The SEC won’t hesitate to tell you they play the toughest schedule in college football even though they only play eight conference games. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, regardless of what you think about the SEC, their argument rings hollow.
We’ve known forever that it’s better to lose early in the season rather than late. Poll voters and now the selection committee have always taken into consideration when losses occur. That’s why SEC games like LSU at Clemson, Texas at Ohio State, Alabama at Florida State, and Auburn at Baylor are all being played during the opening week of the season.
It’s also why you’ll see games like The Citadel at Ole Miss, New Mexico State at Tennessee, Samford at Texas A&M, Eastern Illinois at Alabama, Charlotte at Georgia, Costal Carolina at South Carolina, Western Kentucky at LSU, and Mercer at Auburn on the SEC’s November schedule. Games of consequence are being avoided late in the season, and the teams scheduled are guaranteed wins, thus, eight conference games. Plus, patsy games late in the season provide an ideal time to rest starters and prevent injuries before the playoffs start.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten plays nine conference games and schedules their lesser opponents in the first three weeks of the season. Although Ohio State does play Texas, Michigan goes to Oklahoma, and Wisconsin goes to Alabama early in the year. But because a loss early isn’t frowned upon, the loser of the Ohio State – Texas game will still make the playoffs if they are in fact as good as we all believe.
The point is, the Big Ten is taking extra risk by playing nine conference games and not scheduling patsies in November. Until the SEC plays nine conference games, the playing field won’t be level.
It’s obvious a memo went out to all the Big Ten coaches about supporting Big Ten Commissioner Tony Pettiti and his thoughts on the automatic qualifiers versus the 5 plus 11. While there are 18 coaches in the Big ten, I’ve only added a few responses, but they did so in resounding fashion. Below are comments from Big Ten Media Days.
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Pettiti – “Until there’s continuity between conferences, if you’re in the Big Ten, it would make no sense to have anything other than a case to have four automatic qualifiers and an expanded pool of teams. Because when you play nine conference games, it’s not the same as someone who plays eight conference games. If you’re going to be compared against that, it’s just not the same.”
Ohio State HC Ryan Day – Day suggested that if Big Ten Commissioner Tony Pettiti’s proposal of playing nine conference games isn’t adopted then his university will tone-down their nonconference scheduling. “If we’re not going to do that, I don’t think it makes sense to do that. You have your nine conference games and schedule other nonconference games that aren’t in the Power Four.”
Penn State HC James Franklin – “Everybody has to play the same number of conference games. Like this ain’t that hard. Everybody should be playing eight or everybody should be playing nine. Everybody should either play a conference championship game or everybody shouldn’t. Everybody should be in a conference.” Franklin didn’t mention Notre Dame, but he was surely referencing them.
Indiana HC Kurt Cignetti – “Twelve of the sixteen SEC teams play three G5 or an FCS game. Twelve of those teams play thirty-six games, twenty-nine G5 games, and seven FCS games. And one less conference game. Alright. So, we figured we’d just adopt SEC’s scheduling philosophy.”
Maryland HC Mike Locksley – “I think it should be handled on the field. It should be handled based on your body of work. I don’t think it should be as much on the committee.”
Illinois HC Brett Bielma – “I learned early in life, right, if you don’t stand up for yourself, no one else will. I appreciate your point that you thought the four teams should just get in and go, but if there are seven, eight, nine, ten teams alive in November that can have a chance to be in the playoffs, that’s going to do a world of good for our college football team.”
USC HC Lincoln Riley – “I think there’s a million reasons why that we should very seriously as a college football community, that we should adopt the automatic qualifying in terms of the College Football Playoff. And this might be the most important one, is that we give every reason for college football to preserve non-conference games that mean a lot to the history of the game and to the fan bases and the former players and everybody that’s been associated with it.” Riley responding to a question asked about the continuing the USC – Notre Dame game.
The takeaway from the Big Ten and Pettiti. The CFP will remain at 12 teams until the SEC and the ACC start playing nine conference games. The two conferences are at a stalemate. But regardless of whether you think one conference is stronger than the other, the playing field needs leveled. Until all the conferences are playing by the same rules, the CFP debate is irrelevant.
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