Awhile back the B1G was talking about OOC scheduling guidelines that they were looking to institute for their conference at some point in the future - specifically no more games against FCS schools on the schedule. I know that a number of ACC schools are tied to other P5 schools OOC (GT/UGA, Clemson/USC, FSU/UF, UL/UK), and I've read that the fans of these schools think the rest of the ACC has an unfair advantage by being able to schedule a weaker OOC conference slate.

In light of that, do you think the ACC should institute some guidelines for the conference to address OOC scheduling inequalities? For starters, no more FCS games OOC? I know Pitt has a number of FCS schools coming up in the future that I would NOT mind seeing go away permanently. I think this would be a step in the right direction to make it more fair for all the ACC schools. However, maybe as the SOS component becomes more important that perhaps no scheduling rules will be needed moving forward since most schools would want to be competitive in all facets when it comes to the rankings.

As a Pitt fan, I'm jealous of the arrangements that GT, Clemson, FSU and Louisville have. Given the reality that Pitt has no real rivalries in the ACC as it's constituted today, I would love to see ND or PSU become an annual fixture on the OOC schedule. Sometimes, I even wonder if it would be worth while trying to get WVU inked to an annual series if it comes to it. That last statement is just crazy talk, I know.

I suspect they will not implement rules on OOC scheduling as many schools have to schedule FCS opponents to help balance the books by getting an extra home game. Scheduling weak opponents will not be a problem for Syracuse. The AD has a policy to play anybody, any place at any time. This was really not that great when the team was lousy but now that the team has improved its ok. The AD is especially adept at networking so he seems to not have problems getting games with top tier schools either. I think Syracuse is concentrating on getting games with the B1G. I would not be surprised if Rutgers, PSU, and Northwestern pops back up on the schedule. Maryland is already there.

I would be surprised if Rutgers was on the schedule since there is nothing to gain with our metlife games in jersey every other year. It seems like with the coaching change they have dropped the level of opponent on schedule down slightly to get more wins which is the right thing to do. Scheduling is touchy subject though with us Syracuse fans as our guy is incompetent as seen by last years being last to find a game and that team it was questionable whether it counted for bowl eligibility. Supposedly 2015 is set but no announcement

My heart bleeds for fans of those ACC schools (Clemson, GT, FSU, Louisville) complaining about their tough OOC schedules. Last year, Clemson played South Carolina State and The Citadel. GT scheduled Alabama A&M and Elon. Other than Florida (which was weak enough), the Noles teed it up against Nevada, Betthune-Cookman and Idaho. Louisville's in-state rival isn't exactly top-drawer to begin with, but they also played Ohio, Eastern Kentucky and FIU.

So forgive me if I don't get too worked up over the inequity in scheduling.

(01-26-2014 01:28 PM)ken d Wrote:  My heart bleeds for fans of those ACC schools (Clemson, GT, FSU, Louisville) complaining about their tough OOC schedules. Last year, Clemson played South Carolina State and The Citadel. GT scheduled Alabama A&M and Elon. Other than Florida (which was weak enough), the Noles teed it up against Nevada, Betthune-Cookman and Idaho. Louisville's in-state rival isn't exactly top-drawer to begin with, but they also played Ohio, Eastern Kentucky and FIU.

So forgive me if I don't get too worked up over the inequity in scheduling.

You MUST be new to this whole college football thing... the reason those schools all schedules 2 cupcakes is because of the 9-game ACC schedule which got switched back to 8 games... IIRC, Clemson was supposed to play Oklahoma State and Ole Miss; Ga Tech had some plans as well. FSU was also hosed by WVU, which should've played FSU last 2 seasons but was cancelled by the Mountaineers, not the Seminoles.

If you want to know how those schools normally schedule OOC, either look further back or look forward.

In 2008, Clemson played AL, SC, and 2 cupcakes.
In 2009 it was TCU, SC + 2
2010-2012 all featured Auburn, SC + 2
2013-2014 feature UGa, SC + 2

Ideally one of the cupcakes is a G5 team, but at the last minute it's difficult to do that. Clemson is also required to schedule 1 in-state FCS.

Penn St. is reappearing on the Pitt schedule starting in 2016 aren't they? Two year series became a four year series, unless that is changing.

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-foot...12aaa.html

(01-26-2014 02:45 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-26-2014 01:28 PM)ken d Wrote:  My heart bleeds for fans of those ACC schools (Clemson, GT, FSU, Louisville) complaining about their tough OOC schedules. Last year, Clemson played South Carolina State and The Citadel. GT scheduled Alabama A&M and Elon. Other than Florida (which was weak enough), the Noles teed it up against Nevada, Betthune-Cookman and Idaho. Louisville's in-state rival isn't exactly top-drawer to begin with, but they also played Ohio, Eastern Kentucky and FIU.

