When college football went to a 12-game schedule in 2006, you knew it would produce laughably easy non-conference opponents for some BCS teams.
So feel free to chuckle at Auburn's November match-up with Tennessee-Martin, or Arkansas' opener with Western Illinois. But once past the laughs, you will see that SEC teams - Auburn and Arkansas included - are not shying away from non-conference challenges in 2008.
Despite already playing in college football's toughest conference, SEC teams will be risking their records with difficult opponents outside the league.
Such scheduling has led to back-to-back SEC national champions. So you can appreciate the strategy.
But you also should appreciate the risks.
LSU made it to January's national championship game despite two losses. Why? Strength of schedule. Aside from winning the nation's best conference, LSU had a lopsided victory over nationally ranked Virginia Tech.
In 2006, Florida traveled a similarly treacherous path to the national championship game. Although the Gators had a regular-season loss, their strength of schedule gave them an advantage over teams with the same record.
A strong schedule could help another SEC team win the national title in 2008. But if two other teams from BCS conferences go unbeaten, strength of schedule could leave a one-loss SEC team on the outside looking in at the national championship game.
Georgia and Florida of the SEC look like national championship contenders in 2008. However, it's unreasonable to expect either of them to go unbeaten.
Georgia, which has been ranked No. 1 in a couple of early preseason polls, probably has the toughest conference schedule in the SEC, especially with back-to-back games against LSU in Baton Rouge and Florida in Jacksonville. Its non-conference schedule isn't a breeze, either.
The Bulldogs already had one credible non-conference opponent, in-state rival Georgia Tech, which has been to bowls in 11 consecutive seasons. Now, they have added Arizona State, which should field a top-25 caliber team, as it did in 2007.
Not only will the game be in Tempe, Ariz. But the Sun Devils will catch Georgia the week after the Bulldogs play at South Carolina, and the week before they play Alabama.
I don't know why Florida felt compelled to schedule Miami. The Gators play Florida State every year, and LSU is their permanent opponent from the SEC West. In most years, that's daunting enough when combined with the rest of the SEC schedule.
Although the Hurricanes struggled in Randy Shannon's first season as head coach, you know the program is not devoid of talent. And you know the Hurricanes would love to knock off the state's marquee program.
The Gators will get Miami in The Swamp, but they must play Florida State in Tallahassee at the end of the regular season.
Defending national champion LSU has the easiest non-conference schedule. Its toughest non-conference game should be its opener against Division I-AA defending national champion Appalachian State.
Other SEC teams will face greater non-conference challenges than usual.
Alabama and South Carolina must play Clemson, which should be the consensus favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Arkansas will play at Texas. Auburn has a Thursday night game at West Virginia.
The timing of the West Virginia game won't help the Tigers in SEC play. The next week, they will play at Mississippi State. After that, come LSU and Tennessee on successive Saturdays.
The odds are against anyone going unbeaten in SEC play. So winning the non-conference games is a must if you're going for a national title.
But that's nothing new. Since 1957, the SEC has won 15 national titles. Only one of those champions - Florida in 1996 - lost a non-conference game in regular season.
Here's a team-by-team look at the SEC non-conference schedules for next season:
Alabama - Clemson, Tulane, Western Kentucky and Arkansas State.
Arkansas -Western Illinois, Louisiana-Monroe, Texas and Tulsa.
Auburn - Louisiana-Monroe, West Virginia, Southern Mississippi and UT-Martin.
Florida - Hawaii, Miami, The Citadel and Florida State.
Georgia - Georgia Southern, Central Michigan, Arizona State and Georgia Tech.
Kentucky - Louisville, Norfolk, Akron and Kent State.
LSU - Appalachian State, North Texas, Troy and Tulane
Mississippi State - Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia Tech and Middle Tennessee.
Ole Miss - Memphis, Wake Forest, Samford, Louisiana-Monroe.
South Carolina - N.C. State, Wofford, UAB and Clemson.
Tennessee - UAB, UCLA, N. Illinois and Wyoming.
Vanderbilt - Miami (Ohio), Duke, Rice and Wake Forest.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
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Comments » 34
DCVolFan writes:
Wow... John Adams wrote a football column and didn't once mention Phil Fulmer. I'm shocked
Was it hard to type with your tail tucked between your legs?
Michael1204 writes:
This article seems a little more....tame than the last one. Wonder why that is? Kudos to you John for actually writing a positive article that's not trying to backhand Fulmer, which you frequently do.
FireJohnAdams writes:
Typical of Mr. J.A.; call for someone's job one day, act like nothing happened the next. What a sorry excuse of a writer you are! Do us all a favor, please. Write about the European Badmitton League, no more football for you!
bmaples writes:
Thanks, John, for some interesting info. Interesting timing, though -- I'm not sure I would have written another football column this soon, especially when you might have a great basketball story to turn in tonight (Saturday).
COVolsFan writes:
John Adams is a waste of space.
