What to do about our future Non-Con schedule?

[AussieTy]

It's clear that as the CFP stands, SOS is practically irrelevant. At least not as relevant as it should be.

Our non-con schedule consists of Ohio State in '27 and '28. Notre Dame in '29 and '30. Georgia Tech in 30 and '31. Those are just the teams of note now. It also has to be factored in that we now go to a nine game SEC schedule.

What is the point of these non-con games?

 

[CrimsonTitles]

We can keep Georgia Tech, because we are required to schedule a P4 team. Notre Dame and Ohio State need to be cancelled yesterday. If we win, we won't get near as much credit as we should, and if we lose, it'll hurt us just as much as any other loss. I'm not even sure facing Notre Dame even satisfies the P4 requirement because they're independent, so if that's true, then there's even less reason to play Notre Dame. Let's replace those games with a Wake Forest, Purdue, Maryland, Kansas, etc.

 

[denver]

Dump Notre Dame for a start....the more they are isolated the better

 

[foreveratidefan]

Schedule a 4 year series with Rice.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Actually, we made it in the playoff based largely upon the strength of our schedule. So much so that the worst loss among all playoff teams and bubble teams belongs to us - FSU. Objectively, we are playing the worst offense of the entire playoff field, and worse than the bubble teams that did not make the cut. Yet, we are in, because we played such a tough schedule.

Of course, all of the tough teams on our schedule were SEC opponents, but the point remains. Notre Dame did not make the cut, largely based upon the fact that their schedule outside of Texas A&M and Miami was mediocre. The head to head loss to Miami ultimately did them in, but if their schedule strength and our schedule strength were swapped, then they probably make it in over us.

I would cut the Notre Dame series for sure IF I could get the rest of the SEC and Big Ten to ban them from their schedules, and that would be simply to isolate them after this little tantrum they've thrown and because I do not believe they should be getting the special considerations they've been getting as an "Independent."

 

[BamaFossil]

Early in the season, If Texas had played a patsy and won rather than losing to Ohio State, IMO they would have been in the thick of the teams considered for the 12-team playoff. The SEC is hard enough. No advantage to scheduling really tough out-of-conference games. The planned 9-game conference scheduling further exacerbates the issue.

Either drop the planned 9-game conference schedule or don't schedule out-of-conference behemoths.

 

[Power Eye]

Early in the season, If Texas had played a patsy and won rather than losing to Ohio State, IMO they would have been in the thick of the teams considered for the 12-team playoff. The SEC is hard enough. No advantage to scheduling really tough out-of-conference games. The planned 9-game conference scheduling further exacerbates the issue.

Either drop the planned 9-game conference schedule or don't schedule out-of-conference behemoths.

Texas lost to Florida, that's what killed their playoff chances. If they had won that game, they would have been in, and probably Miami would have been out.

I think we have to give the committee some credit for sticking to the fact that they would strongly consider the metrics like SOS and SOR, and that's what got us into the playoff. My concern is that if SEC teams start dropping big OOC games, that the committee will start having an even more difficult time distinguishing between a 10-2 SEC team and a 10-2 team from a conference like the Big 12 or ACC. Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vandy, Miss St, Missouri and S. Carolina all had early season wins over P4 teams. Only us, Texas, Florida, and Arkansas had early season losses against P4 teams and three of those losses occurred against teams that either made the playoffs or were the first team out. That success, early in the year, helps separate the SEC teams from at a minimum the Big 12 and ACC teams.

It's too early to tell yet whether the P4 OOC games are a detriment. I don't really see anything compelling, one way or the other, in this year's playoff field members. Texas probably does have the biggest argument, but again, the loss to Florida is what did them in. Plus the SEC did get five teams in. It's unrealistic to expect more.

With that said, I do think we should strongly consider only having one P4 OOC game a year. Kirby's point after the SECCG is a valid one in that the teams are beat up by the end of the season. But I don't know if that is more of an indictment on the 9 game SEC schedule, or potentially doing away with the SECCG. I also don't like the idea of doing away with the SECCG with a 16 team league.

 

[Bill from NYC]

Early in the season, If Texas had played a patsy and won rather than losing to Ohio State, IMO they would have been in the thick of the teams considered for the 12-team playoff. The SEC is hard enough. No advantage to scheduling really tough out-of-conference games. The planned 9-game conference scheduling further exacerbates the issue.

Either drop the planned 9-game conference schedule or don't schedule out-of-conference behemoths.

And while we are at it, the SEC should cancel these no longer relevant conference championship games. This useless game almost got us knocked out of the playoffs and offers a great opportunity for our players to be injured.

 

[AussieTy]

Actually, we made it in the playoff based largely upon the strength of our schedule. So much so that the worst loss among all playoff teams and bubble teams belongs to us - FSU. Objectively, we are playing the worst offense of the entire playoff field, and worse than the bubble teams that did not make the cut. Yet, we are in, because we played such a tough schedule.

