The way it used to be...

[The Iron Horse]

So, I was going through good old youtube that the kids are so crazy about, and I somehow ran into a game between Notre Dame and Miami back in 1988. It was a barnburner, the game ended in a tight finish. Anyways, I am doing some stuff around the house and had the game playing in the background. There are some familiar faces, like Barry Alvarez as the DC for the Irish, everyone's favorite Lou Holtz, and then, Jimmy Johnson. Oh, and Pat Hadden up on the booth. Now, here is the kicker. The Canes were playing the Irish, the previous week...they were playing the Wolverines...and even better, these were back to back ROAD GAMES FOR THE CANES! yeah, that's right, they played Michigan at Ann Arbor and then went to South Bend the next week. That is wicked awesome, and I wish that would be the norm for today's game.

 

[BoiseMike19]

Sad but true. Todays game is as much about strategic scheduling as it is about playing on the field. Field a decent (but not dominant) team, schedule 3 FCS level scrubs, count on beating 3 of the 4 FCS level scrubs that live at the bottom of every FBS conference, and go bowling in the winter. Wash, rinse and repeat next season.

 

[Chief]

I remember that season. Michigan started the season 0-2 (losing to ND and Miami by a total of 3 or 4 points I think it was) and was still ranked in top 20.

I seem to recall that season Michigan missed out on a NC by like 6 points total, that was how close they were to being undefeated that season.

 

[The Iron Horse]

Sad but true. Todays game is as much about strategic scheduling as it is about playing on the field. Field a decent (but not dominant) team, schedule 3 FCS level scrubs, count on beating 3 of the 4 FCS level scrubs that live at the bottom of every FBS conference, and go bowling in the winter. Wash, rinse and repeat next season.

pretty much, and in the case you dare venture out and play a top level AQ team, then you are going to really fish for the bottom of the barrel. I enjoyed what LSU did a few years back playing Oregon and then WV, that was cojones there. Michigan has a big boy's schedule in a few years.

I remember that Florida St also had a man's man schedule in 91 or something. I may do some more research on this later.

 

[BoiseMike19]

I do give props to LSU. They have as big a pair seeds as anyone!

 

[BoiseMike19]

The larger misjustice occurs when you have an entire conference reading from the same playbook. This strategy not only pads each teams SOS ranking, it inflates the number of ranked teams, and in doing so it ensures bowl invites and keeps the money gap between the haves and have nots gaping. While the SEC is by no means the only conference in collusion, they are the biggest and easiest example.

SEC
MIZZO OOC - Murray State, Toledo, lndiana and Arky State

VANDY OOC - Austin Peay, UMass, UAB and Wake Forrest

KENTUCKY OOC - Western Kentucky, Miami OH, Alabama State and Louiville

The first 2 literally guaranteed to have 4 wins and Kentucky 3 in the bag. Odds really good to make a bowl game when you only have to knock off 2 of each other and throw in another couple of opportunities with Tennessee and Auburn.

This results in fans claiming 12 of our 14 teams were bowl eligable, the really good teams in the conference getting a boost in SOS/rankings because everyone in the conference is at .500 or above and the bowl money.

The worst part is the two teams that don't go bowling claim 80% of the 100+ other FBS schools would suck too if they had to play in the SEC.

 

[4down20]

The larger misjustice occurs when you have an entire conference reading from the same playbook. This strategy not only pads each teams SOS ranking, it inflates the number of ranked teams, and in doing so it ensures bowl invites and keeps the money gap between the haves and have nots gaping. While the SEC is by no means the only conference in collusion, they are the biggest and easiest example.

SEC
MIZZO OOC - Murray State, Toledo, lndiana and Arky State

VANDY OOC - Austin Peay, UMass, UAB and Wake Forrest

KENTUCKY OOC - Western Kentucky, Miami OH, Alabama State and Louiville

The first 2 literally guaranteed to have 4 wins and Kentucky 3 in the bag. Odds really good to make a bowl game when you only have to knock off 2 of each other and throw in another couple of opportunities with Tennessee and Auburn.

This results in fans claiming 12 of our 14 teams were bowl eligable, the really good teams in the conference getting a boost in SOS/rankings because everyone in the conference is at .500 or above and the bowl money.

The worst part is the two teams that don't go bowling claim 80% of the 100+ other FBS schools would suck too if they had to play in the SEC.

If it was so easy - all conferences/teams would be doing it.

 

[geneh_33]

The larger misjustice occurs when you have an entire conference reading from the same playbook. This strategy not only pads each teams SOS ranking, it inflates the number of ranked teams, and in doing so it ensures bowl invites and keeps the money gap between the haves and have nots gaping. While the SEC is by no means the only conference in collusion, they are the biggest and easiest example.

SEC
MIZZO OOC - Murray State, Toledo, lndiana and Arky State

VANDY OOC - Austin Peay, UMass, UAB and Wake Forrest

KENTUCKY OOC - Western Kentucky, Miami OH, Alabama State and Louiville

The first 2 literally guaranteed to have 4 wins and Kentucky 3 in the bag. Odds really good to make a bowl game when you only have to knock off 2 of each other and throw in another couple of opportunities with Tennessee and Auburn.

This results in fans claiming 12 of our 14 teams were bowl eligable, the really good teams in the conference getting a boost in SOS/rankings because everyone in the conference is at .500 or above and the bowl money.

The worst part is the two teams that don't go bowling claim 80% of the 100+ other FBS schools would suck too if they had to play in the SEC.

Crying again, BoiseMike? It is a habit harder to quit than smoking for you. Shame.

 

[BoiseMike19]

If it was so easy - all conferences/teams would be doing it.

I think the obvious trend is that most conference/teams are trying. BSU too! Two things separate the SEC from the rest.

