My fellow Huskers, be not afraid of the season upon us.  Be relieved, and be assured that our future is bright.  The last few years have been hard.  We have sacrificed and suffered much under the tyrannical rule of our past leader.  We have sacrificed many records and streaks that will take decades to rebuild.  We have suffered defeat at the hands of those whom we have defeated many, many times over.  We have suffered that defeat in a most embarrassing manner.  I need not tell you that we have suffered and sacrificed much over the last few years.  I need not tell you this because you know it to be true.         

We were told that we would have to endure some pains caused by our philosophical change in our attack.  We accepted that.  We were told that in order to successfully make the transition to our new “air attack” we would need to bleed.  We accepted that.  For four long years we were told that we were improving in all areas.  We accepted that.  We are acceptant of change.  We are tolerant of mistakes made.  We have already proven this.  I need not tell you this because you know it to be true.

I am, however, here to embrace our past in order to succeed in the future.   I am here to reassure you that the longstanding traditions of old will be remembered and honored.  I am here to tell you that we are on the right track.  We are on the track to prosperity and success.  We are on the track to regain our honor on the field.  We are on the track to becoming the feared and respected opponent we once were.  We are on the track and not in danger of getting hit by a train.  We are on a train to becoming a great power that we once were.  We are on the train to success.  This train will need to be fed with the fuel that is hard work and respect for the game and others.  Parts on this train will need to be replaced from time to time, and this will cause us to slow our progress.  Let me assure you that our progress will be constant and improving.  Let me assure you that our progress will be slow at times but will never stop or go backward.

Bravely, my fellow Huskers, into the future we will fearlessly know that the light that is Husker football is being held by a trusted and competent steward by the name of Bo Pelini.  Bo knows the importance of our beloved program.  Bo knows the reasons we, as Nebraska fans, love our team so dearly.  Bo knows how important our traditions are to us.  Bo knows how to win and succeed.  Bo knows that it will take time, but the end result is inevitable.  Bo knows.  Let me assure you of that fact.  Bo knows.

I need not remind the most knowledgeable and respectful fans in college football that our next few years will be filled with joys and disappointments.  In our future there will be highs and lows.  I will tell you that there will be times where it may seem that we are not improving.  Let me assure you that those times will be followed closely by times of great improvement.  To get better, we will need to bleed.  We have bled much already, but it is inevitable that we will need to bleed to get better.

What doesn’t kill us will make us stronger.  We have weathered a storm that has peaked.  We have survived an earthquake of catastrophic proportions and we will have some aftershocks to deal with, but the worst seems to be over.  We have survived the F-5 tornado that was Bill Callahan, and now we need to rebuild like our good neighbors are doing in Greensville, Kansas.  We have survived to fight another day.

Go forth, my fellow Huskers, with a guarded optimism regarding our future in the college football world.  Go forth and know we will be secure and safe.  Our past is well documented and will be remembered and honored, but our future has yet to be written.  Our future is what is important, and we are in good hands.

Good night and God bless.

Since the ACC and Big East had their mix and match party, the ACC has underachieved and disappointed as a whole.  Save for a few good Virginia Tech teams and a good Wake Forest team, there hasn’t been much to crow about in the ACC.  Is it because expectations were too high?  It is about time this super-conference steps it up a notch.

In case you missed my other grades here are the links: Big XII, Big 10(+1), SEC, Pac-10, and Big East.  The criteria I am taking into consideration are as follows:  The expected level of play of the ACC team, the expected level of play of the opponent, FBS (Div-1A) opponents, FCS (Div-1AA) opponents.  I do not take into account how good a scheduled team was when the game was contracted.  Conversely, I will give credit for recently improved teams like Rutgers and South Florida.  Let’s take a look at the last BCS conference’s out-of-conference (OOC) schedules for me to grade.

Virginia – USC, Richmond, Connecticut, Eastern Carolina.  USC is a total monster to have on a OOC schedule.  Period.  End of story.  I will gladly overlook the lousy Richmond game because of the cajones it took to put USC on the schedule.  The other two game are not bad either.  UCONN, nine game winners last year, should put up a good fight for Virginia.  The Cavaliers dropped an easy game last year against Wyoming.  Could ECU be this years Wyoming?  Maybe.  I love this schedule, and I have to give credit for having USC up there.  Grade: A

Miami – Charleston Southern, Florida, Texas A&M, Central Florida.  This could have been one of the best, if not the best, OOC schedule, if it were not for that Charleston Southern game.  That game really takes away from what they are trying to do in Miami.  All that I am saying is schedule an FBS team like Arizona, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, or Baylor.  Why do you have to go out of the FBS?  Anyway, the Florida game will be a monster for Miami.  It should show us where Miami will be this year.  The A&M game is important because Miami should win, but the Aggies are always formidable.  The UCF game will be really good.  I assure you that the players from Miami do not want to lose that game.  I will also assure you that the UCF players are gunning for the Canes.  Grade: A-

Duke – James Madison, Northwestern, Navy, Wake Forest. As far as I know, Duke has never been confused with being good at football.  I may be wrong, but Duke is usually really bad.  I’m confused because last year didn’t Notre Dame celebrate wildly after a last minute win over Duke?  Maybe that was a dream.  Dream or no dream, this is a pretty good schedule overall for Duke.  James Madison is an FCS team, but I can overlook that due to the fact that it is Duke.  Wake Forest is certainly a formidable foe.  The Navy and Northwestern games should be challenging for the Blue Devils.  Overall, not bad.  Grade: A-

North Carolina State – South Carolina, William and Mary, Eastern Carolina, South Florida.  This one could have been an “A” if it weren’t for that danged W&M on the schedule.  Wow, this is still pretty good.  South Florida should still be good this year with Leavitt there to incite that violent defense.  Darth Visor and the Gamecocks are formidable for NC State and most other teams.  ECU is a quality team that will make you earn a win over them.  Then, there is that W&M staring you in the face like a wounded puppy-dog.  Why?  Why did they have to ruin a perfectly good OOC schedule?  Grade: B+

