Notre Dame
SOD’s One-Sided Interview with Touchdown Jesus
In today’s installment of our One-Sided Interview series, we go back down the path of the sublime and interview an inanimate object, although some might claim it is a spiritual object and hardly an inanimate one. Let’s go to South Bend, Indiana, on the campus of Notre Dame and have our One-Sided Interview with Touchdown Jesus.
SOD: Now, I realize that you are formally known as “Word of Life”, but is it okay if we refer to you by your more familiar name, “Touchdown Jesus”?
TOUCHDOWN JESUS: Not available for comment.
SOD: Thank you. Now, you appeared on the scene in 1964, just about the time a young coach by the name of Ara Parseghian was being announced as the new Fighting Irish Football Coach. You, of course, have lasted much longer than Coach Parseghian, but you both have become symbolic of Notre Dame Football success and greatness. Do you embrace the fact that your mural has this football connection or do you think it detracts from the real story of the “Word of Life” and the conveyance of Christ meeting with the Saints of Learning?
TOUCHDOWN JESUS: Not available for comment.
SOD: The view of you from the stadium has been somewhat obscured since stadium expansion in the 1990’s, but you still have a terrific view of the games being played. I imagine you have seen some pretty amazing and significant football games since you were first unveiled on the side of, what was then, the largest on-campus Library in America. What are some of the most memorable moments you witnessed towering above the playing field?
TOUCHDOWN JESUS: Not available for comment.
SOD: There has been some discussion over exactly why you are depicted in that particular pose, in front of some of the great theologians, doctors and teachers such as, the Gregory’s; the Jerome’s; Augustine of Hippo and the great Thomas Aquinas; was there any football analogous intent in that design or was that just coincidental? I mean, it didn’t take long in that first football season with John Haurte throwing touchdown passes to Jack Snow for the moniker Touchdown Jesus to be adorned on you – was that, perhaps, by design?
TOUCHDOWN JESUS: Not available for comment.
SOD: Now, for people who visit the Notre Dame Campus, you are not the only piece of art that has been given a football related nickname; there is also the lesser known “Fair Catch Corby” and “First Down Moses”; but, of course, you are the one seen on millions of TV sets during each and every Notre Dame home football game. Are you comfortable with the notoriety that you have achieved? Are you good with the name “Touchdown Jesus” and Notre Dame Football being so closely linked together?
TOUCHDOWN JESUS: Not available for comment.
SOD: I have heard many a football player give praise to you and God, our Father, for their football successes and on-field victories. But, it seems to me, if you have a hand to play in their victories you must also have a hand to play in their failures and their defeats. Do players ever thank you, also, for that adversity and chance you give them to learn humility and to grow from their failures?
TOUCHDOWN JESUS: Not available for comment.
SOD: And, I am sure, there have been many a Saturday when the packed stands in South Bend turn to you for a little help on the gridiron. Now, is it my imagination, or do I sometimes see you smile when their prayers are answered?
TOUCHDOWN JESUS: Not available for comment.
SOD: So there you have it, our non-interview with Touchdown Jesus.
If you have any thoughts on One-Sided Interviews you would like to read about in future blogs, please let us know. And, until next time, if you cannot spike the football … then, spike the lemonade, if that’s okay TDJ.
Trivia Tuesday – Wins and Losses
Here it is, already Tuesday again. Let’s try some more college trivia … are you ready?
QUESTION #1. Let’s start it off a little bit easy: Name the top 5 FBS winningest schools, all time in terms of number of wins.
QUESTION #2. Now, list the top 5 schools in terms of winning percentage. It changes a little bit and includes one relative newcomer to the FBS ranks.
QUESTION #3. Name the school that has the most all-time wins, without winning a National Championship.
QUESTION #4. List the 5 FBS schools with the most all-time losses.
QUESTION #5. List the 5 FBS schools with the poorest winning percent.
QUESTION# 6. Name the school with the most wins for a team that has a sub-500 winning percent.
QUESTION #7. Name the school with the most losses for a team that has a > .500 winning percent.
BUFFER ZONE
Some Other Dude in the off-season.
ANSWER #1. The top 5 Winningest programs are: Michigan (915 wins); Notre Dame (882); Texas (881); Nebraska (874); Ohio State (863).