So forgive me if I don't get too worked up over the inequity in scheduling.

You MUST be new to this whole college football thing... the reason those schools all schedules 2 cupcakes is because of the 9-game ACC schedule which got switched back to 8 games... IIRC, Clemson was supposed to play Oklahoma State and Ole Miss; Ga Tech had some plans as well. FSU was also hosed by WVU, which should've played FSU last 2 seasons but was cancelled by the Mountaineers, not the Seminoles.

If you want to know how those schools normally schedule OOC, either look further back or look forward.

In 2008, Clemson played AL, SC, and 2 cupcakes.
In 2009 it was TCU, SC + 2
2010-2012 all featured Auburn, SC + 2
2013-2014 feature UGa, SC + 2

Ideally one of the cupcakes is a G5 team, but at the last minute it's difficult to do that. Clemson is also required to schedule 1 in-state FCS.

That's weak. We should schedule a power OOC like this:

Georgia Southern
Old Dominion
Presbyterian
South Florida

Sad thing is you can make a strong argument for NCSU losing three out of four of those games.

(01-26-2014 04:29 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  Penn St. is reappearing on the Pitt schedule starting in 2016 aren't they? Two year series became a four year series, unless that is changing.

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-foot...12aaa.html

This is what future college football has for Pitt:

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/acc/pitt...nthers.php

14 - Delaware, FIU, Iowa, Akron
15 - Akron, Iowa, ND
16 - PSU, Oklahoma State, Villanova
17 - Ok State, PSU
18 - PSU
19- PSU, Delaware

The ACC will do everything it can to preserve and promote Pitt/PSU. But I don't know how the contracts are written.

(01-26-2014 04:50 PM)Kaplony Wrote:  

(01-26-2014 02:45 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-26-2014 01:28 PM)ken d Wrote:  My heart bleeds for fans of those ACC schools (Clemson, GT, FSU, Louisville) complaining about their tough OOC schedules. Last year, Clemson played South Carolina State and The Citadel. GT scheduled Alabama A&M and Elon. Other than Florida (which was weak enough), the Noles teed it up against Nevada, Betthune-Cookman and Idaho. Louisville's in-state rival isn't exactly top-drawer to begin with, but they also played Ohio, Eastern Kentucky and FIU.

So forgive me if I don't get too worked up over the inequity in scheduling.

You MUST be new to this whole college football thing... the reason those schools all schedules 2 cupcakes is because of the 9-game ACC schedule which got switched back to 8 games... IIRC, Clemson was supposed to play Oklahoma State and Ole Miss; Ga Tech had some plans as well. FSU was also hosed by WVU, which should've played FSU last 2 seasons but was cancelled by the Mountaineers, not the Seminoles.

If you want to know how those schools normally schedule OOC, either look further back or look forward.

In 2008, Clemson played AL, SC, and 2 cupcakes.
In 2009 it was TCU, SC + 2
2010-2012 all featured Auburn, SC + 2
2013-2014 feature UGa, SC + 2

Ideally one of the cupcakes is a G5 team, but at the last minute it's difficult to do that. Clemson is also required to schedule 1 in-state FCS.

That's weak. We should schedule a power OOC like this:

Georgia Southern
Old Dominion
Presbyterian
South Florida

Sad thing is you can make a strong argument for NCSU losing three out of four of those games.

South Florida had a good team when first scheduled. We had Oklahoma State on the schedule for 14 and 15, but they cancelled. However I agree that the 2014 OOC schedule for State sucks.

Good luck today Kaplony. I hope you break your 88 year losing streak in Chapel Hill.

(01-26-2014 02:45 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-26-2014 01:28 PM)ken d Wrote:  My heart bleeds for fans of those ACC schools (Clemson, GT, FSU, Louisville) complaining about their tough OOC schedules. Last year, Clemson played South Carolina State and The Citadel. GT scheduled Alabama A&M and Elon. Other than Florida (which was weak enough), the Noles teed it up against Nevada, Betthune-Cookman and Idaho. Louisville's in-state rival isn't exactly top-drawer to begin with, but they also played Ohio, Eastern Kentucky and FIU.

So forgive me if I don't get too worked up over the inequity in scheduling.

You MUST be new to this whole college football thing... the reason those schools all schedules 2 cupcakes is because of the 9-game ACC schedule which got switched back to 8 games... IIRC, Clemson was supposed to play Oklahoma State and Ole Miss; Ga Tech had some plans as well. FSU was also hosed by WVU, which should've played FSU last 2 seasons but was cancelled by the Mountaineers, not the Seminoles.