North Carolina – McNeese State, Rutgers, Connecticut, Notre Dame. Three years ago you would have looked at this schedule and scoffed at the lack of competition outside of Notre Dame.  What a difference three years makes, huh?  Rutgers is here to stay with Schiano at the helm.  UCONN had a very good season last year and shouldn’t lose too much.  Notre Dame is a big question mark.  Will they be bad or really bad?  It would have been nice to see a Baylor or New Mexico State on the schedule instead of McNeese State, but that seems to be a trend here in the ACC.  Grade: C+

Maryland – Delaware, Middle Tennessee State, California, Eastern Michigan. This is not too, too bad.  Cal is certainly a great game to have as the most challenging game on the OOC-schedule.  Middle Tennessee State and Eastern Michigan are ok games.  They are moderately good teams that lack the depth to really beat you in the fourth quarter.  They will challenge you throughout the game, but you are in no real danger of losing if you are reasonably deep.  Actually, Delaware isn’t too bad.  Sure they lost their hot-shot QB, but if you are going to go out of the FBS you could do much worse than Delaware.  Grade: C

Wake Forest – Baylor, Mississippi, Navy, Vanderbilt. I like this schedule because all the teams are from the FBS.   I don’t like this schedule because none of the teams are really good.  When Navy may be the hardest team on your schedule, then you have a weak schedule.  Vandy and Baylor are perennial cellar-dwellers.  That leaves Ole Miss.  They were probably the worst team in the SEC last year.  Granted, the SEC is a tough conference, but when your only wins are against Memphis, LA Tech, and Northwestern State, you may have problems.  The only thing good about this schedule is what I have already mentioned.  Grade: C-

Boston College – Kent State, Central Florida, Rhode Island, Notre Dame. This really stinks up the place here.  UCF is a pretty good team and will challenge BC, but in no way should it be the most challenging game on the schedule.  Notre Dame may put up a fight at the end of the year against BC, but it is unlikely.  Kent State should have been the weakest game on the schedule, but BC needed to schedule Rhode Island.  Really?  Rhode Island?  This is very disappointing coming from a team that won ten games last year.  Grade: D

Florida State – Western Carolina, Chattanooga, Colorado, Florida.  This is another disappointing OOC schedule that had promise.  Having Colorado and Florida on the schedule is phenomenal.  That is gutsy and I give a lot of credit for that.  The problem is that FSU went outside the FBS for their patsies.  Again, what is wrong with an Ohio, Baylor, Western Michigan, Vandy, or Iowa State on the schedule?  Why do they have to go so far down the food chain?  It doesn’t do any good for FSU except to all but guarantee a win.  Isn’t that win all but guaranteed with a Buffalo or a New Mexico State?  Deplorable.  Grade: D

Clemson – Alabama, Citadel, South Carolina State, South Carolina. Here is an example of a OOC schedule that had potential, but ultimately failed.  Alabama to start the season is a very bold and tough game.  The rivalry game with Darth Visor and South Carolina at the end of the year is very, very respectable.  What is up with the ####-stain in the middle?  Citadel and South Carolina State?  I’m sorry, but one of those two would have been bad enough.  Clemson is a good team, and should try to do a better job challenging themselves.  It is really tough for me to give a bad grade to Clemson because of the Alabama game, but fair is fair.  Grade: D-

Georgia Tech – Jacksonville State, Mississippi State, Gardner-Webb, Georgia. The game with Georgia is a monster and I give credit for being a rivalry game.  The Mississippi State game is respectable, and MSU should be pretty good this year.  The rest of the schedule is trash.  This is very disappointing.  I think they could have done a much better job.  I think they should have done a much better job.  There is no excuse for two non-FBS teams to be on the OOC schedule.  Grade: D-

Virginia Tech – Eastern Carolina, Furman, Nebraska, Western Kentucky.  Ok, I get it.  To be in the ACC you must beat up on Div-1AA teams.  It must be a requirement because just about every ACC team has one on the schedule and four teams have two.  Not cool.  If this year’s Nebraska was the Nebraska of old, then I may have been inclined to overlook one of the two patsies on the list.  Such is not the case.  Nebraska may be the most challenging team on the schedule, but that is not saying very much at all.  ECU is fine if they are not the “big game” on the OOC schedule.  This may be the case.  Western Kentucky recently came up from Div-1AA. Ok.  This is VT here not Duke.  Grade: F

The more that I think about what I believe to be the lack of progress towards changing the current way the NCAA names its FBS (Div-1A) football champion, the more depressed I feel. It is a daunting task to get a group of people to change the way they do things when they have had success at doing it their way. I don’t understand why only the SEC and ACC commissioners are vying for a change. I wonder if there is something else there.

What is the ultimate goal of the commissioners of the BCS conferences? Is it to make the most money for their respective conferences? Is it to try to widen the fan-base for NCAA football? Is it to try to excel and achieve to become the paragon of athletics for the NCAA? I can’t speak to the motives of these people, but it seems very evident that they are in no hurry to appease a very disgruntled fan-base. Why is that?

It doesn’t seem to make any business sense to not try to please your customers. That is unless your customers have no choice but to go to you for the product. That seems to be the case here, doesn’t it? Why should they care if we are happy? What can we do to change the way things are run? We are going to still show up for games. We are still going to buy the gear. There is really no reason for them to be concerned with us. Right? That fact makes me depressed.

Where is the congressional committee for us here? Is this not an election year? Can we write our representative on the hill in DC and let them know how displeased we are with the monopoly that the NCAA has on our souls in autumn?  No.  I know that I won't do that on my own.  It sucks being depressed.

Want more college football talk?  Check out my out-of-conference game schedule grades for all the teams in all the BCS conferences.  ACC, Big East, Big XII, Big 10, Pac-10, and SEC.

