🏈 The Ol' Strength of Schedule debate—a look at Bama and UofSC

[TerryP]

Just something to glance at, chew on, and think about for a bit...

If you haven't noticed, there are four common opponents for both teams this year.

In Phil Steele's strength of schedule rankings South Carolina is listed at [HASHTAG]#13[/HASHTAG], Bama at [HASHTAG]#95[/HASHTAG]. I started thinking about this for a bit and decided to pair the two schedules and teams I thought most mirrored each other.

There's likely some debate with the out of confence teams. So, there's three games we can look at in more depth if you like. But, when it comes to conference opponents this seems pretty clear to me.

[HASHTAG]#95[/HASHTAG] as compared to [HASHTAG]#13[/HASHTAG], right? Is there that great of a difference between the two schedules?


[xtable]
{thead}
{tr}
{th}Alabama #95{/th}
{th}South Carolina #13{/th}
{th}Advantage{/th}
{/tr}
{/thead}
{tbody}
{tr}
{td}West Virginia{/td}
{td}Clemson{/td}
{td}UofSC{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Southern Miss{/td}
{td}East Carolina{/td}
{td}UofSC{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Florida Atlantic{/td}
{td}South Alabama{/td}
{td}Even{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Western Carolina{/td}
{td}Furman{/td}
{td}Even{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Florida{/td}
{td}Florida{/td}
{td}Even-common{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Auburn{/td}
{td}Auburn{/td}
{td}Even-common{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Tennessee{/td}
{td}Tennessee{/td}
{td}Even-common{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}A&M{/td}
{td}A&M {/td}
{td}Even-common{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}LSU{/td}
{td}Georgia{/td}
{td}Even{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Miss State{/td}
{td}Kentucky{/td}
{td}Bama{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Ole Miss{/td}
{td}Vandy{/td}
{td}Bama{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Arkansas{/td}
{td}Mizzou{/td}
{td}UofSC ?{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]

 

[BamaFan334]

I honestly don't think Georgia and LSU are even. I think we should win that one because LSU has proven itself on the field a hell of a lot more than Georgia has, and that's even being said knowing Georgia beat them last year. We also know LSU teams are a ton more athletic and talented than Georgia teams, even though Georgia has some talent in their own right.

 

[252BAMA]

That is the NCAA Method of SOS. Of all the formats, it is by far the worst. Don't know why Phil Steele even puts it out there. You must have missed this:

"Now let’s turn our attention to 2014. This year I again decided to see what the NCAA method would come up with for toughest opponent’s faced, which I always list in the magazine. Below is a chart of all 128 teams and the combined 2013 opponents’ records. It is ranked in order of highest % of opponent wins (or toughest schedule) to lowest % of opponent wins (or easiest schedule).
Again this is the NCAA's method and not MINE!
When I release my toughest schedule rankings in the upcoming magazine my rankings take two major factors into account. The first is my 9 sets of Power Ratings. This ensures that an FCS team is rated lower than Florida that finished just 4-8 last year! The second factor is the amount of home and away games played."

 

[TerryP]

@252BAMA I was going off the list sent to me by email which said PS's SOS. I didn't bother to look and see if it was the NCAA's he'd posted. I should have.

-----

I fell off the cliff and landed on this tangent about a week ago. The line I landed on was a little different than the comparison I just used.

After a LSU fan repeated their mantra, "cupcake of a schedule," when talking about Bama I threw a question at him. (Same question I texted @planomateo about a week ago to see how he'd answer.)

If Michigan State were to play the same schedule Alabama does, would it still be called a cupcake schedule?

That LSU fan changed his tune to "it's not that Alabama doesn't play a tough schedule, it's about the disparity in rotating..." Shocker, eh?

 

[bamaraider]

I honestly don't think Georgia and LSU are even. I think we should win that one because LSU has proven itself on the field a hell of a lot more than Georgia has, and that's even being said knowing Georgia beat them last year. We also know LSU teams are a ton more athletic and talented than Georgia teams, even though Georgia has some talent in their own right.

Not to mention we're on the road while they play UGA at home.

 

[aoterrell22]

If LSU is better than Georgia, makes the schedules pretty even.

 

[planomateo]

Speaking of Michigan State +15 against Oregon this year.

Call me crazy, but lines should be considering in the whole strength of schedule debate

 

[riz]

If East Carolina is better than Southern Miss, Miss State is certainly better than Kentucky. But, the takeaway here is the real difference between the 95th hardest schedule and the 13th. In other words, there isn't one. Those schedules look the same to me.

 

[252BAMA]

Would have to say Furman is better than Western Carolina. Furman was 8-6 (6-2), winning in the first round of the FCS playoffs before losing to 2013 FCSNC North Dakota State. Western Carolina was 2-10 (1-7) losing HTH to Furman 20-32.