ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd ripped Alabama and head coach Nick Saban yesterday over the quality of their 2013 football schedule.
Cowherd was initially defending Notre Dame and their decision to drop future football games against Michigan from their schedules. That decision prompted Michigan head coach Brady Hoke to say over the weekend that Notre Dame was “chickening out” of their rivalry with the Wolverines.
In reviewing Notre Dame’s schedule for 2013 and beyond, Cowherd stated that it was “perfect” and that “there are a lot worse schedules in college football.” He noted tough opponents such as Arizona State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Texas, USC, and the five ACC games. He also added “they don’t have any Towson State’s in there.”
Then he took a look at Alabama’s 2013 schedule, and that’s when the fireworks began.
“Give me Alabama’s schedule next year. Go look at Alabama’s schedule right now. Oh, the great Alabama. Let me see that then. And this is the great SEC, right? It’s unbelievable. Let’s read it right now for you. 2013, alright, here we go, here’s their tough schedule, Alabama. OK, at Texas A&M early, tough as heck. Colorado State, Georgia State, at Kentucky, Tennessee’s a mess, Chattanooga Mocs, Auburn’s a mess…that’s a real toughie. They get LSU at home. They don’t have to play Georgia – they don’t have to play Georgia! Don’t have to play Florida, don’t have to play South Carolina. They’ve got three of the best teams in their division, er…conference and they’re not on their schedule, and they face something called the Chattanooga Mocs?”
“Six of those teams on that schedule are in the toilet. Their toughest game honestly is their second game of the year, Texas A&M. What do you know? They’ve got a bye before it, because Saban pretty much runs the conference. By the way they also face LSU, they get a bye before that. So they get a bye before each of their toughest games. Saban runs that conference. He does. He doesn’t have to play Florida again, he doesn’t have to play Georgia again, he doesn’t have to play South Carolina again. Saban is running that conference.”
“They should have…they could have lost three games last year. Any time Nick needs a bye it just magically appears on the schedule.”
It should be noted that Cowherd did neglect to mention Alabama’s 2013 season opener against Virginia Tech in Atlanta. They also host Ole Miss and Arkansas.
But it really isn’t that tough of a schedule, and as Cowherd mentioned, they get a bye before their two toughest games — at Texas A&M and vs. LSU. They also get a month to prep for Virginia Tech.
Alabama also drew a good schedule from the conference last season. The Tide didn’t face Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina in the regular-season. One of their toughest games, Texas A&M at home, resulted in their only loss of the season.
Looking at both of those schedules, it certainly does appear that Nick Saban “runs the conference” and gets byes at opportune times.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but this two-year stretch of scheduling luck came just after Saban publicly expressed concern about his 2010 schedule. That year, the Crimson Tide faced six opponents that were coming off a bye week.
But SEC schedules have always been cyclical. A couple of easy draws are usually followed by a few tough ones. And in Alabama’s case, their schedule strength has been dragged down recently by Auburn and Tennessee, two historically strong programs that are struggling to recover.
We’ll see what Alabama draws in 2014, as the conference schedule is rumored to be set for release by the end of the month.
View Comments (123)
I am happy someone is challenging the scheduling practices of the great and powerful SEC. Their OOC is a joke, they have one that looks good on paper (Virginia Tech) who is coming off their worst year in recent memory, and they play them at a neutral site that is of course closer to them than the other team. Then they play the SEC Least, missing the three best, and like Cowherd say, they have byes before their three hardest games. When is the last time Alabama, LSU, Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina played the top three teams in the other division like it seems Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Mississippi St do every year?
LSU did play top teams in their conference. They beat South Carolina and Texas A&M, and lost to Florida and Alabama. The year before they beat Arkansas who was ranked #3, Alabama(Regular Season), Florida, Georgia, even Oregon and West Virginia(outside of conference). I'm just saying though.
This is why we need a 16-team playoff. That way we can see who the true national champions are.
Very good and balanced article Kevin. I will be reading your pieces for now on. RTR!
Brock, a 16 team playoff means 4 extra games for these student athletes. Not only is it not plausible, but would be tremendously unfair for the kids.
Look, here is where everyone misses the point. Do you know why Alabama plays an "easy" schedule? They don't have to play against themselves. Simple as that. If we were talking about Arkansas, we would say "dang, tough schedule: Bama, LSU, and TAMU in the SEC West, etc... tough schedule!
Oh and btw, just like last year, if Bama is able to get through the "easy" SEC schedule, they will play either UGA, USCe, or UF in Atlanta for the SEC Championship. So Colin is certainly exaggerating a bunch. You can spin just about anything just about however you want to. That's how he gets people to listen to him; piss people off so they will call in and complain.