Of course, all of the tough teams on our schedule were SEC opponents, but the point remains. Notre Dame did not make the cut, largely based upon the fact that their schedule outside of Texas A&M and Miami was mediocre. The head to head loss to Miami ultimately did them in, but if their schedule strength and our schedule strength were swapped, then they probably make it in over us.

I would cut the Notre Dame series for sure IF I could get the rest of the SEC and Big Ten to ban them from their schedules, and that would be simply to isolate them after this little tantrum they've thrown and because I do not believe they should be getting the special considerations they've been getting as an "Independent."

The committee had Notre Dame ahead of us after our 2 point loss to Oklahoma (the team we now play in round 1).

They have next to no respect for SOS. Especially with 9 game SEC schedules. I don't trust them to leave out 10-2 teams for better SOS 9-3 teams.

 

[AussieTy]

And while we are at it, the SEC should cancel these no longer relevant conference championship games. This useless game almost got us knocked out of the playoffs and offers a great opportunity for our players to be injured.

I don't think we were ever in danger of being knocked out.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Our own conference rules state we must play a P4 team. If we cancel Ohio State. as some of you suggest, we would then have to find a team to play in 2027. Marshall is our only other opponent scheduled that year as of now.

2028 has Ohio State and Oklahoma State and UT-Martin. Okie Lite can go, but Okie Lite isn't exactly a tough team.

2029 We have okie lite again and Karen Quitty McQuitters. The Karens can go and never be scheduled again.

2030 quitters again (again they can go) and Georgia Tech

2031 we have Tech again and BC and we don't get BC again until 2034.

2032 Arizona, Minnesota and USF

2033 same except no USF

2034 BC as mentioned and Va Tech

2035 Va Tech

Ohio State is the only real superstar

 

[jabcmb]

Our own conference rules state we must play a P4 team. If we cancel Ohio State. as some of you suggest, we would then have to find a team to play in 2027. Marshall is our only other opponent scheduled that year as of now.

2028 has Ohio State and Oklahoma State and UT-Martin. Okie Lite can go, but Okie Lite isn't exactly a tough team.

2029 We have okie lite again and Karen Quitty McQuitters. The Karens can go and never be scheduled again.

2030 quitters again (again they can go) and Georgia Tech

2031 we have Tech again and BC and we don't get BC again until 2034.

2032 Arizona, Minnesota and USF

2033 same except no USF

2034 BC as mentioned and Va Tech

2035 Va Tech

Ohio State is the only real superstar

Those 2028 - 2030 schedules are insane.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Those 2028 - 2030 schedules are insane.

Yeah, don't know if that was Saban or our AD but what were they thinking?

 

[jabcmb]

Yeah, don't know if that was Saban or our AD but what were they thinking?

I kinda like scheduling strong, but it’s a few years out. Still those teams are not going to turn into .500 programs in 3-4 years.

 

[RdunawayTX]

Those 2028 - 2030 schedules are insane.

They were done up before this latest round of insanity from the CFP committee. Look for massive changes to the bylaws and the scheduling in the immediate to near future. Especially with the 9 game SEC schedule.

 

[crimsonaudio]

What can you do?

I'm not a guy who thinks everyone is out to get Bama, but it's clear that playing a really tough schedule doesn't pay, or if it does, it does so barely (see pretendiana at #1).

I'd schedule 8 (or 9 since Sankey is a freaking idiot) conference games and literally schedule cupcakes for the rest. Even that won't approximate the typical B1G schedule but it moves towards equalizing it rather than exacerbating it.

The CFP is a joke. Your best bet is getting as close to perfect as you can get within the absolutes dictated by the conference.

Thank you again for everyone clamoring for playoffs. Hope you're happy.

 

[TideEngineer08]

The committee had Notre Dame ahead of us after our 2 point loss to Oklahoma (the team we now play in round 1).

They have next to no respect for SOS. Especially with 9 game SEC schedules. I don't trust them to leave out 10-2 teams for better SOS 9-3 teams.

Where did we end up?

I'm trying to figure out why anyone watches what this committee does outside of its final rankings. What they do during the season is nothing more than drama meant to drive ad revenue.

 

[AWRTR]

It's clear that as the CFP stands, SOS is practically irrelevant. At least not as relevant as it should be.

Our non-con schedule consists of Ohio State in '27 and '28. Notre Dame in '29 and '30. Georgia Tech in 30 and '31. Those are just the teams of note now. It also has to be factored in that we now go to a nine game SEC schedule.

What is the point of these non-con games?

Cancel them all.

 

[Cruloc]

9 conference games

Then look at the perennial bottom of each of the other 3 power conferences.

Purdue
Maryland
Northwestern
Rutgers

Oklahoma State
Colorado
West Virginia

Syracuse
Boston College
Stanford
Wake Forest

Then get a Sun Belt team and a CUSA team or even a MAC team
Sam Houston
UTEP

UMass
Bowling Green

Georgia State
South Alabama

Get a series with Oregon State now that we've got a coaching link with them.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

I believe that the conference rules state that you can replace a P4 opponent with a service academy and that covers the P4 rule.