Alabama has been so busy winning 24 consecutive regular-season games, it probably didn't think about its 2010 schedule until after it celebrated the 2009 national championship. The open dates are more noticeable than the opponents.
Six of Alabama's SEC opponents will have an open date the week before they play the Tide.
Alabama athletic director Mal Moore was concerned enough to seek relief from the SEC office. The conference was sympathetic enough to acknowledge the schedule was "out of whack."
Now, it's mid-June, no relief is in sight, and even Tide optimists must be thinking they're out of luck with their out-of-whack schedule.
But don't feel sorry for Alabama. Feel sorry for anyone who has to play Alabama.
The Tide lost nine starters on defense and is still a popular pick to repeat as national champion. What does that tell you?
It tells you that an extra week of practice might not be enough.
Don't get me wrong. I'm aware how scheduling can impact a season. But I'm surprised the SEC would even consider lightening a team's schedule. Once you venture down that path, where do you stop?
Would excessive open dates be the only criterion? Or would a team need to be a viable candidate for the national title?
No one seemed to care in 2008 when four of UT's five SEC East opponents had an open date the week before playing the Vols. But if you want to blame unfair scheduling for UT's 5-7 season, it's worth noting that Wyoming needed only a week of practice to win at Neyland Stadium.
Looking ahead, I've already spotted some glaring inequities in UT's upcoming schedule. Is it fair the Vols have to play Oregon and Florida back-to-back? Or LSU and Georgia back-to-back on the road?
There are more subtle problems with UT's next schedule. Four of its five East opponents have an easier opponent than Tennessee the week prior to their game with the Vols. And Vanderbilt is a push. The Commodores will play Kentucky the week before they faces UT; the Vols will play Ole Miss the week before.
Yet you don't hear any of the Vols complaining. First-year coach Derek Dooley has been so busy picking up after the last two coaches, he hasn't had time to beg for scheduling mercy.
In fact, anyone playing in a conference as rigorous as the SEC probably has a scheduling complaint.
Take Georgia, for example. The Bulldogs must play Arkansas the week after they play South Carolina. Conversely, Arkansas will warm up for the Bulldogs by playing Louisiana-Monroe.
There's also an open-date issue for the Bulldogs. Florida gets one before its Georgia game while the Bulldogs will play Kentucky before they take on the Gators.
I doubt up-and-coming Arkansas is excited about a conference schedule which has it playing at Georgia the week before it plays its biggest game of the season against Alabama. The Tide will play Duke the week before Arkansas.
See. Once it gets past those open dates for its opponents, Alabama actually has some scheduling advantages.
LSU and Auburn, the other West opponents most likely to challenge the Tide, have open dates before they play Alabama. But the Tide will have its open date before LSU and will play Georgia State the week before Auburn.
Alabama's biggest scheduling problem isn't the open dates of its opponents. It should be more worried about a three-week, mid-season stretch that has it playing Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina in succession.
But that also could work in Alabama's favor as it seeks back-to-back national championships.
When Florida won the national championship in 2006, it had to play consecutive games against Alabama, LSU and Auburn. That perilous stretch was expected to derail the Gators' bid for an SEC championship. Instead, it boosted Florida's overall strength of schedule to the extent that it could qualify for the national championship game with one loss.
Strength of schedule also worked to LSU's advantage when it won the 2007 national championship. Six of LSU's first nine opponents were ranked 18th or higher. That became a plus when the Tigers were voted into the national championship game with two losses.
Maybe the Tide doesn't need scheduling relief after all.
John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 34
Georgia_Dave writes:
Much Ado About Nothing. FIRST - GBO
volpreacher writes:
anyone who think Bama will go undefeated and win the NC this year is smoking something.
keepitreal4vols writes:
Once again, John Adams has to write about Bama or Florida. He would have writers block if he couldn't.
cdldoc#211897 writes:
Marlboros? Winstons? Cools? Camels?
DannyVol writes:
I hope our team beats your team, Adams. By the way, any thoughts on the Vols? Maybe when you get a chance you can look into that.
FireJohnAdams writes:
"The Commodores will play Kentucky the week before they faces UT..."
*****
before they faces UT ???? Really Award Winning writing!!!!
dvhill100 writes:
There is always going to be someone screaming about their schedule. John brings up a valid point about how no one cared about TN's schedule with the four open dates. I do think Alabama is somewhat hosed, but there is only so much you can do with schedules being formed so far in the future.
dvols writes:
is this why the never get holding calls??
nocleats writes:
Adams is going to be disciplined by SEC Commish, Mike Slime, for speaking about an SEC mistake in scheduling. To use the term"out of whack" will surely draw the wrath of the emporer, errr, commissioner.
tartarsauce writes:
there is no such thing as an easy schedule in the S E C, no matter how you schedule it, there is usually too many teams with soon to be pro's. why would a team want it any other way
kyvol98 writes:
Schedule 'em, play 'em and win 'em.
Seahawk writes:
Alabama's 2010 schedule is just the latest and most egregious example of the SEC's flawed scheduling procedures. "By the end of 2010, Alabama will have faced 16 SEC opponents coming off idle dates in the four-year period beginning with head coach Nick Saban’s first season in 2007. With eight SEC games on each schedule, that total represents half of UA’s 32 league games in that stretch. Over the same period, the next-highest total in the league is five (LSU), while four schools (Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Arkansas) have faced no more than one idle-rested opponent". The SEC (all schools are in agreement) now recognizes this problem and is working to correct it so that it does not happen again.