1. They were the first to adopt this stategy as a group.

2. Their bottom 4 or 5 are superior to the bottom 4 or 5 in every other AQ conference allowing them to schedule their teams as the favorite and usually win.

The bottom 4 in the othe AQ conferences have their hands full with the bottom 4 in most nonAQ conferences thus making the strategy not nearly as effective and foo- proof.

 

[BoiseMike19]

Crying again, BoiseMike? It is a habit harder to quit than smoking for you. Shame.

And I see you are drinking alone again. Go wake up your "partner", tell him you sorry for not being loyal. Try the "lovers are like football teams, you stop providing and you can't blame me for getting behind another one" line.

Ya, the "getting behind" was not as subtle as it sounded.

 

[geneh_33]

And I see you are drinking alone again. Go wake up your "partner", tell him you sorry for not being loyal. Try the "lovers are like football teams, you stop providing and you can't blame me for getting behind another one" line.

Ya, the "getting behind" was not as subtle as it sounded.

I may be as crazy as a loon but I aint no crybaby. Stop crying about other teams' schedules, write your AD and do something about how pitiful YOUR schedule is.

 

[geneh_33]

I think the obvious trend is that most conference/teams are trying. BSU too! Two things separate the SEC from the rest.

1. They were the first to adopt this stategy as a group.

2. Their bottom 4 or 5 are superior to the bottom 4 or 5 in every other AQ conference allowing them to schedule their teams as the favorite and usually win.

The bottom 4 in the othe AQ conferences have their hands full with the bottom 4 in most nonAQ conferences thus making the strategy not nearly as effective and foo- proof.

Boise's got it down to a "T." Just schedule a "good" AQ (Washington), above average non-AQ (BYU), sorry non-AQ (Southern Miss) and a literal sap team (UT-Martin).

Then go after an SEC school because Boise has it so rough. Sure. Not.

 

[WizardHawk]

I watched a 20 year old game about a month ago and what I noticed most is how far the game has come at the college level since then. The game was Nebraska at UW in '92. The first ever night game at Washington. I was there back then, but I sure did see a different game this time. The speed of the game just looked much slower and I'm not talking about Oregon's kind of fast today, just the typical college game. It really looked a lot more like high school games than college and that was a battle of two of the nations best teams that year.

The game is ever evolving and it isn't just the schedules changing. The quality of play is better at all levels. At least that's a positive. I do miss some of the wild offenses back then though. Watching Nebraska run the option was pure joy. Loved the I option, but also seeing the Wing T and the Wishbone gave that throw back feel.

As for scheduling tougher games the new playoffs could have an effect on it, but I think the days of seeing those tougher OOC schedules are mostly behind us. It's just a new era.

 

[geneh_33]

Kids are bigger, stronger and MUCH FASTER than they were 20 years ago. And the coaches are much more demanding than they were back then.

In football one loss is huge. So yeah, OOC schedules will most likely continue to get softer than they are now.

 

[BoiseMike19]

I may be as crazy as a loon but I aint no crybaby. Stop crying about other teams' schedules, write your AD and do something about how pitiful YOUR schedule is.

So I assume since you didn't argue "crazy as a loon" in the south is slang for "take it in the man poon"?

And if you didn't notice I said "BSU too" in my post.

 

[WizardHawk]

OOC has a chance to improve with the new playoffs, but it will depend on how much SoS plays a part in the committee selection process. While it will only matter for 4 teams there are at least a dozen that start out every year thinking they can reach the top 4 and if they place more stock in SoS then there will be some changes, but probably not back to the way it was back then.

 

[geneh_33]

And if you didn't notice I said "BSU too" in my post.

Yeah, I know. But it is fun to pull your chain nevertheless.

 

[BoiseMike19]

Yeah, I know. But it is fun to pull your chain nevertheless.

If you would just stop getting so much pleasure from pulling on guys chains, cables, rods and whatever other name you want to call it, you wouldn't argue so much and your partner wouldn't be so testy.

Heh, heh...even "testy" ties in.

 

[UTVolCountry]

Tennessee OOC schedule the past few years (outside of playing NC State & Oregon) has been shit. I went back and looked at their OOC schedule from the early to mid 2000's and it used to be a lot better.

2006 - California, Air Force, Marshall, Memphis
2005 - UAB, Notre Dame, Memphis
2004 - UNLV, Louisiana Tech, Notre Dame
2003 - Fresno State, Marshall, Duke, Miami
2002 - Wyoming, MTSU, Rutgers, Miami
2001 - Syracuse, Notre Dame, Memphis

There were little to no FCS teams...and definitely not two Sun Belt teams on the same schedule. Now, it's 1 BCS, 1 FCS and 2 Sun Belt teams or a MAC. I wish Tennessee would get back to scheduling more decent OOC opponents, other than just one team each year.

 

[The Crimson King]

Tennessee OOC schedule the past few years (outside of playing NC State & Oregon) has been shit. I went back and looked at their OOC schedule from the early to mid 2000's and it used to be a lot better.

2006 - California, Air Force, Marshall, Memphis
2005 - UAB, Notre Dame, Memphis
2004 - UNLV, Louisiana Tech, Notre Dame
2003 - Fresno State, Marshall, Duke, Miami
2002 - Wyoming, MTSU, Rutgers, Miami
2001 - Syracuse, Notre Dame, Memphis

There were little to no FCS teams...and definitely not two Sun Belt teams on the same schedule. Now, it's 1 BCS, 1 FCS and 2 Sun Belt teams or a MAC. I wish Tennessee would get back to scheduling more decent OOC opponents, other than just one team each year.

yeah, we've had home and homes with Syracuse (Mcnabb style), USC, GT, WVU, Kansas St., Clemson (3 games), wash st. (somehow turned into two home games........cause they suck so badly and the Pac gets extra money?)