Question: Road to SEC Title/ National Title game the Toughest Ever

Redwood Forrest

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We often get predictions at the beginning of the season talking about how difficult Bama's schedule is. By the end of the season, in hindsight, many times the same schedule doesn't seem as tough as it did before the games were played.

One factor that I think helps explain this, in my opinion, sometimes get overlooked or downplayed. I'm talking about how teams generally go into a tailspin after being beaten by Bama.
I agree with this. Teams get all fired up for Bama and then fall apart after their dreams of Championships burst.
 

TiderMan

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Feb 5, 2005
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Anytime you have Western KY, Kentucky, Kent State and Chattanooga all on the schedule in the same year, you can't say it is the toughest ever. It is a good schedule with 7 good SEC programs and one good OOC program but the toughest - not a chance.
 

selmaborntidefan

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We often get predictions at the beginning of the season talking about how difficult Bama's schedule is. By the end of the season, in hindsight, many times the same schedule doesn't seem as tough as it did before the games were played.

One factor that I think helps explain this, in my opinion, sometimes get overlooked or downplayed. I'm talking about how teams generally go into a tailspin after being beaten by Bama.
UGA and LSU both last year are good examples as was ATM in 2014.

But we DID have the toughest SOS last year:

https://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/


We beat:
Holiday Bowl champs
TaxSlayer Bowl champs
Liberty Bowl champs
Outback Bowl champs
Texas Bowl champs
Belk Bowl champs
Bham Bowl champs
SEC East champs
Big Ten champs
ACC champs

That's TEN of our fourteen wins.

We beat THREE teams that won nine games
THREE that won ten
One that won 12
One that won 13

And we lost to another ten-win team, meaning we played NINE teams with nine wins or more.
 
Sounds like Georgia and A&M from last season.

We often get predictions at the beginning of the season talking about how difficult Bama's schedule is. By the end of the season, in hindsight, many times the same schedule doesn't seem as tough as it did before the games were played.

One factor that I think helps explain this, in my opinion, sometimes get overlooked or downplayed. I'm talking about how teams generally go into a tailspin after being beaten by Bama.
 

Nolan

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Jul 4, 2006
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We beat:
Holiday Bowl champs
TaxSlayer Bowl champs
Liberty Bowl champs
Outback Bowl champs
Texas Bowl champs
Belk Bowl champs
Bham Bowl champs
SEC East champs
Big Ten champs
ACC champs
That's pretty sexy when you put it like that. Man what a year that was!
 

selmaborntidefan

TideFans Legend
Mar 31, 2000
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That's pretty sexy when you put it like that. Man what a year that was!
It was easy to enjoy at the end, but it sure was difficult to not have a truckload of anxiety after Ole Miss.

Seriously - how many of us were petrified at the time that the Vols game would come to Griffin????
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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Anytime you have Western KY, Kentucky, Kent State and Chattanooga all on the schedule in the same year, you can't say it is the toughest ever. It is a good schedule with 7 good SEC programs and one good OOC program but the toughest - not a chance.
Do you believe everything the media tells you?
 

ALA2262

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Aug 4, 2007
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Last edited:

selmaborntidefan

TideFans Legend
Mar 31, 2000
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Anytime you have Western KY, Kentucky, Kent State and Chattanooga all on the schedule in the same year, you can't say it is the toughest ever. It is a good schedule with 7 good SEC programs and one good OOC program but the toughest - not a chance.
I'll play.

Clemson has Auburn and.....an ACC schedule......plus those powerhouses Troy, SC State, and Louisville

TCU is playing their joke of a Big 12 schedule, Arkansas, SMU, and that national power South Dakota State

big, bad Michigan has decided that in addition to their (mostly) squash opponents in the B1G, they're gonna square off against Hawaii, UCF, and "hasn't been good in a decade" Colorado

Now poor USC.........my goodness.....
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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UGA and LSU both last year are good examples as was ATM in 2014.

