06-08-2018, 01:15 PM
Here's the article that provides the basis for that graphic.
Personally, I don't put a ton of stock in making claims about OOC schedule strength before the season has begun. Sure, the committee should given credit to teams that schedule against historically/recently strong teams even if their seasons don't pan out that way, but for now, we can't be certain whether San Diego State will end up 12-2 or 3-9. And when we scheduled SDS a few years back, they weren't as good as they became last year. So the whole thing feels a little speculative, especially with a sample size of 3.
That said, yes, the SEC always schedules cakewalks and little sisters of the poor for their OOC games. But until they are regularly beaten when it counts (i.e., the playoffs and bowl games), nothing is going to stop them from doing it. They win when it counts, and that rightly affects perceptions more than OOC scheduling. Wasn't the PAC-12 something like 1-8 in bowls last season? I guess I just don't think OOC scheduling matters as much as post-season performance, and the SEC tends to win when it counts.
Personally, I don't put a ton of stock in making claims about OOC schedule strength before the season has begun. Sure, the committee should given credit to teams that schedule against historically/recently strong teams even if their seasons don't pan out that way, but for now, we can't be certain whether San Diego State will end up 12-2 or 3-9. And when we scheduled SDS a few years back, they weren't as good as they became last year. So the whole thing feels a little speculative, especially with a sample size of 3.
That said, yes, the SEC always schedules cakewalks and little sisters of the poor for their OOC games. But until they are regularly beaten when it counts (i.e., the playoffs and bowl games), nothing is going to stop them from doing it. They win when it counts, and that rightly affects perceptions more than OOC scheduling. Wasn't the PAC-12 something like 1-8 in bowls last season? I guess I just don't think OOC scheduling matters as much as post-season performance, and the SEC tends to win when it counts.