Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

DJ Lagway was a recruit.
am I right?

well then, apparently, recruiting still matters

well, I think who you play at home for a kids visit does matter

much different experience and atmosphere in Lincoln for the weekend of the Colorado game than the Northern Iowa game

yes, a shit ton more money probably trumps the gameday experience, but if the money is similar, some kids are just kids wanting to have a good time in college

Imagine a team that plays 3 worthy OOC opponents in a season, versus another that plays one.  Maybe the former goes 2-1 if it has a CFP worthy team.  That isn't going to hurt them much at all if they do well in conference play (which is a given).  The latter team has about a 50-50 chance of winning its single game, so in some years they get a black mark and in some years not.  I don't think scheduling "up" lessens one's shot at the CFP, if we're talking about CFP worthy teams.

The 3 loss teams THIS year didn't suffer from OOC losses at all, so that couldn't have harmed their CFP chances.  As for conference play, it's a crap shoot, some years you're going to miss the better teams like Indiana did and some years you get the hammer.  Granted, if Indiana had somehow schedule say ND OOC in the regular season, they would have been out had they lost that one.

A P2 team that goes 11-1 likely will slide into the CFP as an at large, but the road will then end shortly.  Maybe they shouldn't, but they will.

Did Indiana have a softer conference slate than others?  Sure.  Did they contrive to do that?  No.

Sure, I think it is a factor when teams' records are one loss apart.  We'll see 10-2 teams ahead of 11-1 teams fairly often as a result.  The current No. 2 team ranked is 11-2 ahead of some one loss teams.  I see a benefit in scheduling a pretty solid OOC slate.  And yes, it might cost you if you schedule 3 and lose all three.  That probably means you're not CFP worthy.

I disagree

even if you take that loss, getting a couple difference makin recruits could get you in the playoff a few seasons down the road
might be worth it

and

if Purdue is offering $10 more than Michigan and Ohio St., that's not enuff to get that recruit.

Purdue and Ball State isn't offering more money, soo.....