The Tough Gets Tougher
March 27 2008 10:35 PM -- Filed in: Football
In my opinion, this is unprecedented in modern college football. Sure, there are intense yearly non-conference games like Florida v. Florida State, USC v. Notre Dame, and Michigan v. Notre Dame, but those are as much a part of the schedule as conference games (ND excluded). Some teams go out and schedule a tough opponent occasionally - VT v. LSU, last season – but they quickly gravitate back to the likes of Appalachian State, North Texas, Troy, and Tulane (yes, LSU plays all four in 2008).
To put Ohio State's upcoming schedules in perspective, here are some interesting facts about these opponents. Ohio State will play:
• 5 of the top 15 winningest programs since 1990 – Miami (4th), Tennessee (6th), Virginia Tech (10th), Oklahoma (12th) and USC (15th).
• 23 total National Championships – USC (9), Oklahoma (7), Miami (5), and Tennessee (2) – I admit the math is a little fuzzy on the recognized championships but I can live with that number.
• 3 coaches who have won National Titles – Pete Carroll, Bob Stoops, and Phil Fulmer. There is no guarantee, aside from Carroll, that they will be coaching their respective teams when they play (it seems unlikely Fulmer will be) but this is simply another example of tradition and success of their opponents.
As tough as these games will be to win, it is exciting to see them on the schedule. With that excitement in mind, do you think this is best approach for winning a national championship? Would you prefer to see Ohio State schedule more mid-level opponents instead of the big boys? And, will Ohio State’s approach spread to the rest of college football? Will we begin to see more great intersectional, non-conference match-ups between highly rated teams?
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