Link: No more FCS opponents for Big Ten

KrAzY3

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http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8942451/barry-alvarez-says-big-ten-schedule-fcs-teams
""The nonconference schedule in our league is ridiculous," Alvarez said on WIBA-AM in Madison, Wis."

I'm not sure if this really means anything. Ohio State didn't play any FCS schools, but they only played one from a BCS conference (3-9 California), and the combined records were 20-30, which was greatly improved by the 10-4 C-USA opponent UCF, which couldn't even beat Missouri. A cupcake is a cupcake, personally I don't think it makes much difference if you're playing Miami of Ohio, or Youngstown State. But, we know the Big Ten has a good propaganda department so I'll assume they are going to be claiming they play a more difficult schedule now (by the way, Ohio St. had a strength of schedule ranking of 60).
 

DzynKingRTR

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they are just tired of losing to them. Minnesota loses all the time. Iowa loses to Northern Iowa a lot. lets not forget Appy State vs. Meeeshigun. Indiana loses to them Illinois loses to them.
 

jps1983

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It's just a PR move. They'll play Akron instead. It's the same difference, except their good teams will only win by 4 TDs rather than 6. We play some cupcakes but also schedule 1 decent OOC opponent each year.
 

Bamabuzzard

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I also think they are positioning themselves for the 2014 playoff model, and I think the SEC schools need to follow suit. I think the competition *you* play is going to be a major area of focus in this playoff model. I'm not saying we need to schedule the upper echelon of BCS conferences for our OOC games. But I think we need to get away from the Georgia State's of the world.
 

KrAzY3

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I also think they are positioning themselves for the 2014 playoff model, and I think the SEC schools need to follow suit. I think the competition *you* play is going to be a major area of focus in this playoff model. I'm not saying we need to schedule the upper echelon of BCS conferences for our OOC games. But I think we need to get away from the Georgia State's of the world.
What I think this really means is that the committee will make up their own strength of schedule formula. They said they will consider it, but despite many formulas to choose from, they haven't indicated they'll use any existing ones. So, basically their formula can be as simple as number of FBS teams played, or some silly stupid crap. I would agree that the Big Ten is positioning themselves, but either they are trying to game the system, or they are just trying to gain the ground they have lost on other conferences, because their SoS has been pretty low.
 

Bamabuzzard

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What I think this really means is that the committee will make up their own strength of schedule formula. They said they will consider it, but despite many formulas to choose from, they haven't indicated they'll use any existing ones. So, basically their formula can be as simple as number of FBS teams played, or some silly stupid crap. I would agree that the Big Ten is positioning themselves, but either they are trying to game the system, or they are just trying to gain the ground they have lost on other conferences, because their SoS has been pretty low.
However the committee ultimately decides to go with the SOS element is up in the air. But with the Big Ten strengthening their schedule can only put them in a position to help them. The only caveat is they have to win those games.

If the rest of the BCS conferences do this it will more than likely start a chain reaction of what we discussed here months ago. The beginning of the end of a lot of football programs who depend heavily on these games with the "big boys".
 
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RTR91

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The SEC will follow suit. However, there's a problem with this idea because there are plenty of FBS teams that should be FCS teams. If the committee wants to use this as a SOS measurement, the teams eligible for the playoff should only play each other for OOC. That will happen, though, because the FBS teams that shouldn't be eligible are eligible.
 

DzynKingRTR

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The SEC will follow suit. However, there's a problem with this idea because there are plenty of FBS teams that should be FCS teams. If the committee wants to use this as a SOS measurement, the teams eligible for the playoff should only play each other for OOC. That will happen, though, because the FBS teams that shouldn't be eligible are eligible.
Not only that but there will be 4 newbies next year.

Georgia State
North Carolina-Charlotte (who hasn’t even fielded a team yet)
Old Dominion
And I believe there was another one that I am forgetting and I am too lazy to look it up.

And as far as Iowa is concerned so what? The rest of my points were still valid and wasn’t Northern Iowa’s one win over Iowa recently?
 

