CFN - Bottom 20

[Conway Cool Daddy]

If you have ever wondered why the Hogs play a brutal schedule and have a terrible SOS, this is why.
3 teams in the bottom 20 kills your strength rating.( I figure Missouri St isn't far behind.)

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Preview/ProgramRankings_100_119.htm

[camelt]

Haven't we had a top 5 schedule ranking for the past several years?  I personally am glad we have a few rent a wins to get healthy for conference games. 

[Conway Cool Daddy]

I am all for getting teams that are not top 50 and are easy wins. Playing the bottom feeders kills your SOS though. Look at LSU and Auburn a couple of years ago. It might have cost AU a NC.

[hogfan064]

I say with the new 12 game schedule we should play 2 bad teams and 2 decent teams.  My dream OOC schedule would look like this

Year 1

at Texas
Oklahoma State
Arkansas State(WMS)
Tulsa

Year 2

Texas
at Oklahoma State
Arkansas State(Fayetteville)
Tulsa


The Texas game should always be played.  OSU is a program that is respectable, but we can beat.  You could also throw in A&M, TTech, or Missouri in this game.

I want to play ASU.  I don't care what anyone says, but I think it would be fun

Tulsa is a CUSA team that we always beat and they offer a local rivalry.  If not Tulsa then maybe Memphis.

There you have it, my dream OOC schedule

[Richard_white]

I say with the new 12 game schedule we should play 2 bad teams and 2 decent teams.  My dream OOC schedule would look like this

Year 1

at Texas
Oklahoma State
Arkansas State(WMS)
Tulsa

Year 2

Texas
at Oklahoma State
Arkansas State(Fayetteville)
Tulsa


The Texas game should always be played.  OSU is a program that is respectable, but we can beat.  You could also throw in A&M, TTech, or Missouri in this game.

I want to play ASU.  I don't care what anyone says, but I think it would be fun

Tulsa is a CUSA team that we always beat and they offer a local rivalry.  If not Tulsa then maybe Memphis.

There you have it, my dream OOC schedule

Great schedule but I would love to see us play Oklahoma.  Maybe drop Oklahoma St and add OU in there.  There is more talent in the state of Oklahoma than the state of Tennessee.

[hogsanity]

Haven't we had a top 5 schedule ranking for the past several years? 

No.

Freshlegs, best check the data.  We had a top 5 sched just a couple years ago.  And playing in the SEC the SOS is almost always going to be pretty high.  Throw in ONE bigtime OOC game and the sched is plenty tough.

[tbhogfan]

One of the schools in the list (Vandy) is in Conference.  I simply don't think you can have an SEC schedule AND throw in a USC, and somehow not think that your schedule is plenty tough.  Sure we have a couple of patsies, but few schools don't.

[Conway Cool Daddy]

I just wish we a little tougher games like N Texas, S Florida, etc.
I had forgotten that the BCS actually took the SOS out of the mix a couple of years ago.
I will say the national media puts a high emphasis on non conference games. It just looks bad to play extremely terrible teams. At least we don't play AA teams like in the past.

[stAtefan]

At least we don't play AA teams like in the past.

I think Mizzu State is D-1AA

[hogsanity]

If you have ever wondered why the Hogs play a brutal schedule and have a terrible SOS, this is why.
3 teams in the bottom 20 kills your strength rating.( I figure Missouri St isn't far behind.)

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Preview/ProgramRankings_100_119.htm

What years did we have a crappy SOS?

This year we are facing:
3. USC
6. Auburn
9. LSU
23. Tennessee
24. Bama
NR, but receiving votes: South Carolina


I'd say our schedule is pretty heavy. That's 6 out of 12 teams right there.

Ous sched is fine every year.  If we played OU and TX in addition to USC, then the same people would complain that the sched was too tough. 

Another thing to keep in mind is many of the mid level schools people list that they would like to see us play, even those not really big time, would require a home and home or at least a 2-1, that means giving up a home game every other year or so.  Couple that with playing a big time school like USC or TX, and you are giving up 2 OOC home games in some seasons.  Much of scheduling comes back to $$$$$$$. 

[hogsanity]

More research:

Texas is playing: North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston State, and Ohio State. Looks alot like us. 3 cupcakes and one really good team.

Auburn: Washington State, Buffalo, Tulane, and Arkansas State.

Miami: Florida A&M, Florida International, Louisville, and Houston.

IF the hogs ever play an OOC sched like TT played last year, 2 1aa team, and a team in its first year of d1 play, then we have a LEGIT gripe about the sched.  Until then, this is just another way to try to bash the program.

[Conway Cool Daddy]

I was wrong Missouri St is in fact a AA team.
If you don't think national voters in the media notice this then you live in fantasy land.
It's not the way to gain respect in my opinion.

I realize our conference schedule is one of the toughest in the nation. Playing USC and Texas is great for the program. I just would like to see an upgrade in our scheduling.

Playing an AA team is a joke.

[S.P.A.M. Hog]

Just some of the murderous teams that some of our SEC foes are playing...

AuburnWash St.
Buffalo
Tulane
A State

Bama
La-Monroe
Duke
Florida Intl.

UGA
W. Kentucky
UAB
Colorado

LSU
W. Kentucky
Arizona
Tulane

UT
Air Force
Memphis
Marshall


I think I saw some of those teams on the bottom 20 list also......the SEC is a tough schedule in it's self...you don't need to add insult to injury. However, I think you need to have at least a couple of solid games outside the league.

[hogfan064]

I was wrong Missouri St is in fact a AA team.
If you don't think national voters in the media notice this then you live in fantasy land.
It's not the way to gain respect in my opinion.

I realize our conference schedule is one of the toughest in the nation. Playing USC and Texas is great for the program. I just would like to see an upgrade in our scheduling.

Playing an AA team is a joke.

There are very few teams in 1-A that don't play a 1-AA team.  And to be honest is playing 1-A ULM any different than 1-AA Georgia Southern?

[oldfart]

You have to keep in mind that we need to have a certain number of home games (RRS + WMS) so you cant always schedule teams that want home and home series.  We arent the only ones who play cupcakes, and lets face it thats how the cupcakes support their own programs.  My daughter teaches at Appalachian State which is a cupcake for many 1-A teams but then went on to win the National Championship in AA last year.  So they support their program by being the dogmeat for several teams then trying their best to win at their own level for the rest of the year.

[Nashville Fan]

Don't forget cupcake #104 beat us last year. We are one of the 6 non-division II schools that Vandy has beat in the last 3 years. And TN Vols are another.

[WindyCityHog]

More research:

Texas is playing: North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston State, and Ohio State. Looks alot like us. 3 cupcakes and one really good team.

Auburn: Washington State, Buffalo, Tulane, and Arkansas State.

Miami: Florida A&M, Florida International, Louisville, and Houston.

Hammer meet nail.

It's ALL about reputation.....The "elite" schools can get away with it. 

Whether you like the rankings or not (which should be solely based on that year), reputation factors in greatly when it comes to the national rankings.

It ain't right....but that's the way it works.