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By J.T. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Staff Writer
SouthernPigskin.com Staff Writer J.T. Bennett examines some of the easier non-conference schedules in the SEC.
Despite recent arguments to the contrary, the Southeastern Conference is the best conference in college football. Three of the last four national champions hail from the SEC and there are currently three league teams in the AP top ten; Florida at number one, Alabama at number two and LSU at number ten.
But does this give the SEC an excuse to schedule easy non-conference opponents? The league argues that they play a tough enough conference schedule and they must therefore play easier games out of conference to balance out their slate. The key question; is the conference so balanced and deep that easy non-conference schedules are warranted? The truth of the matter is that some of the non-conference schedules league teams are playing are just shameful. Among the 12 members of the SEC, they will have only played against 13 BCS foes by the end of the regular season. Six of those teams are either ranked when the game was played or are ranked now.
Here are some of the non-conference schedules in the SEC:
Ole Miss – at Memphis, Southeastern LA, UAB, Northern Arizona
Arkansas – Missouri State, Texas A&M, Eastern Michigan, Troy
Florida – Charleston Southern, Troy, FIU, Florida State
Vanderbilt – Western Carolina, at Rice, at Army, Georgia Tech
Kentucky – at Miami (OH), Louisville, LA-Monroe, Eastern Kentucky
Alabama – Virginia Tech, FIU, North Texas, UT-Chattanooga
Auburn – LA Tech, WVU, Ball State, Furman
The Ole Miss athletic department should be ashamed of themselves. That might be the easiest non conference schedule ever created. I would also love to see Florida play someone other than a Sun Belt team in a non-conference game. The Virginia Tech-Alabama game is the type of game that fans want to see. The Crimson Tide’s win over the Hokies is part of the reason why many hold Alabama in such high regard.
I don’t think people are asking to see their team play a ranked opponent each week but rather to step up the competition incrementally. I, like all, am getting tired of watching 70-0 beat downs against Bobby Bouche’s South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs. You rarely get to see a BIG Ten-SEC game, other than some pretty lop sided national championship games.
The only team that scheduled a tough non-conference schedule is Georgia; three BCS teams (Arizona State, Oklahoma State, and Georgia Tech). Georgia has one of the toughest schedules in the nation and they routinely schedule well. Give Mark Richt and their program a lot of credit.
When you get down to it, teams just don’t want to risk a potential loss out of conference. And on the flip side, smaller schools are the beneficiary as they get nice paydays to become sacrificial lambs and automatic wins. But you can underestimate just how much games like Alabama and Virginia Tech mean to college football. They make the game special, provide credibility and legitimacy, not to mention entertainment and hype, and are good for the game we love so much. Give the schools who are scheduling up a round of applause. We, as college football fans, thank you very much.
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Comments
Vanderbilt and Kentucky should go to the ACC and Ga. Tech can come back to the SEC and Fla. State can join the SEC . FSU would be in the west and Ga. Tech in the east. These two teams would play at least 8 SEC games each . Alabama will play 9 SEC teams this year. All non-conf games could be ACC teams if the ACC would agree to that many loses.
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