(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)

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 year’s pre-season hype was just that.  All these teams are patsies this year.  K-State should change their mascot from the Wildcats to the Scaredycats.  North Texas is ok sometimes.  With the way Louisville played defense last year, KSU has a legit shot to get an OOC win over a BCS opponent.  Grade: F

Texas Tech – Eastern Washington, Nevada, Southern Methodist, Massachusetts.  Congratulations!  We have a winner!  The Red Raiders have managed to win the patsy lottery in their OOC scheduling.  They were the only team to manage to avoid another BCS conference team and not get unlucky enough to get a team that has any potential at having a good season.  The best team, by far, is Nevada.  PEA-YOU!!  This is very disappointing because they will have a great season and contend for the Big 12 this year.   They will have to defend a constant onslaught of criticism over their OOC schedule.  It serves them right.  I am acutally getting physically ill looking at their OOC schedule.  I'm going to go barf now.  Grade: F-

I love college football.  I do appreciate the grand stage that many big conference teams play on every week.  I am too often left disappointed in the lopsidedness of it all.  The media certainly tries to make you think that it will be an exciting game, but most of the time it is disappointing.  OU, USC, and LSU has yet to be challenged.  They are all on the networks every week.

Personally, I have no real affiliation to any of those teams.  I watch those games for the excitement of good execution and high level of talent.  What about the scrappy determination?  What about momentum shifts?  What about a group of players playing the game of their lives on that day?  I’m talking about a group of guys that all overachieve on that one day to try to win.  That is real excitement.

I think o####ame as a living, breathing organism.  A game has a life and a death.  There is a real energy in a game, a life-force.  A game has to evolve.  There are events in a game that will shape its future.  When the teams are not competitive in a game, the game is sick until it dies.  When the teams are evenly matched and playing well, the game is very healthy.  You will never really know i####ame will be sick or healthy until it shows symptoms.

I appreciate the big stage, but I love the competitive games.  I think that the following games will be very competitive: 

Buffalo/Ball State – I know that Buffalo is not considered to be a good quality team, but Turner Gill has them improving.  They scored 24 on Penn State.  They were close against Baylor.  They scored 42 on Temple and only allowed one TD.  Ball State is probably the better team, but they suffered a heart-breaker in Lincoln this last week.    This one will depend how beat-up Ball State is and how well Buffalo can play defense.

Air Force/Navy – The only times the service academies are truly evenly matched is when they play each other.  Navy won this one last year in Colorado Springs, but this year it is at Annapolis.  Both of these teams can score on the ground.  Both of these teams are fielding pretty good squads compared to years past.  Air Force has a big OT win over TCU, and Navy has a disappointing OT loss to Ball State.  This will be a game of momentum and guts.

Colorado State/TCU – This is the classic match-up o####ood offense vs. a good defense.  This is Colorado States first conference game.  They are 0-3, but they had a tough road to ####.  They lost to Colorado when they out gained and out played the Buff for most of the game.  They scored 28 on Cal in a losing effort.  The only stinker is a loss at Houston.  Colorado State has to win this one to stay up with the conference leaders.  TCU disappointed many by losing to Air Force.  They still have a chance at the conference if they can beat Colorado State. 

Kent State/Ohio – Ohio has improved every year since Solich’s arrival.  Last year was their first time to a bowl since before my big brother was born.  They lost a real heart-breaker last week to Wyoming.  34-33 was the final.  Their only other loss was to Virginia Tech where they were competitive until they ran out of gas in the 4th.  Kent State lost to a very good Kentucky team, and lost a close one to Akron.  I see these teams as being very close in talent.  This will be a good one.

BYU/New Mexico – The Lobos really shocked many people by beating Arizona the week before last.  BYU is the cream of the crop in the MWC, but the Lobos have some firepower.  BYU is in for a game if New Mexico can execute on offense.