You missed my point. Our conference schedule alone counterbalances those patsies and gives us a much tougher SOS. Our original OOC schedule for this year was a bit more impressive, but we got screwed by the teams we scheduled. Should we be punished for that? I think not.
Yes. The same argument was given to us last year when we were afraid of getting shut out of the NC race prior to OU losing in the B12CG. It was just our bad for scheduling Western Carolina, ULM and Louisiana Tech. It didn't matter that Virginia Tech and Bowling Green bought out of our games. We just got lucky in having Syracuse beating ND and Boise State beating Hawaii to remove USC's SOS advantage (would have been even better if Alabama had been able to beat Hawaii, jeez they played OU 20-13 and OU needed a fake punt to win), along with quality win points for beating UGA twice. There is no doubt that you need a lot of luck to win a NC and it just hasn't fallen completely AU's way this year. Sorry.
Thanks for the condolences, but what can ya do? I think it's an inherently flawed system when a game that you have no involvement in (BSU/UH or SU/ND) affects your chances of playing in the CG. It bounced the right way for you guys and the wrong way for us. Well, ****.
Hate to state the obvious... but the real solution to this -D-LEMon-ER is.. a playoff system .. this would level the playing field ... and SOS would NOT matter ... You win your conf. and who cares about what you schedule as NON-Conf (maybe require 2 other power conference games and allow ONE cannon fodder team?? to make things good and interesting??).. get seeded based on Power Rating from People or Computers (doesn't matter - except to make a first round game to be 'tougher' than should be... but what the heck.. this happens in round ball) 1. Have internal conference play offs - 11 conferences ... 11 team 2. Select 5 at large teams ... to make 16 teams 3. Use the SMALLER .. BETTER ... Mid-Age bowls as your Round 1 ... 4. Use your OLDER .. Better bowls as Round 2... 5. Use your 4 BCS bowls as Rotating Championship .. 6. 'Convince' Pac-10 and Big-10 to expand to 12 teams with a championship game 7. 'Convince' ND to join one of the conferences (Big-10??) or else - yu'r out!! 8. And beware Iowa .. Cajans eat anything .. and Hawk gumbo sounds pretty good!... :thumb: :hihi: 9. Let's have a great game.... :geaux: 10. Of course the obvious never happens.......................
I don't. I agree with computers calculating strength of schedule based on several inputs; opp w-l, opp-opp w-l, margin of victory, and quality win points. ND and UH losing lowered USC's SOS in the computers and put us in the CCG regardless of their being ranked 1 in both human polls. The problem with that (not a problem jmho) is it took control out of human hands, which is not where it should be anyway in a playoff-less system. What are you whining about anyway....Auburn might be #2 in the BCS under last year's system....
I like some sort of SOS, but the question is how best to go about it. Just looking at the total win/loss of your opponents, and their opponents, can be misleading. Consider this example of two teams from different BCS conferences: Team A plays 11 teams that are 6-5 ... 66-55 overall record. Team B plays 1 10-1, 2 9-2, 3 8-3, 4 3-8 and 1 2-9 ... 66-55 overall record. Which schedule would you prefer?
I disagree with this thread on too many levels to type here. Let's take our Tigers for 2005 as an example. Who is going to touch us in the West??? Maybe Alabama....Auburn will be down, UM, State, Arkansas? Not much there. In the east....Georgia losses a lot, UF won't run the table, UT neither, SC not yet, UK and Vandy.... Now look at our 2005 schedule....Home against N. Texas, Arizona State, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas...Away against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Ole Miss... Couldn't get any more favorable. I just don't think you can look more than one year down the road and be any place close to accurate. We are primed to be in the NC game next year, hopefully against USC but I think they lose Leinart and don't make the final cut. OU, who knows, they are in a pretty tough conference. So to assume the SEC is screwed because of the strength of our coaches and the quality of our teams is a stretch. We won't too often see three undefeated teams from major conferences competing for the NC. If LSU takes care of their business they will be in the NC more times than not.
The only Difference is LSU will be a preseason top 5 (So I have read) Auburn was 18th.. If LSU goes undefeated started at #3, and with the expected reactionary changes bound to come. LSU will pass USC or OU in the polls. Hell Auburn almost did it, and (Big IF) LSU goes undefeated next year, there is a pretty good chance USC or OU will have a loss. They cannot go undefeated 2 years in a row. Odds are against it, and since both teams almost lost anyway (With USC being guilty of almost losing to some really bad teams Stanford to name one) there is a good chance USC has 2 losses next year. Just a hunch.
You are beginning to sound like like a Texas fan! I do not agree that National Championships are won in February. If that were true, Mack would own at least one or two January titles by now! Nebraska won National Titles with recruiting classes not even ranked in the top 10 and I'm not talking out of the top 10 for a year or two, I am talking going years without a top 10 class! We love getting great recruiting classes but being in the top 5 year after year guarantees you nothing! These recruiting gurus are good at listing 40 times and bench press numbers but just as important elements are heart and work ethic. Talent will get the player through the door but without these additional intangibles, National Titles are probably not attainable. So, don't hang your hat on Saban in February, hang your hat on the fact Saban has one National Title under his belt and, if the trend continues, he will have LSU in a position to fight for a position in the NC game for years to come. Boomer Sooner!!
sec teams play good non-conference matchups every year.. they are called bowl games, and the sec consistantly comes out ahead. the d 1-aa sh*t has to stop though. but it is hard for an sec team to schedule other good teams for non-conference games because no one wants to play the sec..simple as that...
