If a bye is the goal then PSU needs to win conference regardless of non con. As I understand the initial plan the first four teams get a bye and conference winners will comprise those first four. So PSU can win all these “silly” games but if they don’t win the B10 then they aren’t getting a bye.
Football Penn State adds FIU to 2025 schedule
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Michigan won the National Championship last year and made a four team playoff playing nobody non conference.
I think you are exaggerating saying EVERYONE is scheduling tough non conference games. Remember a lot of these may have been setup prior to Big 10 expansion. I think the trend will be to do what PSU is doing.
How successful that will be for those teams going forward is another topic. And it doesn't seem that it's "everyone".
The most recent B10 team to win a MNC is Michigan in 2023, and the NC schedule that led to that championship consisted of:
East Carolina
UNLV
Bowling Green
Are those "real non conference opponets" ?
Correct under a 4 team system. That worked. It won't moving forward. Look at all playoff contenders future schedules and us. No one else is doing it. We don't have a single decent non conference opponent. It will be held against us and it doesn't help prepare us for top tier conference games which we have been incapable of winning.
No...moving forward. Expanded playoff requires a better SOS. Michigan has Texas Oklahoma and ND coming up. We have....
No, there's more room for error with a higher SOS. But a B10 team will have a good strength of schedule without playing a team such as Texas as an OOC game.
And the years the UM loses to their OOC top game they will still have to face a couple similar teams in the B10 and have to keep from losing more tha one of those games. Or 2 depending on how many top B10 games they play and how the teams they lose to do the rest of the season.
Either way works if a team wins more than half of their top 20 opponents, but over scheduling and getting to 3 loses could leave out a team that deserves to be in.
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I agree...with teams like OSU, UM, Washington, USC, along with next tier like Wisconsin, Iowa and other typical non-playoff contenders, we'll have plenty of SOS. Especially when you consider the teams that will compete for positions 8 - 12 (perhaps 14) will probably have poor SOSs.
SOS is great but if it means another L, it works against you.
Certainly not a solid 3 games...but PSU has Nova again. Enough with these FCS or 1-AA, whatever its called opponents. I know they don't care about the fans, but what an absolute garbage 2025 that is. I guess my take is, there are different levels of 'solid' or decent mid-majors that PSU would beat by simply playing solid football -- and those opponents wouldn't be a mockery to the fans or by analysts. Our 2025 schedule is a joke. We should never schedule an FCS opponent. There are many rungs you can go up in the 'guarantee' games that still would result in wins, and also provide a unique fan experience for a fresh, unique matchup. Don't get me wrong, I get that the B1G moving forward 'should' provide enough of a resume of wins to not only make the playoffs, but hopefully get a home game. But, when it comes to landing a bye or any other important metric, SOS could play a role in that.
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You may want to take a look at Ohio State’s non conference schedule for this upcoming season:
-Akron
-Western Michigan
-Marshall
I’m sure there are others that are doing it.
I believe PSU has Marshall in the next couple of yrs...which I think is great. A new, unique matchup and a team that isn't a total laughingstock. Marshall beat ND in 2022 and VT last year. What PSU has in 2025 doesn't even come close to these three OSU has...and that is saying something since this isn't a juggernaut either.
Sure a ton of other teams are doing it...there are also many teams that play teams with a pulse as well. OSU played ND last year, and WKU, typically a decent mid-major. It doesn't have to be a total crapshow of September the way PSU scheduled for 2025...there are many layers of finding winnable games, yet not it be a mockery to the fans and the whole day. In 2025, OSU has Texas. I'm not saying by any means PSU should do that....I would like them to, but I get not doing it. However, the 2025 September slate is ridiculous.
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Yes it will work. If PSU is 10-2 in the new Big 10 they are making the playoff.
Scheduling a toss up type non conference game will lower PSU’s chances of making the playoff.
Or, scheduling that type of toss up game, like the early Sept. non-conf games we enjoy watching, can also improve your chances drastically with a win. It provides a buffer should u lose a B1G game.
It's likely 10-2 gets us in the playoffs, but u say it like it is a certainty. Barring a surprise, our two 'best' resume building opponents next year are likely OSU and USC...if we lose both, do you really think we are a lock to get in? UW is primed to be down, and UCLA could be a mess. Not to mention, there are always a logjam of teams with a 10-2 record come the end of the yr.
Texas probably misses the playoffs last year if instead of scheduling (and beating) Bama, they had UNLV or something. Big game scheduling can hurt, but I think, mostly, it is a benefit.
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That's not true. You're wrong and you'll see that. Penn State would be better off at 9-3 which a quality loss than 10-2 without a quality win. SOS will be huge.
People think that 10-2 is an absolute guarantee certainty...as I posted above...if both of those losses are against the 'best' teams on the schedule, it isn't a guarantee at all. There is like no gray areas for people on this board...it's all definite statements.
PSU doesn’t care about the fans anymore it’s the money they are hunting what happened to the good old days when 1 o’clock was the name of the game . Just like this year UCLA will be the white out the fans don’t mean damn thing anymore, I live near the Maryland border till I get home on a Sunday it’s 330 in the morning don’t even want to go anymore
So did Michigan. I believe they have Texas in 2024...and OU in 2025. Who knows if 2025 will have some alterations as all programs adjust to the new normal, but they have scheduled heavy too.
