College football toughest's schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

Freelance Hack · Aug 10, 2006

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/listranker?id=524

Currently on the Worldwide Leader's Web site:

To be the best you have to play the best. And to keep rising in the polls, you have to beat the best. As fellow college football writer Bruce Feldman points out, there are 10 schools that have taken this to heart and made a point to face some of the toughest teams in the country week after week.
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Here are the 10 schools he picks (their non-conf. opponents are listed in parens)

Florida (Southern Miss, Central Florida, West Carolina, Florida State)
Georgia Tech (Notre Dame, Samford, Troy, Georgia)
Iowa State (Toledo, UNLV, Iowa, Nothern Iowa)
Kentucky (Louisville, Texas St., Central Michigan, Louisiana-Monroe)
Maryland (William and Mary, Middle Tennessee, West Virginia, Florida International)
Michigan (Vanderbilt, Central Michigan, Notre Dame, Ball State)
Oregon (Fresno State, Oklahoma, Utah State)
Ohio State (Nothern Illinois, Texas, Cincinnati, Bowling Green)
UCLA (Utah, Rice, Notre Dame)
Vanderbilt (Michigan, Temple, Duke)

(Note: UCLA and Oregon play nine conference games, Vandy is just listed at playing 11 games.)

Maybe I'm off-base here, but don't these non-conference schedules contradict the point of the column?

Armchair_QB · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

I guess as long as you play one or two "good to really good" teams you've got a tough non-conference schedule.

dixiehack · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

Vanderbilt's missing game is 1-AA Tennessee State. And I think it just goes to show how pathetic OOC schedules are in general.

Chuck~Taylor · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

Freelance Hack said:

Vanderbilt (Michigan, Temple, Duke)
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He does know that he's talking about college football and not basketball, right?

FantasyAlliance.cm · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

Most of those teams only face one good non-conference team.

fmrsped · Aug 10, 2006

Notre Dame. Every year.

PopeDirkBenedict · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

Here is Feldman's post, which was not about who gave themselves the toughest NC sked. It is about which teams have the most brutal schedule in terms of home/away and when they play teams (do they play Michigan and Ohio State back to back or do they play Illinois in between, etc.)

This week's list is Toughest Schedules. I'd like to tell you I concocted an elaborate formula to determine this, but I didn't. I actually started to, but scrapped it after I decided I'd rather gauge this on what I expect from teams in 2006, not how they did in 2005. (For instance, I don't think UCLA and Alabama will be as good as they were in 2005, and I seriously doubt Tennessee will be as bad.) I also think road games at some top-15 programs are tougher than others. (Virginia Tech, LSU and Oregon immediately come to mind.) One other big caveat: Since the ACC, Big 12 and SEC all have conference title games, I think those schools potentially have schedules that are much tougher to survive, which is worth noting because it served as a tie-breaker for my rankings. Weigh in, Sportsnation!
1. Florida: In a word: brutal. The Gators have a nasty midseason stretch that features four of the big boys in a row starting with a Sept. 30 game against Alabama. In truth though, that visit from the Tide is a warm-up compared to what follows since LSU visits the Swamp the following week. Then the Gators visit Auburn before finishing off October against Georgia. Bookending all that are a pair of road trips against Florida's two archrivals, Tennessee and Florida State, both of which are in revenge mode after getting beaten by the Gators in '05. UF also has two other bowl teams on its slate in UCF and South Carolina, whose head coach knows a thing or two about winning in the Swamp.

2. Georgia Tech: Good thing QB Reggie Ball has experience, because he's going to need it. The Yellow Jackets open with Notre Dame and close at archrival Georgia. In between is a trip to Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium, where they will hear "Enter Sandman" about 800 times, along with a trip to Clemson and a visit from Miami. The only break is Tech doesn't have FSU on its schedule.

