NCAA football, 2013-14

[Barrister]

I thought the SEC was so successful because of their high academic standards and commitment to educating student-athletes.

[Berkut]

I thought the SEC was so successful because of their high academic standards and commitment to educating student-athletes. 

No, it turns out that it is actually because the people who follow SEC schools are better fans than the rest of us.

They are all like that guy from Texas, I guess?

[Valmy]

They are all like that guy from Texas, I guess?

[alfred russel]

That is a pretty common theme, which most schools that want to actually strike a reasonable balance will tend to go for (although of course what constitutes a weak/middling/strong opponent will change).

Of course, if all that matters is making sure you get enough wins to either

A) Get into a bowl game, any bowl game, and
B) Make sure you don't risk a loss to an actually competitive team in OOC

then you will end up with OOC schedules much like what you see in the SEC. They play an extra OOC game, and that game is just about always someone who has zero chance of beating them.

Basically, the SEC starts each season with 1 extra win per team.

Like I've said, you have to admire the conference because they really are the masters of playing the game that is NCAA football at the meta level. They are better at it than everyone else.

However, as a non-SEC college football fan, I hate it because it is classic prisoners dilemna. If everyone does the same, it will (and has, for that matter) made college football a much less enjoyable sport for everyone involved outside the SEC.

My only hope is that strength of non-conference schedule become an important part of deciding who gets to a bowl game, just like it is the case in basketball. That will encourage a better mix of OOC football for everyone, even if it is only one part of the reason why the SEC is so dominant.

However, simply because that would weaken the SECs stranglehold, I doubt it will happen.

This "extra game" crap is nonsense. The SEC plays an 8 game schedule. That is the same, or more, as every conference in college football except for the Big 12 and Pac 12. However, the Big 12 doesn't have a championship game, so a Big 12 team plays the same number of conference games as an SEC division champ (which is what we are generally talking about among conference title contenders).

Also, most major SEC teams scheduled a major out of conference opponent. Auburn, Texas A&M, and Missouri are exceptions.

Here are the conference champs strength of schedule from Sagarin:

Auburn: 29
FSU: 62
Stanford: 1
Michigan State: 51
Baylor 48

So if you want to brag about the Pac 12, go ahead. But the SEC is not the outlier. I'd also point out that there are reasons the Pac 12 is the only conference with a 9 game schedule and a championship, and they aren't all love of competition. A lot relate to money and TV. Pac 12 fans seem to love Larry Scott for the money and exposure he brings to the Pac 12, but he is getting that by crashing his teams together in a way no other conference does.

[katmai]

Wooo! We're 25th!! In final poll that is.

[Valmy]

Wooo! We're 25th!! In final poll that is.

Congrats to the mighty Huskies!

[MadBurgerMaker]

They are all like that guy from Texas, I guess?

Bill?

[Valmy]

Ah man I haven't heard from Bill in awhile.  No wonder this season seemed gloomier than usual.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Imagine a fanbase made up entirely of Bill in Sinton type people.

E: Focused.

[MadBurgerMaker]

So Red McCombs is already butthurt that he doesn't have the same amount of access to the program now that Dodds and Mack are gone.

[Valmy]

So Red McCombs is already butthurt that he doesn't have the same amount of access to the program now that Dodds and Mack are gone.

Yeah that was pretty embarrassing little rant he went on.  Saying Charlie Strong was only fit to be a position coach...WTF?

[MadImmortalMan]

I still say bowl games in the north in open-air stadiums would help college football immensely.

Do the playoff games in Minneapolis, Chicago, Green Bay and Buffalo.

[PDH]

So Wyoming's #1 QB (and all time offensive yards leader) is going early to the draft.  The #2 QB (a redshirt sophomore) just transferred today to Utah to follow the fired coach who is now the OC there...

New coach, no QB, 2 of the first 3 games at Michigan St and Oregon next year...I need a drink.

[jimmy olsen]

They aren't much concerned with NCAA rules, except insofar as properly balancing risk/reward so to make sure that there isn't too much damage if and when they are caught...and they don't get caught much. But they certainly understand that there is and should be zero consideration actually given to those rules and the intent behind them.

I don't think there is anything even remotely morally ambiguous at all about their views on the subject. Quite the opposite in fact - it would be morally unjustifiable NOT to take every possible advantage in order to win.

One could certainly argue that from a pragmatic standpoint, but I don't see how you can argue that it's moral.

[Berkut]

That is a pretty common theme, which most schools that want to actually strike a reasonable balance will tend to go for (although of course what constitutes a weak/middling/strong opponent will change).

Of course, if all that matters is making sure you get enough wins to either

A) Get into a bowl game, any bowl game, and
B) Make sure you don't risk a loss to an actually competitive team in OOC

then you will end up with OOC schedules much like what you see in the SEC. They play an extra OOC game, and that game is just about always someone who has zero chance of beating them.

Basically, the SEC starts each season with 1 extra win per team.

Like I've said, you have to admire the conference because they really are the masters of playing the game that is NCAA football at the meta level. They are better at it than everyone else.

However, as a non-SEC college football fan, I hate it because it is classic prisoners dilemna. If everyone does the same, it will (and has, for that matter) made college football a much less enjoyable sport for everyone involved outside the SEC.

My only hope is that strength of non-conference schedule become an important part of deciding who gets to a bowl game, just like it is the case in basketball. That will encourage a better mix of OOC football for everyone, even if it is only one part of the reason why the SEC is so dominant.

However, simply because that would weaken the SECs stranglehold, I doubt it will happen.

This "extra game" crap is nonsense. The SEC plays an 8 game schedule. That is the same, or more, as every conference in college football except for the Big 12 and Pac 12.

Right, so you admit that they don't play 9 conference games, like the serious BCS conferences. Good.

Of course, it isn't just about not playing 9 games - it is about who they replace that conference game they are dodging with - are they taking that 4th non-con game and finding a good match up?

Err....no. So yeah, it is most definitely an extra win each year. Replacing a BCS quality opponent with some patsy is a HUGE difference. Plus it allows for even more careful scheduling to make sure the SEC's designated "BCS title game" contender can dodge the other top SEC teams.

However, the Big 12 doesn't have a championship game, so a Big 12 team plays the same number of conference games as an SEC division champ (which is what we are generally talking about among conference title contenders).

We are not talking about conference title contenders, so no, you don't get a pass there.

Also, most major SEC teams scheduled a major out of conference opponent. Auburn, Texas A&M, and Missouri are exceptions.

Some of them do, plenty of them do not, and since they get an extra game every year, you would think they would schedule more than one...but no.

Here are the conference champs strength of schedule from Sagarin:

Why would we only look at the conference champions?

So if you want to brag about the Pac 12, go ahead. But the SEC is not the outlier. I'd also point out that there are reasons the Pac 12 is the only conference with a 9 game schedule and a championship, and they aren't all love of competition. A lot relate to money and TV. Pac 12 fans seem to love Larry Scott for the money and exposure he brings to the Pac 12, but he is getting that by crashing his teams together in a way no other conference does.

That is because almost every other conference has followed in the footsteps of the SEC to schedule more and more and MORE patsy schedules to guarantee they jam as many teams into bowl and NC games as possible. Which proves my point about how the SEC, while they've won the meta game of college football, is harming the sport in the process.