What can the AAC do to game the system?

[Marty Jackson]

The P5 conferences have consistently gamed the system to shut out the other smaller conferences access. Wondering if there any creative scheduling techniques AAC could do to help boost the rankings of its highest team...

One thought is to use the final game of the season as an AAC playoff. Have the #1 and #2 teams from each division play for the spot in the AAC championship game. That gives 2 wins against hopefully Top 50 programs for the AAC champ. Could be just enough to leap-frog the MWC champ. Also sets up 2 weeks of playoff atmosphere for the league and could make the last couple weeks exciting as teams compete for those spots. Think of it as a wild-card for college football. Would also generate some national attention with a BCS spot on the line.

Risky? yes. But as soon as you have a Championship Game, you're opening that box.

Any other ideas?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

You can't do that. You'd have the winner of the AAC playing an extra game. The only allowable exception that I'm aware of is if you play at Hawaii. Unfortunately, we're screwed in this conference. We just need to win games. The deck has been stacked.

 

[metsfan2323]

Going to 9 conference games and eliminating games vs the FCS would create a strong strength of schedule. Also keep developing the relationship with the MWC and BYU (eventually the conferences merge). Imagine how tough our schedule would be this year if we played Houston instead of Stony Brook.

Ideal AAC schedule:

9 conference games
1 or 2 games vs "P5" team
1 or 2 games vs MWC

 

[Dooley]

I think G5 conferences are going to have to consider condensing their season schedules. Eliminate a few bye weeks and FCS scheduling to allow for flexible scheduling towards the end of the year. If all of the G5 schools are open towards the end of the season, then it would allow some of the top schools in the G5 to play against each other to strengthen schedules. For teams not in the mix, the G5 can "Tier" the games similar to how TV networks tier games. Conference leaders all play each other, as do 2nd place teams, 3rd place, and so on. Eliminating 1-2 games from the schedule (this can easily be done if all schools agree to stop playing FCS opponents) would free up the schedule to allow end of year flex scheduling. The only problem with this is that P5 conferences could do this too and stop playing FCS and G5 conferences. And then there's the whole stacked deck thing where this "unbiased" committee is going to ALWAYS favor a P5 school no matter what the G5 puts into the ring.

 

[SubbaBub]

You can't do that. You'd have the winner of the AAC playing an extra game. The only allowable exception that I'm aware of is if you play at Hawaii. Unfortunately, we're screwed in this conference. We just need to win games. The deck has been stacked.

It could be done. Two six team divisions means 5 divison games rotate 2 games through the other division, one home and one away. The 8th conference game is a TBD against the other division with each division designated home site on the alternate year.

The TBD game is a defacto semifinal using the zipper method. 6th place teams play, 5th place teams. etc. the only exception is the 1st place team plays the 2nd place team. The following week is the CGC at the higher ranked team or the home of the team that won on the road the previous week if both ones or twos advance.

The schedule would be 4 OOC 7 Conf 1 (Playoff) and 1 CCG for 13 game schedule for the CCG participants. You could also do 3,8,1,1, but I think the AAC benefits with more OOC games assuming they win them.

Example:
East DivisionWest Division
UCF Houston
Cincinnati Memphis
UConn Navy
East Carolina SMU
USF Tulane
Temple Tulsa

UConn's Schedule could be: FCS (H), P5 (H), P5 (A), MWC (H/A), Cincy (H), UCF (A), ECU (H), USF (H), Temple (A), Houston (H), Memphis (A), TBD (H/A), CCG (H/A)

The MWC would be at Home if the division split is 2H/3A and Away if its 3H/2A. Add the 2 OOC home games and the crossover Home conference game for a 6 game home schedule that would be 7 games in alternating years of the conference playoff and 8 in years we host the CCG. It's a pretty simple setup, the only thing you don't know is the final opponent. The most difficult thing is addressing the last minute travel for the last game if it's on the road. But if you schedule a conference bye week for Thanksgiving that allow the playoff TBD game for the next week and the CCG during the Championship week.

