Playing Non-Conference games mid-season

[westcoast_sooner]

Wanted to get other's thoughts about playing non-conference games in the middle of the season. I notice that a lot of teams are doing that. Texas plays UCF the week after they play the Pokes. Stanford will play Notre Dame at the end of November, but before they play Cal.

I really don't like playing a tough non-conference opponent to start the season and think playing a non-conference game in mid-season might be a nice break.

Thoughts?

[Crucifax Autumn]

I think the way most teams do it is a sissified cop-out.

[JLEW1818]

I like doing non-conference, then conference

just me

but i do support teams like Georgia-Georgia Tech, Florida-Florida State, who play their rival last... I'm okay with that

[westcoast_sooner]

I'm with you JLew. I like the non-conference then conference. But my point is really this. If we're going to play a weak-sister team, I like that as the first game of the season. It lets us have a game that should be more than a scrimmage to find out where we are. I like to gradually build in difficulty. So if I'd arranged this year's non-conference schedule it would have gone
Idaho State
Tulsa
Miami
BYU

But when you see that Texas is playing UCF or someone they should beat in the middle of the conference schedule, it's almost like them getting a week off (not quite, but almost) before they make their final push. Stanford always plays Notre Dame late in the year, so it's not like it's an off week for them. Kentucky just played Louisiana-Monroe last weekend.

The point is that I think we've done a great job playing tough opponents, one of the toughest schedules in the country. But the ordering could have helped us out a little more, IMO.

[Crucifax Autumn]

That's not so bad, but I still prefer the last game be meaningful to the conferences unless ALL the conference teams do it.

My main complaint is these guys in the middle of conference play basically taking a week off to play the CK College of Internet Dooshbaggery before a big conference game.

[JLEW1818]

agree

TCU punked us too, just like byu

[goingoneight]

So if in 2013 we land Utah as OUr season opener, should we go ahead and start the fire Stoops meltdown thread?

[JLEW1818]

yup!!!

heh..

05 and 09, 2 similar teams

[primetime43]

Every SEC team does this. It would be one thing if it was a decent BCS opponent but its not. To me its a cop out.

[ocsooner]

It's the only way Notre Dame gets to play without a conference and get all the special attention they do.

[Crucifax Autumn]

And for the record...Screw the domers.

[Sasakwa]

but i do support teams like Georgia-Georgia Tech, Florida-Florida State, who play their rival last... I'm okay with that

Agreed, I like the non-conference games up front then conference games, but gladly make an exception for teams that traditionally play a rival at the end.

Unlike the SEC, this is how the Big XII does it. The only reason Texas and Tech changed up this year was TV wanted that game moved up. Otherwise they would not have a non-conference game in the middle of the conference schedule.

[delhalew]

I like the idea of one QUALITY noncon opponent midseason. None of the weaksuace games midseason for me thank you.

[Blues1]

For almost 50 years we've done it this way -- non conference games before Conference -- I don't see it changing -- Unless it's somebody like Norte Dame ~ and We All know what happen in 58 when we did that..... :(

[westcoast_sooner]

I had to hunt this thread down, but now I understand. It's the "late loss" theory that's going on. While OU is playing conference opponents after a pretty challenging non-conference schedule, other teams are playing patsies. While I personally agree that the non-conference schedule is subject to debate (some play weak-sister teams while others (OU) play ranked opponents - they want to know how good they are.

Texas is playing UCF this weekend, which they should win easily. What this does, even if Texas had played a tough early schedule is that it gives UT basically a bye week - a game they should win handily - allow them to a) heal up somewhat b) rest starters late in the game and c) provide a "style points" win late in the season, something to impress pollsters and the computers.

Again, this seems like smoke and mirrors to me - I like the way that OU schedules most of the time. But it seems a lot of teams are scheduling a weak non-conference foe hoping that they'll get the benefit of the win, without much "how did they really look" oversight/review.