Hey All,
Its time to start looking at the schedules of the power five conferences of the FBS. Let's start with the ACC and the Big XII. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
The ACC
Conference Members:
Atlantic Division- Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Coastal Division- Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech.
The league remains unchanged for 2016.
Top Five Out of Conference Games for 2017
9/2- Florida State v. Alabama (Chick-fil-A Kickoff, Georgia Dome, Atlanta,GA): So, if you're the ACC coming off a National Title game win over Alabama, why not send out a potentially loaded Seminole team to take it to Alabama and knock the SEC down again to start the season? FSU would love to show everyone they are back with a win here. I would think that Nick "Darth" Saban has been aching to hit the field again after that title game defeat. I look for defense to rule in this game that's been circled on a lot of folks' calendars for awhile.
9/2- California at North Carolina: This doesn't seem like a game that would make the cut here, but it does for a few reasons. First, the ACC doesn't have a real strong non conference slate. Second, UNC getting a Pac 12 team to travel clear across the country doesn't happen much. Three, the Tar Heels and the ACC would like to have a win over a Pac 12 school on their resume.
9/9- Auburn at Clemson: Grass covered steps, Howard's Rock and a frenzied orange and purple clad packed house awaits Auburn at Death Valley. However, Clemson will be without Deshaun Watson who has gone on to the Sunday league. That may be the big difference in this game. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham is in his third year under center. His experience means a lot in a tough road environment. Is it enough to pull off the upset? The folks at Auburn think so.
9/9 -Pitt at Penn State: Last year, Panther DB Ryan Lewis intercepted a pass from Trace McSorley on the Pitt 20-yard line with about a minute to play to halt the Nittany Lions comeback bid. This year, the game shifts to Happy Valley. Pittsburgh will bring a young squad to face the experienced Lions. If it gets ugly early, it won't look good for the ACC.
9/16- Oklahoma State at Pitt: Talk about an opportunity for the young Panthers. If they pull an upset here, they will have a full head of steam heading into league play. An Okie State loss would really hurt the Big XII. The Pokes are supposed to be the number one challenger for the league crown. A crown that seems to be a bit easier to get because of Bob Stoops' sudden retirement from OU.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/16, 10/21, 11/11 or basically games 1A-1B-1C: This is the Atlantic Division three-way round robin for the ACC division crown between Clemson, Florida State and Louisville. Clemson is the defending champ, FSU wants to reclaim dominance in the league, and Louisville is hoping to finally clear this hurdle and go after their own title dreams. Louisville hosts Clemson on 9/16 where the loser will definitely be behind the eight ball with a lot of football left to play.
11/4- Virginia Tech at Miami: The Hokies easily handled the 'Canes last season in Blacksburg. This year, The U is the favorite to win the Coastal division. This game looks to break down to a defensive battle where whoever makes the least mistakes will win. Miami is pulling out all the stops for this one. It's their homecoming game and many former 'Canes are expected to be back to urge their Alma Mater on.
11/11- Notre Dame at Miami: Remember, ND's loose affiliation with the league makes this a conference clash. The Irish haven't been to Miami since 1989 and haven't won here since 1977. If ND has a good season, this could be a de facto playoff elimination game. Miami will be coming off their big game with VaTech the week prior while ND rolls in after taking on Wake Forest.
ACC Scheduling Observations
...The ND Four +1; Notre Dame's four ACC opponents this year under their friends with bowl benefits setup with the ACC are home games with NC State and Wake Forest to go with road games at North Carolina and Miami. ND's now annual tilt with Boston College isn't part of this plan. Oh, and ND will play both Miami's this year. In addition to the Hurricanes, the Redhawks from Miami of Ohio will play at South Bend on 9/30.
...Grass without a Doctor's note; The ACC Coastal Division is the last bastion of real grass in college football. 89%, of their games will be played on the natural stuff. Oh, and there is not a team the FBS this year that will play all their games on natural grass. However, there are 17 teams that will play all their games on the fake stuff. Of those 17 teams, three are from the Power Five conferences. Those three are K-State, TheeOSU, and Wazzu.