I like what the Big East has been doing since they were “robbed” of all their football powers by the ACC.  To me, this is a very exciting conference.  There are some good offenses and good defenses.  As far as I can tell, I don’t see a clear-cut dominant team in the conference.  I love that fact.  The level of competition is very respectable across the board. 

This is the fifth installment of my grades for out-of-conference (OOC) schedules.  Links to the other four are here:  ACC, Big XII, Big 10(+1), PAC-10, SEC.  There are eight teams in the Big East and they all play each other every year.  That leaves five open dates for OOC games.  Right off the bat, I am going to cut them a little slack because they have to schedule an extra game.  The criteria I am basing my grades upon are as follows:  FCS teams (Div=1AA), BCS conference teams, current successes of scheduled teams, and the recent success of the Big East team.

West Virginia – Villanova, East Carolina, Colorado, Marshall, Auburn.  This is a very good schedule.  With the exception of Villanova, all of these teams are pretty good.  Going to Colorado is never taken lightly.  The ball bounces really funny in Boulder.  You are taking your fate in your own hands when you go out there.  The Auburn game is late in the season and will be a marquee match-up.  I don’t think there are but a handful of teams that would be so bold as to have both these teams on the OOC schedule.  The ECU game is on the road.  What I have noticed about ECU is that when they have a national audience, they give as good a fight as anyone.  The Marshall game is a bit of a rivalry game and those are always scary.  Grade: A+ (I’m going to ignore the Villanova game)

Connecticut – Hofstra, Temple, Virginia, Baylor, North Carolina.  I really like this schedule for UCONN.  Sure Hofstra is a stinker, but the rest is very respectable.  They have a tune-up game with Temple.  In years past, this may have been a hard fought game, but unless Temple has vastly improved from last year, this is a tune-up for UCONN.  The rest are all BCS conference teams.  The Virginia game will be tough for UCONN, but they have a probable win with Baylor.  By far, going to North Carolina will be the toughest OOC test for the Huskies.  They have the chance to play the spoiler to a Tar Heel team that many think will have a break-out year.  For UCONN, this is a very respectable schedule.  Grade: A (I’m going to ignore the Hofstra game)

Cincinnati – Eastern Kentucky, Oklahoma, Miami (OH), Akron, Marshall.  Cincy has the honor of scheduling a BCS giant in Oklahoma.  There is no team in the land that would schedule Oklahoma in Norman and think that they have a better than 50% chance in winning.  In years past, Cincy may have had less than a 5% chance in winning.  Recently, Cincys stock has been rising.  They have a quality team that has handled some decent teams recently.  I am giving the Bearcats a chance, not a big one, but they do have a chance to be in a position to win that game late.  Cincy had no problem at all with Marshall or Miami (OH) last year, so there is no reason to think differently this year.  The Akron game is a tune-up.  Grade: A (I’m ignoring the Eastern Kentucky game)

Syracuse – Northwestern, Akron, Penn State, Northeastern, Notre Dame.  Syracuse has not been the same since McNabb.  So, they get a little slack on the OOC schedule.  They don’t really need any though.  Penn State is a monster who will be dining on Orange dudes that day.  Northwestern is another BCS conference team.  I like that game as well as the Akron game.  It really is too bad that Notre Dame is doing so badly.  It is not the fault of the teams that have them scheduled, and usually the Domers will be pretty good.  I didn’t even know Northeastern had a football team.  Grade: B+

Rutgers – Fresno State, North Carolina, Navy, Morgan State, Army.  Ok, I give them credit for the North Carolina and Fresno State games.  Those are two quality OOC games.  If you listen to the pundits, they will tell you the both those teams are ready to explode.  As for the rest of the schedule, you can’t get on Rutgers too much because they always play Army and Navy.  It’s a rivalry thing.  I can’t be too harsh on those.  So, that leaves Morgan State.  I’m not paying any attention to that one.  Grade: B

South Florida – Tennessee-Martin, Central Florida, Kansas, Florida International, North Carolina State.  South Florida is not going to sneak up on anyone this year.  The biggest test on the OOC schedule is going to be Kansas.  Was KU a one year wonder?  This game will probably tell us volumes on each of these two teams.  NC State is a good scheduled game for the Bulls.  CFU and FIU are a couple in-state rivalries.  (if that is even possible with such a young team.)  CFU may put up a fight, but FIU is bad.  I’m ignoring the TN-Martin game.  Grade: B-

 

Pittsburgh – Bowling Green, Buffalo, Iowa, Navy, Notre Dame.  There is one redeeming quality from this OOC schedule…All FBS (Div-1) teams.  This is the only team in the Big East that has done this.  For that, I cannot fail them.  The FBS teams that are scheduled are the bottom of the barrel.  Iowa and Notre Dame are the toughest teams on the schedule.  Navy and Bowling Green have a small chance in beating Pittsburgh this year.  That leaves Buffalo.  With the way Pittsburgh has played recently, except for the WVU game last year, I am going to give them a break.  Grade C+

 

Louisville – Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, Kansas State, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State.  How disappointing was Louisville last year?  Very.  My first thought of this schedule was that it was very disappointing from Louisville.  Then, I remembered that Louisville was just as disappointing.  According to my grading criteria, I must take that into account.  The Kentucky game is an in-state rivalry.  That may be a good game if Kentucky can keep up the level of play from last year.  The Kansas State game may be a good test for this Louisville team.  KSU has a ton of JUCO transfers coming in.  By the time the Wildcats play Louisville, those JUCOs should have their feet under them.  Memphis is a decent team and will certainly put up a fight.  Who can forget that Louisville/Middle Tennessee State game from last year?  What a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.  Should get good.  Grade: C 

I am not in Kansas anymore.  I am in Lisa’s and Wilson’s stomping ground here.  Unlike Tiger, I have my “A” game going and I’m feelin’ good.  In case you missed them, here are the links to my previous out-of-conference (OOC) grades.  The ACC, Big East, Big XII, Big X(+1), and the SEC.  By the way, I now see why Lisa has been harping on the non-FBS (Div-1A) games.  Also, let’s keep in mind that the PAC-10 usually has only three games on it’s OOC schedule because they play all of their conference every year.  After those nine games, that only leaves 3 spots open for OOC competition.  If there is a FCS team on the schedule, it really, really sticks out.

