It's about time somebody wrote something about the weak as crap OOC schedules the SEC conjures up.

msn.foxsports.com Wrote:Time for SEC teams to toughen up
Randy Hill
Special to FOXSports.com, Updated 2 days ago

Exhaling is recommended anytime between now and college football's allegedly fast-approaching, plus-one championship model.

I'll believe in this pigskin Final Four when college presidents officially open the road that leads there.

In the meantime, we'll be obliged to bicker over schedule strength and computer rankings. Thankfully, one topic that usually generates little debate is the unofficial crowning of the nation's strongest conference. With minimal objection, most watchdogs agree that the top-heavy Southeastern Conference almost always checks in at No. 1.

Please note that this admission rarely placates SEC fans, who become irritable when we forget to suggest the league also is stronger than the AFC North.

Anyway, despite its impressive pedigree, the SEC has produced only two BCS Championship Game participants in the last eight years. By contrast, the Big 12 has sent five teams to the BCS interpretation of the final dance in that time frame.

According to most sharpies, the issue confronting the SEC is the tribulation of going through the conference schedule unscathed. Amen to that. With traditional powers such as LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Alabama (yeah, the Tide will roll back in) and Arkansas (OK, we have to go back a ways) in the fold, the SEC is tougher to get through than an entire hour of Charmed.

But, despite the statistical cred established by these frequent donnybrooks, the computers aren't exactly thrilled with other aspects of an SEC schedule. Like every BCS league, the SEC has its share of historical non-powerhouses.

Unlike every BCS league, the SEC's non-powerhouses still generate big, rabid crowds for three hours of gut-busting football.

So, what's the problem? Well, the problem seems to crop up when those tricky strength-of-schedule programs take a look at the SEC's non-league playmates. From a distance, we're reminded of the Iditarod. A closer look at this year's schedules reveals that SEC teams are prepared to tangle with 10 Division 1-AA teams. It also doesn't help that non-BCS-league foes make up 72 percent of the SEC's non-league schedule.

By comparison, Pac-10 teams will take on just two Division 1-AA teams and have scheduled just 63 percent of their non-league games against teams below the BCS-league level.

For the record, the Big Ten and Big 12 have numbers similar to the SEC's. But what sets the world's top college football conference slightly apart from its BCS cronies is a commitment to making 12 of 48 non-league dates with schools from the mighty Sun Belt. Based on most projections, the Sun Belt is the weakest 1-A league in the nation. Over non-SEC 48 games, that's 22 against teams from the Belt or Division 1-AA.

Between now and that dandy notion of a Final Four, it might not be a bad idea for SEC teams to find a few more BCS-caliber schools with a desire for an out-of-conference, home-and-home commitment. Until then, critics will take shots at non-league lineups like these:

Florida: Western Kentucky, Troy, Florida Atlantic and Florida State.
I doubt that Urban Meyer has confused Troy with Pete Carroll's team.

Georgia: Oklahoma State, Western Carolina, Troy and Georgia Tech.
Troy's Larry Blakeney must be the bravest coach in America. Compared to those of its conference rivals, this schedule is nowhere near as low as Ugga's tummy.

Tennessee: Cal, Southern Mississippi, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette.
Pac-10 followers are hoping the Golden Bears don't assume the fetal position against the Vols this year.

South Carolina: Louisiana-Lafayette, South Carolina State, North Carolina, Clemson.
Thanks to regional rivalries, the Gamecocks look absolutely fearless.

Kentucky: Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Florida Atlantic and Louisville.
Let's hope Billy Gillispie's non-league schedule is tougher.

Vanderbilt: Richmond, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Wake Forest.
By the way, the Miami listed is the one from Ohio.

LSU: Virginia, Tech, Middle Tennessee, Tulane, Louisiana Tech.
Coach Les Miles, who has mistaken himself for Steve Spurrier, recently pointed out how easy it should be for USC to reach the BCS title game.

While the Tigas have Florida, Auburn, Arkansas and Va Tech at home, their road schedule isn't exactly murder. LSU's challenge away from Baton Rouge is Mississippi State, Tulane, Kentucky (yeah Andre Woodson makes them interesting), Alabama and Mississippi.

Pipe down until you win a title, Les. :ncaabbs:

Auburn: Kansas State, South Florida, New Mexico State and Tennessee Tech.
Well, if Reggie Theus hadn't split, NMSU could have been a fun date for basketball.


Alabama: Western Carolina, Florida State, Houston and Louisiana-Monroe.
The new coach might admit that this isn't quite as tricky as the AFC East.

Arkansas: Troy, North Texas, UT-Chattanooga and Florida International.
Where did USC go?

Mississippi: Memphis, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State and Missouri.
Northwestern State? This would have looked sort of weak with Northwestern.

Mississippi State: Tulane, Gardner-Webb, UAB and West Virginia.
Thanks to the Bulldogs, we now know that Gardner-Webb has a football team.

Now that the scheduling smoke has cleared, we should note the SEC's 10 1-AA games involve just half of its really good teams. It also should be pointed out that — aside from the Pac-10 — teams from most leagues really load up on the intramural opponents.

This doesn't mean SEC schools should avoid adding another big-league team each year.

Especially if they think the Baltimore Ravens can make a big impression on the BCS computer.

"In the meantime, we'll be obliged to bicker over schedule strength and computer rankings. Thankfully, one topic that usually generates little debate is the unofficial crowning of the nation's strongest conference. With minimal objection, most watchdogs agree that the top-heavy Southeastern Conference almost always checks in at No. 1."

They also don't have to play in frigid cold & snow which makes them more one-dimensional. You can't say they are the best overall conference unless they play home & home with northern schools in late season. Bowl games are not a barometer since they are played in the south & southwest or indoors.

Send 'em up to Morgantown in late November. We'll show 'em cold weather and some dominant football.

umm ok.

The SEC can have weak OOC schedules because their IN-Conference scheduling is tougher than any f'n conference out there, maybe, and as of late, aside from the ACC.

Toughen up? Can't play in snow? Soft? Yeah, tell f'n the Buckholes the SEC is soft. Seems our 1-loss UF beat the hell out of the Nation's Cinderella team.