still, to pass the time I love to read pieces like this http://thewizardofodds.blogspot.com/2008/07/art-of-cupcake-schedule.html No, its not because of the content of the article. I was documenting the OOC schedule strength back when the Wiz was a wee one. I read these blog posts for the comments.. They are HILARIOUS. Somehow, some way, these things always turn into the SEC vs USC. Forget the fact that the Big12 gets poked hard in the article... Its all about 'rebel pride' as I sardonically refer to it here... Gawd, this is hilarious. Its ok if you don't enjoy the lengthy read. This is really more for the sickos like myself who enjoy the physics of a good train wreck. Someone should have tossed out the nugget that, under Pete Carroll.. USC is 4-0 vs SEC teams having outscored them 167-48.. that's roughly a 41.7 to 12 average.. Who is playing the first game this year anyway?
I don't want to go into it again how he caught Arkansas without McFadden but really...two of those big wins were against Arkansas which is like saying you play Oregon State and are beating the daylights out of the upper tier of the PAC 10.....so not true. I would be impressed if Carroll and USC were stomping LSU, Georgia, Florida. The win against Auburn was a damned good one though so my hats off to the Trogs in any event. I notice Florida only makes the charts wrt non-con road game total but not in quality of non-con games. UF has played just one less non-con road game on that chart than Tenn and OSU...which is a pretty small difference. In that time UF has played many road games however at places like Tennessee, LSU, Auburn and Alabama. I think UF knows what the major league road game experience is all about. :wink:
Interesting article. I can only handle reading so many of the responses though. Let me make these remarks Pete Carrol is the best coach around right now USC is the best program around right now Articles like these while interesting are only part of the equation in overall schedule strength so therefore are biased in the statistical sense. Which does not mean the writer is biased only that the sample is biased. Stu, I have no doubt what so ever that a miles traveled chart would have the Gators on the low end of the scale. However I do enjoy reading some of these articles but don't feel any outrage The person with the best perspective on out of conference games is Terry
Look....I travel a lot. A trip to Chicago isn't much different than a trip to Miami even though the miles for Miami is 5 times that of Chicago. It still involves being away from home....packing suitcases and dealing with the vagaries of transportation. The time zone change for more than one hour is a factor but how much is anyone's guess.
I think that is a huge factor. The time that the game is played has a large impact on how much of a factor it is though. As far as this article goes, great for Pac-10 schools. They travel long distances to play BCS conference opponents. That's great. Go ahead and pat yourselves on the back. But really, who cares? Did it ever occur to anyone that the primary reason that Pac-10 schools have to travel so far for out-of-conference games against BCS competition might have a little something to do with simple geography. Quick, name the BCS conferences other than the Pac-10. Let's see SOUTHEASTERN, Big EAST, ATLANTIC coast, Big 10, and the Big 12. With the Big 10 and Big 12 being largely comprised of teams that reside in middle America, the majority of which are several states from the majority of the Pac-10 schools, it only makes sense that the Pac-10 would travel more. Are you going to fault Florida because they don't have to leave the state to play 3 teams that qualify as being non-conference BCS opponents? Is it Georgia's fault that they can make an 8 hour trip and reach a half dozen out-of-conference BCS opponents? I'm not saying teams shouldn't be punished for loading up on Div. I-AA opponents but let's consider all the facts here when you're talking about SOS. The motivation to travel half-way across the country just isn't there for most teams from the SEC. They can pack their stadiums with 80-100K whether they're playing the boys from Troy or Troy State. Tennessee travels in order to establish recruiting strongholds nationwide. Many other teams in recruiting hotbeds like Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama don't even have that as motivation. All in all, this is a tired argument. No one discredits USC anymore that I know of. They pretty well have established themselves as a top-flight program in comparison to any team in any conference in America. I think the Pac-10 has some nice athletes and some exciting offenses. My personal preference is to watch the SEC and my personal opinion is that the SEC has the best football in America. But those are just biased preferences that can be supported by facts just like yours can. In the end though, it's still just a matter of preference.
As has been stated here recently, Notre Dame is a national school. They are an independent team that plays teams from nearly every conference and mostly good competition too, I might add. They recruit nationally. They have national rivalries (see USC). I totally agree with you.
Re McFadden <t>Arkansas Rushing <br/> CAR YDS AVG TD LG <br/> Felix Jones 7 48 6.9 0 24 <br/> Darren McFadden 9 42 4.7 0 17 <br/> Michael Smith 3 24 8.0 0 11 <br/> Peyton Hillis 3 16 5.3 0 9 <br/> Mitch Mustain 1 4 4.0 1 4 <br/> Robert Johnson 4 -4 -1.0 1 3 <br/> Team 27 130 4.8 -- -- <br/> <br/> <br/> Arkansas Rush Yds Avg Lng TD FumL <br/> D. McFadden 13 88 6.8 14 0 0 <br/> F. Jones 12 66 5.5 17 0 0 <br/> K. Dickerson 5 35 7.0 26 0 0 <br/> P. Hillis 8 19 2.4 5 0 0 <br/> D. Howard 9 4 0.4 4 0 0 <br/> R. Johnson 3 2 0.7 8 0 0 <br/> A. Mortensen 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 <br/> <br/> <br/> While not 100%, he was most certainly there and was pulled to prevent further injury</t>
Aquila, You make a good point. IMHO, the MountainWest and WAC should be part of the BCS equation.. Of course, the fat cats don't want to split that pie up so they won't.. Again, back to my point about the perceived 'haves' setting up a system that benefits them and them only, under the guise of seeking a national champion. that's a joke. did you read those comments?
Corey, I'm not going to sit here and disagree about the WAC and MWC. 1) That's an entirely different argument. 2) I don't know enough about those two conferences to argue that they DON'T belong. 3) You feel the SEC set up the BCS so that it wouldn't be fair and nothing I can say will change your mind. I'm not sure I would want to change your mind anyway, by the way. I think the system is a decent one but I'm not going to sit here and discount the possibility that a group with power might use the system to their advantage. No, I didn't take time to read through all the comments. Let me restate, I don't discredit USC and I believe that anyone that does has lived under a log for the last 5 or 6 years. I don't care who your conference competition is, when you have a record like USC does, you're doing something very, very right. That's not even mentioning the 3 Heisman trophy winners, countless NFL draft picks, and All-Americans or the numerous top 5 recruiting classes. USC has talent and I'm not going to be the idiot that debates that.
dear god <r><QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> since when has Oregon State threatened to win the Pac10? Arkansas has been in the mix (and played for the SEC title ) during those 2 years.<br/> <br/> Hyperbolic nonsense<br/> <br/> I will add though, that in 2006 (unlike Arkansas) Oregon State beat USC (33-31)</r>
Actually, i see this situation is this... The BCS is Roy Kramer's baby. There's no denying that. There's also no denying that, by design, it is intended to favor the 'super conferences.' As a secondary element, it is designed to keep the 'haves' in a position over the have nots.. And one of the haves in the Pac10.. My point is, has and always will be.. either you're Division 1 bowl worthy or you're not... if they aren't, then move them into the playoff subdivision with App State.
Huskerman! I know you're not talking about the Cornhuskers so you are probably going to say Hawaii. I get you point but there travel is by necessity not by choice. Nice try. 8)
I believe that HuskerMan's comment was pointed toward the fact that Husker Fans travel to away games better than anyone else. I have witnessed that at the Fiesta Bowl and I know that ND fans have witnessed that in their own stadium if my memory serves.