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Something that P!$$ed me off

Disgustipated said:
You have to play at least one big boy in the nonconference, have to. Any program that wants to actually win a natty now you have to test your team. if you happen to lose that one big non conference game its not the death blow it used to be. I'm just not seeing the argument that now that there is a real playoff means there is no reason to schedule good non conference games. there is actually more incentive IMO
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Fully agree, and straight cupcake matchups mask real problems. Different matchups showcase different strengths and weaknesses of your own team. However, without any real resistance from the other team, cupcake matchups are borderline *********ory.

We didn’t know it at the time, still, Old Dominion turned out to be a really good football team. Went 9-3 then beat USF in a bowl game. Beat VT, @ VT which led to Pry’s firing. IU dropped from 20 to 23 after beating 27-14 at home. However, even if unintended, that matchup helped them be ready, 21 days later, to whoop Illinois, who was ranked 9th while Indiana was 19th, 63-10. Besides Duke, Illinois played two g6 teams they beat by a combined 87 points; yet, they still got whooped by a team within their conference by 53.

Illinois scheduled Duke, went to Duke, and beat them 45 to 19. Duke would lose to Illinois and Tulane back to back; however, would bounce back to go 6-2 in conference play. They didn’t make the playoffs, but if they had actually beaten Tulane (a playoff team) and UConn OOC, that Illinois loss would have been less damaging & they would’ve surely made it into a debate whether or not Tulane should be in.

I don’t blame Illinois cuz they actually scheduled a p4 home and home but the point is like you said that close games create necessary calluses for later in the year. Hopefully we use our one free schedule slot these next few years to schedule another marquee matchup; and for more programs to not be afraid of putting 11 P4 teams on their schedule.
 
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