Monday, November 25, 2013

Strength of Schedule vs. Rankings


USA Today released the Sagarin computer rankings of conference divisions based on strength of schedule vs. the Top 10 & also the Top 30 teams.  And surprise, surprise the Pac-12 South is the strongest division with the Pac-12 North coming in 2nd.  But you wouldn't know that by looking at the Top 10 right now.

Logically, you would think that the Pac-12 would be given a little more respect.  We have a 9-game conference schedule, not an 8-game schedule like the vaunted South Eastern Conference.  Do you think Marcus Mariota would've rather played Chattanooga instead of Arizona on Saturday?  The Pac-12 schedule rotation is set in advance, not handled by the commissioner so top teams in different divisions can avoid each other in conference.  The Pac-12 doesn't configure schedules so that possible losses are played earlier than cupcakes in week 13.  (Sorry, Muschamp.)  Mike Slive knows that late losses are the worst in order for the SEC to get 4 or 5 teams into the BCS, so he manipulated the schedule to break one of college football's unwritten rules for the SEC's benefit.  And ESPN doesn't even say a fucking word about it, since they are so clearly in cahoots.  The SEC & ESPN actually hid Paul Finebaum from the media last week so that he didn't have to spend the whole week taking it on the head and explaining away opponents like Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, & Chattanooga.  And this comes the week after we saw FIVE teams with extremely late bye weeks.  Slive would rather do away with the SEC Championship game and just have 2 divisional winners than have a team take a loss.  But I digress...

Hopefully the new College Football Playoff selection committee is able to recognize that teams with two losses in a superior conference are equivalent to one loss or even undefeated teams in inferior conferences.  Especially conferences that tailor schedules so that powerhouses avoid each other at costs.  In all seriousness, I believe USC, UCLA, Arizona, ASU, Oregon, Washington, and Stanford would all easily beat up on South Carolina.  The fucking ACC has TWO teams ahead of Stanford.  Even Florida State thinks Clemson sucks.  The bowl season is going to suffer due to these "rankings."

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