BCS conference pretenders

[UcMiami]

Most commentators sort of gloss over the big conference teams that just play dreadful OOC. I thought I would just list a few here with their OOC record and conference records:
Iowa State: 14-0, 3-3
Indiana: 13-0, 2-3
Iowa 12-2, 3-3
Colorado 10-1, 1-5
Arkansas 13-0 2-4
Georgia 12-1, 2-4
Mississipi State 13-1, 1-4

There are some honorable mentions and a few real good teams that went the route of cupcake scheduling as well, but the above seemed the worst.
I would like more commentary shaming the big schools for not playing competitive schedules, and I would also like the NCAA to really look at the quality of wins when they start doling out at large bids and specifically punish some schools for bad OOC scheduling.
If you want to grow the game, stop complaining about the top end of the sport and start complaining about the coaches and programs that cheat their teams and their fans of GOOD games in the interest of racking up wins or staying home all through OOC.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Well, conference record does count, and you can pile up 20 wins and go 7-9 in conference with a 60 RPI and likely you won't get selected unless the situation is desperate. Hopefully this will open the way for a few more deserving mid major teams to earn bids instead of all those dull one-and-done P5 teams that filled up their schedules with Alcorn States..

 

[triaddukefan]

Surprised you didnt have Syracuse or FSU on your list.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Surprised you didnt have Syracuse or FSU on your list.

Not sure why. Syracuse may not have had a rocky road SOS but they now have the top-rated SOS in Sagarin, and FSU's schedule rates much better than some of the other ACC teams. Might be some others to add to UcMiami's list, but those aren't the first two teams I'd think of. But perhaps you were jesting?

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Not sure why. Syracuse may not have had a rocky road SOS but they now have the top-rated SOS in Sagarin, and FSU's schedule rates much better than some of the other ACC teams. Might be some others to add to UcMiami's list, but those aren't the first two teams I'd think of. But perhaps you were jesting?

I'm pretty sure any decency to Syracuse's SOS was acquired after the OOC season. At best so-so. FSU's OOC wasn't wonderful at all.

OTH, we need to see more games to see if they are truly pretenders. I wouldn't over-weight today's FSU loss - yet - even though it is 3 in a row. One loss does not a disaster make. And if Syracuse can succeed against the mid-level ACC teams, they may find themselves sitting pretty yet.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Not saying that Syracuse had the toughest OOC SOS in the country, but I really think there is some confusion of this year with another recent year when they played absolutely nobody outside of the BEast. This year in the ACC they played OOC ranked teams such as Texas A&M, Iowa, and ASU along with some testers such as Temple, Texas, St, Joseph's, and that Memphis team that knocked off Rutgers. It's not a killer OOC, but I could name a few hundred teams with worse OOC that could be put on the slate-of-creampuffs list before I got to Syracuse.

Point is, if the chief ratings service lists you with the #1 SOS at this time of a year a little ways into the conference schedule, it's not all ACC games that are earning that distinction. Syracuse had to have at least been decent in the OOC schdule to get to the top.

 

[UcMiami]

I'm pretty sure any decency to Syracuse's SOS was acquired after the OOC season. At best so-so. FSU's OOC wasn't wonderful at all.

OTH, we need to see more games to see if they are truly pretenders. I wouldn't over-weight today's FSU loss - yet - even though it is 3 in a row. One loss does not a disaster make. And if Syracuse can succeed against the mid-level ACC teams, they may find themselves sitting pretty yet.

I did consider both as well as WV and Baylor and ... and I probably should have included FSU, but when I was compiling the list they were at least at .500 in conference before their loss yesterday. Syracuse did play two ranked teams OOC and lost twice.
I would actually be excited to see the WCC get three teams in this year - they have worthy contenders in the Zags, St. Mary's, San Diego, and even BYU is doing well.

ON Edit - the list was also not meant to be comprehensive, just highlighting some of the worst offenders.

 

[triaddukefan]

Iowa State goes down again to an unranked Oklahoma squad. Lost by 21 pts at Home. Both ISU's mens and women's teams have had a rough past few weeks.

Not sure why. Syracuse may not have had a rocky road SOS but they now have the top-rated SOS in Sagarin, and FSU's schedule rates much better than some of the other ACC teams. Might be some others to add to UcMiami's list, but those aren't the first two teams I'd think of. But perhaps you were jesting?

I was just thinking of ranked or formally ranked teams in my conference that have struggled since conference play. I didnt even think about their OOC schedules. They were actually pretty decent

 

[pap49cba]

Iowa St - both men's and women's - are in total meltdown.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Iowa St - both men's and women's - are in total meltdown.

Yep!

I expected OU to beat them tonite. It's hard for me to not cheer for Sherri Coale.

Coale is like Gary Blair--their teams always get better as the season progresses and they should never be counted out!

 

[UcMiami]

Yep!

I expected OU to beat them tonite. It's hard for me to not cheer for Sherri Coale.

Coale is like Gary Blair--their teams always get better as the season progresses and they should never be counted out!

Signs of good coaching regardless of the recruiting/injury front.