Power 5 Schools Not Playing an FCS Opponent in '19
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
AreWeThereYet
Well-Known Member
Let me see if I remember the rule right. Big Ten teams can play an FCS opponent in years which they have five away conference games.
guffus
Well-Known Member
Yes, in other words, Big Ten West can play FCS teams in even number years, and can't play FCS teams in odd years.
Iowa can't really brag much. They are still playing FCS teams in even number years.
The teams I envy with their scheduling are USC, Stanford, Texas, who often play 11 different P5 teams each year.
Props also go to both Purdue and NW, who both scheduled 11 P5 teams last year. Purdue also did not play an FCS team in 2018, even though they could have. Purdue also scheduled 11 P5 teams again in 2019. Purdue is putting everybody to shame with their scheduling.
Not sure about that. They open at Nevada this season. You want the Hawks doing something like that?? I don't think so.
guffus
Well-Known Member
I don't know if you are being serious but if you think that is bad, it could be worse
Northwestern is opening at Stanford.
Actuallly Purdue's schedule is a little weird. They open at Nevada, a G5 school. Then Purdue plays host to 2 P5 schools, Vanderbilt and TCU.
I guess Iowa should be given sone credit for playing a conference game in week 2. Sure its a game against Rutgers in Iowa City, but technically it's still a conference game.
AreWeThereYet
Well-Known Member
With a 14 team conference, I would still much rather play the 9 conference games rather than 8, even if that means giving up the second P5 OOC game. I'm not going to give up a game against Michigan to play Stanford.
Iowa State has improved quite a bit. It we are stuck with that game every year, than Iowa State being a quality opponent is preferred.
Our weakest OOC opponent in the next few years is likely to be Kent State Golden Flushes.
Iowa State has improved quite a bit. It we are stuck with that game every year, than Iowa State being a quality opponent is preferred.
Our weakest OOC opponent in the next few years is likely to be Kent State Golden Flushes.
kameltoez102
Well-Known Member
As much as I do not like playing the non power 5 schools it would be bad for college football if that didn't happen. Ultimately it helps the game financially as well as in recruiting/marketing. I don't think would be as big of a deal if the playoff system were a little better, but I have also stated that we should only play 1 -2 games OOC each year and expand the conference games which would reduce the number of games that we would potentially play them. What is the point of having the teams in the conference if you only play them every so often.
Fryowa
Administrator
That question and point are moot.
The reason they don’t drop an OOC game is because if you add a conference game, statistically everyone’s overall records will get worse in the short and long runs because they’re playing better teams. In today’s world of trying to make the playoffs, every single win is crucial.
It’s like the mutually assured destruction doctrine in reverse. The only way one conference would do what you suggest is if all the others did, and that’s not happening.
It would also cause schools to lose a guaranteed home game every other year which is big money, add more travel, and injury risk is increased by playing more highly skilled teams. In short, it will never ever happen.
What I was getting at is Purdue had to agree to go play at NEVADA!
pythagoras
Well-Known Member
Given credit for the B1G scheduling week 1, 2, and 3 games across the conference over the next few years?? Wut???
I don't think Iowa had anything to do with the Rutgers game being scheduled in week 2. I believe that was a decision the B1G made to get some conference games on the schedule in the traditional OOC weeks at start of the season.
Iowa has a season opener against Indiana in a couple years. I'm guessing Kirk was not a fan of that when he was informed.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Zero shame in the SEC. You look at A&M, for instance. They are playing Lamar. Freaking Lamar. The Big Ten makes them look like a joke. A&M is playing at Clemson, at Georgia and at LSU and has Auburn and Bama at home. Iowa's schedule is like 50 times harder.
guffus
Well-Known Member
I believe there is an over-emphasis on making the playoffs when discussing potential schedules. Schools should make an effort to schedule competitive games that fans want to see. If teams play a schedule like that, and still end up in the final 4, then they show that they earned it. If they end up outside the top 4, maybe because the lost a tough OOC game or a 9th conference game, then maybe it's a sign there weren't really the best team in the country. But they had their shot, they just did not take care of business.
Unfortunately, as long as the SEC/Bama keeps winning national championships, the SEC champion will always get the benefit of the doubt.
If the Big Ten wouldn't have been shut out and blown out in its last 2 playoff games in 2015 and 2016, and instead won the national championships, then it probably would have got its champions for 2017 and 2018 into the playoffs. The key is the next time the Big Ten gets a team in the playoffs, don't get blown out and try to win a game.
Unfortunately, as long as the SEC/Bama keeps winning national championships, the SEC champion will always get the benefit of the doubt.
If the Big Ten wouldn't have been shut out and blown out in its last 2 playoff games in 2015 and 2016, and instead won the national championships, then it probably would have got its champions for 2017 and 2018 into the playoffs. The key is the next time the Big Ten gets a team in the playoffs, don't get blown out and try to win a game.
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InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
That's a tough schedule, prolly why they chased it with Texas State, Lamar and that powerhouse UTSA in November.
guffus
Well-Known Member
I would love it if Iowa and the Big Ten went to a schedule of 10 conference games and 2 P5 OOC games. That's why that entire 2015 season felt so strange. Yes Iowa started 12-0 but never played OSU, PSU, Mich or MSU in the regular season. It was just odd. Was Iowa even a great team? Maybe they were but they never really got a chance to prove it until the CCG and Rose Bowl. Probably would have been better to sort that out during the regular season.
Yes, with a tough schedule every year, Iowa would occasionally finish with a losing record and miss a bowl. So what. Fans develop bowl fatigue going to a bowl every year anyway. Unless they leave, the players will get their chance again the next year.
Yes, Iowa would only schedule 6 home games instead of 7 home games. So what. At least the fans will have 6 quality opponents at home every year.
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okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
While this is great in theory, I think what it would end up doing is killing off the current rent-a-victim programs in conferences like the MAC and Sun Belt and create a bidding war for historically and currently terrible programs like Kansas, Iowa State, Illinois, Vandy, etc. Plus, I honestly don't want to watch Iowa go play somewhere hot in September. After what Arizona State did to us, I shudder to think of what would happen if Iowa had to go play some program like UGA or Florida in a road game in September. I'm still having nightmares from when we played Miami and that had to have been like 30 years ago. I'd rather live in blissful ignorance and chock up some guaranteed wins against programs like Northern Illinois, directional Michigan schools and North Dakota State.
