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Topic: Toughest and easiest 2024 schedules
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medinabuckeye1 · « **on:** August 01, 2024, 03:46:56 PM »

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/40666290/college-football-toughest-easiest-schedules-2024

Interesting read.

Among the highlights:
Florida has the nation's toughest schedule. They do have an FCS opponent but it isn't the week before FSU like it was up through 2018. Instead they play Samford on Labor Day weekend and their other three OOC games are all P4.

New B1G member USC has the toughest OOC with a schedule bookended by LSU in Vegas and Notre Dame in LA.

Ohio State has the nation's easiest OOC and frankly that is embarrassing. What makes it worse and doubly embarrassing for the league is that Ohio State is taking this dubious spot from none other than their rivals up North. This is the first time in the AP Poll era (since 1936) that Ohio State hasn't had at least one OOC P4 equivalent on the schedule.

New B1G member UCLA has the toughest three game stretch and this is brutal. Between September 14 and September 28 they travel to Baton Rouge to play LSU, fly home to take on Oregon, then fly back across the country to face PSU in Happy Valley. And you wondered why Chip Kelly walked.

We should check bank records for transfers to the B1G schedule czar from New Jersey because the Scarlet Knights appear to have the cushiest possible B1G schedule.

OrangeAfroMan · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2024, 11:11:25 PM »

Florida could start 5-1 and not go to a bowl. Fun.

ELA · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2024, 12:17:48 AM »

Quote from: OrangeAfroMan on August 01, 2024, 11:11:25 PM

Florida could start 5-1 and not go to a bowl. Fun.

Would be a shame if they didnt scrape out a Birmingham Bowl bid. Thats a good place to get the kids who werent good enough to play, and arent good enough to get an NIL portal offer, but will get passed by guys who you bring in with NIL offers, some run

Hawkinole · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2024, 12:55:48 AM »

Quote from: medinabuckeye1 on August 01, 2024, 03:46:56 PM

Ohio State has the nation's easiest OOC and frankly that is embarrassing. What makes it worse and doubly embarrassing for the league is that Ohio State is taking this dubious spot from none other than their rivals up North. This is the first time in the AP Poll era (since 1936) that Ohio State hasn't had at least one OOC P4 equivalent on the schedule. Akron, Marshall, and Western Michigan. A recipe for success.

We should check bank records for transfers to the B1G schedule czar from New Jersey because the Scarlet Knights appear to have the cushiest possible B1G schedule. I was going to contest this statement and say, Iowa must have the easiest conference schedule until I looked at Rutgers' schedule. At least Iowa plays Ohio State. Rutgers doesn't play Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, or Michigan, but it does play USC, and middling Big Ten teams. Neither Iowa or Rutgers plays Indiana, so that's something, but not much, to say for SOS.

Cincydawg · « **Reply #4 on:** August 02, 2024, 08:33:01 AM »

I think B1G teams should get a pass for a weaker OOC slate because they play nine P4 teams to start. SEC teams only play 8, so they have to have one OOC P4 team scheduled to get to nine. I think ten should be a minimum. Two pastries, well, OK then.

FearlessF · « **Reply #5 on:** August 02, 2024, 08:34:38 AM »

Rutgers has an opportunity

OrangeAfroMan · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2024, 08:56:00 AM »

Quote from: ELA on August 02, 2024, 12:17:48 AM

Would be a shame if they didnt scrape out a Birmingham Bowl bid. Thats a good place to get the kids who werent good enough to play, and arent good enough to get an NIL portal offer, but will get passed by guys who you bring in with NIL offers, some run

You tried too hard here.

medinabuckeye1 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 02, 2024, 01:38:57 PM »

Quote from: Cincydawg on August 02, 2024, 08:33:01 AM

I think B1G teams should get a pass for a weaker OOC slate because they play nine P4 teams to start. SEC teams only play 8, so they have to have one OOC P4 team scheduled to get to nine. I think ten should be a minimum. Two pastries, well, OK then.

This is absolutely NOT intended as a defense of tOSU's OOC because it is pathetic and embarrassing but I agree with the sentiment here at least to an extent. I think SoS does need to be evaluated as a whole so I've never really joined in on banging the SEC schools for playing an FCS or comically weak couple of FBS teams. I look at Florida and even when they don't have Miami, they play eight league games and FSU so that is at least nine P4 level opponents.

I agree that 10 should be a minimum but I don't much care whether it is eight in the league and two OOC (like Florida this year) or nine in the league and one OOC (like most of the B1G this year).

This is the first time in the AP Poll era that Ohio State hasn't had an OOC P4 opponent but there were plenty of seasons when they had eight league games and only one P4 OOC so this is far from the first time they've only had nine P4 opponents. I agree again, 10 should be required or at least made a CFP qualifier on the order of:

If you do NOT play at least 10 P4 level opponents you cannot get into the CFP unless every FBS team that did play at least 10 P4 level opponents and has a record equal to or greater than yours is already included.