ANSWER #2. The top 5 Winning Percentages are: Notre Dame (.732); Michigan (.729); Boise State (.724); Old Dominion (.722); Ohio State (.720).
ANSWER #3. The team with the most wins, but without a National Championship is West Virginia (719 wins).
ANSWER #4. The 5 FBS teams with the most all-time losses are: Indiana (651); Northwestern (649); Wake Forest (633); Kansas State (623); Iowa State (621).
ANSWER #5. The 5 poorest Winning Percentages are: Georgia State (.193); Florida International (.305); Kent State (.392); UNLV (.405); Wake Forest (.408).
ANSWER #6. The team with the most wins with a < .500 winning percentage is Kentucky with 587 wins and a .495 winning percentage.
ANSWER #7. The team with the most losses with a > .500 winning percentage is Rutgers with 620 losses and a .507 winning percentage.
Pipelines to the NFL
I realize that with the start of the Free Agency period yesterday this is a fluid situation, but SOD took a look at every NFL Team’s active roster to see if there was any evidence of a “pipeline” of sorts from one college team to one NFL Team. What we found is not too surprising.
Most NFL teams, of course, have a pretty diverse mixture of players from all over the place. Atlanta, Baltimore, and Cleveland, in fact, had no more than 2 players from the same school listed on their active roster on 3/10/2015. Fourteen other teams had no more than three players from the same school listed as part of their player profile. But, 1 team had 7 players who played on the same college team in their collegiate career; can you guess which NFL Team and which college has this connection?
Think of a NFL Team with a head coach who recently came over from a successful college program. That’s right – the Philadelphia Eagles have 7 players on their active roster who played college ball at Oregon. Like I said, not surprising.
No other team has any more than 5 players from the same school. Cincinnati has 5 players each from Alabama and Georgia – could make for a fun locker room following a certain SEC football game. Dallas lists 5 players from Oklahoma State on its roster; Arizona has 5 former Clemson players on its roster; and, with Russell Wilson listing the Badgers as his collegiate tie, Seattle has 5 from Wisconsin.
Colleges that have placed 4 players on the same NFL team include: Utah with 4 players at Miami; Illinois and Rutgers each have 4 players on New England’s roster; Stanford has 4 Cardinal currently listed on Indianapolis’ roster; there are 4 players from Miami-FL playing for Jacksonville – makes sense; there are currently 4 players from Tennessee playing for Kansas City; 4 Orange from Syracuse are listed as New York Giants; Notre Dame has 4 each with Minnesota and Detroit; USC also has 4 players with the Vikings; the Crimson Tide has 4 ex-Alabama players listed on Green Bay’s active roster; and, 4 players from Auburn are currently getting paid to play for St. Louis.
Based on the high numbers of players some of the big-time schools have playing in the NFL, you would expect to see some clumping on NFL Teams just through the law of averages, but, for the most part, they are pretty evenly spread throughout the league. The further Chip Kelly gets removed from his personal ties with the players from Oregon, you might expect to see that one existing, prominent “pipeline” start to dwindle.
So, no real surprises, but it was fun looking into it.
College Football National Champions Trivia
Most of us know that Oregon participated in the National Championship Game in January seeking their first ever College Football National Championship title. Unfortunately for Duck fans, they are still seeking their first title. But, this got SOD to thinking – What was the last team to win a National Championship for the first time? Researching this answer led to the discovery of some other interesting (or, at least, SOD thinks they are interesting) facts. So, SOD thought he would see if any of you wise-crackers and college football aficionados know the answers to these National Championship related questions. All of these questions are based on AP/Coaches/USA T/ESPN Poll Rankings since 1936 (as recognized by the NCAA), the BCS Championship format from 1998 – 2013, and the Playoff Championship format for the 2014 season:
Q1. When was the last time that a Division I team won a National Championship for the 1st time?
Q2. When was the last time that a Division I team won a National Championship for their one and only time?
Q3. Of the teams that have won 4 or more National Championships since 1936, which team has gone the longest since their last title?
Q4. Of all the teams that have won a National Championship since the start of the AP Polls in 1936, which team has gone the longest without winning their 2nd Championship?
