SEC Teams Strength of Schedule
by brandond03 on Jul 15, 2025 4:07 PM EDT
21 comments
Bumped from the FanPosts -Year2
In keeping with Tuesday's post I decided to see how the SEC teams' schedules look using 2009's final FEI rankings. FEI is a stat compiled by the guys over at FootballOutsiders.com, if you haven't been to their site, go take a look. They break down both the NFL and FBS teams and are looking for guys to help them chart the FBS for 2010 (pay included). After the jump there will be chart showing the break down for the SEC and a 6 team sample from other conferences.
As you can see below the SEC has a stronger schedule than the sample, the exception being FSU. The reason I used last year's rankings is because I haven't purchased someone's magazine yet and Paul Myerberg (PreSnapRead.com) and others give their ranks countdown style and I would have to wait until the end of August to post this. This ranking is also more objective since it based on numbers and not gut feelings mixed with numbers. I also leave out off weeks so that is why it may look like Bama and Arkansas play Ole Miss at the same time. I have left out FCS teams since they aren't given a FEI rank, I have tried thinking of ways to rank these teams but decided for now to leave them blank. Looking at the rankings I don't think it would have too much of an effect on the final outcomes, I don't think including Ga St will make Bama's schedule easier than Texas's. The "diff" column shows the difference in the Average Opponent Rank and the team's Final 2009 FEI Rank. A negative number shows that a team plays an easy schedule while a positive number shows that a team plays a hard schedule relative to their Final 2009 FEI Rank. Meaning, not only does Boise State play the easiest schedule they also play the easiest schedule relative to their ranking.
|
West |
Final 2009 FEI Rank |
Avg Opp FEI |
Diff |
East |
Final 2009 FEI Rank |
Avg Opp FEI |
Diff |
|
|
Bama |
1 |
44.182 |
-43.182 |
Florida |
2 |
43.909 |
-41.909 |
|
|
Arkansas |
26 |
52.000 |
-26.000 |
Georgia |
30 |
45.727 |
-15.727 |
|
|
Auburn |
32 |
43.636 |
-11.636 |
Kentucky |
45 |
53.273 |
-8.273 |
|
|
LSU |
17 |
44.818 |
-27.818 |
S. Carolina |
44 |
36.909 |
7.091 |
|
|
Ole Miss |
28 |
59.455 |
-31.455 |
Tenn |
38 |
40.818 |
-2.818 |
|
|
MSU |
43 |
38.273 |
4.727 |
Vandy |
72 |
38.583 |
33.417 |
|
|
Others |
Final 2009 FEI Rank |
Avg Opp FEI |
Diff |
|||||
|
Texas |
6 |
65.917 |
-59.917 |
|||||
|
Ohio State |
4 |
52.000 |
-48.000 |
|||||
|
TCU |
8 |
75.091 |
-67.091 |
|||||
|
Boise State |
16 |
86.250 |
-70.250 |
|||||
|
FSU |
24 |
33.273 |
-9.273 |
|||||
|
W. VA |
33 |
54.545 |
-21.545 |
A FanPost gives the opinion of the fan who writes it and that fan only. That doesn't give the opinion more or less weight than any other opinion on this blog, but the post does not necessarily reflect the view of TSK's writers.
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Vanderbilt 3rd toughest?
If I’m reading this correctly, Vanderbilt has the 3rd toughest schedule in the SEC, right? That’s pure insanity.
I realize we’re hurt by being one of four teams that doesn’t play Vanderbilt. But our OOC is suicidal.
Slive should step in to force Vanderbilt and Ole Miss to trade OOC schedules.
by PhilipVU94 on Jul 15, 2025 5:03 PM EDT reply actions
what's up with that?
People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....
by southman on Jul 20, 2025 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions
crazy
True randomness might get you calling a Hail Mary play on first-and-goal from the two yard line. You might catch the defense off guard with that, but your likelihood of scoring would be much less than if you called the utterly predictable halfback dive. - TSK
by Bonhoffer on Jul 21, 2025 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Vandy does have the 3rd toughest
that happens when you schedule all FBS teams. Vandy might take that trade with Ole Miss, since they have to go to UConn and play Northwestern and Wake Forest at home. All Ole Miss has to do is drive over to New Orleans and play Tulane.
by brandond03 on Jul 15, 2025 10:01 PM EDT reply actions
eh
it’s a longer drive from Nashville
"Infield hits are sexy, because they require technique."
-Ichiro
by VivaLosBravos on Jul 16, 2025 2:46 AM EDT up reply actions
vandy needs to play some sunbelt teams.
I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. I still will always follow the Mountain West Conference. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez and face the winner of Junior Dos Santos vs Roy Nelson where he will defeat JDS and stake his claim as pound for pound champion. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. 1 month till the first game of college football. UTAH vs Pitt. September 2nd 2010.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Aug 1, 2025 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Ole Miss' schedule is worse than Kentucky
Admiral Ackbar would not approve.
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
by cocknfire on Jul 16, 2025 1:05 AM EDT reply actions
Is Admiral Ackbar the new Ole Miss Mascot??
by brandond03 on Jul 16, 2025 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions
unfortunately
the mascot should still be Colonel Reb. it ain’t racist it’s the old south that’s been yankified almost completely :(
People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....
by southman on Jul 20, 2025 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
That's hard to do!
But Kentucky’s Barnhart works extremely hard to find the Western Kentuckys, Norfork States, and the worse team in the MAC each year. Hey, it ain’t easy being a Kentucky football fan!
