Was it a big deal that Georgia played both Clemson and Georgia Tech out of conference in 2014 while Missouri’s only Power-Five foe was Indiana?
And what about Ole Miss, with Boise State as its stiffest non-SEC opponent vs. LSU, who opened up last season vs. Wisconsin?
If nothing else these examples remind us, once again, that all non-conference schedules are not created equal. It’s something that could be the difference maker in a team going 12-1 vs. 11-2, a swing that could cost a program a place in the CFB Playoff.
With this is in mind, here’s a sweeping look at the SEC non-league schedules for 2015.
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: at Southern Miss, FCS Northwestern State, Troy, Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs are one of only four SEC teams that won’t face a Power-Five team outside of conference play in 2015. MSU’s only non-league opponent with a winning record from last season is Louisiana Tech, which finished 9-5.
The last time Mississippi State scheduled a Power-Five, non-SEC team in the regular-season was in 2013, when it opened up with a loss to No. 13 Oklahoma State in Houston.
13. Ole Miss
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: FCS UT-Martin, Fresno State, New Mexico State, at Memphis
The only winning team the Rebels will face out of SEC-play in 2015 is Memphis, also their only non-conference road game. Don’t feel too bad though, Memphis’ Liberty Bowl stadium is a mere 83 miles from the Ole Miss campus.
The Rebels’ last regular-season, non-SEC game vs. a Power-Five team also came in 2013 when it travelled to Austin and beat Texas 44-23.
12. Kentucky
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: UL Lafayette, FCS Eastern Kentucky, Charlotte, Louisville
Kentucky faces an FCS opponent and a team that transitions to the FBS in 2015, Charlotte. What its schedule does have going for it, other than flash and obvious appeal, is that it features three teams that finished last season with winning records: ULL (9-4), EKU (9-4) and Louisville (9-4).
The last time the Wildcats played a Power-Five team out of conference in the regular season other than Louisville was in 2005, when it lost 38-14 to Indiana in Bloomington.
11. Vanderbilt
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: Western Kentucky, FCS Austin Peay, at Middle Tennessee, at Houston
The third of the four SEC teams without a Power-Five opponent out of conference, Vanderbilt’s 2015 non-league slate is actually an improvement over 2014 when the Commodores squared off with Temple, UMass, FCS Charleston Southern and Old Dominion.
Vandy is another program that hasn’t played a Power-Five team out of conference since 2013, taking on Wake Forest in the finale. It is also the only SEC program with two road games out of conference in 2015.
10. LSU
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: FCS McNeese State, at Syracuse, Eastern Michigan, Western Kentucky
In what may become a significant factor in this season’s CFB Playoff race, LSU has its easiest non-conference slate since 2008, when it squared off with FCS Appalachian State, North Texas, Tulane and Troy.
The Tigers’ stiffest test will be the Saturday, Sept. 26 road trip to face Syracuse, a team they’ve never met in the regular season.
9. Arkansas
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: UTEP, Toledo (in Little Rock), Texas Tech, FCS UT-Martin
Even though UTEP (7-6) and Toledo (9-4) both finished 2014 above .500, only one of the two teams has ever beaten an SEC squad. That came in the 1967 Sun Bowl when the Miners beat Ole Miss 14-7.
That leaves Texas Tech, a team that finished last season 4-8 and hasn’t won vs. the SEC since 2003 when it rolled in to Oxford and nipped Ole Miss 49-45.
8. Missouri
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: FCS Southeast Missouri State, at Arkansas State, UConn, BYU (in Kansas City)
The only winning teams from 2014 on Mizzou’s 2015 non-SEC slate are Arkansas State (7-6) and BYU (8-5). Even though the Cougars aren’t technically a Power-Five team they offer stiffer opposition that the bottom teams in any of the major conferences.
That said, the Tigers are a combined 5-0 all-time vs. FCS Southeast Missouri State and Arkansas State, have never faced UConn and are 0-1 vs. BYU. So, Missouri’s only loss to any of these teams came 32-years ago in a three-point defeat to the No. 9 Cougars in the 1983 Holiday Bowl.
7. Auburn
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: Louisville (in Atlanta), FCS Jacksonville State, San Jose State, Idaho
If it weren’t for its opener vs. a Louisville team that finished last season 9-4, Auburn would be playing its non-league slate against two FBS opponents that combined for four wins in 2014.
That leaves FCS Jacksonville State, which went 10-2 last season including winning its conference championship and making it to the second round of the FCS playoffs.