Q5. Which team expands the longest period of time between their first Championship and their most recent Championship (1936 – present)?
Q6. Which team that has won 2 or more National Championships had endured the longest gap between two Championships?
Q7. Of all the teams that have won a National Championship since 1936, only 3 of them do not currently play in a Power 5 Conference – name those three teams.
Q8. Who was crowned the 1st National Champion by the AP Poll in 1936?
Q9. What was the last team to win the National Championship prior to the start of the BCS? HINT: There were two-champions – It was a split title.
Q10. Who won the first BCS Championship Game? And, who did they beat?
ANSWERS
A1. 1996 – Florida. Florida won its 1st National Championship in 1996. Every team that has won the National Championship since 1996, including Florida’s two additional Championships, had won a previous Championship earlier than 1996.
A2. 1991 – Washington. The Huskies won a share of the National Championship with Miami-FL for its only National Championship in 1991. Washington was named Champion in the Coaches Poll and Miami was #1 in the AP Poll.
A3. Minnesota. Minnesota has 4 National Championships to its name, but hasn’t won one since 1960. There are 8 other teams with 4 or more championships, and they have all won at least one of them since 1960.
A4. TCU. TCU won the National Championship in 1938 and is still looking for the next one.
A5. Ohio State. Having won their 1st National Championship in 1942 and their most recent Championship in 2014, the Buckeyes expand 72 years between 1st and most recent.
A6. Auburn. The 53 years between Auburn’s National Championship in 1957 and the one they won in 2010 represents the longest gap between Championships of any Division I team.
A7. Notre Dame (8 Championships), Army (2), and BYU (1). All three teams are currently Independent football teams.
A8. Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were also recognized as the National Champions by the NCAA for the two years prior to the existence of the AP Poll (1934 and 1935) as determined by the polls then recognized by the NCAA.
A9. Michigan and Nebraska. In 1997, Michigan was crowned Champion in the AP Poll; Nebraska was ranked #1 in the USA/ESPN Poll.
A10. Tennessee / Florida State. Tennessee triumphed over Florida State, 23-16, in the first BCS Game held on January 4, 1999, ending the 1998 College Football season.
A Fun College Football Trivia Question
Some Other Dude had a fun time with the first week of this new blog. I have resisted the temptation to pester family and friends to come visit this site and tried to just let it grow organically. That’s a slow process which might try my patience, but I am sooooo grateful for the few of you who found me here and especially, to those of you who have come back a time or two.
I got through the first week in pretty good shape; the articles were fun and easy to write and I still have a couple topics on my list to cover, but the challenge of posting regularly with fresh, interesting and, sometimes informative topics is going to be a tough one as we wait for September to roll around again. SOD will do his best.
So, SOD is going to end the first week with what I think is a fun little trivia question. No cheating! Don’t look up the answer (the answer is at the end of the post, anyway) – just rack your brain to see how many you can list. Have fun. Here goes.
FUN COLLEGE TRIVIA QUESTION
Name the 6 FBS/FCS schools whose team name …
- Does not end with an “s”.
- Does not include a color in it.
- Does not include the name of an animal in it.
For example, Ohio State’s team name is Buckeyes (but, it ends with an “s”) and Alabama’s team name is Crimson Tide (but, it has a color in it).
BONUS POINTS
If we include Division I basketball teams, which team gets added to the list.
BUFFER TO KEEP YOU FROM SEEING THE ANSWER TOO SOON
Here is a picture of SOD’s son posing with Kirk Herbstreit when College Game Day visited the campus of University of Washington. Although SOD now lives in the Pacific Northwest, I grew up in the same small town that Kirk grew up in, Centerville, Ohio, although I do have a few years on Kirk. When we passed Kirk in Red Square on our way to the game, I asked if he could take a minute for a picture for a dude from Centerville and he graciously complied. Thanks, Kirk. My son is now a big fan.
THE ANSWERS
Okay, here we go, the 6 schools are …
Illinois Fighting Illini
Marshall Thundering Herd
Massachusetts Minutemen
Navy Midshipmen
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
William and Mary Tribe
BONUS POINTS ANSWER
No longer with a football program, the Hofstra Pride is the team that would be added to this list. Interestingly enough, Hofstra recently changed their team name to “Pride”, but the old name would also have kept them on this list – “The Flying Dutchmen”.