Here is a reminder of what I am looking for and what is important to me when evaluating an OOC schedule:  First, the quality of the team is important to note.  I can’t very well evaluate USC’s schedule the same as I would Stanford’s.  Secondly, I look for FCS (Div-1AA) teams on the schedule.  After that, I will look at the present level of competition that the scheduled team may present.  My favorite example is Nebraska.  I can’t give a team more credit for scheduling Nebraska as I would Iowa State because of the present level of competition.  I do not give any credit to how good the team was when the game was scheduled.  Conversely, I would give copious amounts of credit for having South Florida or Rutgers on the schedule. Get it? Got it? Good!

Univerity of California at Los Angeles – Tennessee, Brigham Young, Fresno State.  Here is a case of grading on the curve.  UCLA is a pretty good team.  They certainly are not stinking up the joint.  Speaking of stinking, there is not a stinker in this gaggle of games for UCLA.  This is why I have their schedule above USC’s.  Tennessee is one of the best SEC teams year-in and year-out.  They lost Ainge, but they will still be good.  BYU had a special season last year and is the reigning MWC champion.  The Cougars are pretty good.  And then there is Fresno State sitting there all waiting to burst like a 10-year-old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert.  When your OOC schedule’s weakest team is a reigning FBS conference champion, you got the goods.  I believe UCLA has a very distinct chance in losing all three of these games, but you have to give them some credit here.  Grade: A++ 

Washington – Brigham Young, Oklahoma, Notre Dame.  Here is another case of the grade on the curve thing.  Washington is really trying to schedule tough and they have done a good job here..  They understand that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.  I would think that the decision makers at Washington were thinking the BYU game would have been the easy one, not the Notre Dame game.  I guess we will see.  I think it is unlikely that Washington wins both those games.  Washington has Oklahoma on the schedule and that says volumes as to the fearlessness in the scheduling philosophy.  If Washington has a good team this year, then they should win 2 of these 3.  Grade: A+ 

University of Southern California – Virginia, Ohio State, Notre Dame.  Much props to USC for this bold schedule.  Ohio State just seems to make it to the National Championship game year after year.  The sweater-vest loving Tressel consistently has a top 10 team there in Ohio.  You cannot deny the talent there in Buckeyeland.  Any team that actively goes out and tries to get a consistent top 10 team on its OOC schedule gets a ton of respect in my book.  Any team that has LSU, USC, Florida, Oklahoma, or Texas on the OOC schedule will get mad props from me.  Virginia is no slouch either.  Sure they lose Chris Long, but they have a good amount of starters coming back.  Notre Dame is what it is.  Maybe they pull it together this year, maybe they don’t.  I’m leaning towards the latter.  Grade: A+ (I can’t penalize USC for ND because they play every year.)

Stanford – Texas Christian University, San Jose State, Notre Dame.   This is a monster schedule for a team like Stanford.  TCU was disappointing last year, but they are a quality opponent year after year.  The Horned Frogs will be a good test for the Cardinals.  San Jose State is ok.  I think it is ok for Stanford to schedule them because they are Stanford and not USC.  The SJS Spartans are in the WAC and they finished in the upper part of the lower half of that conference.  Notre Dame is what it is.  This year’s game should be exciting at the very least.  Personally, I am looking forward to it. Grade: A (Because it is Stanford)

Washington State – Oklahoma State, Baylor, Portland State, Hawaii.  For a team like Washington State, this is a very good job of scheduling.  They took on an extra team so I will for give the Portland State thing.  The Cowboys will give the Cougars a run for their money for sure.  There is a scary thing about that Cowboy offense.  Hawaii lost their coach and their QB, but they still have the system.  The Warriors would have been a good gauge as to where this Washington State team is on the grid, but the game is the last one of the year.  That is too bad.  Baylor should have been the easiest game on the schedule.  That is respectable because as bad as Baylor is, they are at least in a BCS conference.  Grade: A- (Hawaii brought them down a bit, and I am ignoring the Portland State game because WSU has four OOC games and the rest of the PAC-10 have three.)

Oregon State – Penn State, Hawaii, Utah.  You can’t say that this is a bad schedule for the Beavers.  Penn State is a good test to evaluate where OSU will be this year.  The Nittany Lions have one of the best home field advantages in the NCAA.  Oregon State should be able to handle Hawaii this year with all the changes the Warriors will be dealing with.  The Utes should be the weakest team on the schedule and they may very well be, but they should not be taken too lightly.  Just ask UCLA.  We are seeing a trend here in the PAC-10.  Grade: B+

California – Michigan State, Maryland, Colorado State.  With the exception of Colorado State recently, this schedule has very good competition on it.  Michigan State is a consistent bowl game participant, and they do get some talent playing for the Spartans.  Maryland is coming off a semi-disappointing year, but they are still a decent team from a BCS conference.  Colorado State has been disappointed me last year big time.  The best I can figure it, the Rams will end up in the middle of the MWC this year.  I would have been harsher on this schedule if it were last years because Cal is not the same team they were 1-2 years ago.  Grade: B

Arizona State – Northern Arizona, University of Las Vegas, Georgia.  Even though there is that stinker of Northern Arizona on the schedule, I must give a decent grade.  Georgia will be a monster this year.  The stars and planets have aligned for the Dawgs this year.  My best Mr. T impression “I pity da fool who’s got to play Georgia this year!”  UNLV should have been the worst team on this schedule.  This schedule would have been “A” material if there was a team with a talent-level between UNLV and Georgia.  There a many, many teams that fall into that category.  Grade: C+ (Would have been much higher if not for N. AZ)