...A 0 for November; Virginia's November slate is a tough one to say the least. The Wahoos host GaTEch on 11/4 then make back-to-back road trips to Louisville and Miami on 11/11 an 11/18. They then return home to host VaTech on 11/24.
...Brain Bowls; Duke hosts Northwestern and Rice will take on Stanford this year. A GRE seminar will be held at halftime of these games instead the usual halftime shows.
...Sidelines on Yawkey way; As part of a three game series this season, Fenway Park will host a game between Boston College and UConn on 11/18. The other two games will be played on 11/10 and 11/11 where Brown will take on Dartmouth and Umass will face Maine. I think a tailgate with New England Clam Chowder would be great for any one of these games.
The Big XII
The ACC
Conference Members:
Atlantic Division- Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Coastal Division- Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech.
The league remains unchanged for 2016.
Top Five Out of Conference Games for 2017
9/2- Florida State v. Alabama (Chick-fil-A Kickoff, Georgia Dome, Atlanta,GA): So, if you're the ACC coming off a National Title game win over Alabama, why not send out a potentially loaded Seminole team to take it to Alabama and knock the SEC down again to start the season? FSU would love to show everyone they are back with a win here. I would think that Nick "Darth" Saban has been aching to hit the field again after that title game defeat. I look for defense to rule in this game that's been circled on a lot of folks' calendars for awhile.
9/2- California at North Carolina: This doesn't seem like a game that would make the cut here, but it does for a few reasons. First, the ACC doesn't have a real strong non conference slate. Second, UNC getting a Pac 12 team to travel clear across the country doesn't happen much. Three, the Tar Heels and the ACC would like to have a win over a Pac 12 school on their resume.
9/9- Auburn at Clemson: Grass covered steps, Howard's Rock and a frenzied orange and purple clad packed house awaits Auburn at Death Valley. However, Clemson will be without Deshaun Watson who has gone on to the Sunday league. That may be the big difference in this game. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham is in his third year under center. His experience means a lot in a tough road environment. Is it enough to pull off the upset? The folks at Auburn think so.
9/9 -Pitt at Penn State: Last year, Panther DB Ryan Lewis intercepted a pass from Trace McSorley on the Pitt 20-yard line with about a minute to play to halt the Nittany Lions comeback bid. This year, the game shifts to Happy Valley. Pittsburgh will bring a young squad to face the experienced Lions. If it gets ugly early, it won't look good for the ACC.
9/16- Oklahoma State at Pitt: Talk about an opportunity for the young Panthers. If they pull an upset here, they will have a full head of steam heading into league play. An Okie State loss would really hurt the Big XII. The Pokes are supposed to be the number one challenger for the league crown. A crown that seems to be a bit easier to get because of Bob Stoops' sudden retirement from OU.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/16, 10/21, 11/11 or basically games 1A-1B-1C: This is the Atlantic Division three-way round robin for the ACC division crown between Clemson, Florida State and Louisville. Clemson is the defending champ, FSU wants to reclaim dominance in the league, and Louisville is hoping to finally clear this hurdle and go after their own title dreams. Louisville hosts Clemson on 9/16 where the loser will definitely be behind the eight ball with a lot of football left to play.
11/4- Virginia Tech at Miami: The Hokies easily handled the 'Canes last season in Blacksburg. This year, The U is the favorite to win the Coastal division. This game looks to break down to a defensive battle where whoever makes the least mistakes will win. Miami is pulling out all the stops for this one. It's their homecoming game and many former 'Canes are expected to be back to urge their Alma Mater on.
11/11- Notre Dame at Miami: Remember, ND's loose affiliation with the league makes this a conference clash. The Irish haven't been to Miami since 1989 and haven't won here since 1977. If ND has a good season, this could be a de facto playoff elimination game. Miami will be coming off their big game with VaTech the week prior while ND rolls in after taking on Wake Forest.