NOTES
Kudos to those of you who thought of the Elon Univeristy Phoenix. It’s a toss up as to whether or not they belong on the list. The phoenix is a mythological bird, so it could be considered an animal. But, if you thought of it and want to count it when you repeat this question to the amazement and amusement of your friends, go right ahead.
Georgia Tech’s official team name is the Yellow Jackets, although they are often referred to as the Ramblin Wreck. I happen to like Ramblin Wreck better – I think they should just go ahead and make the change.
And, yes, SOD knows that the Stanford Cardinal does not end in an “s” and is not named for the bird – but, it is a color. Sorry.
So, that was fun. Thanks for stopping by this week and feel free to help SOD out by spreading the word about the new blog. Go ahead and share this question through Twitter, on Facebook, or wherever. Now, what to write about next week?
Colleges Represented on NFL Rosters
Today’s blog is almost an extension of yesterday’s article on “The Rich Getting Richer”.
Yesterday, we made the observation that the FBS schools on top of the Recruiting Class list are the same teams on the top of the Team Rankings at the end of the year, and, these teams seem to be pretty much the same year in and year out with little variation. Seems rather obvious, wouldn’t you say?
So, with it being a Friday and all, and, with Some Other Dude’s brain already in weekend mode, let’s make another obvious connection: One would expect that these same schools would lead the list of colleges with the most ex-players (I almost typed “graduates” – what was I thinking!?) on NFL rosters. And, you would be right. Let’s take a look.
The following table tallies the top schools in terms of players on NFL rosters; shows their current ranking in 2015 recruiting classes (according to ESPN); their ranking in most appearances in the Final AP Poll; and their final ranking in the 2014 AP poll.
Just the vicious cycle one might expect to see: do well in recruiting, and you will do well in the polls, and you will put lots of players in the NFL. And, the reverse is also true – put lots of players in the NFL and do well in the polls and it will help you with recruiting.
A few anomalies do stick out, however. Like … what is California doing so high up on the list of players on NFL rosters!? The Golden Bears do not have highly rated recruiting classes; they don’t finish in the AP Final Poll too often, and yet, they have the 11th most number of former players in the NFL. That was a little surprising.
Clemson and Texas A&M have highly rated recruiting classes for 2015 (3 & 8 respectively) but only rank 23 and 25 in number of players in the NFL. You would expect them to start moving up that chart with the recent recruiting success they have achieved.
This chart also supports the observation made in yesterday’s blog that Oregon is a relative newcomer to the elite football programs club with a low ranking in the number of appearances in the final AP poll but high rankings in all the other categories.
This chart also seems to suggest that Miami-FL and Florida are programs that are slipping a bit of late. Also missing from the table are Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State – all programs that rank in the top 10 for number of appearances in the final AP Poll but not in the top 15 for current NFL players. This may suggest that their fall from the top has gone on a little bit longer.
With the Super Bowl just two days away, this chart has been making its rounds through social media.
A neat little chart, but with only a two team sample it can skew the real results. A school like Rutgers can wave this banner at potential recruits as evidence that they put good players in the NFL. Even schools like Utah State and Kent State can be proud of this chart. But, when you look at the whole picture, Rutgers ranks tied for 34th with 18 players on NFL rosters; Utah State falls in at tied for 60 with 11; and, Kent State ranks tied for 70th with 9.
All of this is just fun facts to throw around while we await the Super Bowl on Sunday and Signing Day on Wednesday. The fun just never stops.
The Rich Getting Richer
National Signing Day, the first day High School seniors can officially commit to the college they will attend, is just around the corner, Wednesday, February 4. If you have found yourself to this blog that is probably something you already know and are looking forward to.
No real surprises are expected, as regards to the top classes; there may be a few individual commit surprises, but not enough to drastically change the class rankings. In some people’s minds it’s just more of, “the rich getting richer”. Some Other Dude thinks of it more as, “the rich staying rich”. One of the downfalls of signing such elite classes year after year is the resulting high number, relatively speaking, of early declarers into the NFL Draft each year – so, SOD thinks of it more as replacing your riches as opposed to adding to them.
