Football scheduling

[TwinsRRUs_rivals79748]

All the SEC team rotations are set up on recurring rotations. The rotation set up does not change from year to year. There is no bias to favor any team. It is a very fair system. The SEC has many great rivalries that make for great TV games. The only thing that conference office does is to spread out the schedule so that there is the maximum number of excellent games each week. That is there will be no week where three or more excellent games are scheduled for that week. You can do that when you have a strong conference.

Sounds like smart thinking on the SEC's part. The Big Ten definitely needs to follow suit.

 

[saluno22]

All the SEC team rotations are set up on recurring rotations. The rotation set up does not change from year to year. There is no bias to favor any team. It is a very fair system. The SEC has many great rivalries that make for great TV games. The only thing that conference office does is to spread out the schedule so that there is the maximum number of excellent games each week. That is there will be no week where three or more excellent games are scheduled for that week. You can do that when you have a strong conference.

Playing 8 conference games instead of 9 in 14-team leagues means 7 fewer guaranteed losses.
It also means a given team is only playing 8 of the other 13 teams in the conference (not that 9 of 13 is much better). This is a reason super conferences suck.

Playing just 8 conference games in 7-team divisions also means you get seasons like 2012 where neither division champion (Georgia and Alabama) played any of the top 3 in the other division:

EAST
Georgia 12-2/7-1: Crossovers were vs. Ole Miss (3-5, W 37-10) and at Auburn (0-8, W 38-0); Lost at #6 South Carolina 7-35, Won vs. #3 Florida 17-9 (neutral site); Never played ranked teams in consecutive weeks, played two over a three-game/four-week span.
Florida 11-2/7-1: Crossovers were vs. #4 LSU (6-2, W 14-6) and at Texas A&M (6-2, W 20-7); Won vs. #9 South Carolina 44-11, Lost vs. #12 Georgia 9-17 (neutral site); Played three ranked opponents in four-week span (none in true road games) and four in a six-week span.
South Carolina 11-2/6-2: Crossovers were at #9 LSU (6-2, L 21-23) and vs. Arkansas (2-6 W 38-0); Won vs. Georgia 35-7, Lost at Florida 11-44; played three Top 10 teams in consecutive weeks, including the last two on the road.

WEST
Alabama 13-1/7-1: Crossovers were at Missouri (2-6, W 42-10) and at Tennessee (1-7, W 44-13), strange that they were both on the road; Won at #5 LSU 21-17, Lost vs. #15 Texas A&M 24-29; played three ranked opponents in consecutive weeks.
LSU 10-3/6-2: Crossovers were at #10 Florida (7-1, L 6-14) and vs. #3 South Carolina (6-2, W 23-21); Won at Texas A&M 24-19, Lost vs. Alabama 17-21; played FIVE consecutive ranked opponents, including three Top-10 teams in four games.
Texas A&M 11-2/6-2: Crossovers were vs. #24 Florida (7-1, L 17-20) and vs. Missouri (2-6, W 59-29); Lost vs. #6 LSU 19-24, Won at Alabama 29-24, played back-to-back ranked opponents twice (four ranked opponents in five weeks).

Crossover Records
EAST
Georgia: 2-0 vs. a combined 3-13 (Ole Miss and Auburn).
Florida: 2-0 vs. a combined 12-4 (LSU and A&M).
South Carolina: 1-1 vs. a combined 8-8 (LSU and Arkansas).
1-1 against each other.

WEST
Alabama: 2-0 vs. a combined 3-13 (Missouri and Tennessee).
LSU: 1-1 vs. a combined 13-3 (Florida and South Carolina).
Texas A&M: 1-1 vs. a combined 9-7 (Florida and Missouri).
1-1 against each other.

I'm sure it's a coincidence that the division winners happened to play the weakest crossover schedules Incidentally, the #2 team in each division happened to play the #2 AND #3 team in the other division.

