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Toughest Schedules of 2018

belcherboy

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I'm sure I'll miss someone, but here is what I think are the toughest schedules for teams that appear in the top 25 coaches poll.

1) Michigan: @ND, Wisconsin, @MSU, Penn St, @OSU (All top 12 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

2) Auburn: Washington (neutral), LSU, @UGA, @Alabama (3 are ranked in the top 6 teams)

3) LSU: Miami (neutral), @Auburn, UGA, Alabama (All top 10 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

4) Notre Dame: Michigan, Stanford, @VaTech, FSU, @USC (All top 20 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

5) Ohio State: TCU (neutral), @Penn St, @MSU, Michigan (All top 16 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

Who needs to be added to this list?
 

ericd7633

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I think FSU's is tougher than every team you mentioned. From top to bottom, only comparable would be Michigan IMO.
 

belcherboy

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I think FSU's is tougher than every team you mentioned. From top to bottom, only comparable would be Michigan IMO.

They have a good schedule, but you think it is better Auburn, and LSU? I'm not sure I would rank them above anyone in my top 5. I think these are their only pre-season ranked opponents on their schedule: (it's still a very good schedule, no doubt)


FSU: @VaTech (#17), @Miami (#8), Clemson (#2), @ND (#11)
 

ericd7633

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They have a good schedule, but you think it is better Auburn, and LSU? I'm not sure I would rank them above anyone in my top 5. I think these are their only pre-season ranked opponents on their schedule: (it's still a very good schedule, no doubt)


FSU: @VaTech (#17), @Miami (#8), Clemson (#2), @ND (#11)

You outlined their toughest games, but they still have to play Louisville, Wake Forest, NC State, Boston College and UF. If UF projects to be the 3rd/4th easiest game on the schedule that's very difficult. Out of those 5 Michigan is really the only team that comes close in terms of depth of schedule.
 

belcherboy

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You outlined their toughest games, but they still have to play Louisville, Wake Forest, NC State, Boston College and UF. If UF projects to be the 3rd/4th easiest game on the schedule that's very difficult. Out of those 5 Michigan is really the only team that comes close in terms of depth of schedule.

I didn't include UF on LSU's schedule either...along with some other borderline top 25 teams on other teams above.

Also, is BC, Louisville, and Wake really going to be "that good" this year? Outside of Louisville, who just lost one the best players over the past 3 years in college football, none of those programs have done anything significant in a long time. Why are they so tough this year, in your opinion?
 

7Samurai13

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I didn't include UF on LSU's schedule either...along with some other borderline top 25 teams on other teams above.

Also, is BC, Louisville, and Wake really going to be "that good" this year? Outside of Louisville, who just lost one the best players over the past 3 years in college football, none of those programs have done anything significant in a long time. Why are they so tough this year, in your opinion?
It’s more the belief that they are as bad as the worst on Michigan’s schedule like Rutgers and Indiana.
 

belcherboy

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It’s more the belief that they are as bad as the worst on Michigan’s schedule like Rutgers and Indiana.

The thing is, why would Louisville, Wake Forest, NC State, or BC really make much of an impact on someone's SOS this season? I'll admit that those teams are way off my radar, and I'm likely underestimating them, but most those teams were middle of the ACC last year, and have been near the basement of the conference several times over the past 2-3 seasons.

FSU likely has a top 10 strength of schedule IMO, but I don't think they have a tougher schedule than anyone in my top 5. Just my two cents.
 

ericd7633

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I didn't include UF on LSU's schedule either...along with some other borderline top 25 teams.

Also, is BC, Louisville, and Wake really going to be "that good" this year? Outside of Louisville, who just lost one the best players over the past 3 years in college football, none of those programs have done anything significant in a long time. Why are they so tough this year, in your opinion?

I get that. I was just outlining the rest of the majority of their schedule. As for the other 3 you mentioned all were top 35 in Massey last year at the end of the regular season, BC and Louisville in the top 30. BC returns a significant amount of production on offense(all 5 OL, TE, and a stud RB). BC will probably be the team out of that bunch that takes a step forward. UL still returns enough to be at least as good as they were last year IMO. And Wake probably will take a step back, but should still be viable(bowl eligible).

9 of the 12 teams on the schedule received a vote in the Coaches Poll. Wake, Syacuse and Samford did not.
 