Starting Big 10 play with a 50% chance of a loss on your schedule is not a recipe for consistent playoff berths.
There are going to be plenty of marquee opponents on the schedule with the addition of Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA.
If you want to make the case for playing a WVU or Syracuse type team I might consider it but adding an Oklahoma or a Clemson to this Big 10 schedule is nuts.
So Michigan and Ohio State, who are doing so, are nuts but we're smart Leroy than everyone. Look at Bama's future schedules. Why are you scheduling scares? Play the best, beat the best, be the best. If we go 10-2 without a marquee win like this year and get left out for a 9-3 Michigan would finally played a real non conference schedule you can't complain. Anyone that thinks scheduling WVU is good enough is delusional
Name one time a team was selected over a team with a better record due to quality loss. I don't think it has ever happened in college football.
They didn’t fix anything….those games were scheduled years ago without knowing what the new Big 10 conference is going to look like. If the goal is to make the playoffs, you don’t overload your schedule now with too many challenging games.
You're wrong. With the expanded playoff it becomes more like every other college sport. Not all 10-2 is created equal. Major programs, other than us, get this. I just don't want a single person that's supporting these non conference games to complain when we see teams with an extra loss in over us as it will happen
A perennial OOC opponent in the SEC is UL Monroe, and I believe Bama likes to play them towards the end of the season before a tougher SEC game. Sort of scheduling an off week.....
Yep, every schedule and the record from it will determine entrance into the playoff. And how the schedule looks to fans, and the evaluators, usually changes from before the season to after the season when the evaluation that counts is done. Which is why there really is not clear cut recipe. One year the B10 PSU schedule could be a lot tougher than what it looks like before the season such as a year when MD or Iowa or Wisky or .... have a once in 10 year season and PSU either skimps by them or loses to them. Another year those teams suck and there really isn't much credit for beating them.
PSU might not be as strong as we want every year which is why I prefer PSU to schedule a reasonable schedule. The B10 matchups are known a few years in advance and when PSU might have USC, OSU, UM, Iowa and Wisky on a given year I'll be happy if the OOC schedule sucks.
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I don't believe those words confuse him.
The decision making will be the same for the "expanded playoff", and for the large majority of those decisions a better record for a P5 team that does have a record against the top teams in their top P5 conference such as the B10 will get in over the team with more losses.
Complaining about a weak home schedule by season ticket holders is a whole different topic.
Just because that how you think it going to happen doesn't mean that how it will happen. College football when comparing major college conference teams record has always been the biggest and most important factor. The only time I can think of an inferior team record being chosen over another team is FSU due to injury. I never seen a good loss ever being more valuable then a win.
It wasn't because of strength of schedule. It was because their Quarterback was hurt. If he was healthy they would have gotten in over Alabama.
Let’s see what these other major programs do, going forward. The Big 10 conference is a much stronger conference now, certainly with these 4 new adds….much stronger than what the ACC and the Big 12 has added. You got to look at the entire schedule now, and not nickpick the non conference part. In 2024, PSU will be playing USC, UCLA and Washington, instead of Rutgers, Indiana and Michigan State….that’s certainly much more competitive and challenging than 2023. And, keep in mind, both the ACC and SEC only play 8 conference games, instead of 9. So, those conferences always play at least 3 weak teams every year. Are you going to tell me that Clemson and FSU’s future overall schedules are much stronger than PSU’s schedule, even with PSU having 3 weak teams in non conference play? It’s not even close…take a look at who Clemson and FSU play in conference.
Bama and Ohio State have higher rated players than us at almost every position. Their odds and records against Top teams is significantly better than ours. I also predict they will also stop that type of scheduling very soon.
The other thing to remember is there is still a potential Big 10 Championship game to contend with. Not only do you have to navigate a loaded Big 10 conference but you might have to play a Michigan, Ohio State, or Oregon twice in one year.
It won't be. It absolutely won't be but act surprised when the inevitable happens and we're penalized for a weak schedule and Michigan or Ohio State get a spot in 25 over us with an extra loss. I'm comparing us to other Big Ten and SEC teams not anyone else.
Clemson and FSU aren't who were being compared to. We need the SOS advance over the SEC and Big Ten teams with the same record or separated by 1 win.
With the new conference our schedule is plenty tough. Don’t want to schedule any to twenty teams,
But I don’t like really weak teams like Villanova. After playing three Little Sisters of the Poor it really screws up the team, especially defense.
I have seen that when wr move u to the top teams we are not used to the speed of power. Miss a lot tackles, take poor angles, O line gives up sacks,
Need to play decent teams like WVU, or Duke. How about Vanderbilt? Wouldn’t that be fun?
But I don’t like really weak teams like Villanova. After playing three Little Sisters of the Poor it really screws up the team, especially defense.
I have seen that when wr move u to the top teams we are not used to the speed of power. Miss a lot tackles, take poor angles, O line gives up sacks,
Need to play decent teams like WVU, or Duke. How about Vanderbilt? Wouldn’t that be fun?
