I suppose no one FORCED them to, but what OOC scheudle would satisfy? Most of that slate was built before the current coach even arrived. You had an act of GOD take out one game. And ou have the factor some of the stuff is just hard to predict (play GT and MD last year, it means something. This year, it’s trash).
The point is, a team like that is rarely going to be able to schedule itself into position to have that baller OOC shedule, and rarer still be able to time it up with one of the best teams in program history. You can’t just say, “we’ve got a good team here,” best load up this year.
In short, this is true, but it is not something they have much of a measure of iron clad control over.
I don't disagree, I just get tired of the complaining from the G5 fans. Those conference schedules are complete crap so don't complain when you play a crap OOC, a crap conference schedule and don't get into the CFP.
It feels weird to call is an advantage. This sport is by nature unbalanced. UCF is almost assuredly on the not-advantaged one.
UCF has an advantage in terms of going undefeated, with a relative disadvantage in everything else. Now I think it's bad UCF can do everything it can against the schedule presented and be perpetually shut out. But I also don't think UCF should've been in a four-team playoff, if that makes any sense.
Lets face it, OSU has some pretty big advantages as well. If Bama doesn't lose to Auburn, OSU is likely in with two losses. Hell, If the Iowa game is 24-21, OSU might be in, or if Iowa beat NW and Purdue. So OSU in the right year has two-loss cushion. USF some years is a loss away from Birmingham or the Liberty Bowl at 11-1.
Sure, Ohio State and Bama have advantages that UCF couldn't dream of, but I'm not interested in making a level playing field, I'm interested in putting the best four teams in the country into the CFP.
UCF has a humongous advantage if we simply let in all Conference Champions or select solely based on record because their schedule is ridiculously easy compared to any P5 team. They don't have the week-in, week-out grind of playing competent opponents.
IT looks pretty clear a non Power 5 team has no real shot at ever making it. Alabama and OSU had pretty stinky resumes and neither had much claim over UCF, but UCF wasn't even in the conversation. Really, Bama's best wins and UCF's best wins were pretty similar, so the whole schedule thing looks really overrated.
Really? What were UCF's best wins (pre-bowl because we are talking about at the time of selection)? Memphis (twice, home and neutral)?
Using Sagrin's rankings, Ohio State played (final ranking because I can't find pre-bowl):
- #4 Penn State, won at home
- #6 Oklahoma, lost at home
- #7 Wisconsin, won at a neutral site
- #18 Iowa, lost on the road
- #23 Michigan State, won at home
- #26 Michigan, won on the road
#32 Memphis was UCF's best pre-bowl opponent so Ohio State had six games against better teams than the best team UCF played all year.
Here is the same list for Bama:
- #8 Auburn, lost on the road
- #17 MissSt, won on the road
- #19 LSU, won at home
- #28 Florida State, won at a neutral site
So Bama was 3-1 in four games against teams better than any team that UCF played and Ohio State was 4-2 in six games against such teams. It is NOT CLOSE. A G5 team needs to play a ridiculous OOC to get close to even but it also isn't impossible. It was pointed out upthread that last year Houston beat P5 Champion Oklahoma and also played Louisville. That is the kind of schedule that could make it. If UCF had replaced Austin Peay and Maryland with quality OOC opponents then I think they would have had an argument.
