Toughest Schedules of 2018

[belcherboy]

I'm not pimping BC, NC State or Wake Forest. Just pointing out what Gordon Gee claimed.

Oh, gotcha!

 

[7Samurai13]

I'm not pimping BC, NC State or Wake Forest. Just pointing out what Gordon Gee claimed.

Isn’t that the guy Tressel fired?

 

[ericd7633]

I was just putting down the games that each team has the greatest chance of losing.

Do you think FSU has a tougher schedule than LSU (they both play Miami and UF)? Or even Auburn?

Yes, I do based on the overall schedule.

 

[ericd7633]

I know you're on the BC train but I think you're maybe on it a bit too much. There's a real chance they wind up with the same record as Maryland this year. Maryland had the toughest schedule in the country last year arguably - they had 8 losses and 8-5 michigan was the 2nd worst team that beat them - and also had to use 6 QBs due to injuries. If recruiting rankings are any indication, they're definitely more talented than BC.

Going by recruiting rankings one could argue MD is more talented. But BC will be better on the O-line, and at RB and QB IMO. I think MD can get to 6 wins this season. Getting Illinois and Minnesota cross division certainly helps. I still think BC is an 8 win team.

 

[Deep Creek]

Yeah,

Oh, gotcha!

I was perusing schedules the other day. What I find much more interesting is some 4, 5, 6 games stretches that teams have without a cupcake or a bye in them. Some I remember and think all of these need to go to a "Easing Up the Schedule Seminar" were:

Rutgers (@Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, @Michigan State)
Nebraska (@Michigan, Purdue, @Wisconsin, @Northwestern)
Florida State (Wake Forest, Clemson, @NC State, @Notre Dame, Boston College, Florida)
Kansas (TCU, Iowa State, @K-State, @Oklahoma, Texas)
West Virginia (@Texas, TCU, @Oklahoma State, Oklahoma)
Arizona State (Stanford, @USC, Utah, UCLA, @Oregon, @Arizona)
Oregon State (USC, @Stanford, @Washington, Oregon)
UCLA (Utah, @Oregon, @ Az State, USC, Stanford)

What sucks is schools like Rutgers, Kansas and Oregon State don't even have a game with Rutgers, Kansas or Oregon State to break up that stretch like their other conference members.

A lot of these stretches are the last four, five or six games of the season in a row. I think everyone should follow the SEC's lead and break these suckers up. Some teams are lucky and get byes late in the year to break their's up or there would be more like these.

 

[TigersBleaux]

When i first saw FSU's schedule i thought they could easily start the year 5-0, and easily end it at 8-4. From Oct 6th - Nov 11th they have to play @Miami, Clemson, @NC State, and @Notre Dame (with Wake wedged in the middle). Those four games in five weeks are going to show what they are really made of.

 

[Codaxx]

I'm sure I'll miss someone, but here is what I think are the toughest schedules for teams that appear in the top 25 coaches poll.

1) Michigan: @ND, Wisconsin, @MSU, Penn St, @OSU (All top 12 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

2) Auburn: Washington (neutral), LSU, @UGA, @Alabama (3 are ranked in the top 6 teams)

3) LSU: Miami (neutral), @Auburn, UGA, Alabama (All top 10 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

4) Notre Dame: Michigan, Stanford, @VaTech, FSU, @USC (All top 20 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

5) Ohio State: TCU (neutral), @Penn St, @MSU, Michigan (All top 16 teams in the coaches preseason poll)

Who needs to be added to this list?

Couple years ago Texas beat a top 10 ND team, based on preseason polls, that catapulted Texas into the top 10. I believe that was the 2nd game of the season. Texas proved the better team roaring to a 5-7 record compared to a 4 win ND team. Moral of the story preseason SOS is stupid

 

[Scapegoat]

The issue with top teams having the most difficult schedule is they don't have to play themselves. It's the weaker teams that can have the most difficult schedules.

 

[TheDayMan]

2) Auburn: Washington (neutral), LSU, @UGA, @Alabama (3 are ranked in the top 6 teams)

 

[7Samurai13]

If the TCU vs OSU game is neutral site, so is that game.

 

[Across The Field]

Going by recruiting rankings one could argue MD is more talented. But BC will be better on the O-line, and at RB and QB IMO. I think MD can get to 6 wins this season. Getting Illinois and Minnesota cross division certainly helps. I still think BC is an 8 win team.

You're using BC as a barometer of strength and Maryland as a barometer of weakness, when in reality they're probably similar teams. That's my point.

 

[ericd7633]

You're using BC as a barometer of strength and Maryland as a barometer of weakness, when in reality they're probably similar teams. That's my point.

I think BC will be better. Hence why I'm using them as a barometer of strength. I don't think they're similar. BC could be a 8/9 win team IMO. MD is probably a 5/6 win team.

 

[FSU rules]

Problem is there are about 9-10 competent teams on the schedule. Some teams don't have great talent based on recruiting rankings but they are experienced and extremely well coached.

VT is at least a solid team, top 25 like. Bud Foster will have that defense looking decent no matter if they have Lawrence Taylor or some 8th grader leading that defense.

Syracuse is a trap game because of the QB they have. They are always good for an upset see last 2 years with VT and Clemson.