Cincydawg · « **Reply #8 on:** August 02, 2024, 01:46:10 PM »

A lot of scheduling is also happenstance. UGA had to drop Oklahoma last season, and their series with UCLA has been cancelled as well. This was no one's "fault". It's a pity for fans, as UGA had to schedule Marshall(?) in place of UCLA. They picked up some pastry in lieu of OU last season.

UGA has a tough away from home slate this season, starting with Clemson (not that far from home), then Bama/Texas/Ole Miss on the road. The season is fast approaching.

medinabuckeye1 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2024, 02:02:55 PM »

Quote from: Cincydawg on August 02, 2024, 01:46:10 PM

A lot of scheduling is also happenstance. UGA had to drop Oklahoma last season, and their series with UCLA has been cancelled as well. This was no one's "fault". It's a pity for fans, as UGA had to schedule Marshall(?) in place of UCLA. They picked up some pastry in lieu of OU last season.

UGA has a tough away from home slate this season, starting with Clemson (not that far from home), then Bama/Texas/Ole Miss on the road. The season is fast approaching.

In addition to this, the H/A splits within the league are goofy because the best alternative is different for different teams. Let me explain with an example:

Suppose that Ohio State and Rutgers both play the following four B1G teams:

Athlon #2 Oregon
Athlon #3 Michigan
Athlon #4 Penn State
Athlon #8 Wisconsin
Athlon #10 Washington
Athlon #12 Minnesota

Now let me ask you, which is "better":

Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State at home with Wisconsin, Washington, and Minnesota on the road or
Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State on the road with Wisconsin, Washington, and Minnesota at home?

I'd argue that for Athlon #1 Ohio State, option #1 is a VASTLY easier schedule than option #2. If Ohio Stat really is #1 then they shouldn't lose to #8-12 regardless of venue and they might need HFA to win the tough games against #2-4. OTOH, if I were Rutgers, I'd prefer option #2 because Athlon #9 Rutgers probably isn't going to beat Oregon, Michigan, nor Penn State no matter where they play them so don't "waste" HFA against teams you can't beat anyway, keep it for teams #8-12 where it might be the difference.

Then once the season actually gets going there is of course the possibility that one of those #2-4 teams will turn out not to be so good and/or one of those #8-12 teams will have an unexpectedly great year which will throw the whole analysis for a loop.

medinabuckeye1 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2024, 02:18:06 PM »

Quote from: FearlessF on August 02, 2024, 08:34:38 AM

Rutgers has an opportunity

It is interesting to be sure:

vs Howard on Thu, Aug 29
vs Akron on Sat, Sep 7
at VaTech on Sat, Sep 21
vs Washington on Fri, Sep 27
at Nebraska on Sat, Oct 5
vs Wisconsin on Sat, Oct 12
vs UCLA on Sat, Oct 19
at USC on Fri, Oct 25
vs Minnesota on Sat, Nov 9
at Maryland on Sat, Nov 16
vs Illinois on Sat, Nov 23
at Michigan State on Sat, Nov 30

Arranging their B1G opponents by Athlon ranking:

Ohio State, do not play
Oregon, do not play
Michigan, do not play
Penn State, do not play
USC AWAY
Iowa, do not play
Nebraska, AWAY
Wisconsin, HOME
Themselves
Washington, HOME
Maryland, AWAY
Minnesota, HOME
Michigan State, AWAY
UCLA, HOME
Illinois, HOME
Northwestern, do not play
Indiana, do not play
Purdue, do not play

I don't think this is quite the slam dunk that maybe people are thinking it is. They do miss the top four teams in the league and five of the top six but the two top-7 teams that they do face are both on the road. They also miss the three easiest so it isn't all cupcakes.

I see the road games against #5 USC and #7 UNL as next-to-hopeless. I also have a hard time seeing them take out the Badgers but maybe I'm giving the Badgers too much credit or the Knights too little and this one is in Jersey. As I see it, this should be an entertaining schedule if nothing else because I see Rutgers as a middling B1G team and they don't face the top of the league nor the bottom so all nine games should be at least somewhat competitive.

FearlessF · « **Reply #11 on:** August 02, 2024, 02:25:25 PM »

USC AWAY
Nebraska, AWAY
Wisconsin, HOME

____________

let's say they lose those 3

It's not a huge stretch to think they could win the rest

Cincydawg · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2024, 03:18:55 PM »

I think the point is that Rutgers could go 9-3 with a mediocre team and some luck.

Badger1969 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 02, 2024, 05:51:10 PM »

Wisconsin has a pretty tough schedule. Not saying that it's the toughest but they have Alabama and USC back to back. A couple of weeks later it's Penn St.then Iowa and Oregon, back to back to back.

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Topic: Toughest and easiest 2024 schedules

medinabuckeye1

Toughest and easiest 2024 schedules

OrangeAfroMan

Re: Toughest and easiest 2024 schedules

ELA

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Hawkinole

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Cincydawg

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FearlessF

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OrangeAfroMan

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medinabuckeye1

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Cincydawg

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medinabuckeye1

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medinabuckeye1

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FearlessF

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Cincydawg

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Badger1969

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