If South Carolina plays someone more beatable than LSU as a crossover, there's a potential for a 3-way tie in the east without changing any division game results.
If Alabama plays someone that could challenge them as a crossover, there's a potential for a 3-way tie in the west without changing any division game results.
I don't know what the tiebreakers are after head-to-head, probably division record and then common crossover opponents, then like the Big 12 in 2007 where they had to go to the BCS to break the Texas-Oklahoma-Texas Tech tie.

Additionally, while Georgia beat Florida head to head, Florida played #9 South Carolina the week before playing #12 Georgia, while Georgia played Kentucky (0-8) the week before they played Florida.

I know, it's easy to pick outliers because they stick out. But that is something both conferences have in common: potential for crossover imbalance determining the division champions via non-common opponents.

 

[saluno22]

I will say that one thing I sort of liked about the Big 12 at the start was with 12 teams and three crossovers with no permanent marchups, every football player would travel to each stadium in the league at least once if they played for four seasons. Sucks that it meant losing our annual game with Oklahoma.

 

[NWFLCOCK]

I believe Salano22 would have started with the just completed 2017 season and kept going back until he found a season where the SEC division winners did not play the top 3 teams from the other division.
He says he found this outlinier in 2012. Please take the following into consideration when considerating his analysis:

The 2012 season was the first season of football after both Missouri and Texas A&M joined the SEC in December 2011. A transition schedule was put together thst was only good for the 2012 season. All AD’s of member universities met after the 2012 season to develop and agree on the permanent rotating schedule going forward. This model was developed and implemented starting in the 2013 season. In addition for the 2012 season and thereafter South Carolina became the permanent opponent for Texas A&M and Arkansas became the permanent opponent for Missouri. Prior to the 2012,season Arkansas and South Carolina were pernament opponents since both jointed the conference I. 1992.

From 1992 thru 2011 seasons each school had a pernament opponent with two rotating opponents from the other division. The 8 game conference schedule has been maintained since 1992.

SEC member schools have had in state rivals that they play each year for decades. South Carolina plays Clemson, Florida plays FSU , Georgia plays Georgia Tech. Also Alabama , Auburn and LSU play a top power 5 opponent most years. These 9th games in the majority of cases would far exceed the 9 th game that a Big Ten team would face. You may disagree but we each have an opinion. The SEC likes their set up and will continue it. The top SEC teams fare very well in the national championship playoff and in the bowl seasons over the years.

 

[saluno22]

I believe Salano22 would have started with the just completed 2017 season and kept going back until he found a season where the SEC division winners did not play the top 3 teams from the other division.

Well, I really just remember bitching about a year in which it happened and knew it was a year shortly after Texas A&M and Missouri joined the league. I actually started in 2011 because I couldn't remember which year they joined (if it was the same as NU to the Big Ten or the year after).

He says he found this outlinier in 2012.

I really just assumed it was an outlier. Point mostly being that schedules matter when it comes to gaining an edge in division races.

Please take the following into consideration when considerating his analysis:
The 2012 season was the first season of football after both Missouri and Texas A&M joined the SEC in December 2011. A transition schedule was put together thst was only good for the 2012 season. All AD’s of member universities met after the 2012 season to develop and agree on the permanent rotating schedule going forward. For the 2012 season and thereafter South Carolina became the permanent opponent for Texas A&M and Arkansas became the permanent opponent for Missouri. Prior to the 2012,season Arkansas and South Carolina were pernament opponents since both jointed the conference I. 1992. From 1992 thru 2011 seasons each school had a pernament opponent with two rotating opponents from the other division. The 8 game conference schedule has been maintained since 1992.
SEC member schools have had in state rivals that they play each year for decades. South Carolina plays Clemson, Florida plays FSU , Georgia plays Georgia Tech. Alabama , Auburn and LSU play a top power 5 opponent most years. These 9th games in the majority of cases would far exceed the 9 th game that a Big Ten team would face. You may disagree but we each have an opinion. The SEC likes their set up and will continue it. The top SEC teams fare very well in the national championship playoff and in the bowl seasons over the years.

Good to know. I think most Big Ten schools also schedule a Power 5 school in the non-conference as well.

 

[Charlie Marlow_rivals363743]

Lots of faux outrage. Our teams of the mid-90s never complained about their schedule.

