[cardcrimson]

The even year schedules are always a brutal.
The USC game is just a September thing now.
I do like that BYU is last, as that will mean the final conference game is Big Game.

The schedule does illustrate why the Pac-12 lacks CFP representation.
Only one game looks like an easy W, Colgate.

Even the absolute worst teams in the SEC will still have 3 OOC sure thing home Ws on their schedule.

That then enables the conference to have loads of undefeated and one loss teams battling each other in high profile conference games in October, and likely two or more undefeated or one loss teams left for the SEC CG.

Many other Pac-12 teams schedule only cupcakes. This is not a reason the Pac-12 doesn't make the playoffs.

The Pac-12 teams don't schedule 4 cupcakes.  They don't schedule 4 cupcakes at home.
And too many Pac-12 teams are relatively cupcake free, so those teams pick up losses. 
Worse, in the last decade the best teams have been the ones with the toughest OOC schedules.

But the Pac-12's problem is not the quality of the cupcakes it is the quantity of cupcakes.

9 conference games in a league with 12 teams means each team will only have 2 misses.  The odds of two undefeated teams reaching the Pac-12 CG is remote just off that math.  You need two teams that just happen to be the best in both divisions without playing each other.

The SEC has 14 teams.   7 in each division.   They "only" play 8 conference games.   So each team has 5 misses from the other division.
So odds are not bad that the best team from a division will not face the best team in the other division and therefore both will either come to CG undefeated or will have only one loss.  That's especially true if EVERY team in the conference enjoys 3 or 4 cupcakes per year.

The SEC winning the CFP has a bit more to do with talent rich teams at the very top of the conference, but getting CFP participants each season is helped a lot by the 8 conference games and having a fondness for 3, if not 4 OOC cupcakes, at home by most of the conference.

The Pac-12 has a lot of challenges getting CFP consideration but 9 conference games and a number of the top teams scheduling tough OOC games are on that list.

Here's an idea, let's schedule three home cupcakes. We could save operating costs by holding the games across the street at Paly High. We might even have a chance of selling that stadium out. . . .

SEC teams schedule cupcakes because A, they'll get a win; and B, they'll still sell out.

---

The even year schedules are always brutal.
The USC game is just a September thing now.
I do like that BYU is last, as that will mean the final conference game is Big Game.

The schedule does illustrate why the Pac-12 lacks CFP representation.
Only one game looks like an easy W, Colgate.

Even the absolute worst teams in the SEC will still have 3 OOC sure thing home Ws on their schedule.

That then enables the conference to have loads of undefeated and one loss teams battling each other in high profile conference games in October, and likely two or more undefeated or one loss teams left for the SEC CG.

Once the new TV contract is negotiated, the PAC-12 will probably revert to an 8 game conference schedule (the new commissioner has discussed this topic a couple times).  This will open up the schedule to create matchups between the Alliance members.  As part of this change, look for the end to the annual games v. USC and UCLA.  I would a expect a divisionless conference with one everyone receiving one guaranteed conference game annually (v. the rival school) and a rotation of the other seven.

As for the intra-California matchups, they could always go the route Wake and North Carolina went this year, still play, but call it a non-conference game.

[cardcrimson]

The even year schedules are always a brutal.
The USC game is just a September thing now.
I do like that BYU is last, as that will mean the final conference game is Big Game.

The schedule does illustrate why the Pac-12 lacks CFP representation.
Only one game looks like an easy W, Colgate.

Even the absolute worst teams in the SEC will still have 3 OOC sure thing home Ws on their schedule.

That then enables the conference to have loads of undefeated and one loss teams battling each other in high profile conference games in October, and likely two or more undefeated or one loss teams left for the SEC CG.

Many other Pac-12 teams schedule only cupcakes. This is not a reason the Pac-12 doesn't make the playoffs.

The Pac-12 teams don't schedule 4 cupcakes.  They don't schedule 4 cupcakes at home.
And too many Pac-12 teams are relatively cupcake free, so those teams pick up losses. 
Worse, in the last decade the best teams have been the ones with the toughest OOC schedules.

But the Pac-12's problem is not the quality of the cupcakes it is the quantity of cupcakes.

9 conference games in a league with 12 teams means each team will only have 2 misses.  The odds of two undefeated teams reaching the Pac-12 CG is remote just off that math.  You need two teams that just happen to be the best in both divisions without playing each other.

The SEC has 14 teams.   7 in each division.   They "only" play 8 conference games.   So each team has 5 misses from the other division.
So odds are not bad that the best team from a division will not face the best team in the other division and therefore both will either come to CG undefeated or will have only one loss.  That's especially true if EVERY team in the conference enjoys 3 or 4 cupcakes per year.

The SEC winning the CFP has a bit more to do with talent rich teams at the very top of the conference, but getting CFP participants each season is helped a lot by the 8 conference games and having a fondness for 3, if not 4 OOC cupcakes, at home by most of the conference.

The Pac-12 has a lot of challenges getting CFP consideration but 9 conference games and a number of the top teams scheduling tough OOC games are on that list.

Here's an idea, let's schedule three home cupcakes. We could save operating costs by holding the games across the street at Paly High. We might even have a chance of selling that stadium out. . . .

SEC teams schedule cupcakes because A, they'll get a win; and B, they'll still sell out.

---

The even year schedules are always brutal.
The USC game is just a September thing now.
I do like that BYU is last, as that will mean the final conference game is Big Game.

The schedule does illustrate why the Pac-12 lacks CFP representation.
Only one game looks like an easy W, Colgate.

Even the absolute worst teams in the SEC will still have 3 OOC sure thing home Ws on their schedule.

That then enables the conference to have loads of undefeated and one loss teams battling each other in high profile conference games in October, and likely two or more undefeated or one loss teams left for the SEC CG.

Once the new TV contract is negotiated, the PAC-12 will probably revert to an 8 game conference schedule (the new commissioner has discussed this topic a couple times).  This will open up the schedule to create matchups between the Alliance members.  As part of this change, look for the end to the annual games v. USC and UCLA.  I would a expect a divisionless conference with one everyone receiving one guaranteed conference game annually (v. the rival school) and a rotation of the other seven.

As for the intra-California matchups, they could always go the route Wake and North Carolina went this year, still play, but call it a non-conference game.