I re-read my post and I feel like my second paragraph wasn't as clear as it needs to be. What I am trying to say is, when you play everyone in your division and you are the best team in that division, then you are obviously going to have an easier schedule than everyone else in your division.
Know what I am saying?
Listen up all of you non-Alabama Fans, I don't know what teams you cheer on but there is no conference like the SEC right now. The SEC is a powerhouse conference rightnow, and you all know it. Are you kidding me, Oregon or Kstate in the BCS championship game, thats weak, we all saw what Auburn did to Oregon, as well as what Baylor did to Kstate, as well as Stanford vs Oregon last year, and you bums think they could beat the tide, don't think so. All you guys need to go look up Alabama football history, its not just in the past ten years, we been whipping tail since the early 1900's, and you want to know something else, we played Florida in all SEC championships except for last year against UGA. In the SEC we have a West and East, sometimes one side is weaker then the other, that does not mean their schedule is weak. Every game in the SEC is a fight to the finish, its all on how you play the 60 minutes. Trust me, I would love a rematch against South Carolina, they straight up beat us in 2010. Now with all that said, just so you know, Alabama has set the bar for winning!!!!! We have evolved as a team, (a young team that won a National Championship) not a bunch of seniors, but a mixture of talent that other teams wish they could get, a young team especially on defense, and what, we still won that game, so all you other fans of programs that wana think there team is the best, I dare you to schedule an out of confgerence game with the TIDE. Atleast VT had the balls to do it and they played BAMA in '09, VT was ranked preseason at #7 and Bama at #5. This whole nonsense about who;s got the easiest or hardest schedule is weak, to all you non-tide fans, GET YOUR GAME UP AND QUIT WHINNING!!!!!!! SEE YOU AT THE START OF ANOTHER ALABAMA CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON!!!! RTR!!!!!!!
All you have to do is beat them which few have and then they are fellow SEC. AL will play Ga or SC or FL in SEC championship. Quit whining. Just bring a team that is competitive. All that hype on ND did no good on the field. Facts are facts and 7 straight SEC national titles going for #8. When someone can match that, lets talk about schedule then.
This is a patsy of a schedule.............C'mon Bama............let's play some real teams, Georgia, Florida,Carolina etc.....................
LSU plays Florida every year, they played South Carolina last year and Georgia this year and lets not forget, not to mention every team in SEC West. LSU also plays almost every year, ranked yes ranked out of conference teams. So that is not true. In 2011 they had the hardest schedule bar none! Opened with Oregon, West Virginia on the road and ended playing 7, yes 7 ranked teams that year, going 13-0 and that includes beating Georgia in SEC title game. So leave your biased opinion against Bama.
"The great and powerful SEC" a sarcastic comment that should be taken literally. 7 championships in a row. Check the margin of victory in those games. I like to use this example when the discussion of "weak" schedules arises. In 2010 I would assume oregon's avg ppg was around 50 or higher. They play the statistically worst defense in the SEC in Auburn and are held to a mere 19 points. Not to mention the beat downs that have taken place over the past 7 years with SEC teams dominating the BCS championship game. The SEC is a step above every conference. It's simply an undeniable fact
Strength of schedule is a little overrated. You never know how good a team will be season to season, and some teams match up better than others. I mean its not Saban’s fault that Auburn is crap. That being said, the bye weeks before each of their tough games is BS
My friends and I have been saying this for years. Don't get me wrong, Alabama and the top teams of the SEC are very good. But they really never have to prove too much in the regular season and they can lose a game or two and still be in the title game. Yes, they win their bowl game but how lucky did Bama get last year playing ND instead of Oregon or even Kansas State. ND won about 6 games by luck last season. SEC is very good but not great and the fact Bama does not even play UF, South Carolina and Georgia this season is just a joke!
What. The SEC teams don't have to prove too much in the regular season. Give me a break. They play all the SEC teams in their division and then have to beat the best SEC team in the opposite division. Every SEC game is a tough game. Lets not forget who beat Kansas State to kick them out of the top spot that they held.
Bull(i) UR a stupid stupid kid. Before BAMA ripped Texas a couple of years ago they and the Big/little12 were the talk of the football Uverse. Clemson, VT, Michigan were supposed to be equally great. Beat them and suddenly they weren't that great. U were just hoping they could beat BAMA. SORRY. Last year ND (No Damn...way) were back at the top of the football world until BAMA destroyed them. For next years championship we'll play Oregon, Ohio State, Stanford and Michigan on back 2 back weeks before we are declared NC again. Surely u would have a problem as soon as we busted them up. It takes a SEC team to beat a SEC team. Get used to it.
Alabama didn't rip Texas, it was a competitive game, and Texas was playing a terrible QB who had taken like 3 snaps in college football. Considering how it played out I would have predicted a Texas win had McCoy stayed in. But you can't predict ifs, so lets just leave it to the fact that Alabama's performance against a foot ball team playing at such a deficit was disappointing and a bit revealing.