ACC Scheduling Observations
...The ND Four +1; Notre Dame's four ACC opponents this year under their friends with bowl benefits setup with the ACC are home games with NC State and Wake Forest to go with road games at North Carolina and Miami. ND's now annual tilt with Boston College isn't part of this plan. Oh, and ND will play both Miami's this year. In addition to the Hurricanes, the Redhawks from Miami of Ohio will play at South Bend on 9/30.
...Grass without a Doctor's note; The ACC Coastal Division is the last bastion of real grass in college football. 89%, of their games will be played on the natural stuff. Oh, and there is not a team the FBS this year that will play all their games on natural grass. However, there are 17 teams that will play all their games on the fake stuff. Of those 17 teams, three are from the Power Five conferences. Those three are K-State, TheeOSU, and Wazzu.
...A 0 for November; Virginia's November slate is a tough one to say the least. The Wahoos host GaTEch on 11/4 then make back-to-back road trips to Louisville and Miami on 11/11 an 11/18. They then return home to host VaTech on 11/24.
...Brain Bowls; Duke hosts Northwestern and Rice will take on Stanford this year. A GRE seminar will be held at halftime of these games instead the usual halftime shows.
...Sidelines on Yawkey way; As part of a three game series this season, Fenway Park will host a game between Boston College and UConn on 11/18. The other two games will be played on 11/10 and 11/11 where Brown will take on Dartmouth and Umass will face Maine. I think a tailgate with New England Clam Chowder would be great for any one of these games.
The Big XII
Conference Members: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia
The league remains unchanged from 2016. There were meetings held to discuss expansion, but that interest died quickly and the league shelved the idea for the foreseeable future. However, the league will play a championship game this year.
Top Five Out of Conference Games for 2017
9/3- Oklahoma at TheeOSU: Bob Stoops v. Urban Meyer- the rematch! That was going to be a good storyline this fall. Then, Stoops up and resigned from OU on June 7th. June is an unusual time for a HC to resign. Stoops is being lauded as "going out on his own terms" and that he'll have "more time to spend with his family." After discussing the matter with several of my cohorts it seems that maybe the fallout form the Joe Mixon debacle was still weighing heavily on the OU administration. I think Stoops was given a golden parachute. As for the game, OU is looking for a little revenge after the way the Buckeyes spanked them in Norman last year, 45-24. OC Lincoln Riley is now the HC and his first road game will be at The Horseshoe. Good Luck, Lincoln.
9/3- West Virginia v. Virginia Tech (FedEx Field, Landover, MD): This is the first game between these old Big East foes since the Hokies beat the Mountaineers, 34-17 at WVU back in 2005. Hokie HC Justin Fuente lived up to the hype around his hire by leading his squad to a 10-4 record in his first season. The Mountaineers are coming off a 10-3 campaign, but most of the guys who achieved that mark last year are gone. The Mountaineers have only eight returning starters and a game like this isn't ideal for an inexperienced squad to make their debut. However, VaTech is facing some demons of their own here. They haven't won a neutral site game in 14 years.
9/9- TCU at Arkansas: These two teams met last year for the first time since their Southwest Conference days. The game did not disappoint. TCU came back from a 20-7 deficit to grab a 28-20 lead thanks to three TD runs by Kenny Hill. The Hogs scrambled to tie the game with a little over a minute to play. Arkansas forced a TCU FG in the second OT, then grabbed the W when Austin Allen ran five yards for a TD. If this year's game is half as exciting as last year's, it will be a treat to watch.