3. Iowa State: Tough luck for Dan McCarney and Co., since all their toughest games are on the road this season, with visits to Iowa and Texas (back-to-back) and then to Norman, which takes place the week after Nebraska comes to ISU. The Cyclones also get a visit from Texas Tech.

4. Kentucky: Perhaps this should be called the Rich Brooks Farewell Tour. The Wildcats have to go into three of the biggest, loudest and most hostile places in the country in Florida, LSU and Tennessee. And none of those may even be the nastiest spot the Cats go, since the UK prez popped off about Louisville a few weeks back. Brilliant. Maybe he never saw the reaction to dancing on the Cardinal head in years past. Or maybe he did and figured, "I'll rile up the archrival. They'll beat us by 102 points, and then I can fire my coach posthaste." The Cats' toughest home game, by the way, is Nov. 4 against Georgia.

5. UCLA: This was a close race between two Pac-10 schools, but I think UCLA, by virtue of the trip to South Bend, has the tougher road than Oregon. The Bruins also have to go to Eugene, which is one of the tougher places to play. Other road trips include Cal and ASU. Facing USC anywhere is a problem, and opening with a hungry Utah squad is tricky too.

cont.
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dooley_womack1 · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

That stuff is wack. Georgia Tech and Oregon are the only ones that may belong on that list.

PopeDirkBenedict · Aug 10, 2006

6. Oregon: So things got a bit easier for the Ducks after Oklahoma lost starting QB Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn, a starter at a position (O-line) where OU is already suspect, but the Sooners still have a superstar in Adrian Peterson. The week before OU could be just as tough for Oregon since it involves a road trip to Fresno. Later the Ducks go on the road to play ASU and Cal in consecutive weeks and also have to play USC at the Coliseum.

7. Ohio State: It will be interesting to see how the young defense holds up against this slate. Keep in mind the Buckeyes, who lost one of the great linebacking crews of all time, have to face a host of stud tailbacks (Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe; Texas' Jamaal Charles; Penn State's Tony Hunt; Iowa's Albert Young; Northwestern's Tyrell Sutton and Michigan's Mike Hart). Worse still, OSU has to go to Texas and Iowa, both of whom have strong offensive lines.

8. Vanderbilt: Too bad Jay Cutler isn't around anymore. The Commodores open up at Michigan and then travel to Alabama. Later they get to visit UGA too, before hosting Florida and Tennessee. On the bright side, they have Temple and Duke on the schedule and neither of those teams is actually the worst team Vandy faces. I think that distinction belongs to Tennessee State.

9. Michigan: Maybe Bo Schembechler had a point when he said, "We don't need Notre Dame. They need us more than we need them."

Few teams can say they will face three legit Heisman-contending quarterbacks. But the Wolverines can make that claim since they have to deal with Brady Quinn (ND), Drew Tate (Iowa) and Troy Smith (OSU). That's a nice welcome for new Wolverine defensive coordinator Ron English. And two of those three games are on the road (ND and OSU). A trip to Happy Valley won't be so mellow either.

10. Maryland: Don't be fooled by the opener against little William & Mary. The Terps have road trips to West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Clemson and Boston College, and will also face Miami and FSU at home. That's tough for a program coming off consecutive losing seasons.

Just Missed the Cut: South Carolina, Washington, Michigan State, Arkansas.
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Dignan · Aug 10, 2006

Having Kentucky on there is a joke.

Bad, bad football team, and it just might be bowl-eligible this year because of its creampuff schedule.

The Big Ragu · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

Freelance Hack said:

Michigan (Vanderbilt, Central Michigan, Notre Dame, Ball State)
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This one stuck out at me. The Notre Dame game was scheduled about 100 years ago... And boy did they load up with those other games!

Freelance Hack · Aug 10, 2006

Re: College football toughest schedules -- Is Bruce Feldman joking?

Armchair_QB said:

I guess as long as you play one or two "good to really good" teams you've got a tough non-conference schedule.
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OK, from the original list of 10, you can whittle that down to Florida, Georgia Tech, Oregon and UCLA.

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