Oregon – Utah State, Purdue, Boise State.  This is very disappointing coming from Oregon.  They do have a history of bold scheduling, but this must be an off year.  Toughest team on the schedule is probably Boise State.  Maybe Purdue will surprise some me in the Big 10, but right now I would give a slight edge to the Broncos.  That is not saying much for the schedule as a whole.  Utah State is ok to have as the “special practice game,” but a team like Oregon needs to step it up a bit after that.  Purdue or Boise State are ok for the second team, but they needed a team like Michigan again to make this OOC schedule respectable.  Grade: D

Arizona – Idaho, Toledo, New Mexico.  Ok, Arizona hasn’t been spectacular lately, but this is really pushing it.  When New Mexico is the best game on your OOC schedule, you have issues.  The real stinker is Idaho.  They went winless in the WAC last year.  New Mexico has been improving, but they are not to be confused with a real quality opponent. (well, maybe for Arizona)  Toledo is towards the bottom of the barrel in the MAC.  This is disappointing from a PAC-10 team.  Grade: D-

The all-time NCAA leading rusher (7,962yds), Danny Woodhead, finally got his wish.  The ex-Chadron State running back is playing for Bill Callahan.  Sure, it's not at Nebraska, but they are on the same team, the New York Jets. 

Nebraska native, Woodhead,  was over-looked again and again by former Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan.  The only team Woodhead wanted to play for was Nebraska, just like all the other kids who play high school football in the state.  Woodhead is 5'7" and from Nebraska .  These were two facts that Callahan couldn't get past. 

Bill Callahan was hired by the Jets after getting fired by Dr. Tom Osborne in November '07.  Danny Woodhead signed a free-agent deal with the Jets.  I wonder what Woodhead thinks of Callahan for not giving him a chance and at the same time ruining his favorite team in Nebraska?  Is there any doubt that a running back with 4.38 speed, a vertical of 38.5", and 20 reps of 225lbs will have an impact on a team?  The Jets and the rest of the AFC East will find out soon.

This is the third installment of my little series on grading the out of conference (OOC) schedules of BCS conferences.  I have already done the ACC, Big East, Pac-10, Big 12 and the Big 10 (+1).  I want to make clear the criteria I am taking into consideration because I know how touchy SEC fans can get.   I take into account the talent level of the team.  This means I would be more critical of LSU’s OOC than I would Vanderbilt’s.  Then, I look for any team from another BCS conference on the OOC schedule.  Next, I look at the talent level of the OOC opponent based mostly on how they performed last year and expect to perform this year.  Lastly, I will try not to take into account the status of the program when the team was scheduled.  Example: This year Nebraska will not count much more than Iowa State or Baylor on a team’s OOC schedule.  It is a crappy BCS team.  Conversely, if South Florida is on the schedule, I will give that some credit due to the recent success there.  Got it?

The Southeastern Conference has been considered by many the most competitive conference from top to bottom for a number of years now.  That’s fine, but do they attempt to play anyone outside of the SEC.  Let’s take a look at the OOC (out of conference) schedule for the teams in the SEC.

Georgia – Georgia Southern, Central Michigan, Arizona State, Georgia Tech.  This is one of the toughest, if not the toughest, OOC schedules I have seen so far.  50% from BCS conferences and the reigning conference champion from the MAC.  As it was correctly pointed out to me in a previous post, Central Michigan has one of the best QB’s in the country in Dan LeFevour.  You could make the argument that Georgia Tech is every bit as good as Florida State.  I know that GT is on the schedule every year, but that shouldn’t count against Georgia.  Arizona State has proven that they are a force to be reckoned with.  Georgia seems to have done a tremendous job in timing a great OOC schedule and an awesome returning team.  Where’s Trev Alberts when you need him.  Wherever he is, I am sure he has Georgia penciled in as the next National Champion.  Grade: A

Florida – Hawaii, Miami, Citadel, Florida State.  This is another nice job of OOC scheduling in the SEC.  The Citadel is the only game that the Gators should be able to relax and sleepwalk through.  Hawaii will put up a fight, but does not have the depth to threaten anything past the second quarter.  As for Miami and Florida State, these are two teams that are just waiting to explode with all the talent they have.  50% of the OOC is from BCS conferences and 25% is the reigning WAC conference champion.  This is the way a top-tier team should schedule year-in and year-out.  Kudos to the boys in Gainesville for showing they are not yellow-bellies.  They should try to get South Florida and Florida Atlantic on the OOC schedule along with Miami and Florida State for the ultimate Battle Royale for the Sunshine State.  Grade: A

Vanderbilt – Miami (OH), Rice, Duke, Wake Forest.  This is a nice schedule for Vanderbilt.  If this were the schedule for just about any other team in the SEC, then I would be much more critical.  What I like is that they have a legitimate test in WF.  They have a strong tune-up game with Miami(OH) (Vandy may not even be favored in that one.)  What I like most about the Commodores’ OOC schedule is that all the opponents are Div-1A.  If any team in the SEC would be forgiven for scheduling a non-Div-1A team, it would have been Vandy.  Duke and Rice are not good teams, but they are at least Div-1.  Good  job.  Grade: B+

Mississippi State – Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia Tech, Middle Tennessee State.  Here is an example of aggressive but cautious scheduling from a BCS team that is appropriate.  They have a huge test on the schedule with the Yellow-Jackets.  LA Tech and Middle Tennessee St are middle-of-the-road teams from the WAC and Sun Belt respectively.  MTS gave Louisville all they could handle last year, and LA Tech almost beat Hawaii.  Sure there is a stinker in SE Louisiana, but for the Bulldogs of Mississippi State this is a pretty good schedule.  Grade: B- (would have been much higher if SE Louisiana was not scheduled)