But we DID have the toughest SOS last year:

https://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/


We beat:
Holiday Bowl champs
TaxSlayer Bowl champs
Liberty Bowl champs
Outback Bowl champs
Texas Bowl champs
Belk Bowl champs
Bham Bowl champs
SEC East champs
Big Ten champs
ACC champs

That's TEN of our fourteen wins.

We beat THREE teams that won nine games
THREE that won ten
One that won 12
One that won 13

And we lost to another ten-win team, meaning we played NINE teams with nine wins or more.
Some stats I posted in another thread about SOS a few months ago:

Looked at the four playoff teams along with Ohio State since they were so close to being in the playoff. Each team's OOC opponents' Sagarin rankings:

Alabama: 100
Clemson: 72.75
Oklahoma: 68.7
Michigan State: 60.75
Ohio State: 89.75

Now, their conference opponents:

Alabama (9): 19.4 (all 9 ranked in top 29)
Clemson (9): 52.6 (2 ranked in top 29, 5 ranked in top 50, all 9 ranked in top 100)
Oklahoma (8): 50.3 (4 ranked in top 29, 5 ranked in top 50, 8 ranked in top 100)
Michigan State (9): 53.7 (3 ranked in top 29, 4 ranked in top 50, 8 ranked in top 100)
Ohio State (8): 58 (2 ranked in top 29, 2 ranked in top 50, all 8 ranked in top 100)
 

Nolan

Hall of Fame
Jul 4, 2006
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Anytime you have Western KY, Kentucky, Kent State and Chattanooga all on the schedule in the same year, you can't say it is the toughest ever. It is a good schedule with 7 good SEC programs and one good OOC program but the toughest - not a chance.
Aside from the Mocs, none of those teams are cupcakes. Especially UK. That's still an SEC squad.
 

RammerJammer14

Hall of Fame
Aug 18, 2007
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Anytime you have Western KY, Kentucky, Kent State and Chattanooga all on the schedule in the same year, you can't say it is the toughest ever. It is a good schedule with 7 good SEC programs and one good OOC program but the toughest - not a chance.
Yeah. The home game slate this year is garbage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

TiderMan

All-SEC
Feb 5, 2005
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Do you believe everything the media tells you?
I can form my own opinion. I don't need the media to tell me something and believe it when I can look at the schedule and see for myself. It is a good schedule but not anything overwhelming so lets not make it out like it is more than it is.

With that being said, the SEC road part of the schedule is pretty tough but we only have 2 back to back road games (at ARKY and AT TENN).
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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I can form my own opinion. I don't need the media to tell me something and believe it when I can look at the schedule and see for myself. It is a good schedule but not anything overwhelming so lets not make it out like it is more than it is.

With that being said, the SEC road part of the schedule is pretty tough but we only have 2 back to back road games (at ARKY and AT TENN).
When looking back at previous discussions about schedules, I saw your other posts. Forgot you're one of the few that want the impossible schedule.
 

Nolan

Hall of Fame
Jul 4, 2006
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If only it was like the NCAA video game. We could open up at Michigan, then host USC, travel to Clemson, and close out the year against Oklahoma. :tongue:
 

TiderMan

All-SEC
Feb 5, 2005
1,360
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Moody, AL.
When looking back at previous discussions about schedules, I saw your other posts. Forgot you're one of the few that want the impossible schedule.
Not sure what you classify as "the impossible schedule" but as a Tide Pride member and season ticket holder, I would like to see us schedule a better non conference slate. It is hard to get fired up for Western Ky, Kent St, and Chattanooga. I know next year Bama will play FSU, Fresno State, Colorado St, and Mercer in OOC games.
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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Prattville
Not sure what you classify as "the impossible schedule" but as a Tide Pride member and season ticket holder, I would like to see us schedule a better non conference slate. It is hard to get fired up for Western Ky, Kent St, and Chattanooga. I know next year Bama will play FSU, Fresno State, Colorado St, and Mercer in OOC games.
You don't have to pay to be a TidePride member if you don't want to attend those games.

Cowherd had the audacity to call our schedule "laughable" on his show. Seriously...he actually said "laughable"...
Don't give him what he wants...
 

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