ESPN’s Mark Schlabach put out his “way-too-early” Top 25 list yesterday, and I thought it’d be fun to compare the “strengths” of schedules of the teams appearing thereon. My methodology was pretty straightforward: count the number of Top 25 opponents played by each team in the way-too-early Top 25. I tried pretty hard to make sure I put Clemson in the right conference and that I spelled the team names correctly. Other than that, YOLO. What I learned is that while ND has a very tough schedule in 2014, I don’t think we can claim the title for “strongest schedule.” That title goes to Florida, followed by LSU, Auburn, and then Notre Dame. Which is pretty cool, since we don’t play in the SEC, Pawl. Does Clemson? Anyway, here are the teams, in Schlabach’s order, followed by their Top 25 opponents:
1. Florida State: #17 Notre Dame, #19 Florida, #22 Clemson, #23 Misdemeanor Criminal Statutes
2. Alabama: #14 Texas A&M, #13 LSU
3. Oklahoma: #9 Baylor, #21 Texas Tech, #23 Kansas State
4. Auburn: #2 Alabama, #10 South Carolina, #13 LSU, #14 Texas A&M, #23 Kansas State
5. Oregon: #6 Michigan State, #11 Stanford, #12 UCLA
6. Michigan State: #5 Oregon, #7 Ohio State, #24 Nebraska, #25 scUM
7. Ohio State: #6 MSU, #25 scUM
8. Georgia: #4 Auburn, #10 South Carolina, #19 Florida, #22 Clemson (ACC! ACC!)
9. Baylor: #3 Oklahoma, #21 Texas Tech, #23 Kansas State
10. South Carolina: #8 Georgia, #14 Texas A&M, #19 Florida, #22 Clemson
11. Stanford: #5 Oregon, #12 UCLA, #17 Notre Dame, #20 USC, #24 Coaches Who Aren’t Whingers
12. UCLA: #5 Oregon, #11 Stanford, #20 USC
13. Louisiana State: #2 Alabama, #4 Auburn, #14 Texas A&M, #15 Wisconsin, #18 Not Speaking in the Third Person
14. Texas A&M: #2 Alabama, #4 Auburn, #10 South Carolina, #13 LSU
15. Wisconsin: #13 LSU, #18 Iowa, #24 Nebraska
16. North Carolina: #17 Notre Dame, #22 Clemson
17. Notre Dame: #1 Florida State, #11 Stanford, #16 North Carolina, #20 USC, #25 scUM
18. Iowa: #15 Wisconsin, #24 Nebraska
19. Florida: #1 Florida State, #2 Alabama, #8 Georgia, #10 South Carolina, #13 LSU, #15 Marshall Zhukov, #19 City Hall
20. USC: #11 Stanford, #12 UCLA, #17 Notre Dame
21. Texas Tech: #3 Oklahoma, #9 Baylor, #23 Kansas State
22. Clemson: #1 Florida State, #8 Georgia, #10 South Carolina, #16 North Carolina
23. Kansas State: #3 Oklahoma, #4 Auburn, #9 Baylor, #21 Texas Tech
24. Nebraska: #6 Michigan State, #15 Wisconsin, #18 Iowa
And that’s it folks, the Top 25 from top to bottom. Florida has it about as tough as a waiter returning a pair of sun-glasses to a USC running back, while Oklahoma had better win out if it wants to move up. Your Irish have a very challenging schedule, though I think they should be favorites in all their games come kickoff, save that little “conference” rivalry game in Tally.
Hating Hurricanes Since 1990.
Bayou Irish is a Jersey boy and Double Domer who fell under New Orleans' spell in 1995. He's been through Katrina and fourteen years in the Coast Guard, so we cut him some slack, mostly in the form of HLS-subsidized sazeracs. But, when he's not face down on the bar and communing with the ghosts of Faulkner and Capote at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone, he's our man in SEC-land, doing his best to convince everyone around him that Graduation Success Rate is a better indicator of success than the number of MNC's won in the last five years.
- Finding Flaws in a Diamond: Clemson’s Rushing Offense - December 17, 2018
- Why Nobody Will Cotton to Notre Dame - December 3, 2018
- Irish Finish Regular Season Perfect 12-0 - November 26, 2018
Did you forget Michigan or exclude them on purpose?
It was an utter and intentional troll.
And so perfect
Someone needs to explain to me how UNC is in the top 25 and how Louisville is not. I know, it’s a way too early list.