Auburn – Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Mississippi, West Virginia, Tennessee-Martin.  Auburn has done a good job of mixing up the competition in their OOC scheduling.  WVU is a huge test.  Auburn will be able to tell where they are for the season in the game with the Mountaineers.  That game garners much props.  Southern Miss is a good tune-up game.  The Tigers should win, but Southern-Miss will challenge them throughout the game.  Louisiana-Monroe is a middle-of-the-road team from the Sun Belt.  This should have been the patsy of the schedule for Auburn.  Unfortunately, Tennessee-Martin was scheduled.  A team like Auburn should not be playing teams like Tennessee-Martin.  It just shouldn’t be happening.  Sorry.  Grade: C+ (this would have been much higher if it were all Div-1 competition)

Mississippi – Memphis, Wake Forest, Samford, Louisiana-Monroe.  This schedule is almost a carbon-copy, save for the top-game, of the Arkansas OOC schedule.  Memphis is a decent team from CUSA.  Memphis competed well in its conference and should give Ole Miss a run for its money.  Wake Forest will be a test for the Rebels.  Mississippi will certainly be underdogs in that one.  Louisiana-Monroe is on the schedule for many SEC teams, but this is the best chance for the Warhawks to get a win in the SEC.  I have them graded higher than Arkansas because Mississippi is not of the same caliber as Arkansas.  Grade: C+

Arkansas – Western Kentucky, Louisiana-Monroe, Texas, Tulsa.  I am probably giving too much credit to Texas being on the schedule, but Texas should be better this year than last.  Tulsa is the reigning Conference USA Champion.  The Golden Tornados (I know it is the Golden Hurricanes, but that just doesn’t make any sense to me at all) will give a good fight for 2-3 quarters.  Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe will not to be confused with good teams for some time to come, but at least they are Div-1A. Arkansas did well in getting Texas and even Tulsa, but they could have tried harder to upgrade one of the lesser two teams a little.  It would have been nice to see two BCS conference teams.  Grade: C

South Carolina – North Carolina State, Wofford, UAB, Clemson.  This is not really as good as it may initially look.  Wofford should not be on the schedule at all.  If South Carolina wants to be considered on of the better teams in the SEC, then they should not be playing teams like Wofford.  UAB has one of the worst teams in Div-1A football.  I will give some credit for scheduling NC State and Clemson.  NC State is at least from a BCS conference.  I know that Clemson is the in-state rival, but that should not be counted against SC.  Clemson is still on the OOC schedule.  Grade: C-

Tennessee – UCLA, UAB, Northern Illinois, Wyoming.  This is not a good schedule if you want to challenge your team.  UAB is a bad team from CUSA.  Northern Illinois is a bad team from the MAC.  Wyoming is a pretty bad team from MWC.  UCLA is the only bright spot on this schedule, and I have serious doubts if UCLA will be any good at all this year.  The only good thing I can say about this OOC schedule is that they are all Div-1A teams.  Is it the Vols’ fault that UCLA stinks now?  No, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Bruins do stink and this game should be nothing more than an over-hyped tune-up.  I do like the Vols, but this should be embarrassing to them.  Shame.  Grade: D

Kentucky – Louisville, Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky.  I know that Kentucky has been bad a football for a long time, but that is no excuse for this kind of schedule.  Louisville is the lone redeeming factor for this debacle of an OOC schedule, and it really isn’t all that redeeming.  Middle Tennessee State will end up being the second best game on the schedule.  This is coming from an SEC team!  Not good at all.  Grade: D-

Alabama – Clemson, Tulane, Western Kentucky, Arkansas State.  Clemson is the biggest test OOC?  Alabama’s not even trying.  Sure, Clemson is good, but there is a huge difference between Clemson and Tulane.  There should be a team in there closer to Clemson’s talent level.  Tulane should towards the bottom of the talent Alabama should be seeing in the OOC schedule not towards the top.  For the Tide, playing teams like Western Kentucky and Arkansas State should be embarrassing.  This is shameful.  Grade: F

LSU – Appalachian State, Troy, North Texas, Tulane.  This schedule stinks up the place.  This ranks right up there with Texas Tech’s OOC schedule.  The difference is LSU has been good for years and years.  Where is the test here?  For LSU, there is no test or even a real tune-up game.  This is absolutely the worst in the SEC.  Alabama has the excuse that they have not been as good as they want to be.  LSU has been at the top of the SEC for years.  The two national championships in the past few years warrants taking the OOC schedule up a couple notches.  Troy is probably the toughest team on this schedule.  TROY!  Come on LSU!  Let’s get with the program.  Grade: F-

With the way that the Big 10 (+1) has been playing as of late, a strong out-of-conference (OOC) schedule would benefit the teams.  When one of the top 2 teams in your conference is on the verge of a 6 win season *chough…Michigan*cough *cough, your conference may be lacking in the quality opponent category.  The ACC and Big East are getting more love from top to bottom than the Big 10 (+1).  I got an idea.  If you want to beat a team like LSU or Florida, then try to play some of the same team they do.   Let us see who had the Rocky Mountain Oysters to schedule some competition OOC.  In case you missed my other grades here are the links: Big XII, ACC, SEC, Pac-10, and Big East.

Ohio State – Youngstown State, Ohio, USC, Troy.  I like this OOC schedule because they want to play USC.  Sure Youngstown St is a patsy, but to go out and willfully schedule arguably the most successful team over the last 5-6 years shows moxy.  That is gutsy considering that you will probably will be competing for a national cahmpionship yourself.  That subscribes to my philosophy of beating the best to be the best.  I can’t say that Ohio is a patsy, but I can say that they stand no chance against OSU.  Troy is a very decent team, but they stand little chance here against the Buckeyes.  Here’s my best Ali G impersonation “Respect! Boo-Ya-Ya!”  Grade: A