If you want to know how those schools normally schedule OOC, either look further back or look forward.

In 2008, Clemson played AL, SC, and 2 cupcakes.
In 2009 it was TCU, SC + 2
2010-2012 all featured Auburn, SC + 2
2013-2014 feature UGa, SC + 2

Ideally one of the cupcakes is a G5 team, but at the last minute it's difficult to do that. Clemson is also required to schedule 1 in-state FCS.

If the reason these schools are scheduling 2 cupcakes is due to a nine game league schedule, how is it that this practice dates back (at least) to 2008? In 2012, Clemson played Ball State and Furman. In 2011, it was Troy and Wofford. FSU played Murray State and Savannah State in 2012 and La-Monroe and Charleston Southern in 2011. GT played Presbyterian and Middle Tennessee in 2012 and in 2011 it was Western Carolina and Middle Tennessee, plus that traditional P5 powerhouse Kansas.

Fact is, most P5 schools have relatively weak OOC games every year. They don't have much room to criticize other school's schedules. I'm not giving anybody a pass because they are '"required" to schedule FCS teams. If they didn't schedule those games, they would schedule some other cupcake instead. There's not that much difference between FCS schools and Sun Belt or MAC schools that P5 schools feast on with regularity.

(01-26-2014 10:10 AM)C Marlow Wrote:  Awhile back the B1G was talking about OOC scheduling guidelines that they were looking to institute for their conference at some point in the future - specifically no more games against FCS schools on the schedule. I know that a number of ACC schools are tied to other P5 schools OOC (GT/UGA, Clemson/USC, FSU/UF, UL/UK), and I've read that the fans of these schools think the rest of the ACC has an unfair advantage by being able to schedule a weaker OOC conference slate.

What? I seriously don't recall anybody ever saying this.

In light of that, do you think the ACC should institute some guidelines for the conference to address OOC scheduling inequalities? For starters, no more FCS games OOC? I know Pitt has a number of FCS schools coming up in the future that I would NOT mind seeing go away permanently. I think this would be a step in the right direction to make it more fair for all the ACC schools. However, maybe as the SOS component becomes more important that perhaps no scheduling rules will be needed moving forward since most schools would want to be competitive in all facets when it comes to the rankings.

I don't think any rules need to be mandated. I know the ACC doesn't know what's best for FSU and I don't want the other schools in the conference dictating a policy that may be detrimental to FSU's efforts. I've actually seen talk that mid- and lower-tier ACC schools should schedule easier OOC programs than they have been, as a means to enhance their own records and prop up the perceived strength of the ACC. But I don't think it should be dictated by the conference.

As a Pitt fan, I'm jealous of the arrangements that GT, Clemson, FSU and Louisville have. Given the reality that Pitt has no real rivalries in the ACC as it's constituted today, I would love to see ND or PSU become an annual fixture on the OOC schedule. Sometimes, I even wonder if it would be worth while trying to get WVU inked to an annual series if it comes to it. That last statement is just crazy talk, I know.

If you're complaining about not having a rival, and you have an available rival that you refuse to schedule...

Schedule 10 of 12 games against power conference or the equivalent (i.e. BYU, Boise, Cincy, UCF, etc.). I don't care what combo of conference and OOC games it takes to get there, but just get there.

If you can't do that, the playoff committee should tell you to GTFO. The worst thing about college football is the fact that 1/4 to 1/3 of a schedule is a complete waste of time.

(01-26-2014 07:12 PM)fsugrad99 Wrote:  Schedule 10 of 12 games against power conference or the equivalent (i.e. BYU, Boise, Cincy, UCF, etc.). I don't care what combo of conference and OOC games it takes to get there, but just get there.

If you can't do that, the playoff committee should tell you to GTFO. The worst thing about college football is the fact that 1/4 to 1/3 of a schedule is a complete waste of time.

Would that be as opposed to college basketball, where the top schools don't schedule cupcakes?

Let's not forget that those cupcakes desperately need the money they get for playing those games. Last year, Western Carolina got $1.2 million for the privilege of being trounced by P5 teams. They would do it every year if they could.

(01-26-2014 07:34 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(01-26-2014 07:12 PM)fsugrad99 Wrote:  Schedule 10 of 12 games against power conference or the equivalent (i.e. BYU, Boise, Cincy, UCF, etc.). I don't care what combo of conference and OOC games it takes to get there, but just get there.

