[Mick]

We should not structure our schedule to try and outsmart the system to make the college football playoffs.  Most of the time, our schedule will not make a difference between making the CFP and not making it, because, to be frank, we are unlikely to be good enough to be in consideration for a playoff spot.

Secondly, while it is certainly possible that a hard schedule will mean a second loss that would leave us out of the playoffs, there is a chance of the opposite, namely that we are one of several teams with only one loss, and that a weaker strength of schedule is used as an excuse not to have us go to the playoffs.  That happened in the inaugural playoff (in 2014/15), where two Big-12 teams (Baylor and TCU) had one loss but were passed over in favor of tOSU  because of the lack of a conference championship and weaker schedules.

So, instead of worrying about an unpredictable impact of our out of conference schedule, we ought to just schedule games we want to watch.  I'm not particularly interested in watching three body bag games and non-descript opponents.  I would rather watch exciting games against good opponents, even if they increase the probability of a loss.

BC

I wouldn't mind if we had one body bag game a year.  I think it should be San Jose State, every year, just like in the good old days.

[Mick]

We should not structure our schedule to try and outsmart the system to make the college football playoffs.  Most of the time, our schedule will not make a difference between making the CFP and not making it, because, to be frank, we are unlikely to be good enough to be in consideration for a playoff spot.

Secondly, while it is certainly possible that a hard schedule will mean a second loss that would leave us out of the playoffs, there is a chance of the opposite, namely that we are one of several teams with only one loss, and that a weaker strength of schedule is used as an excuse not to have us go to the playoffs.  That happened in the inaugural playoff (in 2014/15), where two Big-12 teams (Baylor and TCU) had one loss but were passed over in favor of tOSU  because of the lack of a conference championship and weaker schedules.

So, instead of worrying about an unpredictable impact of our out of conference schedule, we ought to just schedule games we want to watch.  I'm not particularly interested in watching three body bag games and non-descript opponents.  I would rather watch exciting games against good opponents, even if they increase the probability of a loss.

BC

I wouldn't mind if we had one body bag game a year.  I think it should be San Jose State, every year, just like in the good old days.