TMQ and college schedules

[Ohio Pete]

A team doesn't get to the championship game with 2 or 3 losses anymore.

I fixed it for you...

Right. Only 2 or 3 2 loss teams have ever won a national championship. The reason teams don't bother scheduling better match ups is because they don't have to (no strength of schedule component in the formula) and money. Of course any AD with half a brain can schedule 2 BCS non-cons and still have 3 home games, but then how many ADs have even half a brain?

Anyway, someone at ESPN was fine enough to break down the Big 12 schedule strength for this year:

1. Kansas: After the jokes of last season, the Jayhawks will be tested with a schedule including games against all three South Division power teams and a trip to South Florida in the nonconference.
2. Colorado: The Buffaloes don't have a schedule meant for winning the division with road games against Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska along with punishing nonconference games against West Virginia and Florida State (in Jacksonville, Fla.)

3. Baylor: The Bears will face their usual South Division meat grinder, including trips to Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma State. They also host Missouri, travel to Nebraska and are the only Big 12 team to face three opponents from BCS conferences in the nonconference.

4. Kansas State: The Wildcats get no breaks against North Division foes, traveling to Missouri, Kansas and Colorado along with Texas A&M. Their home games include games against Oklahoma and Texas Tech and they also travel to Louisville for a nationally-televised nonconference game.

5. Oklahoma State: Their schedule is almost enough to make Mike Gundy rant. It isn't balanced with road conference games against contenders Missouri, Colorado, Texas Tech and Texas, Compare that to their home conference games against Iowa State, Texas A&M and Baylor, along with Oklahoma. Throw in a potential trap game against Washington State in Seattle in their opener and the Cowboys could struggle -- particularly if QB Zac Robinson gets hurt.

6. Texas: The Longhorns benefit from having the Oklahoma game count as a road game this season. But all three other road conference games will be tough with games at Kansas, Colorado and Texas Tech. The trip to UTEP might be troublesome and Howard Schnellenberger is popping off about how good Florida Atlantic is, too.

7. Texas Tech: After being pilloried for a weak non-conference schedule, it catches up quick for the Red Raiders who travel to Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M along with home games against Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma State and Baylor.

8. Nebraska: Bo Pelini couldn't ask for a better start after having his first five games at home. The Cornhuskers have Missouri, Kansas and Colorado all at home along with Virginia Tech. Road games to Oklahoma and Texas Tech will be serious tests, however.

9. Texas A&M: The Aggies have most of their tougher conference games at home, as road games will be played at Oklahoma State, Baylor and Iowa State along with the Texas game. The Aggies' nonconference games will feature a trip to New Mexico and a home game against toothless Miami, so it might not be a stretch to see the Aggies at 4-0 heading into conference play.

10. Oklahoma: A trip to Washington probably sounded tougher when Oklahoma officials originally scheduled the game. The Sooners' conference road trips are to Baylor and Kansas State along with Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. They also host Kansas and Texas Tech along with Nebraska. And the Sooners will be ready for TCU in their final nonconference game after what happened in the Horned Frogs' last trip to Norman in 2005.

11. Missouri: This looks like a schedule developed for a title. A tough opening game against Illinois is followed by three cakewalks before tough road trips to Nebraska and Texas early in the conference. But after that, it's smooth sailing with road trips to Baylor and Iowa State before facing Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium in the regular season finale. And the Big 12 championship game will be played practically in their backyard at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

12. Iowa State: Too bad the Cyclones' talent level isn't a little better, because this schedule might have been drafted with a bowl trip in mind. They miss all of the South Division power teams and host Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. Road games will still be a challenge in coach Gene Chizik's second season, although I wouldn't be surprised if the Cyclones can notch an upset with road games against Baylor, Oklahoma State, Colorado and Kansas State.

 

[huskerification of your brain]

That is quite a difference in ESPN's list and Phil Steele's. He has Nebraska's schedule 22nd in the nation and 3rd in the big 12 while Missouri is 64th in the nation and last in the big 12. Nothing but novelties. The Big 12 up and down is going to be VERY exciting this year..... except K-state :dunno

http://www.philsteele.com/FBS%20Info/toughestschedule.html

 

[clone]

Virginia Tech is a waaay better team than Illinois.

