I think both the posts above me by BB and Sabertooth are correct. Its a combination of playing a few cupcakes and 1 or 2 teams from a different conference for example a Miami or OU. Not just an average team from a different conference, a top 25 team or 2 at least if not top 10
We shouldn't be afraid to play anybody. Those garbage games should be played by garbage teams. the SEC conference being to hard stuff is Bullsh!t. The ACC is going to be as good as the SEC now and the Big 12, while down this year is usually just as good as the SEC. We all have our very good teams and middle of the road teams and patsies.
By the way, Oregon State is a quality opponent, just not good enough I guess... Bottom line, I just can't understand why we would make our climb back to the top of the mountain tougher while at the same time the teams who will meet us there are not. Come back to earth and look at our in-conference schedule - not good enough for you?
I would rather play a top 25 team personally once a year out of conference such as a Florida State, not necessarily a top 5 team or OU every year. A good program other than a pac 10 school because I think the pac 10 is somewhat overated
So the Pac-10 is overrated, but you have no problem with USC playing in the Pac-10 and making it to the NC Game while we make our path harder to tread? This is not a video game - we need to keep up and I think Skip and everyone involved is doing a great job of scheduling and everything else...
Like I said earlier, we shouldn't be afraid to play anyone, and I'll give USC credit, they schedule a much harder OOC than us in most years. And again, the SEC is not much better than most other BCS conferences, maybe a little but not a lot.
I can't imagine that a Nick Saban coached team would ever be afraid of any opponent. It's in no way, shape or form a fear issue. We're not competing to win an episode of "Fear Factor" we are competing for a NC every year and, for better or worse, this is the formula we are using - worked mighty well last year... This is a great thread, but am I really the only person taking this side?
Nick Saban is mainly responsible for the scheduling. Is it just a coincidence that since Nick took the reigns that he is making a concern able effort to upgrade the OOC schedule? I think not. We are scheduling the Virginia Techs and Oklahomas now because it is what Nick thinks is best for this program and I trust whatever Nick's judgment is.
It's crucial to schedule tougher teams, but not OU. USC getting left out his year is enough to make most programs sit up straight and consider their schedules, but not OU. By the way, VT is not OU - hardly. Better scheduling is critical for everyone and we have turned up the heat quite enough. We don't need OU to be successful.
I disagree completely with your reasoning that Nick wouldn't want to schedule good teams as the post above says, he controls the scheduling now, especially for the big games I'm sure. You think Dan K. would schedule OU without asking Nick first. And when I said we shouldn't be afraid to play the best I wasn't referring to Saban or the team I was referring to the guys who have posted on this board that they don't want to play OU becuase we may lose to them. And another thing, just because we won the NC last season doesn't make trying to win it the number one goal. The Tigers main focus needs to be on winning the SEC West, which would put us in the SEC CG and then gives us a good shot at possibly getting into the BCS mix many times. Focus on the NC and we won't do crap IMO. and also, when you focus on winning a NC the kids will be depleted mentally with an early loss.
