🏈 The award for scheduling the most FCS teams across all Power Five conferences goes to... the SEC.

[RTB X Bot]

For the third time in four seasons, the SEC has the ignominious distinction of being the Power Five conference with the most games against FCS opponents. The SEC has 14 such games, with each league member playing one.

The SEC also had the most in 2014 and ’16 (tied with the ACC). In addition, this is the sixth season in a row SEC schools have at least 13 games against FCS opponents.

In addition, while SEC teams play the second-most non-conference games against other Power Five opponents (16), that is just 28.6 percent of the league’s non-conference contests. That is the second-lowest percentage among Power Five conferences, ahead of only the Pac-12.

This is the first part of a look at 2017 schedules. On Tuesday, we’ll breakdown the 12 most embarrassing non-conference games nationally, and we’ll follow that Wednesday with a breakdown of the 12 best.

Here’s a closer look at the Power Five’s non-conference contests. (One thing: While Notre Dame isn’t a member of a P-5 conference, we are including the Irish when we talk about the Power Five.) One interesting aspect is that Power Five schools are playing 44 games against FCS opponents; that’s the fewest since 2007.

ACC
• League teams have 13 games against FCS opponents. Every ACC team has one such game except Boston College.
• League teams play 56 non-conference games, with 22 of those against Power Five opponents (39.3 percent). Every ACC team has at least one P5 foe, and Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Pitt have two each.
• League teams play 21 non-conference road or neutral-site games, including eight against non-Power Five opponents. BC has two games against non-Power Fives.
• Notre Dame, which is part of the ACC’s bowl partnerships, has no games against FCS opponents and has no road games against non-Power Five opponents.

BIG TEN
• League teams have two games against FCS opponents. Maryland and Rutgers are the only teams with FCS foes.
• League teams play 42 non-conference games, with 13 of those against Power Five opponents (31 percent). Purdue has two, and Illinois and Wisconsin don’t have any.
• League teams play 10 non-conference road or neutral-site games, including two against non-Power Five opponents. Illinois and Wisconsin are the teams that play non-Power Fives on the road.
• Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers don’t have any road or neutral-site non-conference games.

BIG 12
• League teams have seven games against FCS opponents. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas are the conference schools without an FCS foe.
• League teams play 30 non-conference games, with 10 of those against Power Five opponents (33.3 percent). Kansas has none, and Texas has two.
• League teams play 11 non-conference road or neutral-site games, including four against non-Power Five opponents.
• One scheduling item worth noting for Baylor: This is the first time in eight seasons that the Bears have a regular-season non-conference game against another Power Five opponent. Baylor plays at Duke this season.

PAC-12
• League teams have eight games against FCS opponents. Arizona State, Stanford, UCLA and USC are the conference schools without an FCS foe.
• League teams play 36 non-conference games, with 10 of those against Power Five opponents (27.8 percent). California and USC play two each; Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Washington State have zero.
• League teams play 12 non-conference road or neutral-site games, including seven against non-Power Five opponents. Stanford has two such games against non-Power Fives.
• Arizona should hang its head in shame: This is the fifth season in a row the Wildcats have zero non-conference games against Power Five foes.
• Washington State is the only league team without a non-conference road or neutral-site game.

SEC
• League teams have 14 games against FCS opponents. Each SEC team plays one FCS foe.
• League teams play 56 non-conference games, with 16 of those against Power Five opponents (28.6 percent). Mississippi State has none, while Florida, Georgia and South Carolina each have two.
• League teams play 14 non-conference road or neutral-site games, including three against non-Power Five opponents.
• Mississippi State deserves a “tsk, tsk” for its non-conference schedule: This is the seventh time in eight seasons Mississippi State isn’t playing a Power Five non-conference foe.
• Arkansas is the only team in the league without a non-conference neutral-site or road game. The Razorbacks do play FCS member Florida A&M in Little Rock, but we’re not counting that as a neutral site.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Arkansas also plays the aggies at JerryWorld each season, so they give up a home game there for a SEC neutral site if you can call anyplace in Texas neutral site. They are also playing TCU at their place in a home and home series. Michigan just canceled their games with them and left them struggling to find another power 5 dancing partner.

No excuse for Miss St, they are the North Carolina of the SEC.

 

[alagator]

The SEC also had the most in 2014 and ’16 (tied with the ACC).

In 2016 ...

The ACC played 14 teams last year that weren't D1.
The SEC played 13 teams last year that weren't D1.
The B1G played 8 teams last year that weren't D1.
The Big12 played 8 teams last year that weren't D1.
The PAC played 8 teams last year that weren't D1.