6. Alabama
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: Wisconsin (in Arlington, Tex.), Middle Tennessee, ULMMonroe and FCS Charleston Southern
With Wisconsin replacing West Virginia in the opener, Alabama’s 2015 non-SEC slate is technically one notch more difficult than last season’s was.
Though the balance of the Tide’s non-conference schedule leaves a lot to be desired, you have to give Alabama credit for consistently scheduling a big-name, Power-Five in the first two weeks of each season. The last time it didn’t happen was in 2007, when the first two games were vs. FCS Western Carolina and Vandy. That led to a Week 5 showdown with Florida State, meaning the non-SEC headliner was just delayed rather than avoided.
5. Georgia
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: UL Monroe, FCS Southern, Georgia Southern, at Georgia Tech
What gives Georgia’s schedule an edge over Alabama’s is it plays its Power-Five opponent in a true road game and its remaining foes are just a hair more difficult.
Both teams play ULM, so that leaves Georgia Southern, a team that went 9-3 last season and FCS Southern, a squad that finished 9-4. That beats Middle Tennessee’s 6-6 finish and FCS Charleston’s 8-4 mark. It also doesn’t hurt that Georgia Tech finished at No. 8 in the final AP vs. Wisconsin’s No. 13.
After playing both Clemson and the Yellow Jackets each of the last two seasons, 2015 is the first year that the Bulldogs won’t play two Power-Fives outside of SEC play since 2012, when they played Buffalo, FAU, then FCS Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech. Is it any coincidence that Georgia finished that season 12-2, ranked No. 5 in the final AP?
4. Tennessee
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: Bowling Green (in Nashville), Oklahoma, FCS Western Carolina, North Texas
After traveling to Norman last season, a place where only one non-conference opponent has won in the last nine years, the Volunteers will get Oklahoma at home in Knoxville.
The Sooners haven’t lost a regular-season, non-Big 12 game since 2012. That combined with the clash Bowling Green, a team that beat Indiana last season and came within one point of knocking off Mississippi State in 2013, gives Tennessee a respectable non-SEC slate.
3. Texas A&M
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: Arizona State (in Houston), Ball State, Nevada, FCS Western Carolina
Texas A&M’s opener vs. Arizona State marks the first time it’s faced a Power-Five team out of conference since its final season in the Big 12, when it squared off with Arkansas in Arlington, Texas.
Along with Arizona State (10-3), both Nevada (7-6) and FCS Western Carolina (7-5) finished 2014 with winning records.
Though Nevada isn’t exactly UCLA, keep in mind that the Wolf Pack bested both Washington State and BYU last season and lost 35-28 to Arizona, a team that finished 10-4.
2. Florida
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: New Mexico State, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Florida State
While it’s no surprise that the Gators will be squaring off with Florida State, a team they’ve been playing every year since 1958, it’s still arguably the toughest non-SEC game in the bunch.
The Seminoles finished last season tied for No. 5 in the final AP poll, higher than any other non-conference opponent an SEC team will play this year.
Add in East Carolina, a team that beat No. 17 Virginia Tech and North Carolina in 2014 (and almost knocked off the very same Gators in the Birmingham Bowl) and you could make a case for Florida having the toughest non-power opponent as well.
2015 Non-Conference Opponents: North Carolina (in Charlotte), UCF, FCS Citadel, Clemson
Not only is South Carolina the only SEC team in 2015 to play more than one Power-Five opponent in non-conference play, it also has UCF, a team that is 31-9 since 2012. It’s the same program that upset No. 6 Baylor 52-42 in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.
Throw in North Carolina and Clemson from the ACC and it’s the Gamecocks that will face the toughest non-conference line-up in the SEC.
Amy Daughters is a contributor to FBSchedules.com.
This is the worst out of conference scheduling I have ever seen. Screw the SECheats. Just because it’s not against the rules doesn’t mean it’s not bad form.
you sir maverick, are a dolt.
The SEC was the best conference but I think now things have begun to shift and even out. SEC teams records are artifically inflated by virtue of only playing 8 conference games and usually scheduling at least 3 cupcakes that are automatic W’s. The scheduling of worthless teams in Non-conf is something that makes me sick about CFB now. It didn’t used to be like this in the 70s & 80s.
Agree they are inflated, OC schedules are terrible and play 8 conference games which might include lowly Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee etc.
