Top 5 Easiest/Toughest P5 Schedules for 2017

[ericd7633]

If Michigan State is going to be considered a garbage team because of one season then so should Oregon and UCLA.

And who doesn't have some garbage opponents?

Everybody does, but some garbage is worse than others and that effects overall SOS. The B1G at the bottom of the league is worse than any of the other P5 leagues(having 4 of the bottom 6, at least in terms of this FPI ranking).

 

[rmilia1]

You also have 3 garbage OOC games, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State and Minnesota. And NW and Nebraska aren't considered top 25 teams.

Oh I'm not saying it's good but Wyoming, NW, Nebraska and Minnesota are all likely bowl teams and OSU, Wisky and PSU are all NY6 contenders. I think a schedule with 7 bowl teams and 3 top 10-15 type teams is ok. Not great but I have a hard time believing it's top 8 easy. Without looking at all the other schedules it's tough to say but I'd be surprised

 

[ericd7633]

Just specifically looking at Iowa's schedule they play teams ranked #79, #67, #119, #97(Purdue), #86(Illinois), #68(Minnesota).

 

[SJ76]

Iowa plays 3 top 10 type teams with road games also vs NW and Nebraska and they're in the top 10 easiest? Lol. I'd hate to look at other teams schedules then

Who outside of Ohio St is top 10 material? I tell ya, you Iowa folks are a trip come football season. The kool-aid gets-a-flowin

 

[SJ76]

True on taking the loudmouth. You gotta take him. And FSU is to us what USC is to you. They do that cot damn war chant for almost the entire game. Annoying as fuck!

And as for our OOC games, we normally play 2 sec teams, one of them being the dirtpeckers which we play every year. Not too much to bitch about there. This year we have 2 cupcakes, outside of the Wakes and Syracuses of the ACC, in Kent St. and the Citadel, who we all know BEAT south carolina the last time they played.

Weez allready all up in your head

 

[ericd7633]

Oh I'm not saying it's good but Wyoming, NW, Nebraska and Minnesota are all likely bowl teams and OSU, Wisky and PSU are all NY6 contenders. I think a schedule with 7 bowl teams and 3 top 10-15 type teams is ok. Not great but I have a hard time believing it's top 8 easy. Without looking at all the other schedules it's tough to say but I'd be surprised

For comparison sake Louisville is ranked one spot harder(9th easiest) in these rankings(Virginia Tech rounds out the top 10 easiest). Louisville has Clemson and FSU, so two teams who project to be top 10-15. Their OOC isn't very good either. Purdue projects to be worse than Iowa State does, then have Kentucky, Kent State and Murray State(which I don't think is calculated into the ranking since it's an FCS school).

It's the bottom of the league projecting to be so terrible(Rutgers, Purdue, Illinois and Maryland) that drags it down for everyone else.

 

[osubuckeye89]

You cant control what conference you are in or how unbalanced scheduling works in your favor

You can however, control your OOC schedule.

10 FBS teams with the easiest non-conference schedules in 2017

 

[ericd7633]

You cant control what conference you are in or how unbalanced scheduling works in your favor

You can however, control your OOC schedule.

10 FBS teams with the easiest non-conference schedules in 2017

The B1G teams for the most part have scheduled pretty well OOC this season(I'd say the exception would be Illinois(no P5 game), and Iowa(having to play ISU every year sucks, but it is what it is). But you get stuck with a schedule that has Purdue/Illinois and one of Maryland/Rutgers as a crossover opponent that's going to significantly hurt your SOS.

You follow college basketball pretty closely. The B1G schedules remind me a lot of Indiana's OOC basketball schedule last year. Played UNC, Kansas, Louisville(all top 10), but played a lot of terrible(RPI 250+ opponents) which killed their OOC SOS. When 5/12th's of a schedule is against the bottom third of college football it kills your overall SOS despite having three high end games(top 10)

 

[rmilia1]

Who outside of Ohio St is top 10 material? I tell ya, you Iowa folks are a trip come football season. The kool-aid gets-a-flowin

Penn St and Wisconsin

 

[7Samurai13]

You cant control what conference you are in or how unbalanced scheduling works in your favor

You can however, control your OOC schedule.

10 FBS teams with the easiest non-conference schedules in 2017

That link takes me to signing up for USA Today subscription.

 

[7Samurai13]

The B1G teams for the most part have scheduled pretty well OOC this season(I'd say the exception would be Illinois(no P5 game), and Iowa(having to play ISU every year sucks, but it is what it is). But you get stuck with a schedule that has Purdue/Illinois and one of Maryland/Rutgers as a crossover opponent that's going to significantly hurt your SOS.

You follow college basketball pretty closely. The B1G schedules remind me a lot of Indiana's OOC basketball schedule last year. Played UNC, Kansas, Louisville(all top 10), but played a lot of terrible(RPI 250+ opponents) which killed their OOC SOS. When 5/12th's of a schedule is against the bottom third of college football it kills your overall SOS despite having three high end games(top 10)

Wish they had the useful tag here so you get cake instead.