@Louisville will give you normally fits. It's a game FSU should win but Louisville could still average 30-35 points per game. Petrino is that good.

Miami is a legit top 15 team. It's an away game against an experienced QB and defense. Tough.

No need to talk about Clemson.

Wake is feisty and well coached. A game a good team should win but no pushover.

BC has also a tough schedule but people shouldn't think this is a bad team or so. They have legit NFL prospects and finally a very decent offense. BC might actually very well be better than NC State or Louisville.

NC State is away and they have Finley. Thats really that need to said. Clemson barely escaped there last year.

ND could be CFP contender and it's an away game. Very tough.

UF should be much improved under Mullen.

 

[Across The Field]

I think BC will be better. Hence why I'm using them as a barometer of strength. I don't think they're similar. BC could be a 8/9 win team IMO. MD is probably a 5/6 win team.

Eh, I guess when we're talking about a 6-win team that by your own admission is arguably more talented than the 8 win team, the difference between the two isn't that great. We'll see, I guess.

 

[podsox]

Couple years ago Texas beat a top 10 ND team, based on preseason polls, that catapulted Texas into the top 10. I believe that was the 2nd game of the season. Texas proved the better team roaring to a 5-7 record compared to a 4 win ND team. Moral of the story preseason SOS is stupid

It was a Sunday night game labor Day weekend. Espn was talking about how both teams could get in the playoff the next day ha.

 

[7Samurai13]

It was a Sunday night game labor Day weekend. Espn was talking about how both teams could get in the playoff the next day ha.

I remember that, and a Michigan fan was arguing with me that MSU had a great win there and that we were going places and I said we looked horrible playing only two good quarters and nearly blew a 30 point lead.

 

[ericd7633]

Eh, I guess when we're talking about a 6-win team that by your own admission is arguably more talented than the 8 win team, the difference between the two isn't that great. We'll see, I guess.

I mean it's not like MD is super talented. Their last 4 classes have been ranked #47, #41, #17 and #28. No question that's better than BC, but the majority of their better talent(going off the rankings anyway) is young. BC's got proven commodities, especially on offense. Also, MD has to replace an elite WR, which is hard to do.

It wouldn't surprise me to see 5/6 guys of this offense get drafted, and they have a potential top 10 on defense as well in regards to BC.

 

[Across The Field]

I mean it's not like MD is super talented. Their last 4 classes have been ranked #47, #41, #17 and #28. No question that's better than BC, but the majority of their better talent(going off the rankings anyway) is young. BC's got proven commodities, especially on offense. Also, MD has to replace an elite WR, which is hard to do.

It wouldn't surprise me to see 5/6 guys of this offense get drafted, and they have a potential top 10 on defense as well in regards to BC.

You're kidding right? BC has one proven commodity on offense, and let's be honest, he's not an elite RB. He hardly did anything against Northern Illinois, Wake Forest, ND, Clemson, VT, or Virginia. He was largely a volume RB - 5.3 YPC is far from elite, especially when you consider 9 of his 13 games saw him average under 5 YPC. Otherwise, their offense is largely inept. Their QB spot is a liability and their leading pass catcher is a TE who grabbed 36 passes last year.

Maryland, on the other hand, started the year 3-1 --- including putting up 51 on the road against a top 5 national Texas defense --- before getting decimated by injuries. I'd certainly argue MD has better QB talent, and Ty Johnson is a better RB than Dillon if we're talking from an efficiency standpoint. If they're smart, they won't lock him in a timeshare like they did last year. I'd also take Taivon Jacobs any day over any receiver from BC, and also don't forget about Anthony McFarland Jr, a top 100 recruit last year who took a medical RS to recover from a broken fibula.

 

[ericd7633]

You're kidding right? BC has one proven commodity on offense, and let's be honest, he's not an elite RB. He hardly did anything against Northern Illinois, Wake Forest, ND, Clemson, VT, or Virginia. He was largely a volume RB - 5.3 YPC is far from elite, especially when you consider 9 of his 13 games saw him average under 5 YPC. Otherwise, their offense is largely inept. Their QB spot is a liability and their leading pass catcher is a TE who grabbed 36 passes last year.

Maryland, on the other hand, started the year 3-1 --- including putting up 51 on the road against a top 5 national Texas defense --- before getting decimated by injuries. I'd certainly argue MD has better QB talent, and Ty Johnson is a better RB than Dillon if we're talking from an efficiency standpoint. If they're smart, they won't lock him in a timeshare like they did last year. I'd also take Taivon Jacobs any day over any receiver from BC, and also don't forget about Anthony McFarland Jr, a top 100 recruit last year who took a medical RS to recover from a broken fibula.

I'm not. I think 3/5 on their O-line will get drafted, their TE and then their RB in 2020, who is elite IMO.

And I'm aware of what MD has. Ty Johnson is very good, I just don't think he's better than Dillon.

 

[FSU rules]

I'm not. I think 3/5 on their O-line will get drafted, their TE and then their RB in 2020, who is elite IMO.

And I'm aware of what MD has. Ty Johnson is very good, I just don't think he's better than Dillon.

BC is a much better football than Maryland.