Indiana ducking P4 non-conference foes?

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Don't know if they'll get this done, but think it would make a ton of sense for both Big Ten and SEC to play nine conf games and then each school to commit to one more P5 (10 total), whether that's an in-state rivalry game (I think Wash and Oregon should be allowed to count their games against Wazzou and OR State) or a cross-over series.
 

Shaming programs over 9 or 8 conference games and non-conference scheduling is silly. I get wanting to be on the same schedule type for who gets a chance at a national championship, but I think non-conf power scheduling is misguided. I think playing those caliber teams during the season has maybe played a part in less players playing in the postseason. It makes those moments less special.

Add: Non-conference rivalries are the exception, but even then I do wonder why the rivalry isn't in the same conference.
 



Football is very different from basketball. You gotta get 6 wins in football. Basketball you get rewarded for losing to top 100 teams in non conference providing you win just half your conference games. You'll be in the NCAA if you are in the Big Ten SEC.
Play a crappy team and lose...you gotta win 12 or 13 conference games now. Don't get the unwillingness to schedule tough competition in non conference basketball.
 

Word said:
I'd be pissed if I was an Indiana fan but sort of understand the strategy. Both Indiana and Illinois benefitted greatly last year by having easy schedules.
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Yeah....with 9 conference games I don't really fault teams for ducking good teams in the non-conf portion. To me the ideal setup is 2 creampuffs and one power conference team but can understand 3 creampuffs.

The flip side to that though is that the team and fans have no right to complain when nobody takes them seriously until they actually beat a team with a pulse.

Indiana absolutely benefited from a super soft schedule last year. They didn't catch the same break this year in terms of conference schedule so will be interesting to see how they do in the upcoming season.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I'm not going to throw stones.

As much as I would love to have Bama come here or so on ... we have A LOT of conference games scheduled.
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Even just 2 Non-P4 teams would represent 28.5% of the presumed 7 game Home schedule.

3 Non-P4 teams would represent close to 43% of the presumed 7 game Home schedule.

Yuck.
 

Ope3 said:
Even just 2 Non-P4 teams would represent 28.5% of the presumed 7 game Home schedule.

3 Non-P4 teams would represent close to 43% of the presumed 7 game Home schedule.

Yuck.
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Yeah, at some point they just need to call it a gimme and leave it at that. Similar to the force-out in baseball, where they invented it to stop the silliness of a player running around and avoiding the first baseman's tag. Baseball is easier to watch because of it.

I'd prefer to get rid of 2 non-conference creampuffs and just tell everyone they start the season at 2-0, versus having to watch these waste of time lopsided games.

If everyone is gonna do it, just assume it was done and move on, kinda thing.
 




MNVCGUY said:
Yeah....with 9 conference games I don't really fault teams for ducking good teams in the non-conf portion. To me the ideal setup is 2 creampuffs and one power conference team but can understand 3 creampuffs.
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Looking at these SEC schedules next year, Indiana’s fits right in.

Almost every SEC team plays three G5/FCS home games.
 

Goldmember said:
Looking at these SEC schedules next year, Indiana’s fits right in.

Almost every SEC team plays three G5/FCS home games.
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With the exception that SEC teams only play eight conference games, rather than nine like Indiana.

Four SEC teams play P4 in-state rivalry games against teams from the ACC. Oklahoma cancelled theirs with OK State, and Texas had no inclination to start something up with say Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor.
 

Glen Mason did this too. It often led to some lackluster early-season games - ones where spending the day in a fishing boat sounded like a better option.
 



GopherGrit said:
With the exception that SEC teams only play eight conference games, rather than nine like Indiana.

Four SEC teams play P4 in-state rivalry games against teams from the ACC. Oklahoma cancelled theirs with OK State, and Texas had no inclination to start something up with say Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor.
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Did the Sooners back out of an agreement to play the Cowboys or did they just not schedule anything after they were not bound by Conference affiliation with Oklahoma's move to the SEC?

I realize it's just semantics, but actually cancelling something would be even more of a wuss move.
 

Ope3 said:
Did the Sooners back out of an agreement to play the Cowboys or did they just not schedule anything after they were not bound by Conference affiliation with Oklahoma's move to the SEC?

I realize it's just semantics, but actually cancelling something would be even more of a wuss move.
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Nothing was canceled, the two schools never reached an agreement to continue Bedlam post the Sooners SEC shift.
 

who cares? if they lose a non con game they're out. If they go 10-2, people will attack their schedule and they'll sit between 14 and 18 and only have themselves to blame if they miss out. As a fan, I wouldn't buy season tickets as their home slate is ODU, Kennesaw State, Indy State, Ill, MSU, UCLA, WI but even subbing one of those G5 for LSU or something isn't going to change that that slate sucks.

Same as Gopher bball who had 0 margin for error because Ben put together an ass schedule. For the non-haves, this basically leaves it all up to your conf schedule. I'd love it if in a year we have a favorable schedule we bought out of a P5 game to try to chase making the playoff. If you make it, no one gives a shit that you played 3 powder puffs in the non con schedule (like us playing FCS runner up SDSU, Fresno State 4-8, and GA Southern 7-6 in 2019)
 

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