DennisVols writes:
How bout them VOLS
anthony writes:
Michael 1024 when are you going to get some b.... cumpthion,and kick john adams out of town like he should be. Whgat a reall y really gteat article. Michael you should be Ed Sullivan!! Or are you a john adams alias?? This adams is an idiot, a football article while we are playint for number 1 in basketball. what a joke, the real goose john adams is has just been exposed. Will the news sentinel have the guts to get rid of him???
ads#352927 writes:
You can't spell "Phillip Fulmer" without three L's. Take your pick - three plus losses will be the norm from now on, so no need for John Adams to mention the obvious.
pearlman writes:
Oh my, an article without Tennessee being mentioned until the end and he doest not make us look like the laughing stock of the SEC. He must have the flu.
Oenoboy writes:
Oh yeah, Adams can kiss my a$$!
GO VOLS!!!!
rootin4volz writes:
At some point, Johnny-boy, you're gonna have to address the egregious error that you made in writing that horribly judgmental article about Coach Fulmer. Remember...Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
Hunter writes:
Hey John, little basketball game just happened west of Knoxville. Football starts in August. I'm just saying....
Pullingguard writes:
How many times did he mention the Vols...Just find it... The dummy is terrible.... Look at the times he mentions LSU.. John Adams is not capable of writing a decent column where it mentions UT... The column is decent but its all about hyping Ga., Fla., LSU., and on and on... John Adams how do you survive in Knoxville, the people must be very patient or just dont give a cuss or they would disassociate themselves from the KNS by cancelling their subscription to the paper.
scottmichaelmoore#540590 writes:
John...I stumbled across this article...Nice PF pound piece. I can't wait to just "bump into you" at wal-mart someday. :)
rootin4volz writes:
Hey Pullingguard...What subscription to the KNS? Hahahahaha! I, for one, absolutely refuse!
Chainsaw writes:
Anybody put a "for sale" sign in Adams's yard yet?
marinevol writes:
Adams, are you still here? I thought you would have done the honorable thing by now.
LiveFaith writes:
Shut up Adams. Just go away.
MrBamSeydu writes:
scottmichaelmoore: that was the most redneck comment of all time
Everyone get off Adams' sack.... all of you wanted Fulmer fired at some point, he just wrote an article about it.
FireJohnAdams writes:
Nope, yemmusdarb, we ain't a gona do it! If Adams had not been so stupid, he could have been writing about a GREAT basketball game tonite and readers (some of them, like you) would have at least given him the benefit of doubt...
rockyknox writes:
Adams, I guess you think you can slide a nice football article in while Vol fans are excited about the basketball win. Time for you to leave town. You are not one of us. It appears the only friend you can find is Paul Finebaum.
debaser11 writes:
Vols go to No.1 in basketball and here is an article on SEC non-conference football schedules - go figure!
Kudos to the KNS editorial staff for bringing us such timely articles.
Triton1 writes:
FIRE ADAMS! YOU SUK ADAMS!
goldengate writes:
Good to see you have recovered from having been female dogslapped by the coach.
You didn't even get past the headline without misspelling a word. Should the football coach write another column demanding that you be fired for not fulfilling the duties of a real editor?
If Fulmer must endure your criticism as to his leadership, at least he can rest assured that his guest column provides strong evidence that he does a better job of writing than you would do at coaching!
goldengate writes:
Before your guys there at the so-called paper go online and change it, as of now the headline for this column reads : "Adams: SEC non-conference scheduled no joke".
Scheduled?!
Pathetic.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Rumor has it that John Adams put App. State on Michigan's schedule last year, LA Lafayette on Alabama's and Cal on TN's.
Volfan1 writes:
Adams = no credibility.
b writes:
Adams is a loser!!!
STFU, Adams!!!!
dallasdog1 writes:
ADams has credibility in GA. Buck and Kindcade had him on for an hour.....afternoon sports talk in atlanta....of course Buck is Buck Belue....and he might favor the dawgs a little......nice work JA...getting on the radio in GA I mean. Nice work!
TommyJack writes:
Another responsible Adams article.
LargeOrange writes:
Why go to Birmingham and Atlanta to attack CPF's integrity and character? It is bad enough you speak and write your personal attacks in Knoxville but to cross enemy lines and attack your "home" and it's leaders is something different and points to your motivation. John Adams = Jane Fonda. Hanoi John!! Here is a link for all you youngsters who may not get the reference. http://www.1stcavmedic.com/jane_fonda...
ncvol17 writes:
NC State dropped UT in 2008. That was when Amato was still there. They were afraid to play a tough road game.
Why do they play SC? That's a sure loss
scottmichaelmoore#540590 writes:
yemmusdarb...I'll show you redneck...All I need is one punch. And I have never called for the man's job. I'm more patient than most...take your job for example...if you have a bad day at Kroger, like when you put the milk on top of the bread...no one calls for your job.
scottmichaelmoore#540590 writes:
yemmusdarb...I'll show you redneck...All I need is one punch. And I have never called for the man's job. I'm more patient than most...take your job for example...if you have a bad day at Kroger, like when you put the milk on top of the bread...no one calls for your job.
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