Just because the SEC does not have to schedule major power teams to get their power ratings up as other conferences have to does not mean they have to help the other conference by playing them. The SEC can keep their ratings up by playing each other.
And how did the SEC do in their bowl games? Crap, which proved the SEC is way overrated. There is no excuse for not playing decent OOC games
Understandable about the OOC games but the SEC went 7-5 in bowls, not crap. All the conferences did not fair well in the bowls expect for these two, congras.
PAC-12 6-2
Con USA 4-1
Just so you know, JC, the SEC had the second best bowl record of all the power conferences. I hope that wasn’t your best attempt at talking smack about the SEC. If so, you failed.
The SEC has been giving crap to EVERYONE because they haven’t played anyone. Especially to the Big Ten.
“The Little Ten is the weakest conference in college football.” “The Little 10 should be a Mid-Major.” “7 in a row”
Now everyone sees the SEC is over hyped, it’s time for the SEC to earn it way to a title instead of be giving a title. The SEC needs to grow some balls and play EVERY power opponent home and home.
There is no other conference that stacks up this weakly in their out of conference scheduling. Below is the list of each SEC school and their 2015 non-conference scheduling. Note for a neutral game to be counted as a neutral site game the “neutral” site stadium needed to be a minimum of 125 miles away from the school’s stadium, anything closer is just a short bus ride away and no disadvantage.
SEC – 2015 P-5 FBS Away Neutral
Kentucky 1 1 0 0
Missouri 0 2 1 0
Auburn 1 2 0 0
Mississippi State 0 3 1 0
Ol’ Miss 0 3 1 0
Texas A&M 1 2 0 0
Alabama 1 2 0 1
Arkansas 1 2 0 1
Tennessee 1 2 0 1
Georgia 1 2 1 0
LSU 1 2 1 0
South Carolina 2 1 0 0
Vanderbilt 0 3 2 0
Florida 1 3 0 0
As a whole this is truly pathetic. I have no like or dislike towards the SEC, but their non-conference scheduling cannot be ignored. No other P5 Conference schedules as weakly as the SEC does in their non-conference scheduling. We all realize it’s hard to predict what team(s) will or will not be strong in future years, but to have only eleven (11) P5 non-conference games scheduled out of 56 games in 2015 for a “power” conference really says something. and as well, out of the 56 games only seven (7) are being played away, again, what does this say…
I’m an ACC guy but I don’t think you can make an objective assessment of the SEC or any other conference’s OOC schedule without actually stacking them up against other conferences, which this article fails to do. At a glance the Big 12’s OOC schedule looks to be the weakest in CFB based on their top 2 teams. The ultimate goal for the Conferences is for 4 of the 5 Power Conferences to get a team in the CFB Playoff, which is why I’m only looking at the top 2 teams from each conference most likely to make the CFB Playoff. In other words its not about who has the highest SOS, but which Conference has the lowest SOS and is thus eliminated.
Big 12
Baylor plays SMU, Lamar and Rice
TCU plays Minnesota, SMU and Stephen F Austin
Big 10
Ohio State plays Virginia Tech, Hawaii, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan
Michigan State plays Oregon, Air Force, Central Michigan, Western Michigan
SEC
Alabama plays Wisconsin, Middle Tennessee, ULM Charleston Southern
Auburn plays Louisville, Jacksonville State, San Jose State, Idaho
ACC
Florida State plays Florida, Chattonooga, USF, Texas State
Clemson plays Notre Dame, South Carolina, Wofford, Appalachian State
PAC 12
Oregon plays Michigan State, Eastern Washington, Georgia State
USC plays Notre Dame, Idaho, Arkansas State
The general formula seems to be for each team to play 2-3 cup cakes and 1 decent to good team with the following exceptions:
Weakest
Baylor just plays 3 cup cakes
Strongest
Clemson plays 1 good team in Notre Dame and 1 decent team in South Carolina
I don’t see a noticeable difference between the SEC and the other Power 5 Conferences in terms of OOC SOS. If anything the Big 12 looks the weakest, which is ironic because that is what held back Baylor and TCU in 2014.
Charlotte’s not 125 miles away from Columbia, but I certainly hope you are giving credit to SC for playing NC in the Tarheels’ home state.
Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is roughly 15 Miles from the South Carolina border, and closer to Columbia and Greenville\Spartanburg (two larges metro areas) than it is to Tobacco Road. (Not to mention Rock Hill, SC is Gamecock Central). I don’t think any credit should be given to SC for playing NC in Charlotte.