TommyJack writes:
Decent piece by Adams.
joeaubie writes:
Let me say it for my Vol friends,
"Who cares? This is a VOLS site!"
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
I hardly feel sorry for Bama or FLA..Fla signed 17 of the top 150 recruits and bama signed 9..Sadly recruiting is a huge key to success and we had a good class last year but this year isn't looking so good..UT is in the running for some good OL but we don't seem to be on the radar screen for other elite recruits..Recruits visiting the campus now are all solid and give dooley credit for that!!!In unrelated news a junior USC LB is leaving..He is a 3rd stringer in Kiffins dog house so basically kiffin gains a much needed scholarship...I have faith in Dooley but it's a long road back to the top!!!
FearTheVols1252 writes:
Pffft... don't be silly... everyone here knows this is a USC/Florida/Bama site. Well... there might be an occasional article about UT.
RollTideJoe writes:
Read this site's comments every day and tell me who cries a lot.
RollTideJoe writes:
No, it's because the coaching staff works linemen very hard how to block correctly, hands on the chest, not wrapped around the arms.
nocleats writes:
Actually, Kifter does not gain a scholly, he can only sign 15, period no matter how many Jr and Srs leave or however many fresh,or sophomores flunk out, although I doubt that ever happens. Every player that gets out of SC is a double cut to them.
RockyTopRenegade writes:
Hey DV, look at the calender, John "why am I still here" Adams is pacing himself.
Last week it was how KY was going to be our most desparate game. This week it is about how slidetide is so dominant he doesn't even need to mention how badly he thinks our team will get crushed.
That leaves 10 more weeks till kick-off to demonstrate by his superior knowledge and intellect how the remaining 10 teams on our schedule will get their kicks in.
See, twelve weeks of articles on the Vols.
2010 9 - 3 Keep on truckin' CDD! Go VOLS!
elbtenn#502977 writes:
I live in Alabubba and hear bama whining enough that I dont need to go on a supposedly Vol site and read about the poor little bammers.
OrangePride writes:
This is the SEC. No matter what way you schedule it, you're going to have tough back to back games, teams with an extra week, and a beyond tough road to a NC. So everyone can just quit lining up that as an excuse right now. And excuse me if I bring up history, but seems to me that Florida had almost everyone on their NC team return. How did that work out? Sorry there JA, but Bama is NOT a lock on winning the SEC or the NC.........but we all agree that the road to those titles will have to pass thru Tide Country. GO VOLS!
Chris4Vols22 writes:
"before they faces UT ???? Really Award Winning writing!!!!"
You have the grammar, syntax, and capitalization skills of a 2-year-old from Kentucky.
FearThisElephant writes:
In over a half of a century of living Alabama Football one aspect always plays itself out. Bama gets Everybody's best game. Its motivational material for the players. You can never take a Saturday off or even a play. If we are to lose this year I hope its September 11th to the greatest coach who ever lived bar NONE! The 2nd of October will show who's the man in the SEC. Whoever wins will be the favorite in the rematch on Dec. 3rd. This schedule thing really is not an issue. Nick is the coach. There is NO information available concerning the status of the Alabama football team. Its the same now with DD at UT. Sports writers have to throw something out there to justify their paycheck.
UT will not lose to LSWhoo. State or WV will get them and their so called coach will be under fire from the tailgate party crew big time. As the keyboard turns....
orangeman1 writes:
I dont buy into the open date argument either. Didnt UT have an open week before the Florida game for many years. I dont remember it helping UT any. I do think that last year, Bama not having a week off yet when they played UT helped UT stay in the game.
vol_till_i_die writes:
"But if you want to blame unfair scheduling for UT's 5-7 season, it's worth noting that Wyoming needed only a week of practice to win at Neyland Stadium."
If you do recall, that was right after Fulmer announced he was resigning.
tnsportsman writes:
Bama Bama how would you like to BITE MY AZZ!
WHO CARES!
GO VOLS, WE ARE UT!
Psychovol writes:
Toothless cheaters prosper but still complain about unfair schedule in the wild west. Priceless!
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
Fear not tiders, your U. has excelled in cheating. This one will be tough, but the spirit of Cheating Bear will prevail!
KiwiLuvsUT writes:
Alabama betta watch out! We almost beat 'em last year (with a bad coach and hurt kicker)!
Think about it with a good coach and a healed kicker we could KICK THEIR BUTT!
CoverOrange writes:
And before that UT had open dates with Bama with little to show for it. If JA was really industrious he could have one of his underlings research the overall record of teams with open dates against teams without in the SEC over the past 10 or 20 years. I would bet they would find 50/50.
DannyVol writes:
Dude, I have seen you defend Adams so many times I think you might be Adams. This is a UT site, but unfortunately the KNS editor doesn't cover UT. Pitiful.
bkgunter writes:
Coach Dooley is "...so busy picking up after the last TWO coaches...?" Wow, Adams, you really will never be able to put away your Fulmer voodoo-doll, will you? Adams is a decent piece of something, alright.
NashvilleNative writes:
Feeling a little unappreciated since Alabama considers its big games in 2010 to be Arkansas, Penn State, Florida, LSU, and Auburn? Tennessee has been relegated to the mid-pack with Ole Miss and State and your UT Pride is hurt. It's OK. You're still considered a big game by Kentucky and Vandy.
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