If you look at the Class Rankings from any number of Recruiting Web Sites, you see the same, usual suspects at the top of the list. The ESPN Top 10, for example, lists, in order from 1 – 10: Alabama, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, USC, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Texas, and Notre Dame. All elite programs, maintaining their elite status. To no one’s surprise, 6 out of those 10 teams finished 2014 in the AP Top 25 rankings. Just the rich staying rich.
So, it seems to SOD that this pattern of Top Classes stays pretty consistent from year to year. This would support the feeling that the elite schools in college football stay pretty constant from year to year. I wonder, thinks SOD, am I influenced by recent events, or does history bear this out? If we grouped college football programs into classifications, such as: Elite Programs; Near Elite Programs; Middle of the Road Programs; Below Average Programs; and Bottom Dwellers, how hard is it for one program to move from one grouping to another, and, how often does that occur?
Just relying on SOD’s instinct, it seems there are not that many programs that have moved into Elite or Near Elite status in recent history. Just go down this years’ Final AP Poll and put a label on each program and how long they’ve been in that classification. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
SOD, using only his instinct and, rather challenged, memory, labeled the Top 10 this way:
- Ohio State – Elite for a long time
- Oregon – Relatively new Elite
- TCU –Near Elite, moving upwards
- Alabama – Elite for a long time
- Michigan State – Moves between Elite and Near Elite
- Florida State – Moves between Elite and Near Elite – Mostly Elite
- Baylor – Newly Near Elite, moving upwards
- Georgia Tech – Fluctuates through all categories
- UCLA – Moves between Elite and Near Elite
Interested to see if facts support perception, SOD found this web page that lists the total number of appearances each school has in the final AP Poll throughout the years.
At the top of the list is Michigan, with 57 appearances. The Wolverines have fallen on hard times of late but have had a long enough history of being an elite program that it is going to take more than a few years of mediocrity to knock them from this group. And, Jim Harbaugh might have some magic to help get them back into the club.
Tied for 2nd with 54 appearances are Oklahoma and Ohio State. Elite and elite, although Oklahoma is at risk of slipping a bit if they don’t get back into Top 10 levels soon.
And, as you continue down the list there are no real surprises – one elite program after another. Those with a deep history of being top programs are the same ones that are tops today – for the most part. Certainly you have programs that have periods of mediocrity sprinkled in, but, you wouldn’t be surprised to see them bounce back to the top soon. For instance, programs like Tennessee, which hasn’t had a Top 10 team for some time, weighs in at #9 all time. The Volunteers haven’t finished in the final AP Poll since 2007, when they were ranked #12, and haven’t been in the Top 10 since 2001 (#4). Tennessee is slipping down the list, but, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see them back in the polls in the near future, especially given their Top 10 ranking in this year’s recruiting class.
This list does suggest that some of today’s better programs are new members to the Elite and Near Elite category, as SOD suspected. TCU, a team that probably deserved a spot in this years’ playoff, ranks 29 on the all-time list. Oregon, an elite program today, ranks only 39 on the list. The Ducks have only 15 appearances in the Final AP Poll, 14 of them since 1994 and 11 appearances since 2000. So, the Ducks are proof that a program can move up through the classifications – but, they are that rare breed.
And, there are programs, like Georgia Tech, that seem to enjoy a roller-coaster ride through the classifications. The Yellow Jackets have 25 appearances in the final rankings scattered throughout the decades, never staying too long and never being absent for too long.
So, let’s do one final comparison; let’s compare the Top 25 in the Final AP Poll for the decade years against 2014.
- The 2010 Final AP Poll included 11 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll.
- The 2000 Final AP Poll included 10 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll.
- The 1990 Final AP Poll included 6 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll.
- The 1980 Final AP Poll included 7 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll.
- The 1970 Final AP Poll included 6 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll
- The 1960 Final AP Poll included 7 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll.
- The 1950 Final AP Poll included 4 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll.
- The 1940 Final AP Poll included 3 of the same teams as in the Final 2014 Poll.
NOTE: The 1940 – 1980 Polls only ranked the Top 20 teams.
