Strengthening everyone's non-conference schedules strengthens the league as whole in any kind of computer ranking systems. Not sure how important that will be going forward with a playoff system, though.
Do the computers actually care which conference you're playing? It's really just a matter of who you're playing, right?
Yes and no. Big5 conference teams are almost universally rated higher than non-big5 teams. So unless you're playing a Boise State type, playing scrubs from the ACC will usuallly generate higher rankings than playing mid-tier MAC teams or whatnot.
I'm not sure how far in advance the schedules were made, but I honestly don't think Baylor expected this "quick" a turnaround after so many years of suckitude. I imagine they'll start scheduling bigger and better names now that their success seems like it could be somewhat permanent.
It's possible that the committee will look more heavily into SOS but I don't think there is any particular reason they will do so. It's more an issue of principle and elevating the value of the conference as a whole. Baylor would play in primetime if they were plaining against Michigan, Ohio St, USC, UCLA etc. Better non conference games means better exposure for the conference. Plus, wouldn't you want to see games against good teams? Isn't that more fun?
Aren't SEC teams all like that though? It seems the same every year. Polls rank them high. Three non-conference games against sucky teams like Sam Houston and Southern Louisiana, which boosts their ranks for being 3-0 by conference play. They play each other and if they win, boost some more. And if they lose, don't lose too much ranking because they'd be playing another ranked SEC team.
SEC teams have that reputation, but it's a little unfair. Every year, you have: Florida vs FSU Georgia vs GaTech SoCarolina vs Clemson LSU more often than not schedules 1 or 2 good-to-great teams. The last 5 years have included 6 ranked non-conference opponents. Alabama genrally has one as well (last 6 years include WVU, VaTech, Michigan, Penn State, Penn State, VaTech - some of those teams sucked, but they were probably good when scheduled). The crappier SEC teams definitely play crappy schedules, but the top of the conference does a pretty good job - and not only do they play Big5 conference teams, they often play premier ones.
Yeah, typically it seems the criticism against the SEC is when they're playing these cupcakes. Seems like there's always a weekend in November where they're all playing some I-AA school (I don't care that it's not the correct terminology).
The SEC teams play much more of a gauntlet during conference play than others do, especially the West teams, so having a cupcake or two isn't really much of a big deal.
Again, they still have to play 1 game against another big 5 team starting in the next few years. That's the rule I'm talking about. This year Florida plays Florida St LSU is playing Wisconsin Missouri plays Florida St South Carolina plays Clemsen Georgia plays Clemsen TENN plays OU A&M is going to start playing a decent schedule again (they used to have a non-conf against Arksansas before leaving the big 12) and the rest of the SEC will follow suit as well. It's also an issue of if you really want season tickets to see Iowa St, Kansas and Northwestern St Louisiana.
I think it's a clumsy solution to a real problem. You're right that schedules with lots of I-AA type non-conference teams suck for fans. But I'd also rather play a 11-1 AAC Louisville team than a 2-10 ACC Virginia team, despite the latter being a Big5 member. Playing bottomfeeder Big5s like Kansas, Purdue, etc is no better - and really a lot worse - than playing the good non-5 big teams who are desperate to play the big boys at every opportunity. And it's likely that you'll have less of those games if teams are required to fit in a Big5 member, since they'll still want a couple of cupcakes.
If programs are scheduling the worst teams from the big 5 then I have no idea why you would expect to see them schedule the 11-1 AAC Louisville. Baylor scheduled SMU. NOT Louisville or any of the other better performing AAC/BigEast teams.
I was just commenting on what I perceive to be the biggest complaint against SEC schools. It's not that they play cupcakes, it's that they tend to play them later in the year when schools from other conferences are playing tough conference games.
Opportunity. There's much less incentive for an LSU to schedule Baylor - a good team but not a marquee name - than there is for Louisville to do it. Like I said, if a team doesn't want to schedule big names, then making them schedule a Big5 team isn't going to do anything - they will just schedule Kansas or Purdue.
SEC also plays a lot more I-AA schools than other conferences. Not sure if that's because there are a lot of those in the region or what.
Kansas or Perdue is still better than Texas St, ULL or whomever else. I don't understand why you can throw all the bottom feeder big 5 teams in with the bottom feeder who knows who the hell they are teams.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dvrgSQjHHZk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Great video showing the stadium coming together over time.