9/16- Texas at USC: The last time the Longhorns and the Trojans hooked up at the Coliseum some guys named Royal and McKay were the HCs. It's also the first meeting between the two schools since the 2006 National Title Game. Texas will be coming off a pair of home warmups with Maryland and San Jose State. USC will enter this one after facing Stanford in a critical Pac 12 early season tilt. Will the Trojans come out physically spent? Will Texas come out flat after two cupcakes? If the teams avoid those pitfalls, it could a great game.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/23- Oklahoma at Baylor: This game wasn't in the running for this list couple of months back, but Bob Stoops' sudden abdication has necessitated its' mention. It is the conference opener for a pair of teams that will still be finding their way under new leaders. OU under Lincoln Riley will be eager to notch that first league win to make it look like business as usual in Norman. Meanwhile, Matt Rhule will be doing his best to put out the dumpster fire that is Baylor Football and win games in the process. An upset here by the Bears would signal blood in the water for others taking on the Sooners this year.
9/23- TCU at Oklahoma State: These two squads have been tabbed as the two teams right behind OU to take the league title if the Sooners falter. The key matchup in this game will be TCU's experienced offense v Okie State's young defense. TCU QB Kenny Hill's first year playing in Ft.Worth was a mixed bag. In 2016 Hill, a transfer from Texas A&M competed 67% if his passes, but also had a habit of finding the other guys too. His 13 interceptions led the league last year and also got him pulled from a few games. As for Okie State, the offensive seems to run through QB Mason Rudolph. Rudolph will break most of the QB record at OSU. OSU needs RB Justice Hill to take pressure off Rudolph by having a big season.
11/4- Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: It's hard to call this a rivalry game when OU holds a 86-18-7 lead in the series. However, if the pundits are correct, this will determine who will be on top of the ladder gong into the final three weeks of the season and have the inside track to the Big XII title game. I honestly think the loser here may end up watching the league title game instead of playing in it.
11/11- TCU at Oklahoma: For both squads this will either be the game that gives them a stranglehold on the top spot in the league or sends the league standings into chaos with two league games left.
11/18- TCU at Texas Tech: The Horned Frogs have lost three of the last five years to the Red Raiders. Throw out the 82-27 blowout win by TCU in 2014 and the average margin of victory in in the last few years is just five points. After taking on the Sooners a week earlier, TCU could enter this game against TT's Air-Raid Offense a little flat. If the Frogs are flat, then Texas Tech could pull off the upset.
Big XII Scheduling Observations
...Someone wearing purple will win; Kansas State plays two other schools that sport purple. The Wildcats open up with FCS power Central Arkansas on 9/2 (Upset Alert Here!) Then, on 10/14 they host TCU.
...More than three; The modern standard for waiting for a HC to turn around a program is three years. KU's David Beaty deserves another two years just to dig out of the mess left for him by Mr. Schematic Advantage himself, Charlie Weis.
...A lousy slate; Here's who the Oklahoma season seat holder gets to see come to Norman this year: UTEP, Tulane, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU and West Virginia.
...Four the hard way; Texas will know just how good they are after a four week stretch where they face OU at the Cotton Bowl, host Okie State, then hit the road to Baylor and TCU.
...Fearless prediction; Iowa State will win four games this year.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
My old great Plasma TV died this past week. I'd had it for about 15 years and was pretty bummed over it's demise until my wife asked if wanted to hold a memorial service for it. I then laughed and proceeded to start getting over it.
The dog days of summer are here.
Sometimes, there's nothing better than just staring out at the ocean and watching the sailboats go by.
Until next tome folks, remember that schedules help make seasons.
-The Commissioner
9/3- West Virginia v. Virginia Tech (FedEx Field, Landover, MD): This is the first game between these old Big East foes since the Hokies beat the Mountaineers, 34-17 at WVU back in 2005. Hokie HC Justin Fuente lived up to the hype around his hire by leading his squad to a 10-4 record in his first season. The Mountaineers are coming off a 10-3 campaign, but most of the guys who achieved that mark last year are gone. The Mountaineers have only eight returning starters and a game like this isn't ideal for an inexperienced squad to make their debut. However, VaTech is facing some demons of their own here. They haven't won a neutral site game in 14 years.