Deep Creek

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Athlon

1. Florida State
2. Nebraska
3. Notre Dame

4. Pitt
5. Auburn
6. Arizona State
7. Michigan
8. UCLA

9. NC State
10. Texas A&M

Bleacher Reports

1. Nebraska
2. Rutgers
3. Michigan
4. LSU
5. Georgia Tech
6. UCLA
7. Notre Dame
8. Texas A&M
9. Florida State

10. Louisville

Bold on both lists
 

Deep Creek

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I get that. I was just outlining the rest of the majority of their schedule. As for the other 3 you mentioned all were top 35 in Massey last year at the end of the regular season, BC and Louisville in the top 30. BC returns a significant amount of production on offense(all 5 OL, TE, and a stud RB). BC will probably be the team out of that bunch that takes a step forward. UL still returns enough to be at least as good as they were last year IMO. And Wake probably will take a step back, but should still be viable(bowl eligible).

9 of the 12 teams on the schedule received a vote in the Coaches Poll. Wake, Syacuse and Samford did not.
This. Hard to tell right now if the "toughies" are really "tough" or not and the "sisters of the poor" are really "poor".
 

ericd7633

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The thing is, why would Louisville, Wake Forest, NC State, or BC really make much of an impact on someone's SOS this season? I'll admit that those teams are way off my radar, and I'm likely underestimating them, but most those teams were middle of the ACC last year, and have been near the basement of the conference several times over the past 2-3 seasons.

FSU likely has a top 10 strength of schedule IMO, but I don't think they have a tougher schedule than anyone in my top 5. Just my two cents.

If you're just going to select the 4 toughest games then sure. You have OSU 5th and their top 4 and FSU's top 4 is negligible. And they have to play Oregon State, Rutgers, Tulane, Maryland, and Minnesota.
 

belcherboy

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Athlon

1. Florida State
2. Nebraska
3. Notre Dame

4. Pitt
5. Auburn
6. Arizona State
7. Michigan
8. UCLA

9. NC State
10. Texas A&M

Bleacher Reports

1. Nebraska
2. Rutgers
3. Michigan
4. LSU
5. Georgia Tech
6. UCLA
7. Notre Dame
8. Texas A&M
9. Florida State

10. Louisville

Bold on both lists

I'm sure I'll miss someone, but here is what I think are the toughest schedules for teams that appear in the top 25 coaches poll.

I was using teams that are currently ranked.
 

belcherboy

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If you're just going to select the 4 toughest games then sure. You have OSU 5th and their top 4 and FSU's top 4 is negligible. And they have to play Oregon State, Rutgers, Tulane, Maryland, and Minnesota.

I was just putting down the games that each team has the greatest chance of losing.

Do you think FSU has a tougher schedule than LSU (they both play Miami and UF)? Or even Auburn?
 

Deep Creek

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Wild Turkey

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Auburn as always.
 

Deep Creek

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I was using teams that are currently ranked.
Then common to both lists and also in the Coaches Poll are Florida State, Michigan and Notre Dame.
 

Across The Field

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If you're just going to select the 4 toughest games then sure. You have OSU 5th and their top 4 and FSU's top 4 is negligible. And they have to play Oregon State, Rutgers, Tulane, Maryland, and Minnesota.
I know you're on the BC train but I think you're maybe on it a bit too much. There's a real chance they wind up with the same record as Maryland this year. Maryland had the toughest schedule in the country last year arguably - they had 8 losses and 8-5 michigan was the 2nd worst team that beat them - and also had to use 6 QBs due to injuries. If recruiting rankings are any indication, they're definitely more talented than BC.
 

belcherboy

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You do know that Rutgers, Maryland and Minnesota are part of Murderer's Row, don't ya? In fact, all the B1G is part of it.
www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/gordons-greatest-hits-a-look-back-at-gees-gaffes/

Let's not pretend that BC, NC State, and Wake Forest have been killing it over the past 5 years either. Although, maybe they are returning some great teams this season...so maybe I'm not giving them the respect they deserve.

Regardless, I wouldn't want to play three top 6 preseason ranked teams in a season, or four top 10 preseason ranked teams, even if I had a schedule mostly filled with Mercer type teams.
 

belcherboy

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Then common to both lists and also in the Coaches Poll are Florida State, Michigan and Notre Dame.

Yeah, I was just asking everyone's opinions.
 

Deep Creek

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Let's not pretend that BC, NC State, and Wake Forest have been killing it over the past 5 years either. Although, maybe they are returning some great teams this season...so maybe I'm not giving them the respect they deserve.

Regardless, I wouldn't want to play three top 6 preseason ranked teams in a season, or four top 10 preseason ranked teams, even if I had a schedule mostly filled with Mercer type teams.
I'm not pimping BC, NC State or Wake Forest. Just pointing out what Gordon Gee claimed.
 
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