If you can't do that, the playoff committee should tell you to GTFO. The worst thing about college football is the fact that 1/4 to 1/3 of a schedule is a complete waste of time.

Would that be as opposed to college basketball, where the top schools don't schedule cupcakes?

Is this serious or sarcasm?

I think once the ACC makes the decision on going to a 9 game conference schedule they should also implement guidelines on scheduling FCS opponents. I don't think the P-5 group as a whole should have anything to do with the FCS for there are plenty of bottom dwellers amongst the the P-5 and the G-5 or what ever they are calling them to fill these spots. I wouldn't mind seeing some sort of agreement amongst the P-5 on a scheduling across the board once everyone ends up going to a 9 games conference slate, but the FCS should be left alone for it would only enhance the outlook of the conferences when comparing SOS with out them.

Why does the ACC need to go to 9 games if it's trying to get rid of divisions?

(01-27-2014 02:20 AM)Marge Schott Wrote:  Why does the ACC need to go to 9 games if it's trying to get rid of divisions?

+1

You want to play other ACC teams more often? Drop divisions, go to exactly 3 permanent rivals and 5 rotating - play EVERY other team in the league every other year! No need for a 9th game - ever. (Why increase the number of ACC games if you are going to play that team NEXT YEAR anyway?)

Your team having trouble scheduling 4 OOC games in the years you don't play Notre Dame? I could see another scheduling agreement for 9 more games - possibly with the Big XII (they have the right number of teams), but if the ACC did that I would not make it equal - instead, I'd try to create marquee matchups like Texas vs. FSU and Oklahoma vs. Clemson. WVU would always play Va Tech or Pitt or Louisville, Kansas would always play one of the basketball-first schools, and Iowa State would get one of the small schools every time.

(01-27-2014 06:40 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-27-2014 02:20 AM)Marge Schott Wrote:  Why does the ACC need to go to 9 games if it's trying to get rid of divisions?

+1

You want to play other ACC teams more often? Drop divisions, go to exactly 3 permanent rivals and 5 rotating - play EVERY other team in the league every other year! No need for a 9th game - ever. (Why increase the number of ACC games if you are going to play that team NEXT YEAR anyway?)

Your team having trouble scheduling 4 OOC games in the years you don't play Notre Dame? I could see another scheduling agreement for 9 more games - possibly with the Big XII (they have the right number of teams), but if the ACC did that I would not make it equal - instead, I'd try to create marquee matchups like Texas vs. FSU and Oklahoma vs. Clemson. WVU would always play Va Tech or Pitt or Louisville, Kansas would always play one of the basketball-first schools, and Iowa State would get one of the small schools every time.

The way you have stated the setup yes I can see no reason in having a 9th game, but if you have a 9th game with your setup you can have a home and home with one of your 3 permanent rivals that rotate each year.

The main reason for the ninth game is for more content for TV, but only if the ACC is getting a bump in pay, and I thought it was for scheduling purposes also. What ever the ACC comes about I'm sure some will love it and others will hate it. Hopefully the setup you talked about is something they are leaning towards.

If the ACC goes back to the asinine 9 game conference schedule then it should also adopt the policy that each school must have a P5 OOC game on the schedule every year or they forfeit 5% of the conference payout. That way everybody is on an even footing, scheduling wise. Make an allowance for last minute buyouts like WVU did FSU or the parasites did Wake, but only for last minute cancellations. In the situation mentioned above concerning NC State and Okie State it was dropped in 2010 and would not qualify as a "last minute" drop.

(01-27-2014 08:29 AM)Kaplony Wrote:  If the ACC goes back to the asinine 9 game conference schedule then it should also adopt the policy that each school must have a P5 OOC game on the schedule every year or they forfeit 5% of the conference payout. That way everybody is on an even footing, scheduling wise. Make an allowance for last minute buyouts like WVU did FSU or the parasites did Wake, but only for last minute cancellations. In the situation mentioned above concerning NC State and Okie State it was dropped in 2010 and would not qualify as a "last minute" drop.

I'm not sure I get why it's important to have all conference teams "on an even footing" when it comes to OOC games. It doesn't affect league standings, and weak schedules will work to the detriment of any teams that might be competing with you for a spot in the playoffs or a major bowl. If Clemson play SC every year, and alternates between UGa and Auburn, their SOS is going to be even more of a plus in the future.

Schools like Carolina and NC State, which have been perennial .500 teams for as long as I can remember, will need to schedule up - and win - to establish the credibility that Clemson and FSU already have. If those schools play weak schedules, it will only hurt them. Their qualifying for a middle tier bowl isn't going to hurt you.