Va.Tech has the toughest schedule according to this article. He takes Texas to task for it's non-conference schedule as well as what he calls the Little 5 (Indiana, Michigan,Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin). His 2nd most difficult schedule is Georgia who opens on the road at Oklahoma State and also brings in Arizona State along with a state rivalry with Ga.Tech who schooled them in the option last season. Schedules Here's the list of BCS Teams with no FCS teams on their schedule. Personally I think FCS teams should be outlawed from BCS schools schedules. Force them to play at least Div 1 schools. ACC Virginia Tech Big 12 Colorado Nebraska Texas Texas A&M Big Ten Ohio State Purdue Indie Notre Dame Pac-10 Oregon Stanford UCLA USC Washington Washington State
I found this about Illinois pretty interesting. One of the things that has been kicked around about the B10 is that they end their season so early that their best teams have longer to sit around while other conferences are playing a week or 2 longer due to conf champhionship games. B10 commish pretty much said it wasn't a big deal and they weren't going to expand to get a championship game or extend the season. But Illinois is doing exactly that in extending their season into the 1st weekend in Dec. In fact the last 2 games of their season are not B10 games at all instead they are non-conf games with Cinncy and Fresno State.
Terry, while I agree in principal about your not scheduling FCS teams I am not sure it's all that feasible. If you look closely at that list of teams who don't schedule them there are a lot more teams who do than who don't. One problem is where some of the games fall on a teams schedule and also teams that pull out. Throw in the 12 game schedule as an issue also. So in principal I'm with you but question the practical application.
You left off the SEC in that list of teams with no FCS teams on the schedule: LSU Tennessee As bad as we were last year, we do still schedule strong.
Bill I don't think the problem is that it can't be done, it's a problem with the system. I just don't believe that if there was a rule that said BCS teams can not schedule Div1AA schools that there wouldn't suddenly be a change in the attitude that says 1) we don't play non-conf games on the road 2) We don't do home/home. Right now it's all about the money, getting the max # of home games. Change the rules and you'd see teams getting together and scheduling home/home games and there would be plenty of teams to fill the slots. What we have right now is a situation where there is a limited number of teams in Div1 who will just come to your place for the big payoff and not require you come to their place. Change the rule and I'd bet you'd see a whole change in the schedules of teams and instead of Coastal Carolina you'd see actual Div 1 teams on your non-conf and you'd play 2 at home and 2 on the road and it would be better for college football.
Bill, true enough, but that fact suggests to me that if they agreed to play each other instead of the cupcakes we'd have a solution, no? Stu, nice catch! 8)
Hey, I've got to give some props to Ga. I used to ridicule their noncon schedule but after playing at ASU last year they go to OkSt. this year. The season starts there and after their SEC conf. schedule they play Ga. Tech. Impressive.
Tom, The author probably forgot that Western Kentucky moved up to regular FBS from FCS...Ditto that for ULLafayette on LSU's schedule.
No, the article had LSU and Tennessee from the SEC. Terry just stopped his copy and paste just above where we were shown.
Ahhhh tsk tsk Terry... Personally, I think this is proof of his clear anti-SEC bias and perhaps even a hint of Gator envy
Here's a good idea for expanding non-conf schedules that would be good for all involved. Conference Challenges