 

[Colt house75]

Want to "game" the system??? Here are some thoughts:

1) Make the system come to you by WINNING against quality opponents....THUS....

2)Make a compelling argument for expansion of the year end national playoff system from 4 teams to 8 then to 16 schools
whereby all ten conferences are represented plus 6 wild cards .... to do so ......

3) Get the power back to the college presidents and out of the P5 commissioner monopoly....

4) Everybody on this boneyard needs to read "Death To the BCS" understand the inner workings of the P5, the Bowl Fiasco
and the corruption that exists with some of the bowls.

5) Understand the control that ESPN manipulates and where "P5" designation started and why....and realize it started in your own backyard- BRISTOL-
for promotion and marketing the ESPN market at the expense of every college in America not included in the P5.

Would it be great to see "December" madness (as it is in March).....sure it would. Will it occur......no-so next best thing- as Jimmy S. said above- "win-baby-win"

 

[Marty Jackson]

not sure I follow based on the premise that winning might not be enough for a non P5 school with P5 resources.

Going 10-2 against the AAC schedule probably doesn't get much national attention. Not when teams start out ranked #50 and above.

Obviously winning is a must, but you need to stack the strength of schedule. I am biased to my idea because, well, it's my idea, but also because I think it could work on several levels:
strengthens the schedule by making the top teams play (something the BE did for BB as well)
creates national attention by creating a playoff (which fans want)
the conference champ could finish the season with 2 wins against Top 50 programs.

 

[whaler11]

So I thought it was true the AAC had been locked out of games against the P5. I went to do a post about it and when I did the reseach for 2014 it is not true. There are a ton of P5 games and more at home than you'd think.

Maybe it's 2015 and beyond, but plenty of good shots this year.

 

[bobbyinaz]

So I thought it was true the AAC had been locked out of games against the P5. I went to do a post about it and when I did the reseach for 2014 it is not true. There are a ton of P5 games and more at home than you'd think.

Maybe it's 2015 and beyond, but plenty of good shots this year.

The 2014 schedules have been done for years now. UConn is already scheduling into 2019
It will start after the upcoming season & will continue to get worse as the P5 start adding more conference games & games against other P5 to manage their SOS for the playoffs

 

[Confident Carl]

You can't do that. You'd have the winner of the AAC playing an extra game. The only allowable exception that I'm aware of is if you play at Hawaii. Unfortunately, we're screwed in this conference. We just need to win games. The deck has been stacked.

Correct Whaler, do it the old fashion way WIN. Would love to see a winning record in these 11 games

8/28 Temple - Vandy - Away
8/29 UCONN - BYU - Home
8/30 UCF-Penn State - Home
9/06 Tulsa - Oklahoma - Home
9/06 Tulane - Gorgia Tech - Home
9/06 ECU - South Carolina - Away
9/13 ECU-VA Tech - Away
9/13 UCF - Missouri - Away
9/20 SMU - Texas A&M
9/27 Cincy - Ohio State - Away
10/11 Cincy - Miami - Away

Here is how the American could possibly go 6-5

UCF, ECU and Cincy split their 6 games, that's 3 wins. UCONN, Temple and Tulane win. It will be tough for SMU to be Texas A&M. UCF has best chance of winning both.

 

[freescooter]

Some of these ideas are nuts. Why not just have all the guys who want to play show up at the stadium and let the opposing coaches pick teams before every game? they can shoot for first pick. What the AAC needs more than anything is 1 or 2 dominant teams that finish 11-1 every year and win their bowl games against P5 teams more times than not. What UConn needs is to very quickly become one of those teams. Maybe go 13-0 some year and have the P5 embarrassed into putting us into the playoffs, then win a game there too. But fundamentally, winning 11-13 games on a pretty regular basis comes first. Almost doesn't matter who we beat. Boise demonstrated that putting up gaudy numbers is step 1. It gets you games against the likes of Ohio State or Texas or someone. Stp 2 is winning. Step 3 is being in everyone's pre-season top 25 on an annual basis.

