Great fall weather, it just screams college football. So after a full day of great games, I was shocked this morning while reviewing the results from yesterday’s gridiron battles. I was checking the scores and stats and clicked on schedules. I wanted to see who Florida had next and see what tough SEC teams lay ahead. Imagine my shock when I found their schedule. Check this out:
Sat, Sep 5 Charleston Southern W 62-3
Sat, Sep 12 Troy W 56-6
Sat, Sep 19 Tennessee W 23-13
Sat, Sep 26 at Kentucky W 41-7
Sat, Oct 10 at (4) LSU W 13-3
Sat, Oct 17 Arkansas
Sat, Oct 24 at Mississippi State
Sat, Oct 31 Georgia 3:30 pm
Sat, Nov 7 Vanderbilt
Sat, Nov 14 at (25) South Carolina
Sat, Nov 21 FIU TBA
Sat, Nov 28 Florida State TBA
This is their actual schedule. The number 1 team in the land. Now how are we to know how good they are when they have only 1 true test on their schedule, LSU. Charleston Southern is 2 – 3 including a beat down by Wofford, 42 – 14. Troy is 3 – 2. And FIU? They are 1 and 4 including a home loss to Toledo.
The combined record of their opponent’s year to date is 28 – 33 with only 1 team having more than 3 wins, South Carolina.
They play 2 teams in the top 25 and everyone talks about how strong they are. They don’t play Alabama, Auburn or Mississippi, the other teams ranked in the SEC. If they can’t run the table with this schedule, I would be shocked. They can’t say that Boise St. doesn’t belong in the BSC (Bull Shit Championship) game if they go undefeated. The Athletic Director should be ashamed for putting this schedule together. It is good for college football when Miami plays a schedule like they do. They have half of their games against ranked opponents. And yes, even USC and Ohio St. playing a home and away series. The build up to that game both years was incredible.
Do you think the players want to play this weak of a schedule? Now I want to be perfectly clear, (that sounded Presidential) there is no disrespect directed towards the players at FIU or any other small school. These athletes work just as hard as any other and they have pride in what they are doing. They should; football played at any level is a life changing privilege and they should suck up all the experiences that come from it.
Let’s check the non-conference schedules of the top 10 teams.
1. Florida: Charleston Southern, Troy, FIU, FSU
2. Texas: Louisiana Monroe, Wyoming, UTEP and UCF
3. Alabama: Virginia Tech, FIU, North Texas and Chattanooga
4. LSU: Washington, Louisiana Lafayette, Tulane and Louisiana Tech
5. Virginia Tech: Alabama, Marshall and Nebraska
6. Boise St.: Oregon and no one else recognizable
7. USC: San Jose St, Ohio St. and Notre Dame
8. Cincinnati: Rutgers, South East Missouri State, Oregon St. and Fresno St.
9. Ohio St. Navy, USC and Toledo
10. TCU: Virginia, Texas St. and Clemson
Putting that list together was more work than you think. The point of all this is you only get better by challenging yourself. Is it fun to win? Absolutely, but who gained more from their victories, Florida over Charleston Southern or USC over Ohio St.? I bet even Ohio St. thinks they gained more from losing to USC than they did in their victory over Toledo.
Step up coaches and Ads and do what is good for your programs and college fans alike. I bet if Florida were to play Penn St. that they would get more publicity and credibility for accepting the challenge.
For the record, my first year at USC we played Florida, Notre Dame and Kansas, want to know the scores? 19 – 19, 38 – 6 and 26 – 20.
Fight On!
Troy
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Not sure I really understand you argument. Granted, Florida’s schedule is very light this year, but I have seen several times in the last few years where you guys came out pre-season #1 with a light schedule. Are you wishing you would have been ranked higher pre-season? Florida is the reigning national champions and they started pre-season #1. It seems to me that the argument should be to do away with the pre-season rankings. The SEC is obviously not up to par this year. LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee seem to not be what they normally are. Ole Miss looked as if they might be something but they turned out not to be. Alabama may or may not be all it is cracked up to be, but at the end of the day, whoever is the best from each division has to line up one last time in the SEC Championship. Florida will for sure be the East Division champion, but will then have to play either LSU again, Alabama who would probably be #2 at that time or Auburn who if they win out, will have beaten Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi and Alabama and will probably be back in the top 10.
ReplyDeleteYour argument to me has always been that you guys play everyone in your conference and then play tough outside your conference so the argument for a conference championship doesn’t matter. So let’s look at who you played outside your conference. Ohio State that you barely beat. Is Ohio State over ranked as usual….absolutely. That has proven itself out in National Championship games over the last few years now hasn’t it? Who do they play this year? You guys and Penn State….that’s it. Woooooo…..tough schedule. Who else do you play…..Notre Dame!!! Wow….there is another powerhouse. In the ancient past, sure….now…not so much. They are ranked 25 at the moment and they play/played you and then they have….well….you. Not much of an argument for an out of conference foe. So let’s look at just how tough your in-conference schedule looked like this year. Who do you have to play? Washington? What happened there? Who else? Cal? Unranked and shouldn’t be a problem for the mighty Trojans. Who else? Oregon? Well we will see what happens there. Should be your only real challenge of the year. That is if you get past the Fighting Irish???
So what is your argument Troy on Troy? Are you just pissed that you lost to Washington and aren’t over ranked like you are most years? So you have to take it out on Florida? Seems like the tables have turned. It’s ok though. They will most likely lose to Alabama in the SEC Championship and Bama will kick Texas’ ass and SEC will win it yet again. If you want to make an argument, let’s keep it to getting rid of pre-season rankings and keep fighting for a playoff system.