Michigan State – California, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame.  The Spartans did go out and get a game with a quality team in Cal.  I understand the need to play the Eastern, Western, and Central Michigans every year.  What I really like about this schedule is that there are no FCS(Div-1AA) teams.  If you want to be considered one of college footballs elite, then you have to stop shceduling non-Div-1 teams.  Notre Dame is the Spartans’ prison girlfriend year in and year out.  Watch out for Florida Atlantic this year.  They have shed that “patsy” title and will upset some one in the OOC.  Could it be the Spartans?  Quite Possibly.  That Cal game will be really tough for the Spartans.  Grade:  A-

Purdue – Northern Colorado, Oregon, Central Michigan, Notre Dame.  I give a little credit for having Notre Dame on the schedule because they have a potential of giving a good game.  Not this year, but in years past.  The Ducks are a consistently good team.  They are certainly a Top-25 team year-in and year-out.  Central Michigan is like Ohio in that they will fight hard, but it is hard for them to compete with the talent level difference.  Although, Central Michigan has a great quarterback in LeFevour.  N. CO stinks and there is too much stabbing going on in the special teams. Grade:  B+

Illinois – Missouri, Eastern Illinois, Louisiana-Lafayette, Western Michigan.  Illinois is certainly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Big 10 (+1).  It would seem that Coach Zook may have the foundation for something special.  Mizzou is a serious test for Illinois right off the bat.  Then they get a few weeks to recover.  The rest of their OOC schedule is cream-puff city.  I wonder if they had the thought that Mizzou was going to be a top-10 team when they contracted the games.  I guess they just got lucky.  I don't think they need to have both Eastern Illinois and Louisiana-Lafayette on the schedule.  One of those two and substitute a Div-1A cream-puff like Buffalo for the other.  Grade:  C- (that is all dumb luck having Top-10 Missouri on the schedule)

Northwestern – Syracuse, Duke, Southern Illinois, Ohio.  I guess if you are Northwestern this schedule is somewhat competitive, but I call it giving up.  Syracuse and Ohio are the only teams of any kind of note in this one.  Ohio is the best team on the OOC schedule?  My, my how far we have fallen since the glory days with Barnett.   Syracuse has not been the same since McNabb left and that was a long time ago.  I love the Salukis, but they are no good at football.  Duke is at least from the ACC and they are a BCS conference.  I guess that is something.  Right?  Grade: C

Iowa – Maine, Florida International, Iowa State, Pittsburg.  At least there are two teams from BCS conferences in IA St and Pitt.  Iowa always gets Iowa State’s best shot of the year.  I love that game because whoever wins seems to do worse throughout the rest of the season.  Pitt did beat WVU, much to the chagrin of the refs and the Mountaineer faithful.  That is something that Oklahoma couldn’t even come close to doing.  Maine and FIU are bad patsies.  With the way Iowa has been playing lately, maybe they deserve a break here.  Grade:  C- 

Wisconsin – Akron, Marshall, Fresno State, Cal Poly.  Wisconsin is trying to be the cream of the Big 10 (+1).  They’re just not trying very hard.  I love Pat Hill and Fresno State.  These guys will play anyone/anywhere.  I give credit to Wiscy for the Bulldogs on the schedule, but Akron?  Cal Poly?  UGH.  That is U-G-L-Y.  Akron should have been the weakest team on the schedule.  They could step it up a bit and get a team from a BCS conference.  Marshall is ok, but it is not really a test, is it? Why not switch-out the Cal-Poly game for a game with Baylor or Vanderbilt?  For the Badgers it is still a probable win, but it looks much, much better than beating up on Div-1AA or Div-2 teams. Grade:  C-

Indiana – Western Kentucky, Murray State, Ball State, Central Michigan.  Again, like Northwestern and Minnesota before them, Indiana really can’t be blamed too much for the smelly ####-fest that is their OOC schedule.  Central Michigan will probably beat Indiana this year.  Western Kentucky has recently made the move from Div-1AA to Div-1A.  The Hilltoppers shouldn't put up much of a fight here.  The same could be said about Murray State.  Ball State had one heck of an offense last year as teams in the MAC found out the hard way.  Indiana needs to be careful with this one.   Grade: D 

Minnesota – Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Montana State, Florida Atlantic.  For the Golden Gophers it has been tough.  I can’t really say anything about this OOC schedule.  They may not be favorites in a couple of them.  GO GOPHERS!!  I'm being hard on the Gophers here, but they should lose to Florida Atlantic and Bowling Green.  Grade: D

Penn State – Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Syracuse, Temple.  This OOC schedule is pretty bad.  Oregon St is ok, but the rest is stinking up the joint here.  For a team of Penn St’s status, this is disappointing to say the least.  They need another middle-of-the-road BCS conference team to ####e it up a bit like Oklahoma State or South Carolina.  If Oregon St was Oregon, then it would be respectable to have the three flaky, cream-centered pastries. This is very unlike a typical Penn State OOC schedule.  Grade: F+

– Utah, Miami (OH), Notre Dame, Toledo.  This is not really good , but it is not quite as bad as it looks.  Notre Dame may be the worst team on this OOC schedule.  Utah has not been able to put it back together since losing Meyer, but they are ok.  Miami (OH) is like Ohio and Central Michigan…not going to win but they will fight hard.  Toledo may or may not put up a fight.  I suppose I should cut Michigan some slack after last year’s 0-2 start.  Naw.  This is pitiful for a team that wants to be considered elite.  Grade: F

Michigan

(For WarBeagle a good football fan who happens to like Colorado)

Why are BCS teams still afraid to schedule decent OOC (out-of-conference games)?  What is the deal here?  I am of the oldskewl belief that, win or lose, playing good teams makes your team better.  There is no reason for a good team in a BCS conference not to schedule two good opponents OOC.  Period!  

It is embarrassing to fans of good teams to watch their team pummel Western Kentucky, Southeastern Louisiana, and Buffalo (sorry Turner) in consecutive weeks.  There was a strategy before the advent of the BSC, but now it is moot. Teams in a BCS conference will get an automatic bid to a BCS game if they win their conference.  It is as easy as that.  A two-loss LSU proved that to be true last year and rightfully so, they were in the National Championship game. However, there is a reason to schedule nothing but patsies if you are a Non-BCS conference team.  Example:  2007 Hawaii.  I’m not trying to pick on the Warriors.  I understand that Hawaii has been efforting to schedule better teams as of late, but who can not say that Hawaii was exposed last year in the BCS game? 