BARF-neck disagrees with you...

20, Illinois: The Illini lost its best runner and tackler, and faces key games away from home against Missouri, Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin.

• 21, Kansas: The Jayhawks aren't going away, but a much more rugged schedule will keep KU from repeating last year's 12-1 record.

• 22, Virginia Tech: Defense and special teams will become even more important after graduations and injuries have depleted the offense.

but opinions vary

GO BO!!

BEAT THE BRONCOS!!

 

[shyndy]

i don't know if nevada is a cupcake, they were playing pretty well at the end of the year last year, if we had played them later in the year we would have been in for a game IMO. I thought Illinois was decent last year, but they did lose their best player. Most importantly it ain't gonna be easy for Mizzou to come in here with swirling winds and win for the first time in idk how many years!

 

[huKSer]

Mizzou's single roll-over is S.E. Missouri State. They get some money, we get a win.

Don't forget from last year:

Michigan's single roll-over is Appalachian State. They get some money, we get a win.

 

[Reebsker]

i don't know if nevada is a cupcake, they were playing pretty well at the end of the year last year, if we had played them later in the year we would have been in for a game IMO. I thought Illinois was decent last year, but they did lose their best player. Most importantly it ain't gonna be easy for Mizzou to come in here with swirling winds and win for the first time in idk how many years!

The wins they did have weren't exactly against quality opponents.

 

[AR Husker Fan]

first of all, i see plenty of non-husker football related topics on this exact board, so...what's that about? should i have named the topic "GBR!!!! Missery sucks"? probably. i regret that now. but if it is the wrong board, apologies for sullying the good name of husker football by talking about missouri being stupid in it.

and second, why is that the wrong information? if kansas was playing your schedule, you'd be saying that it was soft.

I suspect what they mean is "wrong forum". Take a look HERE, and you'll see what they meant. And it also explains the "wrong information" comments, as well.

 

[kc_husker]

Virginia Tech is a waaay better team than Illinois.

VT is ranked #17 to Illinois #20. And since neither has played, how do you know VT is 'waaay' better?

Well you have to admit that Our Schedule is far more hard than Mizzou's nothing against Mizzou. We have to play against #17 VT, #14 Kansas, and #6 Mizzou at home and away games at #4 Oklahoma and #12 Texas Tech.

But the season starts tomorrow and three more days for Nebraska. Right now they have the 07' Auburn vs LSU game on ESPN Classic ummmm I mean SEC Classic now that ESPN is going to show all SEC games. <_<

Yes - your schedule is more difficult than MU's (on paper). Luck of the draw.

With millions of dollars at stake in the BCS system, easy schedules are becoming the norm.

Check LSU's first 3 games: Appalachian State (decent FCS team), Troy, North Texas

OSU opens with Wash. St, Houston, MO State and Troy

OU opens against Chattanooga (actually UT-Chattanooga and FCS team)

A team doesn't get to the championship game with 2 or 3 losses anymore.

Maybe not your team

but yes a team that has 2 losses can make it.

:WTH

 

[walksalone]

And the author's information that Mizzou is playing "8 games at home" is incorrect. 1 of the 8 is in St. Louis (Illinois) and one is in KC (vs KU). Since the crowds are about 50/50 for each school, they're hardly home games.

I'm going to have to call the "waaaaahbulance" for MU Tiger.

Playing those two games would be like us playing in Omaha and Sioux City. Those are home games without being "at home".

Get over it.

 

[MUTigerFan]

And the author's information that Mizzou is playing "8 games at home" is incorrect. 1 of the 8 is in St. Louis (Illinois) and one is in KC (vs KU). Since the crowds are about 50/50 for each school, they're hardly home games.

I'm going to have to call the "waaaaahbulance" for MU Tiger.

Playing those two games would be like us playing in Omaha and Sioux City. Those are home games without being "at home".

Get over it.

It's obvious you don't understand the rivalries or the demographics. There are thousands of Illinois grads in St. Louis, and thousands of KU grads in Kansas City. That makes these truly neutral site games for both teams, with the crowds about 50/50 fan-wise. The Mizzou/KU rivalry goes back about 100 years, and the Illinois Mizzou rivalry - especially in basketball (see Busch Braggin' Rights game) - is nearly 30 years.

