re: Bama toughest schedule in the country

Weaker schedules are only relevant in a discussion of who belongs. When you win the championship game, you've pretty much dispelled any claim that you didn't belong.

The point was your easy schedule got you to Atlanta.

The NCAA has a toughest schedule listing, based on cumulative record:

Rank Team ---- Opponent Record

1 Florida ---- 74-36 67%
2 Mizzou ----- 73-39 65%
3 Aggies ----- 63-39 61%
4 Notre Dame - 75-49 61%
5 Nebraska --- 77-50 60%
6 Stanford --- 85-50 63%
7 Kentucky --- 69-43 61%
7 Arkansas --- 69-43 61%
9 Cali ------- 72-45 61%
10 Mich St --- 78-48 61%
11 Wisconsin - 73-52 58%
12 Auburn ---- 68-44 60%
13 Arizona --- 77-50 60%
14 Michigan -- 74-52 59%
15 Kansas ---- 68-55 60%
16 Oklahoma -- 66-47 58%
17 Oregon ---- 65-49 57%
18 Lsu ------- 63-47 57%
19 Alabama --- 67-54 55%

Through Dec 15th - pdf file

spot on IMO

If that incorporates the SECCG, I think that's a good ranking. Otherwise, it is pretty bad.

Strength of schedule is one of those odd things to calculate. If you played the number 1, 2, 3, and 4 team in the country in a single season but then played 9 D2 schools a lot of models are going to give you a worse strength of schedule than if you played the number 25 team 14 times.

Playing LSU was tough. Playing TAMU was tough. Playing LSU then TAMU the following weak was tougher. Everyone knows this, but few models do not take this into consideration.

quote:

---

The NCAA has a toughest schedule listing, based on cumulative record:

Rank Team ---- Opponent Record

1 Florida ---- 74-36 67%
2 Mizzou ----- 73-39 65%
3 Aggies ----- 63-39 61%
4 Notre Dame - 75-49 61%
5 Nebraska --- 77-50 60%
6 Stanford --- 85-50 63%
7 Kentucky --- 69-43 61%
7 Arkansas --- 69-43 61%
9 Cali ------- 72-45 61%
10 Mich St --- 78-48 61%
11 Wisconsin - 73-52 58%
12 Auburn ---- 68-44 60%
13 Arizona --- 77-50 60%
14 Michigan -- 74-52 59%
15 Kansas ---- 68-55 60%
16 Oklahoma -- 66-47 58%
17 Oregon ---- 65-49 57%
18 Lsu ------- 63-47 57%
19 Alabama --- 67-54 55%

---

So what if you played the top 6 teams and the worst 6 teams? The win/loss would be hosed over a team that played only the Big East or some other shitty conference. Win/loss record only gets you so far.

Phil Steele's Toughest Schedule Rankings from yesterday:

https://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/2012/Dec12/DBDec17.html

I think that if you beat LSU in Death Valley on a Saturday night, it pretty much makes up for the rest of Bama's weak arse schedule. That is the hardest thing to do in college football IMHO.