So, if you go back far enough, the list of elite teams changes a bit more drastically, but, over the past 50 years or so, it appears that it is rather difficult for teams to move up on the elite program scale. But, programs like Oregon and Baylor show that it can be done. And, there are other programs, like Rutgers for instance, that have slowly moved up from Bottom Dwellers to Middle of the Road that could be on the precipice of Near Elite or higher, especially given the recent change in conference affiliation.
It is a slowly changing landscape, but, if you root for one of those teams on the journey, it can be a fun ride.
Future Schedules and Their Impacts on Making the Playoffs
Yes, Some Other Dude (SOD) was listening when Jeff Long, Chair of the FBS Playoff Selection Committee kept insisting that the Committee was not in the business of “sending messages” when making their selections, but, I think some messages, intended or not, sublimely or otherwise, were received loud and clear. And, one of the loudest messages SOD heard was, unless you are going to go undefeated, you better have a good out-of-conference schedule to play.
I know that we only have a population of 1 selection process cycle to evaluate and this thing is still morphing, but, it seems to me, that strength of schedule does matter and, especially, the strength or weakness of those out-of-conference games you play.
SOD believes that by going undefeated, ala Florida State this past year, you can overcome a relatively weak schedule, but, once you lose a game, even if the game you lose is to a very good football team, your out-of-conference schedule is going to be scrutinized and have an impact on your ranking. Arguably, both Baylor and TCU are evidence of such in 2014.
Ohio State was, at that time, a controversial pick as the 4th seed in the playoffs, largely based on their “poor loss” to a mediocre Virginia Tech squad. This loss was widely accepted as the worse loss of any team in consideration of a playoff spot. But, how can you fault a team for scheduling, not just a Power 5 opponent, but a Power 5 opponent with a history of being good? Could it be that a loss to a down-year Virginia Tech is less damaging than an out-of-conference schedule made up of SMU, Northwestern State and Buffalo, as in Baylor’s case, or Samford and SMU (I’ll give them Minnesota as being okay) in TCU’s case? Not that OSU’s out of conference schedule of the aforementioned Virginia Tech, Navy, Kent State and Cincinnati was significantly better, but, it at least included all FBS schools.
So, SOD decided to take a look in the future to see if this could possibly be a factor in upcoming seasons. Using FB Schedules.com as my information source, I do see evidence of some tougher schedules ahead, but, I also see some suspect scheduling in the near future that could damage some teams’ chances at one of the four playoff spots in closely contended races.
In particular, Baylor could find themselves in the same predicament with their current future (oximoronic, I know) schedules. Baylor’s 2015 out-of-conference schedule consists of SMU, Lamar and Rice. Really?! The 2016 schedule currently stands as Northwestern State, SMU and Rice. No better. At least in 2017 and 2018 they get Duke on the schedule, but these years also include Liberty and UTSA. And, embarrassingly, Baylor’s 2019 out-of-conference schedule has them playing Incarnate Word, UTSA and Rice! Now, SOD does not know how much flexibility there is to change all of this, but, if Baylor hopes to vie for a spot in any upcoming playoffs, they might want to make some changes.
By comparison, take a look at Big 12 conference rival Texas’s upcoming schedules. Texas is scheduled to play Notre Dame, Rice and California in 2015; Notre Dame, UTEP and California in 2016; Maryland, UCF and USC in 2017; and, Maryland, Tulsa and USC in 2018. Two Power 5 teams and a cupcake each year – MUCH BETTER than 3 cupcakes. Beyond 2018, the incomplete Texas schedules currently include the likes of LSU, Arkansas, Ohio State, and Michigan. Now this is scheduling! And, this is what SOD hopes the Playoff System entices other schools to do, as well.
All in all, there are still many holes to fill in for lots of Power 5 teams; still plenty of time to “toughen” up their schedules; but there are still too many patsies on too many schedules for SOD’s liking. The SEC, as a whole, I think, has a rather soft out-of-conference slate collectively. I think they deserve to do much better if they wish to continue to wave that banner of best conference in the land. Along with Texas, USC’s future schedules look more like that of a team with hopes of great accomplishments. This is the type of scheduling other schools should emulate.