 

[noeynox]

Getting to ten wins in CFB is a tall order. I think people underestimate how difficult that is. If Diaco got us to ten wins consistently, he'd pretty much have his pick of p5 job openings as they came available.

 

[J187Money]

Some of these ideas are nuts. Why not just have all the guys who want to play show up at the stadium and let the opposing coaches pick teams before every game? they can shoot for first pick. What the AAC needs more than anything is 1 or 2 dominant teams that finish 11-1 every year and win their bowl games against P5 teams more times than not. What UConn needs is to very quickly become one of those teams. Maybe go 13-0 some year and have the P5 embarrassed into putting us into the playoffs, then win a game there too. But fundamentally, winning 11-13 games on a pretty regular basis comes first. Almost doesn't matter who we beat. Boise demonstrated that putting up gaudy numbers is step 1. It gets you games against the likes of Ohio State or Texas or someone. Stp 2 is winning. Step 3 is being in everyone's pre-season top 25 on an annual basis.

Uh oh. Free and I are on the same page. well said.

 

[freescooter]

Getting to ten wins in CFB is a tall order. I think people underestimate how difficult that is. If Diaco got us to ten wins consistently, he'd pretty much have his pick of p5 job openings as they came available.

We can't worry about Diaco. Look, there are a handful of jobs guys won't leave form if offered another one. Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, USC maybe, Notre Dame...that's pretty much the list. Cincinnati chages coaches more than I change socks. But they have consistently replaced guys with other good coaches. Louisville just lost Charlie Strong to Texas. You are going to lose coaches. Our Edsall experience was the exception in college football not the rule. Partly because he was a good coach but not a great one in my opinion. Good coaches can stay for a long time. Better ones not so much. For this season James Franklin went from Vandy to Penn State, Sarkisian went from Washington to USC, Chris Petersen from Boise to Washington, Strong from Louisville to Texas.

 

[whaler11]

We can't worry about Diaco. Look, there are a handful of jobs guys won't leave form if offered another one. Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, USC maybe, Notre Dame...that's pretty much the list. Cincinnati chages coaches more than I change socks. But they have consistently replaced guys with other good coaches. Louisville just lost Charlie Strong to Texas. You are going to lose coaches. Our Edsall experience was the exception in college football not the rule. Partly because he was a good coach but not a great one in my opinion. Good coaches can stay for a long time. Better ones not so much. For this season James Franklin went from Vandy to Penn State, Sarkisian went from Washington to USC, Chris Petersen from Boise to Washington, Strong from Louisville to Texas.

One thing for certain you should change socks more often.

 

[noeynox]

@freescooter, do not disagree with what you just posted. I'm just saying we've never won 10 games as an FBS school. Ru did it in 2006, SU last did it with P as coach. I don't know the last time Pitt did it or BC (matt Ryan years?). Your talking about stringing together double digit win seasons like it ain't no thing. If that is what we need to get out of this conference were in deep sheet. Butch Jones did well at Cincy but neither he or Dantonio had the success of Brian Kelly.

The only way a program like ours has that type of run is if you get a truly special college qb that was unheralded coming out of hs. Like Case Keenum at Houston or the kid from Boise. Ten wins in CFB is nothing to sneeze at, let alone stringing seasons together like that.

 

[Confident Carl]

@freescooter, do not disagree with what you just posted. I'm just saying we've never won 10 games as an FBS school. Ru did it in 2006, SU last did it with P as coach. I don't know the last time Pitt did it or BC (matt Ryan years?). Your talking about stringing together double digit win seasons like it ain't no thing. If that is what we need to get out of this conference were in deep sheet. Butch Jones did well at Cincy but neither he or Dantonio had the success of Brian Kelly.