Vandy will win the SEC
The most glaring fact that makes SEC scheduling look bad is the dearth of true road games, there are a total of 7 for 2015. 7 for 14 teams, and 2 of them are by vandy. Everybody knows true road games are the toughest games to play in college sports.
Spot on. 2015: SEC – 14 Teams, 56 NC Games, 7 Away games (12.5%); Big Ten – 14 Teams, 56 NC Games, 12 Away games (21.4%); Big 12 – 10 Teams, 30 NC Games, 9 Away games (30.0%); PAC 12 – 12 Teams, 36 NC Games, 11 Away games (30.6%); and ACC – 14 Teams, 56 NC Games, 18 Away games (32.1%). Agree, the facts are the facts and it most glaring.
Amy, great article. Hopefully you will be doing 4 more of these for the rest of the P5 conferences.
I too hope Amy does a piece on all the P5 Conferences. The facts speak for themselves and when shared I hope the blinded eyes can begin to see the light.
“The Bulldogs are one of only four SEC teams that won’t face a Power-Five team outside of conference play in 2015.”
ONLY FOUR? There should be NONE. This was my favorite sentence in the article, it gave me a good laugh…
Everybody knows that while there are several teams in every conference that schedule weak OOC, the SEC plays less road games and more FCS teams than anyone. The only reason this frustrates me is because as a true college football fan, I know we are all being robbed of more great games. Most conferences are playing nine conference games and at least one P5 team OOC or are moving towards that direction. I know the SEC will start making it mandatory to play at least one P5 team OOC every season next year, but just do the math: 8confgames+1OOC and other conferences will be playing 9confgames+1OOC. That’s one extra game. There is absolutely no excuse to have 4 OOC games and not schedule one single P5 team like some teams did this season. NO EXCUSE. The SEC really should have went to a 9 game conference schedule for their fans sake but they didn’t care.
The facts are the other Power conferences will not play SEC Bama tried to schedule BIG 10 and BIG 12 last four years but the would not agree to come to Alabama to play in November.Big 12 doesn’t even have a Championship .What Baylor and TCU Co-champs.And them you have the Big 10 with who MI Penn St and don’t forget IL IN and IA …weak weak..I see why they don’t come south…
JB, to set the record straight, Alabama had a home and away with Michigan State. However, Alabama then wanted to change to the first game being held in Tuscaloosa and “return” game at a neutral site (i.e. in SEC territory) and refused to honor the original agreement. Per the reports I heard, MSU made every attempt to reach an equitable agreement, but in the end the match-up had to be canceled.
my gators are the only s.e.c that is not facing a FCS opponent!!! we still got a weak non-conference schedule besides fla st but the s.e.c is still the best… talk all u want about road games and %’s and crap like that the other teams dont want to come to s.e.c territory, some do but they settle for neutral sites so they can put up…. or shut up point blank!!!!!!
The fact is that if SEC has to travel they refuse to travel outside their comfort territory. Come out west some time. You say no one wants to go into SEC territory, however SEC refuses to leave their territory as well. Why would I want to travel to you if you refuse to travel to us? Your argument makes no sense and is thus invalid. SO whine and cry all you want, facts still remain facts, SEC schedules weak and is stacked every year in the top 25 at the beginning of the season to make yourselves look so amazing. The era of the BCS ruined College Football forever, as it was designed by a former Chairman of the SEC in order to favor the conference. However, the NCAA will protect the SEC from anything since you know they pull in the big contract with ESPN and now with their own Channel how can the NCAA not cave into their cash cow of a conference? The fact that the SEC will only travel as far west as Dallas, TX should say a lot. If you want P5 conferences to play you, travel to them, quit being weak and saying oh we want a nutreal site, but when P5 conferences travel they have to meet you at your home. SEC is over rated and over inflated, but follow the money and you will see that facts are facts and if you want to play butterball teams to claim oh we have so many wins over each conference, who did you all play? NO one but with SEC teams stacked into the top 25 each year, those are now “quality wins” or “quality loses” so SEC teams do not shift that much when they happen to lose based on “strength of schedule”.
Thought that line was funny also, but what do you expect when most of those schools refuse to leave the region or play home and home series. Some of those schools haven’t played a team on the road north of Tennessee or west of Alabama in 20 years or more.