Here are my thoughts on the OOC scheduling for the Big 12 this year.  I am looking at the strength of the scheduling team, FBS (Div-1A), and current success of the scheduled team.  I am not factoring in past schedules.  In case you missed my other grades here are the links: ACC, Big 10(+1), SEC, Pac-10, and Big East.

                                              

 

Colorado – Colorado State, Eastern Washington, West Virginia, Florida State.  Colorado has managed to make their OOC schedule rather competitive.  The rivalry game with Colorado State is always a tough game for Colorado.  Eastern Michigan is a tune up game, and Eastern Washington is a patsy.  West Virginia made minced-meat of the vaunted Oklahoma defense last year, but we must remember that Colorado also handed OU a loss last year.  This year's WVU may not be quite as good as last year's with out R-Rod there.  Florida State is loaded with talent and controversy.  Grade: A

Baylor – Wake Forest, Northwestern State, Washington State, Connecticut.  Baylor has a monster OOC schedule, but I think it may have been an accident.  WF and UCONN are quality teams as of late, but PAC-10 Spoiler Washington State is not a patsy.  Northwestern State is though.  I am willing to overlook the Northwestern State game because it is Baylor we are talking about.  Baylor will need to play better than they have in the past in order to get to conference play 1-3.  Grade: A

Oklahoma – Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Washington, TCU.  Chattanooga is a patsy and should not be on the schedule.  Cincinnati has improved and they are coming off a stellar season, but for Oklahoma they should be no problem.  Washington is a BCS conference team that may have a good game a few times a year, but they have not been consistently good since the early to mid 90’s.  TCU is one of the most consistently good non-BCS conference teams out there.  When I see TCU on an OOC schedule, I consider that a decent test for any team.  The problem I have with this schedule is the Cattanooga game.  You are OU.  Schedule Div-1 teams.  Grade: B-

Nebraska – Western Michigan, San Jose State, New Mexico State, Virginia Tech.  Nebraska must subscribe to the philosophy that supports only scheduling one quality team OOC.  Very disappointing, but with the way the Huskers played defense last year some of these game should be closer than expected.  You have to give Nebraska credit for the VA Tech game.  VA Tech has been in the Top-10 consistently over the past decade.  That game is certainly a great OOC game.  The pass-happy Aggies from NMSU have a legitimate shot at an upset here if the Blackshirts don’t turn it around.  Any other year, for Nebraska, Western Michigan and (Do you know your way to) San Jose State would be considered patsies, but Nebraska can’t take any team for granted anymore.  Grade: B- (that is all VA Tech)

Oklahoma State – Washington State, Houston, Missouri State, Troy.  I must say that this is a reasonable attempt at a challenging OOC schedule.  It is not very top heavy with the Cougars of Wash U at the top of the heap, but Houston and Troy are solid teams that will put up a fight.   They will run out of gas by the 4th quarter, but they will put up a good fight.  Troy may even threaten in the 4th.  Not outstanding, but not too bad.  Grade: C+

Texas – Florida Atlantic, UTEP, Arkansas, Rice.  Texas likes to keep their OOC games close to home with UTEP and Rice.  Both of which are bad teams, very bad.  When this game was scheduled, I am sure that Florida Atlantic was considered just as bad as UTEP or Rice, but what a difference a few years makes.  FAU is not a bad team.  Not real good, but not bad.  Arkansas is an old SWC rivalry we all miss.  This year without McFadden, Texas should be able to handle the Razorbacks easily.  I am sure Arkansas will be up for this one.  Grade: C (only because FAU has turned it around)

Texas A&M – Arkansas State, New Mexico, Miami, Army.  Like Nebraska, there is only one team on this schedule that is of any worth competing with a BCS conference school.  New Mexico did shut out Nevada in a bowl that was created just for them last year.  Arkansas State is a patsy.  Army is a mismatch, but there is Miami.  They are talent-laden and needing to make a comeback in a big way.  Grade: C- (that is all Miami’s potential)

Missouri – Illinois, Southeast Missouri State, Nevada, Buffalo.  Mizzou has scheduled a monster by accident with Illinois.  How great was that game last year!?!  Nevada is improving, but they still can’t hang with the big boys.  SM St and Buffalo are patsies (sorry Turner).  Missouri is set up really nice to repeat as the Big 12 North Champs, but it has nothing to do with their OOC scheduling.  Grade: D (that is all Illinois)

Iowa State – South Dakota State, Kent State, Iowa, UNLV.  Iowa State has not had much of a team for quite a while now.  I don’t really blame them for going so soft, but it is disappointing when they can’t even beat the patsies on their schedule.  South Dakota State should lose, but nothing is for sure.  Iowa should win, but the Hawkeyes are having problems with the law in Iowa City.  UNLV and Kent State have legitamate shots at getting a win over a BCS conference opponent here with ISU.  ISU did come on strong at the end of last season, but there is no indication that they will carry that momentum into this year.  Grade: D

 Kansas – Florida International, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Sam Houston State.  Kansas tried really hard not to schedule any real tests OOC, but they got unlucky with South Florida.  I guess 3-4 isn’t too bad.  I will all but guarantee you that when South Florida was added to the schedule, they had never been ranked #2 in the country.  Neither was Kansas.  They both had spectacular years last year and I will be looking forward to this game.  La Tech can score a bit, but they are still a patsy along with Sam Houston State and FIU.  FIU is the only Florida team to get a bad rap from me.  Grade: D- (dumb luck getting South Florida on the OOC schedule.)

Kansas State – North Texas, Montana State, Louisville, Louisiana-Lafayette.  Louisville without Brian Brohm is no good at all.  They proved that last