Someone might want to ask Virginia about how they feel about playing Richmond. Or, Iowa State about playing Northern Iowa. Or ask Iowa, or Northwestern, or Washington State about playing teams that aren't D1. After losses last season to those teams, I suspect you'll find a different answer from those fan bases.

Still missing the point? The SEC is the only conference NOT to lose a game against a team that wasn't D1. Even a team like Mississippi State, which didn't schedule a non-D1 opponent last season, finished with an SOS of 50.

 

[18Champs]

 

[Max]

No excuse for Miss St, they are the North Carolina of the SEC.

Then there's the fact UNC has scheduled more teams in the past five years that weren't D1 teams versus Mississippi State. Or, the point Mississippi State has a better bowl record than UNC. They've both been ranked #1 at some point in their history. Of course with UNC we'll have to go back to 1948.

BUT, they are comparable. Yeah, right.

 

[BamaFan334]

I hope they are counting Rutgers, Purdue, Virginia, Kansas, Arizona as FCS opponents with how shitty they are and the lack of competition they impose.

 

[252BAMA]

Four key points in all of that which results in the one game difference between the ACC and SEC.

ACC
• League teams have 13 games against FCS opponents. Every ACC team has one such game except Boston College.
• League teams play 21 non-conference road or neutral-site games, including eight against non-Power Five opponents. BC has two games against non-Power Fives.

SEC
• League teams have 14 games against FCS opponents. Each SEC team plays one FCS foe.
• League teams play 14 non-conference road or neutral-site games, including three against non-Power Five opponents.

 

[252BAMA]

Why not give the ACC an award for playing the most (8) non-P5 teams. SEC is playing only 3 of those.
Or give them the award for playing the most (21) non-P5 AND FCS teams combined? SEC is playing only 17 of those.

 

[252BAMA]

So, in essence, they are bragging on BC for playing no FCS team. Never mind they are playing TWO non-P5 teams while the ENTIRE SEC is playing but 3 of those.

 

[OldPlayer]

How many of the games played by SEC teams are against Top 25 teams? Since 10+ SEC teams could be ranked, it's probably more than any other conference.

 

[TerryP]

How many of the games played by SEC teams are against Top 25 teams?

Interesting point I'll have to look up when it comes to the other conferences. This I do know: Bama was only team in the SEC with a winning record versus ranked opponents last season going 6-1. Considering three of those were against ranked teams in the post-season, Arkansas gets the nod for playing the most ranked teams in 2016 with five (one OOC in VT.)

The SEC played 48 ranked teams last season: 16-32. Out of those 48 games, 30 were in conference play.

 

[TerryP]

Just glanced at the ACC considering it's the conference I see a lot of people talk about being the best in '16. They played against 42 ranked teams: 15-27. Eight of those games were against OOC teams.

 

[252BAMA]

Interesting point I'll have to look up when it comes to the other conferences. This I do know: Bama was only team in the SEC with a winning record versus ranked opponents last season going 6-1. Considering three of those were against ranked teams in the post-season, Arkansas gets the nod for playing the most ranked teams in 2016 with five (one OOC in VT.)

The SEC played 48 ranked teams last season: 16-32. Out of those 42 games, 30 were in conference play.

42 or 48 games?

 

[TerryP]

42 or 48 games?

48. Oops.

 

[TUSKtimes]

These stats come out and always with a poison tip. I like to politic for change as much as anyone, but reality is, that unless you uniform college football rules governing conference games and OOC opponents, where is the motivation? I don't want it harder for the Crimson Tide than it is now unless ALL power 5 conferences accept the same standard. Not sure if we are going to get there, but it feels a long way off.

 

[TerryP]

Not sure if we are going to get there, but it feels a long way off.

Do you remember all the hoopla surrounding the announcement made by Jim Delany about how the B1G wasn't going to schedule any more FSC opponents from 2016 and going forward?

I thought it was bullshit when it was announced. Schedules aren't as easy as saying "we're going to do this" if it falls outside of your conference. And, as we can see, here we are two plus years removed from his posturing and we still see FCS schools in B1G schedules.

...yeah, long way off.

**FWIW, I've been entertaining the notion that this might change WHEN we see either the PAC Network or the Texas/Big12 network fall on its face. I've heard rumor of considerations in having the PAC and Big12 networks form a partnership (instead of having a conference (PAC) having so much vested interest while their network falls in its face.

It's my opinion if we saw ESPN or FOX offer a deal where they control the majority interest, but have a packaged deal with two conferences, it'll lead to more consolidation.

I may be way off, WAY OFF! I can see it happening though ...

 

[OldPlayer]

FCS programs need to survive too. How do they survive? By getting big paydays from FBS teams. Those that don't play FCS teams will complain about schools that do. I see it as keeping football alive at multiple levels.