Hey Bill, agree with your post that ND should not have gone 12-0. Stanford beat them, but was robbed. As for Alabama, they beat a weak VaTech team this year. They played Colorado ST, Georgia St and Chattanooga. Rumor has it they are trying to fill out their 2014 schedule with St Mary's College for Women. The problem with all these discussions about scheduling is that no single SEC team plays more than one good OOC game except Florida. Alabama has West Virginia, Florida Atlantic, and Western Carolina on their schedule for 2014. Florida State on the other hand plays Florida, Ok State, and Notre Dame. Now the SEC and BAMA homers will say that the Mighty Hilltoppers from Western Kentucky or the Arkansas State Red Wolves are legitimate games, but I beg to differ. The SEC is the most hyped thing in football, and if they are so tough, why do they schedule all these patsies for their OOC. Based on the patsy OOC schedule, all these SEC teams should start at 4-0.
I'm not a Bama fan, but who gives a crap what Colin comments?
I am a SEC fan..........hated to see Texas A&M in the SEC................I guess when I think of the SEC, I think of the Great Southern Football teams, Georgia, Florida, Carolina , Alabama, Mississippi teams.............
Like someone said earlier, Colin is being Colin. He says whatever to piss people off. For starters I only care what football intelligent people say. If he has proof then by all means give it, otherwise make factual comments, or he is nothing other than poor journalist taking shots at someone famous in order to bring them down. If Colin was so smart then why does he think SC, FL, and Georgia are so good this year? As it stands they are all behind Missouri. Now for Auburn, he said they would be weak, shows what he knows! I'm sure he was one of the many hopefuls who said that Notre Dame would beat Alabama...there was a beating all right! The schedule may not be as strong as he would deem acceptable, but then once i a while that happens. Alabama does not hide as they usually play a respectable team right off the bat as teams like Ohio State and Oregon play the likes of Buffalo. I do not see any bashing on these two schools. Bottom line Colin...Alabama will play anyone and "beat the Hell out of them".
Chattanooga Mocs. Only the alma mater of T.O. Colin is a BCS tool.
The SEC is great my man. And Bama would do work on KSU and Oregon. Those teams don't play defense to save their lives.
People must forget what happens every time another conference plays the SEC in a game that matters.
Thank You!
Louisville just showed what a team from another conference can do when it plays the mighty SEC ( see Sugar Bowl )
They may have what other conferences call easy schedules, but what happens when they go and play the great notre dame??? They kick ass. An easy schedule in the sec is still harder than what other conferences play, any day of the week. So quit your b****in!! Go DAWGS!! SEC for life!!
So right Nina....sick'em
Look, I am not going to defend Alabama, but stop pretending that the Pac12 or the Big Ten are as tough... The NFL draft proved that more good players come from the SEC than any other conference. Every team in the SEC has NFL calibur players. So, playing Auburn or Tennessee may look easy bu they have good players. And when the SEC goes out of conference and plays your team, more often than not they win. So until you near them, shut up.
Exactly good post there are only a handful of schools that don't schedule FCS schools.
Sure SEC players get drafted but the best NFL players are from the other conferences.
Jerry Rice-Miss Valley State
Jim Brown-Syracuse
Lawrence Taylor-North Carolina
Joe Montana-Notre Dame
Walter Payton-Jackson State
Barry Sanders-Oklahoma State
# of HOFers by college(only 1 SEC in the top 10)
Southern California (11)
Notre Dame (10)
Ohio State (9)
Michigan (8)
Pittsburgh (8)
Alabama (7)
Syracuse (7)
Illinois (6)
Miami - Florida (6)
Minnesota (6)
Come on Ed. Really? To deny that the SEC produces better talent is a little sills, besides Emmitt was better than Barry Sanders... No Jackson may have been the best all-around athlete ever, not to mention Namath, Stabler, Manning (both)... We could play that game forever
Alabama's schedule isn't weak. What's wrong with playing nontraditional rivalries with Colorado State and Georgia State. Starting off with Virginia Tech and Texas A&M isn't a slouch move. I will say that it helps Alabama to have 7 home games!!!!
"nontraditional rivalries with Colorado State and Georgia State." Don't get me started. Those games will be a combined 120-7 blowouts. Hardly "nontraditional rivalries"
Alabama's schedule is ranked #104 this year look it up
Remember last year when they said Notre Lame had the toughest schedule? What happened? Oh yeah, the season started. Also regardless of the schedule look how Bama plays in the post season, how easily they forget that they walked over the Irish. If they met in the regular season it would be the same. The SEC may have weak schedules, but they still manage to walk over the other "big boys"
If Ga. had beat Bama in the Sec. Championship game they still would have beat the brakes off Notre Shame same results.