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
by ParisGuy on Aug 1, 2025 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
FSU's Schedule
For all the “ACC isn’t a real league talk” the Noles had a pretty hard schedule, rated more difficult than any of the “SEC is so incredibly difficult we don’t waste our time with out of conference games” Not really a surprise to anyone who follows the program, and this years schedule is probably harder. Undoubtedly that will result in more games lost.
by NationWideNole on Jul 16, 2025 8:18 AM EDT reply actions
I thought all the FSU fans
were thinking this was the year they get back into contention, with Ponder at QB and and experienced defense.
by brandond03 on Jul 16, 2025 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Contention for the ACC, yes
Not nationwide contention. Too much of a bear of a schedule and a defense with only one spring and one fall of competent Defensive coaching.
Shot a Gator in Jean Shorts just to watch him die.
by AMFKNole on Jul 17, 2025 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
unfortunately
the reason that FSU’s schedule was so difficult had less to do with their ACC slate and more to do with their OOC slate. Sure Ga Tech and Clemson were solid, but then again FSU lost them both. Perhaps I’m just not used to FSU fans actually defending a 7-6 season with the excuse being that the schedule was too hard. The Florida and BYU games are what boosted their SOS so high, not there games against NC State and Maryland, games they coincidentally won by 3 points each. The ACC was stronger last year, but this new trend of FSU fans believing that their some scheduling giant, the same year they canceled a series with Jacksonville State, and lead off with Samford is a bit annoying. I commend FSU for scheduling Okla and BYU in OOC games, but it appears most of the FSU faithful don’t care for it, and are using a 2 year stretch as proof that their schedule is just too hard, and that they need to “schedule like Florida and Alabama” two programs that end almost every season with a higher SOS than FSU, and also without realizing that the UF/FSU game boosts FSUs SOS considerably, and does little for Florida’s recently.
Below is the final sagarin SOS for the last several years, and yes I realize that is post Bowl etc
UF FSU
2005 19 23
2006 1 33
2007 10 40
2008 1 17
2009 2 31
Now, did you want to try and explain that record away because of the schedule again, or can we just go back to the good ole days when you guys didn’t believe that because of one home and home with Oklahoma that your schedule was worlds more difficult than anyone elses?
by Cardsfan25 on Jul 16, 2025 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions
That's kind of an issue, including bowl games and championship games
Those games are scheduled for you, not voluntarily.
But what I find REALLY cute is that you listed your team’s final RANKING by Sagarin, NOT final schedule rank. In 09 Sagarin rates you as the 2nd best team in the nation. NOT the second toughest schedule. The Schedule rankings were as follows for 2009: UF 15, FSU 3.
Thanks for coming, please try again.
It’s not just OU, there was also the home and home with BYU we are in the middle of. There was also a home and home with Colorado (scheduled before they fell off the cliff I believe). Both of these games have us playing games across the country the likes of which your boys haven’t done in close to twenty years I believe. This is not a knock, we WANT to schedule the way UF and Bama do. Yes, the ACC is weaker than the SEC, no one is disputing that at the moment.
Shot a Gator in Jean Shorts just to watch him die.
by AMFKNole on Jul 17, 2025 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Weak OOC is acceptable
as long as you’re making BCS bowls. If you’re losing 3 or more games a season and playing Charleston Southern/Georgia State/FIU, then you’re being boring.
Wnen you’re not competing in January, you should at least schedule January type games. FSU did that (unintentionally. I know the Noles weren’t anticipating to hit a 5 year rough patch).
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains
by Chekhov's Spread Gun Option on Jul 19, 2025 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Based on your other numbers, I suspect you made the same mistake for each year
so, yeah… you’re argument is baseless and without merit.
Shot a Gator in Jean Shorts just to watch him die.
by AMFKNole on Jul 17, 2025 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Nice job of being disingenuous
Unfortunately for you, some of us actually read and research something instead of just listening to whatever we’re told. Yes, Cardsfan25 used the wrong numbers, but the right ones aren’t always better for FSU.
2005 — UF 40, FSU 30
2006 — UF 8, FSU 39
2007 — UF 3, FSU 22
2008 — UF 4, FSU 48
And while bowl and championship games might affect SOS some, gaps of 31, 19 and 44(!) would seem to indicate at least some difference in the regular season, no?
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
by cocknfire on Jul 18, 2025 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions
I checked against 2009
couldn’t find links to the others and didn’t have the time to honker down and do the research. I also never said FSU’s schedule was always harder than UFs. I simply pointed out that he was flat wrong with the numbers he was putting out there. So I’m curious as to where I was being disingenuous? I wasn’t trying to mislead, I was pointing out Cardsfan’s mistake. Where was your reading and research when he made his original post that was totally off base?
I’d say that bowl games and conference championship games have a significant effect on SOS, especially when they are often played against the number 1 and number 2 teams in the country (like they were for UF in 98).
Once again I never claimed that the SEC doesn’t present a tough season. I’m simply saying if FSU wants to be a successful program, we need to stop scheduling cross-country road games and start bringing patsies to Doak for summary executions like the other elite teams.
Shot a Gator in Jean Shorts just to watch him die.
by AMFKNole on Jul 20, 2025 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Texas' final FEI ranking was 6?
"You know, we had a lot of fun tonight. But there's nothing funny about vapor lock! It's the third most common cause of cars stalling. So please, take care of your car and get it checked!" -Joe Namath
by billycthulhu on Aug 2, 2025 12:26 PM EDT reply actions
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