[QUOTE=Omniscient]
F
The stat you quoted only proves that Florida’s cream-puffs happened to be over .500 in their non-BCS conference while OSUs weren’t Do you really think that a national power playing a 6-4 Sun Belt team is much different than a 4-6 MAC team? OSU’s opponents winning percentage is tied to the cyclic success of their in-state competition.
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The stat I quoted shows a lot more than that.
[QUOTE=Fugazi]
sigh I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Ohio State does schedule difficult OOC teams. This is just a down year, with Washington being so crappy. The previous 2 years we scheduled Texas in a home and home. Starting next year we have USC in a home and home. I think we have Miami after that. If Miami still sucks, not Ohio State’s fault. So how many other teams schedule Texas, USC, & Miami for 6 out of 7 years?
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You guys have definitely stepped up to the plate when a lot of other schools haven’t. However, if I were playing a schedule that included so many crappy games, I’d think about adding another. I don’t know if it is just due to the fact that the Big-10 has had a bad couple of years, but to only have played an average of 2 9±win teams after the dust has settled is pretty bad. I understand that isn’t really OSU’s fault, but if the trend continues, it would be a good idea for your AD to start thinking about a second tougher OOC team.
My square didn’t win.
I hate both teams equally.
[QUOTE=Uga VI]
The stat I quoted shows a lot more than that.
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Actually it says less than that. What it actually says is that the SEC plays more games than the Big Ten does, averaging 1 more game per team than the Big Ten. Also, it indicates that OSU, Wisconsin and Michigan have been more dominant than the top teams in the SEC where there is more parity. By definition, the better a team’s conference record, the lower it’s conference opponents winning percentage will be. Your stat, pulled out of context, is completely meaningless.
Florida has been very good, a little better than OSU over the last 3 or 4 seasons, but the argument that the top SEC teams played tougher schedules than the Big Ten as a policy doesn’t hold water.
I’m a totally hardcore CFB fan, so I admire and respect the fanaticism around this game (and enjoyed the HBO special). But as a disinterested observer – that game was damn near unwatchable. A parade of dropped passes, PI calls, 2 yard runs, and punts.
[QUOTE=jsc1953]
I’m a totally hardcore CFB fan, so I admire and respect the fanaticism around this game (and enjoyed the HBO special). But as a disinterested observer – that game was damn near unwatchable. A parade of dropped passes, PI calls, 2 yard runs, and punts.
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Yeah, both teams are getting some piss-poor QB play at the moment. At least Illinois is keeping things esthetically pleasing.
[QUOTE=Uga VI]
You guys have definitely stepped up to the plate when a lot of other schools haven’t. However, if I were playing a schedule that included so many crappy games, I’d think about adding another. I don’t know if it is just due to the fact that the Big-10 has had a bad couple of years, but to only have played an average of 2 9±win teams after the dust has settled is pretty bad. I understand that isn’t really OSU’s fault, but if the trend continues, it would be a good idea for your AD to start thinking about a second tougher OOC team.
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Except of course, they can’t add another game. NCAA only allows a total of 12 regular season games. This was changed recently, and caused some teams to add weird games just to get the 12th in (see Ohio State’s game against Kent State this year). A short lead time resulted in the 12th game being against a weaker opponent simply because that was who was available.
Another thing to remember is that these games are contracted years in advance, usually. When Ohio State setup the games with Washington, they were scheduling against a top team. Since then Washington is not as good as it was, although I think they have the program headed in the right direction and will be a very good team in the next year or two.
I have always felt that “strength of schedule” is a weak argument to base a season on. Players and coaches play who is in front of them. Had Ohio State scheduled Notre Dame this year, it would have been seen as bravely scheduling a good out of conference team. At least until Notre Dame came out and stunk for the whole season. The real solution is a playoff. Pretty much every other division and NCAA sport seems to be able to do a playoff system. Its only the money from a few top bowl games that keeps the system going.