RE: ESPN: Miami and VT need to step up (+1 more)
Although college football is very late in weighing strength of schedule, you can only hope the practice truly takes hold. And when we say strength of schedule, you have to weigh OOC strength of schedule more so than anything else. The SEC has rightly attained their perch atop the college football landscape; however, they achieved it by manipulating the polls. How so? Well, the proof is in the OOC scheduling and when stronger opponents outside of the conference are scheduled. As of 2014, the Vols have the toughest out of conference schedule with at trip to the Sooners, a game against Utah State, Arkansas State and Chattanooga. Bama plays WVa in ATL, FL Atlantic, Southern Miss and Western Carolina. Texas A&M plays Lamar, Rice at SMU and ULM. UGa plays Clemson, Troy, Charleston Southern and Ga Tech. UF plays Idaho, Eastern Michigan, Eastern Kentucky and FSU. USC east plays East Carolina, Furman, South Alabama and Clemson, Mizzou plays South Dakota State, Toledo, UCF and IU. LSU plays Wisconsin, Sam Houston State, ULM and Nex Mexico State. So, you start off in the polls base off of what? You maintain that position early by playing these types of games. Then you make sure that your toughest game is played after a bye. And, by doing so, you maintain that inflated position in the polls because the lose on the schedule will come from a conference foe who also benefited from the scam scheduling.
Obviously perception is everything and the ACC has a lot of work to do in order to right that ship. Va Tech and Miami as well as the rest of the other teams need to step their game up. But, if college football really want to make it right, then OOC schedule must weigh a lot heavier than anything else.
|