UK Football 2009 - Strength of Schedule
by mrmondaynite on Jun 11, 2009 10:15 AM EDT
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PrintWhile this piece is solely conjecture by Mark Schlabach, UK's OOC schedule is fairly weak.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4247827
While we do have the usual dates with UF, UT and Alabama (at Commonwealth), and UGA in Athens, the OCC schedule is...well, pathetic. Especially with U of L mired in football obsolescence.
Last season...
Miami (OH) - 1-7 in the MAC (!), 2-10 overall; beat Charleston Southern and Bowling Green
Louisville - Well, you know. (1-6 BE, 5-7 overall; Who is the new QB? Matt Simms?)
Louisiana-Monroe - 3-4 in Sun Belt, 4-8 overall
Eastern Kentucky - FCS team, tops in OVC last season
Now, let me make it clear that I didn't make this post to condemn UK football's scheduling choices. We are not in the position yet as a national power to be validly criticized for scheduling softly outside the SEC. However, you can call each and every one of these 4 dates "trap" games that could ruin, or at least substantially hinder, what many of us fans consider to be a promising season. I'm not saying you should schedule OOC games with opponents who you expect to lose to; I guess I'm just saying that if you schedule OOC games against teams there is no excuse for you NOT to beat, you had better beat them.
No matter what happens, I can't wait.
Notice - happily - how times have changed and I just assume we'll handle U of L.
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Eastern game should be a tradition
just like Louisville,so I dont have a problem with that. We need to show a committment to help other schools in Kentucky when we can. I still say this is nothing but a result of trying to become bowl eligible every year. Thank the BCS……c’est la vie.
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Eastern
shouldnt be overlooked. I dont really see them as a team that Kentucky “should have no excuse not to beat.”
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Jun 11, 2009 1:17 PM EDT reply actions
They're an FCS school (new name for Division I-AA).
We are an FBS team. A step above the FCS.
If we can’t beat an FCS school, we have absolutely no business being in a bowl.
No doubt, Eastern is good. But they’re still an FCS team.
by mrmondaynite on Jun 11, 2009 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree 100%
If you can’t beat EKU, you can not be taken seriously.
If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.
I agree
I also totally dont think that we belonged in a bowl last year.
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Jun 11, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
We belonged as much as a lot of those teams that got in to bowl games,
our 6 losses counted among them teams that ANYONE else could have lost to as well. The BCS is another NCAA creation. You cant hold the coaches responsible for scheduling so that they become bowl eligible….big money in those appearances…..money that pays for a lot of other things. I do not fault Coach for the OOC scheduling….not one bit…..its not like it is in basketball where everyone gets a chance at postseason play….only way to get there is to qualify. If you dont, you dont get the media….the $$$ or the exposure. How many recruits do you think Coach has mentioned that three year streak to this spring? Big name kids do not go to schools that do not play in bowl games….no matter how many thousands of bowl games there are.
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Scheduling is difficult for a school like us..
If we want to remain in the bowl hunt then we absolutely have to schedule 3-4 cake games per year… If we can win all of those, win two or three games we’re supposed to win in the SEC and get an upset or two then we’re in a bowl game. On the flipside if we replace one or two of those cake games with teams that can beat us our bowl chances are significantly lower. For a few years this strategy has worked to make our team look good and get us some good recruits, but I think it’s about time to start scheduling some teams that play at our level.
60% of the time it works everytime
Our OOC is traditionally respectable
because usually U of L is good. Not anymore. Hahaha what up Brandon.
by mrmondaynite on Jun 11, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Riiiiight
because last place in the SEC East with a record of 2-6 in the conference and 6-6 overall is really impressive. LOL!
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Jun 11, 2009 3:46 PM EDT reply actions
Note that I said that strategy has made us look good. I never said those teams looked impressive.. I’m amongst the believers that we shouldnt have been in a bowl game last year and we shouldn’t even be considered for one unless we go at least .500 in the conference
60% of the time it works everytime
Its better than 2-9 overall which used to be our regularly scheduled record
KYGir, you have to start somewhere when trying to build a program at a place like Kentucky. People dont realize how big bowl play is no matter you conference record. Not only can UK ill afford to lose games OOC it’s also important not to play teams that are going to physically cause your players injury when facing a conference schedule like ours. Last year we wear clearly down compared to two years ago when we were in the conference hunt for a while. I think it’s obvious that the past several years have led to better recruits, which will lead to more wins, and better recruits. I expect you will see this same scheduling for at least a few more seasons. As our team gets better you will see tougher OOC games but building a football program at a place like UK is a much lengthier process than building a basketball program.
DEEETROIT BASKETBALLL!!!
I get that you have to start somewhere
I’m just saying that we should probably be able to handle what we already have schedule-wise before we go making it tougher.
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Jun 11, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Schlabach is a hack
He writes and incomplete article and expects to be taken seriously.
Overthepylon’s Alan Rucker wrote an excellent retort to Schlabach’s “piece” which I will post shortly.
There is nothing wrong with UK’s schedule, except for the fact that they play 11 straight weeks. The SEC portion is very strong, and Miami, OH, while down last year, is traditionally a very good MAC team. And, it’s not UK’s fault U of L has fallen off the map.
I agree.
Let’s just say Schlabach’s no Pat Forde.
by Thomas Hunt Morgan on Jun 11, 2009 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Miami (OH) Football
Record over the last 3 years is 17-31…last bowl is 2004. I feel like the last time they were truly relevant was when Roethlisberger was there.
by mrmondaynite on Jun 12, 2009 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions
There's no shame in our OOC schedule (yet)
As mentioned above we need to mitigate the effects of the SEC portion of our schedule just to survive the season. Slumbug conveniently forgets to mention the overall strength of schedule which ends up about 20-35th depending on the ratings site.
At one site our 2008 schedule was harder than 4 teams in the Pac10, half the Big12 and most of the Big10, ACC and BigEast. Interestingly, only Alabama had a weaker SOS than us in the SEC.
As the team progresses there is room for more challenges OOC but Brooks has done a good job scheduling to date.
UK Vs KU: SEC/Big 12 Challenge
More on strengthening pre-conference schedules with some interesting matchups including Cats vs ‘Hawks from ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
"[T]he opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves, in their, own sphere of action, but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch."
--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Abigail Adams, 11 September 1804
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