9/9- TCU at Arkansas: These two teams met last year for the first time since their Southwest Conference days. The game did not disappoint. TCU came back from a 20-7 deficit to grab a 28-20 lead thanks to three TD runs by Kenny Hill. The Hogs scrambled to tie the game with a little over a minute to play. Arkansas forced a TCU FG in the second OT, then grabbed the W when Austin Allen ran five yards for a TD. If this year's game is half as exciting as last year's, it will be a treat to watch.
9/16- Texas at USC: The last time the Longhorns and the Trojans hooked up at the Coliseum some guys named Royal and McKay were the HCs. It's also the first meeting between the two schools since the 2006 National Title Game. Texas will be coming off a pair of home warmups with Maryland and San Jose State. USC will enter this one after facing Stanford in a critical Pac 12 early season tilt. Will the Trojans come out physically spent? Will Texas come out flat after two cupcakes? If the teams avoid those pitfalls, it could a great game.
Top Five Conference Games for 2017
9/23- Oklahoma at Baylor: This game wasn't in the running for this list couple of months back, but Bob Stoops' sudden abdication has necessitated its' mention. It is the conference opener for a pair of teams that will still be finding their way under new leaders. OU under Lincoln Riley will be eager to notch that first league win to make it look like business as usual in Norman. Meanwhile, Matt Rhule will be doing his best to put out the dumpster fire that is Baylor Football and win games in the process. An upset here by the Bears would signal blood in the water for others taking on the Sooners this year.
9/23- TCU at Oklahoma State: These two squads have been tabbed as the two teams right behind OU to take the league title if the Sooners falter. The key matchup in this game will be TCU's experienced offense v Okie State's young defense. TCU QB Kenny Hill's first year playing in Ft.Worth was a mixed bag. In 2016 Hill, a transfer from Texas A&M competed 67% if his passes, but also had a habit of finding the other guys too. His 13 interceptions led the league last year and also got him pulled from a few games. As for Okie State, the offensive seems to run through QB Mason Rudolph. Rudolph will break most of the QB record at OSU. OSU needs RB Justice Hill to take pressure off Rudolph by having a big season.
11/4- Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: It's hard to call this a rivalry game when OU holds a 86-18-7 lead in the series. However, if the pundits are correct, this will determine who will be on top of the ladder gong into the final three weeks of the season and have the inside track to the Big XII title game. I honestly think the loser here may end up watching the league title game instead of playing in it.
11/11- TCU at Oklahoma: For both squads this will either be the game that gives them a stranglehold on the top spot in the league or sends the league standings into chaos with two league games left.
11/18- TCU at Texas Tech: The Horned Frogs have lost three of the last five years to the Red Raiders. Throw out the 82-27 blowout win by TCU in 2014 and the average margin of victory in in the last few years is just five points. After taking on the Sooners a week earlier, TCU could enter this game against TT's Air-Raid Offense a little flat. If the Frogs are flat, then Texas Tech could pull off the upset.
Big XII Scheduling Observations
...Someone wearing purple will win; Kansas State plays two other schools that sport purple. The Wildcats open up with FCS power Central Arkansas on 9/2 (Upset Alert Here!) Then, on 10/14 they host TCU.
...More than three; The modern standard for waiting for a HC to turn around a program is three years. KU's David Beaty deserves another two years just to dig out of the mess left for him by Mr. Schematic Advantage himself, Charlie Weis.
...A lousy slate; Here's who the Oklahoma season seat holder gets to see come to Norman this year: UTEP, Tulane, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU and West Virginia.
...Four the hard way; Texas will know just how good they are after a four week stretch where they face OU at the Cotton Bowl, host Okie State, then hit the road to Baylor and TCU.
...Fearless prediction; Iowa State will win four games this year.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
My old great Plasma TV died this past week. I'd had it for about 15 years and was pretty bummed over it's demise until my wife asked if wanted to hold a memorial service for it. I then laughed and proceeded to start getting over it.
The dog days of summer are here.
Sometimes, there's nothing better than just staring out at the ocean and watching the sailboats go by.
Until next tome folks, remember that schedules help make seasons.
-The Commissioner