The only way a program like ours has that type of run is if you get a truly special college qb that was unheralded coming out of hs. Like Case Keenum at Houston or the kid from Boise. Ten wins in CFB is nothing to sneeze at, let alone stringing seasons together like that.

What you said is true. It is very difficult to string together double digit win seasons, however I suggest it can be accomplished with a special college head coach. UCONN hired a very special head coach in Bob Diaco. At age 41 Diaco is about the same age Chris Peterson was when he took over Boise State program. Peterson is now 49. Check out Peterson's track record at BSU at Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Petersen

Diaco will become the big difference maker at UCONN. He could have taken a lot of jobs or just stayed at Notre Dame. He would not have taken on the UCONN job to commit career suicide. He is a very calculating individual and came in at the perfect time for him and the program. He will build on what Randy Edsal started and correct what was lost during the Pasqualoni era. He will successfully recruit from the 50 Million + population within UCONN's footprint! He will produce Peterson like years sooner than anyone thinks. His success at Storrs attributable to his skills sets and big persona will create enormous opportunities for his future as well as his loyal coaches and they all know it. Three of UCONN's asst coaches left P5 schools because they believe in HCBD! Until proven otherwise, I do too! If I wrote last year that UCONN would win the 2014 Mens Basketball national championship, most would say, I might need to seek therapy.

 

[freescooter]

Carl,
Hope you're right. And for what its worth if you wrote in 1985 that UConn would win 4 National Championships by 2014, you'd have been committed.

 

[Confident Carl]

Carl,
Hope you're right. And for what its worth if you wrote in 1985 that UConn would win 4 National Championships by 2014, you'd have been committed.

LOL!!! - As in One flew over the Cuckoo's nest!

 

[noeynox]

@Confident Carl. Time will tell if he is special and if he is, if he will take less money to stay at UConn. With the TV money p5 schools will have coming in compared to us, it is going to take a REAL SPECIAL coach to get it done here.

 

[Confident Carl]

@Confident Carl. Time will tell if he is special and if he is, if he will take less money to stay at UConn. With the TV money p5 schools will have coming in compared to us, it is going to take a REAL SPECIAL coach to get it done here.

I suspect he will move eventually regardless of where UCONN ends up. Examples -Charlie Strong left Ville for TX, James Franklyn left Vandy for Penn State and Brett Beilema left Wisconsin for Arkansas. Opportunities will come that will be hard to resist.

 

[jackl]

I suspect he will move evenrually regardless of where UCONN ends up. Examples -Charlie Strong left Ville for TX, James Franklyn left Vandy for Penn State and Brett Beilema left Wisconsin for Arkansas. Opportunities will come that will be hard to resist.

I can live with any scenario that brings us out of the steaming pile that PPGDL left us in except if after leading us to some P5 promised land HCBD heads home to the Rutgirls in Jersey. That would be hard to take. How do you say thanks for all you've done and throw up at the same time?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I can live with any scenario that brings us out of the steaming pile that PPGDL left us in except if after leading us to some P5 promised land HCBD heads home to the Rutgirls in Jersey. That would be hard to take. How do you say thanks for all you've done and throw up at the same time?

Where can I sign up for that scenario?

 

[jackl]

Where can I sign up for that scenario?

Thanks Jimmy, on second thought that would not be a bad thing, I guess I was getting a little ahead of the situation.

 

[Confident Carl]

I can live with any scenario that brings us out of the steaming pile that PPGDL left us in except if after leading us to some P5 promised land HCBD heads home to the Rutgirls in Jersey. That would be hard to take. How do you say thanks for all you've done and throw up at the same time?

If I had to guess his dream job might be taking over for Brian Kelly at Notre Dame! HCBD seems like a Knute Rockne kind of guy. Kelly is 53. Who knows?

Diaco hasn't coached a game yet. Talking about when he will leave is like talking about when you future wife might leave and you haven't had the wedding yet! Let's see what he produces! Plenty of time to speculate later!