Alright, I’m a Buckeye, pull for Big 10 teams, but I love ALL college football throughout the US. Don’t worry, I had a co-worker who played for Bear Bryant at Alabama, and I have friends who went to most SEC schools. Going into the 2014 bowl season I still had the SEC as the toughest, but not overwhelmingly so. The PAC 12 had the best bowl season, and I’d say the Big 10 faired better than the SEC. The SEC East which received disparaging comments throughout the season from their SEC West brethren did the heavy lifting for the conference, but I’d say the top bowl games mean a whole lot more than pairings of two 6-6 teams. There shouldn’t even be a bowl game for 6-6 teams in Power 5s.
In recent years Tennessee, then Florida impress me as having the toughest non-conference schedules. Alabama usually has one great non-conference game – but always a neutral site match.
Schedules of the 1950s were tougher. For Ohio State that might be two non-conference games against Power 5 conferences. Now schools put three games on their schedule that they know they should win to meet the six win level.
A knowledgeable Bama fan please answer: Why did the Tide drop the home and away series they had scheduled for 2016-17. Please don’t say it’s just because the league is adding one more conference game. Couldn’t the Tide have just dropped a game with the likes of Western Carolina or Kent State?
Sorry, I left a detail out – Alabama had a home and away scheduled with Michigan State.
Alabama dropped the Michigan St game for a couple of reason’s, yes one being SEC was in conversations of a ninth conference game. They dropped Michigan St to keep their options opened for neutral site games with Wisconsin & USC which pays more in revenue plus there was no buy out contract. If Bama was to cancel a game with W.Carolina or Kent St it would be a buy out of 400k-million.
I want to give credit to LSU for scheduling a return game with Wisconsin (if it actually gets played), but the 9 conference game/lost money argument is pretty weak. It’s not just coincidence that with rare exception the SEC won’t schedule a game north of the Mason-Dixon line. One can argue about the ability to predict how good a team is going to be 5 years from now as far as scheduling, but you can’t claim to be the greatest conference ever if you can’t defend that title at truly neutral sites or better home and away. Alabama backing out really smells of them being afraid to play Michigan State in East Lansing.
There is a lot that goes into scheduling a game, if Bama was afraid of playing in East Lansing then why did they schedule it in the first place. You tend forget that Bama had a home n home with Penn St & did not back out of that one, it was North of the Mason-Dixon line as well. Money does play a big part in everything, so does time, whats best for ones conference & team, what may work well for some conferences don’t work well for others. My props to LSU as well, not only are they returning the favor to Wisconsin playing at a neutral site up north but are playing at Syracuse this year.
I often times here the ….. but they won’t play in Big 10 territory, but so what. I mean for whatever reason, money, fan convenience, a recruiting tool or bad luck SEC teams choose to play in the South until bowl season. The Bowls don’t play in Big 10 territory and they go back over 50 years, does that mean its a conspiracy against the Big 10? Lighten up Francis. Ohio State beat Alabama this year because they were the better team, but not because of where they played. Even true home field advantage is given only 3 points by Vegas. Since 2012 Alabama defeated Michigan (41-14), 2013 they defeated Virginia Tech (35-10), 2014 they defeated West Virginia (33-23). Those games were all played at Cowboy Stadium or the Georgia Dome, and were all victories by at least 10 points. Is there really an argument that the location changed the outcome of those games. I get that fans in the north would like a true home game to root for their team and can appreciate that but, don’t see a case to be made for the outcome of those games or the quality of the teams being questioned due to a lack of a true home and home. Finally, after a quick glance, maybe the reason for the preference is a lack of attendance at games in Big 10 territory. The Big 10 Championship game has only averaged just under 58 K people, while the SEC Championship game has averaged 74 K people. https://fbschedules.com/2014/12/ranking-cfb-conference-championship-games-attendance/
Let’s take a look at the SEC’s bowl performances.
Arkansas: beat Texas, overmatched (low-quality win)
Texas A&M: beat a WVU team that had a backup QB by 8 (low-quality win)
LSU: lost to 7-5 ND (bad loss)
Mizzou (10-3): beat 8-4 Minnesota (low-quality win)
MS St: lost to GT (okay loss)
MS: blown out to TCU (okay loss, bad showing though)
Alabama: outplayed, lost to Ohio St (okay loss)
Auburn (8-4): lost to 10-3 Wisconsin in OT (okay loss)
Tennessee: beat Iowa (quality win)
Georgia: beat Louisville by 20+ (quality win)
Florida: beat mistake-prone ECU by 8 (okay–not quality–win)
South Carolina: beat 6-6 Miami (low-quality win)
Excluding the low-quality wins, the SEC went 3-5 in bowl games.