As far a NU playing in Omaha or Sioux City - who would you be playing? NU doesn't have a rivalry anymore.

 

[junior4949]

Virginia Tech is a waaay better team than Illinois.

I would say this is highly debateable at best. Both are coming off of losses in BCS games. VT lost quite a bit to graduation and injury.

As far as the schedules go, they are set up years in advance. It's not KU's fault that they didn't play OU or Texass last year. It's just the way the Big 12 schedules work out. I remember when we used to play one of the weakest non-conference schedules as well. This is one of the reasons people thought Florida would beat us in 1995 because of our weaker schedule. All elite programs try to schedule as many home games as possible because this is how revenue is brought into the program. A lot of "good" teams won't do a home and home so elite teams are then forced to schedule cupcakes. Bill Snyder built a program from a cupcake schedule. When you're climbing from the basement, you have to build confidence within your team. You do that by winning games. I'm sure when KU scheduled South Florida that they thought this would be an easy win. You never know 5 years in advance how things will turn out.

 

[fro daddy]

The schedual is much easier than the past two years for MU, but I don't think its that easy. And comparing it to KU's a year ago is a joke. They didnt play anybody intil the last game of the season. MU opens with a top 20 team on a neutral site, plays a top 15 team on neutral ground, & plays a top 10 team away. Is it the toughest, no not even close. Is it the easiest, no, not even close. OU's schedual is easier. They play Texas, Kansas and TT. One is nuetral and two at home.

Just a couple of points.

1. You can not control your conference lineup. The last two years MU had OU, TT & aTm. Now its Texas, Baylor and Okie Light. That is easier, but not MU's fault.

2. KC and STL are truely neutral sites. Granted the majority of the cities are in Missouri. However they both crosse the rivers into the other states. Both cities are pretty evenly split between the two and the real hard up would argue that Ill gets the love in STL and KU gets it in KC.

 

[huskerswrkhavoc]

As far a NU playing in Omaha or Sioux City - who would you be playing? NU doesn't have a rivalry anymore.

that would be because the big 12 destroyed the one we cared about.

 

[melscott62]

The schedual is much easier than the past two years for MU, but I don't think its that easy. And comparing it to KU's a year ago is a joke. They didnt play anybody intil the last game of the season. MU opens with a top 20 team on a neutral site, plays a top 15 team on neutral ground, & plays a top 10 team away. Is it the toughest, no not even close. Is it the easiest, no, not even close. OU's schedual is easier. They play Texas, Kansas and TT. One is nuetral and two at home.

Just a couple of points.

1. You can not control your conference lineup. The last two years MU had OU, TT & aTm. Now its Texas, Baylor and Okie Light. That is easier, but not MU's fault.

2. KC and STL are truely neutral sites. Granted the majority of the cities are in Missouri. However they both crosse the rivers into the other states. Both cities are pretty evenly split between the two and the real hard up would argue that Ill gets the love in STL and KU gets it in KC.

using KU's schedule as a measuring stick would be like us talking about our D from last year and then comparing it to Omaha Burke(just picked HS at random)

 

[huskerjack23]

The schedual is much easier than the past two years for MU, but I don't think its that easy. And comparing it to KU's a year ago is a joke. They didnt play anybody intil the last game of the season. MU opens with a top 20 team on a neutral site, plays a top 15 team on neutral ground, & plays a top 10 team away. Is it the toughest, no not even close. Is it the easiest, no, not even close. OU's schedual is easier. They play Texas, Kansas and TT. One is nuetral and two at home.

Just a couple of points.

1. You can not control your conference lineup. The last two years MU had OU, TT & aTm. Now its Texas, Baylor and Okie Light. That is easier, but not MU's fault.

2. KC and STL are truely neutral sites. Granted the majority of the cities are in Missouri. However they both crosse the rivers into the other states. Both cities are pretty evenly split between the two and the real hard up would argue that Ill gets the love in STL and KU gets it in KC.

using KU's schedule as a measuring stick would be like us talking about our D from last year and then comparing it to Omaha Burke(just picked HS at random)

are you saying comparing mizzou's schedule this year to kansas' schedule last year is a bad analogy or a good one?