference opponents coming off eight-win seasons, but it's FCS Northern Arizona and Texas-San Antonio, which lost its other four games by at least 20. Arizona's other non-con game is on the road but it's at UNLV, which was 2-11 last season.
2. West Virginia - Index: 1.42: The Mountaineers have a lot of key pieces to replace this season, starting with QB Geno Smith and standout WRs Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. Fortunately, for Dana Holgorsen, who in the past has had LSU in the non-conference, he gets William & Mary, which just went 2-9; Georgia State, which just went 1-10 and Maryland, which is 6-18 in the Randy Edsall Era. I suspect the Terps will be much improved from the past two dreadful seasons. Of course by just going 6-6 that'd be significant improvement, but still I think they'll be decent this fall and the game is in Maryland (at the Ravens stadium).



3. (tie) Auburn - Index: 1.50: New coach Gus Malzahn couldn't ask for a much better non-conference schedule. All four games are at home. The Tigers open with a visit from a Washington State team coming from the opposite side of the country and the Cougars have also won just 12 games in the past five seasons combined. Then comes an Arkansas State team from the Sun Belt that'll be playing for its fourth head coach in four seasons. Later in the season, the Tigers get one of the worst FCS programs in Western Carolina (1-10 last fall) and FAU, which is 4-20 the past two seasons.


3. (tie) Baylor - Index: 1.50: Art Briles' team gets a nice welcome to 2013 with four home games to start the season. First up is a visit from FCS Wofford. Then comes Buffalo, which has won a combined nine games in the past three seasons. The final non-conference game is against a respectable Louisiana-Monroe team coming off an 8-5 season, where the Warhawks did win at Arkansas and they almost also knocked off Auburn and the Bears (47-42). They also have an experienced, play-making QB in Kolton Browning.
3. (tie) Kansas State - Index: 1.50: Bill Snyder's had a history of favorable scheduling and this year's slate looks pretty tasty too. In addition to eight home games, the Wildcats' toughest non-conference test appears to be Louisiana-Lafayette, which is coming off a 9-4 season. ULL did give Florida all it could handle at UF before losing 27-20 last season. North Dakota State is a lower division powerhouse and went 14-1 in 2012 while UMass is among the worst teams in FBS.
3. (tie) Minnesota - Index: 1.50: It's hard to buy the Gophers opening 2013 worse than 3-0 when they start with UNLV (2-11 last season); at New Mexico State (1-11) and Western Illinois (3-8 in FCS). The other non-conference opponent is a pretty good San Jose State team. The Spartans were 11-2 last season and they have an outstanding QB in David Fales but they also are going through a coaching transition.
7. Louisville - Index: 1.63: No team in major college football has an easier overall schedule than the Cards. It's doubtful they'll face a top-40 team this season, much less one in the top 25. The non-conference slate is pretty tame as well. They open with an Ohio team that is coming off a 9-4 season and won at Penn State to start 2012. The Bobcats, though, are No. 98 in the country for most starters returning with just 11. After that, Louisville gets FCS Eastern Kentucky; then visits arch-rival Kentucky, which was 2-10 last season and then faces an FIU program that went 3-9, is in the midst of a coaching transition and returns only eight starters.
8. Alabama - Index: 1.69: The only team on this list that faces a traditional power team. The Tide open the 2013 season with Virginia Tech, which has finished in the top 20 of the coaches poll in eight of the past nine seasons. Tech did just go 7-6, but the Hokies do have nine starters back on D. Even with a bunch of questions on offense, VT, at a neutral site, is more than a respectable draw. It's the rest of the Tide's non-con that brings the index way down. Colorado State has won only four of its past 20 games. Georgia State was 1-10 in 2012, and Chattanooga was 6-5 in FCS.
9. (tie) Cincinnati - Index: 1.75: The Bearcats open with consecutive games against Big Ten teams, but it's home against Purdue and then at an Illinois team that just went 2-10. After that, Cincy gets a visit from FCS Northwestern State (4-7) and from Miami of Ohio (4-8).
9. (tie) North Carolina State - Index: 1.75: The Pack have all four non-conference games at home. They open with a La. Tech team coming off a strong season, but it's also one that has changed coaching staffs and has the fewest returning starters (six) in the country. They get FCS Richmond in Week 2 and then Central Michigan at the end of September. Later in the season, NCSU faces a solid East Carolina team to round out the non-con slate.
9. (tie) Ohio State - Index: 1.75: Urban Meyer has never lost since taking the OSU job and it's doubtful his Buckeyes will get tripped up in the non-conference. They have a cupcake opener in Buffalo. Then OSU plays a solid San Diego State team before visiting Cal, which was 3-9 last season and has little experience with only nine starters returning. The Buckeyes cap off the four-game run with a visit from FCS FAMU.
9. (tie) Vanderbilt - Index: 1.75: James Franklin's program has gained momentum beating up on mediocre opponents and the Commodores have four more likely Ws here. They get FCS Austin Peay, UAB, visit hapless Umass before facing a decent Wake Forest squad.
Click to expand...

See! bUCkeye state and THE Ohio State University are the same. They are tied.
 
Upvote 0
ACC and Big Ten discussing playing non-conference games against conference opponents

In the Big Ten meetings, Penn State Athletics Director Dave Joyner says the Big Ten is hinting it is a possibility as the conference looks to figuring out how to fill non-conference schedules with FCS teams being cut from the list of options.
.
.
.
Openly discussing all of the options on the table is just fine. That is what these meetings are for, to figure out ways to best serve the conference in a changing landscape. But do not be fooled into thinking this is ever going to actually happen. Conference teams playing each other in non-conference match-ups may serve fans well and provide for more attractive games for most, it ultimately does the conference more harm by hurting overall conference strength of schedule and win totals. Imagine the Big Ten having one bowl spot left unfilled because one of their teams lost to another Big Ten team in a non-conference match-up. The school loses out on a potential win that could have been picked up by scheduling another school and the conference ends up missing out on more bowl revenue.

It is a unique discussion, and perhaps in certain situations a rare match-up could make sense, but it just is not something that will serve the conference’s best interests. Until college football expands to a 14-game regular season, the problems with conference scheduling will continue to unfold.

Entire article:
http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...onference-games-against-conference-opponents/
 
Upvote 0
ScriptOhio said:
ACC and Big Ten discussing playing non-conference games against conference opponents

In the Big Ten meetings, Penn State Athletics Director Dave Joyner says the Big Ten is hinting it is a possibility as the conference looks to figuring out how to fill non-conference schedules with FCS teams being cut from the list of options.
.
.
.
Openly discussing all of the options on the table is just fine. That is what these meetings are for, to figure out ways to best serve the conference in a changing landscape. But do not be fooled into thinking this is ever going to actually happen. Conference teams playing each other in non-conference match-ups may serve fans well and provide for more attractive games for most, it ultimately does the conference more harm by hurting overall conference strength of schedule and win totals. Imagine the Big Ten having one bowl spot left unfilled because one of their teams lost to another Big Ten team in a non-conference match-up. The school loses out on a potential win that could have been picked up by scheduling another school and the conference ends up missing out on more bowl revenue.

It is a unique discussion, and perhaps in certain situations a rare match-up could make sense, but it just is not something that will serve the conference’s best interests. Until college football expands to a 14-game regular season, the problems with conference scheduling will continue to unfold.

Entire article:
http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...onference-games-against-conference-opponents/
Click to expand...

If they take this route, they'll be in the MNC. Watch.

:slappy:
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top