Now. SOD does believe that there is still room for some scheduling creativity or exceptions to the rule. For example, SOD thinks, regardless of what league they are in or how good of a year they are having, scheduling any of the Military Academies should be encouraged and not count against you – just limit it to one a year. SOD also appreciates the value in scheduling regional schools, every now and then. For example, Virginia or Virginia Tech scheduling Old Dominion, William & Mary or Richmond every now and then can be forgiven – just don’t schedule two or more in the same year as Virginia Tech has done for 2018.
And, SOD does understand that schedules are set years in advance and that there is a science to the art of scheduling. It is more than just wanting to toughen up your schedule; it is a matter of availability, timing and coordination. But, SOD does want to see a trending away from so many “easy win” games for teams that have playoff aspirations.
In general, SOD hopes there are more inter-Power 5 games in out-of-conference schedules. If you can’t fill up your schedule with teams from other Power 5 conferences, you should, at least, go for other FBS schools. Although FCS schools do realize branding and financial benefits from games against FBS opponents, SOD wouldn’t mind seeing these games become a thing of the past.
And, there are some changes afoot. The B1G Ten is moving to a 9 game conference schedule in 2016 (same as the Pac-12 has today), resulting in 1 less out-of-conference game for each team. Other conferences may soon follow. Fewer out-of-conference games should result in fewer cupcake games.
Like so many other things in life, we will just have to wait and see. SOD predicts that the future schedules, as they are today, are bound to change, especially those that are 2 or more years out. I certainly hope so. Tougher games in the out-of-conference weeks to start a season should lead to more excitement and provide more common fodder by which to evaluate and rank teams at the end of the season when determining the playoff contenders. No team should be left out of a playoff spot because their schedule was too easy.
What do you think, Baylor and TCU? Regardless, I think the Big 12 having a Championship would also help your cause.
30 Random Thoughts for the First Post on a New College Football Blog
1) The last thing the world needs is another blog on College Football.
2) Especially, a College Football blog written by a schmuck with no business writing a College Football Blog.
3) Starting a new College Football Blog on January 23 is about as stupid as it gets.
4) Since Braxton Miller has already graduated and does not have to sit out a year if he transfers – I think he should transfer.
5) Remember that Russell Wilson did number 4.
6) Even though almost every analyst I hear is saying Marcus Mariota is a can’t miss NFL prospect – I think he can miss.
7) I hope Jameis Winston grows up.
8) I bet the Baltimore Ravens don’t trade up to get Jameis Winston in the draft – or ever.
9) I think the Big 12 is making a Big mistake if it doesn’t expand to Championship-size.
10) I bet Bo Pelini doesn’t coach at Youngstown State for more than 1 year.
11) Just to keep things cosmically balanced, the Pac-12 should add Colorado State and Utah State to become the Pac-14.
12) Notre Dame and BYU need to join a conference.
13) Boise State should be in a big boy conference.
14) TCU still has good reason to be upset.
15) I am available to be a member of the Playoff Selection Committee – just say’n.
16) Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh have the potential of being a modern day Woody Hayes and Bo Shembechler. And, that would be cool. (Although Woody and Bo had a secret admiration for each other – I’m not sure Urban and Jim will develop that.)
17) Washington Huskies v. Boise State Broncos is a GREAT Week 1 match-up for 2015.
18) Becoming eligible for bowl games again; getting scholarships back; and getting wins re-instated is no excuse for Penn State to not follow up on lessons learned from the Jerry Sandusky tragedy.
19) The SEC is still a powerful football conference – with or without an ESPN bias.
20) I know I’m a nerd, but, I like the Kirk Herbstreit / Lee Corso dynamics.
21) I know I’m a nerd, but, I hate the Lou Holtz / Mark May dynamics.
22) I’m a nerd.
23) The winner of the 2015 Heisman Trophy will not be on the list of leading candidates going into the season.
24) Oregon and Florida State will not be in the Playoffs next year.
25) Ohio State and Alabama will be in the Playoffs next year.
26) Mississippi State and Ole Miss will not be in the Playoff discussion late in the season again.
27) TCU and Baylor will be in the Playoff discussion late in the season again.
28) I was impressed with Cardale Jone’s Press Conference announcing he is returning to school. I hope he does get his degree.
29) The odds of me keeping this blog going are 100,000:1.
30) The odds of anyone actually reading this blog are even greater than that.
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