KrAzY3

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The SEC will follow suit. However, there's a problem with this idea because there are plenty of FBS teams that should be FCS teams. If the committee wants to use this as a SOS measurement, the teams eligible for the playoff should only play each other for OOC. That will happen, though, because the FBS teams that shouldn't be eligible are eligible.
I think I have to drive home the point that the Big 10 has a low SoS. They are the ones that are behind, even without playing FCS programs they would be behind. So, I don't really like the idea that the SEC has to try to keep up with someone they are ahead of. It seems to me more like the goal is to slow the SEC down. Take away home games, make their schedule even more bruising, etc...

Let's look at the SoS of the top teams in each conference, and the FCS teams they played:
Alabama 19 (Western Carolina)
Texas A&M 6 (South Carolina St.)
Georgia 27 (Georgia Southern)
Florida 4 (Jacksonville St.)
LSU 15 (Townson)

Ohio State 60 (None)
Michigan 24 (None)
Northwestern 50 (None)
Nebraska 20 (Idaho St.)
Wisconsin 30 (Northern Iowa)

So, what does this tell us? The two weakest schedules involved no FCS teams, and the two toughest involved FCS teams. The fact is that even if you remove all FCS programs from the Big Ten schedules, they are still playing a much weaker schedule. Either this is propaganda, built on a false notion that FCS programs=weak schedule, and an attempt by the Big Ten to mislead people, or perhaps just a genuine attempt to close some of the considerable gap.

The point about a lot of teams being in the FBS that shouldn't is very relevant here. We see a lot of those teams peppered on all schedules. There's really not much difference between one of those and an FCS team, it's just a bit easier to bring in the FCS team, than to fight over the FBS teams for the road game (FBS teams have to play a certain number of home games). The SEC shouldn't do anything in response to this, save perhaps point out the numbers which are telling.

I am thinking about writing something about the impact of playing a tougher schedule, and I do not at all like the notion that the already brutal SEC should alter their schedule at all. It's already the toughest in all of the FBS, the other conferences need to change, the SEC does not. If there are any attempts to tell us that the SEC doesn't play a tough enough schedule, those are flat out lies.
 

selmaborntidefan

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I was at a game a couple of years ago when a terrible N Texas team routed Indiana. That doesn't help SoS, either.
 

RTR91

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I think I have to drive home the point that the Big 10 has a low SoS. They are the ones that are behind, even without playing FCS programs they would be behind. So, I don't really like the idea that the SEC has to try to keep up with someone they are ahead of. It seems to me more like the goal is to slow the SEC down. Take away home games, make their schedule even more bruising, etc...

Let's look at the SoS of the top teams in each conference, and the FCS teams they played:
Alabama 19 (Western Carolina)
Texas A&M 6 (South Carolina St.)
Georgia 27 (Georgia Southern)
Florida 4 (Jacksonville St.)
LSU 15 (Townson)

Ohio State 60 (None)
Michigan 24 (None)
Northwestern 50 (None)
Nebraska 20 (Idaho St.)
Wisconsin 30 (Northern Iowa)

So, what does this tell us? The two weakest schedules involved no FCS teams, and the two toughest involved FCS teams. The fact is that even if you remove all FCS programs from the Big Ten schedules, they are still playing a much weaker schedule. Either this is propaganda, built on a false notion that FCS programs=weak schedule, and an attempt by the Big Ten to mislead people, or perhaps just a genuine attempt to close some of the considerable gap.

The point about a lot of teams being in the FBS that shouldn't is very relevant here. We see a lot of those teams peppered on all schedules. There's really not much difference between one of those and an FCS team, it's just a bit easier to bring in the FCS team, than to fight over the FBS teams for the road game (FBS teams have to play a certain number of home games). The SEC shouldn't do anything in response to this, save perhaps point out the numbers which are telling.

I am thinking about writing something about the impact of playing a tougher schedule, and I do not at all like the notion that the already brutal SEC should alter their schedule at all. It's already the toughest in all of the FBS, the other conferences need to change, the SEC does not. If there are any attempts to tell us that the SEC doesn't play a tough enough schedule, those are flat out lies.
I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying the SEC will follow suit. It's not about SoS, either. This is all about perception.
 

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