 

[rmilia1]

The B1G teams for the most part have scheduled pretty well OOC this season(I'd say the exception would be Illinois(no P5 game), and Iowa(having to play ISU every year sucks, but it is what it is). But you get stuck with a schedule that has Purdue/Illinois and one of Maryland/Rutgers as a crossover opponent that's going to significantly hurt your SOS.

You follow college basketball pretty closely. The B1G schedules remind me a lot of Indiana's OOC basketball schedule last year. Played UNC, Kansas, Louisville(all top 10), but played a lot of terrible(RPI 250+ opponents) which killed their OOC SOS. When 5/12th's of a schedule is against the bottom third of college football it kills your overall SOS despite having three high end games(top 10)

Yeah that is true but you'd think when 25 percent of your games are legit top tier teams you'd still end up with an ok SOS especially when you play 4-5 other bowl teams . We shall see at year end but I'm guessing the SOS won't end up as one of the 10 easiest

 

[SJ76]

For comparison sake Louisville is ranked one spot harder(9th easiest) in these rankings(Virginia Tech rounds out the top 10 easiest). Louisville has Clemson and FSU, so two teams who project to be top 10-15. Their OOC isn't very good either. Purdue projects to be worse than Iowa State does, then have Kentucky, Kent State and Murray State(which I don't think is calculated into the ranking since it's an FCS school).

It's the bottom of the league projecting to be so terrible(Rutgers, Purdue, Illinois and Maryland) that drags it down for everyone else.

FSU OOC has Bama and Florida. Not that good?

 

[SJ76]

Penn St and Wisconsin

Could happen. Penn St RB is pretty good. Not about those 2 being in the top 10 though. Who knows

 

[7Samurai13]

FSU OOC has Bama and Florida. Not that good?

Reading comprehension. He is talking about Louisville's OOC.

 

[rmilia1]

Could happen. Penn St RB is pretty good. Not about those 2 being in the top 10 though. Who knows

Yeah it's a guess at this point but preseason wise all 3 will be top 10-15. Of course that doesn't mean shit

 

[rmilia1]

Is Maryland supposed to be awful? I kind of thought they were on the uptick but i admit I an not sure who they lost from last year . I figured they'd win 6ish games again so not awful but not good

 

[ericd7633]

Yeah that is true but you'd think when 25 percent of your games are legit top tier teams you'd still end up with an ok SOS especially when you play 4-5 other bowl teams . We shall see at year end but I'm guessing the SOS won't end up as one of the 10 easiest

Overall SOS is really about the bad teams you play and not the good ones. It's really about avoiding, at least in football teams ranked 80+. Iowa has 5 teams that could be hovering around 80 or worse next season(Purdue, Illinois, Iowa State, Wyoming and North Texas) and my guess would be if you average out those 5 opponents it will be higher than 80 given North Texas could end up in the 100's. That type of schedule would need to be countered by 5 top 20 teams to balance out, at least in terms of having a good SOS. I don't see two teams who could potentially leap up to be a top 20 team on Iowa's schedule on top of the 3 they already project to play. Now there's also a good chance a team like Wyoming could take another leap forward and win 9/10 games and be considered a top 50 team, which would really enhance Iowa's SOS. I certainly don't think that's out of the question either. We'll have to see how it plays out, like you said.

 

[rmilia1]

Overall SOS is really about the bad teams you play and not the good ones. It's really about avoiding, at least in football teams ranked 80+. Iowa has 5 teams that could be hovering around 80 or worse next season(Purdue, Illinois, Iowa State, Wyoming and North Texas) and my guess would be if you average out those 5 opponents it will be higher than 80 given North Texas could end up in the 100's. That type of schedule would need to be countered by 5 top 20 teams to balance out, at least in terms of having a good SOS. I don't see two teams who could potentially leap up to be a top 20 team on Iowa's schedule on top of the 3 they already project to play. Now there's also a good chance a team like Wyoming could take another leap forward and win 9/10 games and be considered a top 50 team, which would really enhance Iowa's SOS. I certainly don't think that's out of the question either. We'll have to see how it plays out, like you said.

Word. That's why you're the man on this stuff. SOS talk is cool but in just ready for the season to get here. Worried about the Wyoming game actually. Breaking in a new QB vs a team with a top 10 pick at QB is not a good feeling lol

 

[ericd7633]

Is Maryland supposed to be awful? I kind of thought they were on the uptick but i admit I an not sure who they lost from last year . I figured they'd win 6ish games again so not awful but not good

Their wins last year were Howard(2-9 FCS team), FIU(4-8), UCF(6-7), Purdue(3-9), Michigan State(3-9) and Rutgers(2-10). The schedule is significantly harder this year. Replacing FIU with Texas, and hell Towson may even give them a game. They also don't get Purdue or Illinois from the other division. And I'm going to assume they take an L at Michigan State this year. My guess would be they're a 4 win team or there abouts. FPI has them as the 6 worst P5 team, FWIW. Massey has them as the 75th ranked team, FWIW.

Maryland projects to have the hardest B1G schedule this year.