Let’s do the same for the Pac-12.
Washington: lost to Oklahoma St (bad loss)
Oregon: crushed FSU (quality win), lost to Ohio St (okay loss)
Stanford: beat Maryland (low-quality win)
UCLA: beat Kansas St (quality win)
USC: beat Nebraska (quality win)
Arizona St: beat Duke (quality win)
Arizona: lost to Boise St (okay loss)
Utah: beat Colorado St (okay win–not quality since CSU didn’t have their coach)
Excluding low-quality wins, the P12 went 5-3
In bowl games that mattered, the P12 was 5-3, and the SEC 3-5.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter as long as you win. You’re selective evaluation of quality wins and loses is interesting, one example is giving USC a quality win over Nebraska that lost to Minnesota that you give Missouri a low-quality win to for beating Minnesota. Hard to have it both ways. Your opinion is just that, your opinion, try to back it up with some facts and numbers and perhaps it may mean something.
Let’s take the bias out of your statements:
Arkansas: beat Texas, overmatched (low-quality win)
Texas finished higher in the Big 12 then Arky in the SEC so how is it low quality?
Texas A&M: beat a WVU team that had a backup QB by 8 (low-quality win)
The WVU QB doesn’t play defense so good win.
LSU: lost to 7-5 ND (bad loss)
LSU had no QB and lost on last second field goal so good loss
Just those three show your biased and quite frankly uninformed and uneducated opinion.
SEC leadfs the nation year in and year out with margin precentage bowl victories over ooc teams. Bama and nearly all teams in SEC begin their season with ooc game Bama beat wisconsin this year, Play southern cal next year opening season, Clemson, VT, WV, beat the hell out of michiigan several years ago and beat the hell out of mich state in a bowl game etc. Your claims are false and no ther conference is as deep as SEC = that has to account for something. I guess you want BAMA, who has the hardest schedule in college this year, last year it was Auburn who had it (stays in the SEC btw) to beat a #22 wisconsin team, lose to a #11 ole miss team, beat #5 GA, beat #9 txAM, play a #4 LSU this week, next week we play a ranked Miss St team and if we beat auburn and then face a top #10 Florida team and then turn right around and jump stright into the playoffs when everyone else has played cream puffs all season yet you want us to schedule even harder opponents on our season when we already face 4xs as much as oanyone else. man you are a farce of a joke. Come on man. SEC recruiting classes arfe unreal and you have BAMA and GA and LSU and FL and TN and Ole Miss and Auburn and TxAM every year in the top 10 and several in top 5 recruiting classes. SEC plays big boy football agasint ourselves with big time ranke d opponenet all year long. Every team Bama thumps or plays begins to lose; Wisconsin began to flounder after the Bama beating, GA did it, Ole miss beat us after we had 5 turnovers but they lost 2 because they were hurt after playing us, TxAM lost after playing us, I mean comoe no man, we are really bumping down here. We only get a breath when we play our Vandy or S. Car who can be damn good and is are our bottom rungs but can easily beat an Illinoise or nebraska or these type chump teams, maryland, etc. SEC doesnt play the pie schedule other conferences do. ACC sucks, Big 12 sucks, Big 10 sucks, Pac 12 sucks…I mean come on man. If the SEC is so bad why wouldnt Miaimi in their hayday join it when we asked them? Why wouldn’t FSU? they wouldn’t – its too damn tough, why do you think Urban Meyer ran from down here, he cant recruit in this hot bed because all SEc teams get their fair share year in and out ot top talent. SEc ended up having to get S. Car and Ark instead if Miami, FSu or Notre Dame. They arent lining up to play in our league.
for this year alone the SEC has played ooc big teams such as:
Bama beat Wisconsin
Ole miss beat Fresno State and new mexico state
our bottom rung team kentucky played Louisville
Miss state played Troy and Southern Miss
Vandy plays Houston
LSu beat Syracuse
Arkansas playd UTEP, Toledo and Texas Tech
Missou played UCON and BYU
Auburn beat Louisville, San Jose St, plays Idaho
Georgia plays GT
TN plays Oklahoma
TxAM beat Arizona State
Florida beat New mexico State and plays FSU end of year
S. Carolina plays N. Carolina, UCF and Clemson end of year
plus SEC plays each other, the hardest conference in the land
……now what was that trash you were talking about us not playing big schools ooc?