 

[saluno22]

I think most Big Ten schools also schedule a Power 5 school in the non-conference as well.

2018 Big Ten Non-Conference

Looks like everyone except for Illinois and Minnesota are playing at least one Power 5 team (or Notre Dame) in the non-conference (Wisconsin in a technical grey area playing independent BYU). Ohio State is playing two.

No team is playing more than 7 home games...

ILLINOIS (6H, 5A, 1N)
vs. Kent State
vs. Western Illinois (FCS)
vs. USF (neutral site)

INDIANA (7H, 5A)
at Florida International
vs. Virginia
vs. Ball State

IOWA (7H, 5A)
vs. Northern Illinois
vs. Iowa State
vs. Northern Iowa (FCS)

MARYLAND (7H, 5A)
vs. Texas
at Bowling Green
vs. Temple

MICHIGAN STATE (7H, 5A)
vs. Utah State
at Arizona State
vs. Central Michigan

MICHIGAN (7H, 5A)
at Notre Dame
vs. Western Michigan
vs. SMU

MINNESOTA (7H, 5A)
vs. New Mexico State
vs. Fresno State
vs. Miami (OH)

NEBRASKA (7H, 5A)
vs. Akron
vs. Colorado
vs. Troy

NORTHWESTERN (7H, 5A)
vs. Duke
vs. Akron
vs. Notre Dame

OHIO STATE (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Oregon State
vs. TCU (neutral site)
vs. Tulane

PENN STATE (7H, 5A)
vs. Appalachian State
at Pitt
vs. Kent State

PURDUE (7H, 5A)
vs. Eastern Michigan
vs. Missouri
vs. Boston College

RUTGERS (7H, 5A)
vs. Texas State
at Kansas
vs. Buffalo

WISCONSIN (7H, 5A)
vs. Western Kentucky
vs. New Mexico
vs. BYU (Sort of)

EDIT: Added FCS designations.

 

[saluno22]

2018 SEC Non-Conference

Looks like everyone except for Arkansas are playing exactly one Power 5 team (or Notre Dame) in the non-conference.

No team is playing more than 7 home games...

ALABAMA (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Louisville (neutral site)
vs. Arkansas State
vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
vs. The Citadel (FCS)

ARKANSAS (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Eastern Illinois (FCS)
at Colorado State
vs. North Texas
vs. Tulsa

AUBURN (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Washington (neutral site)
vs. Alabama State (FCS)
vs. Southern Miss
vs. Liberty Fighting Turner Gills

FLORIDA (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Charleston Southern (FCS)
vs. Colorado State
vs. Idaho
at Florida State

GEORGIA (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Austin Peay (FCS)
vs. Middle Tennessee State
vs. UMass
vs. Georgia Tech

KENTUCKY (7H, 5A)
vs. Central Michigan
vs. Murray State (FCS)
vs. Middle Tennessee State
at Louisville

LSU (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Miami (FL) (neutral site)
vs. SE Louisiana (FCS)
vs. Louisiana Tech
vs. Rice

MISSISSIPPI STATE (7H, 5A)
vs. Stephen F. Austin (FCS)
at Kansas State
vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
vs. Louisiana Tech

MISSOURI (7H, 5A)
vs. UT-Martin (FCS)
vs. Wyoming
at Purdue
vs. Memphis

OLE MISS (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Texas Tech (neutral site)
vs. Southern Illinois (FCS)
vs. Kent State
vs. Louisiana-Monroe

SOUTH CAROLINA (7H, 5A)
vs. Coastal Carolina Fighting Joe Moglias
vs. Marshall
vs. Chattanooga (FCS)
at Clemson

TENNESSEE (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. West Virginia (neutral site)
vs. East Tennessee State (FCS)
vs. UTEP
vs. Charlotte

TEXAS A&M (7H, 4A, 1N)
vs. Northwestern State (FCS)
vs. Clemson
vs. Louisiana-Monroe
vs. Alabama-Birmingham

VANDERBILT (7H, 5A, and someone at the league office must have it in for them with their conference road schedule: 3 straight and 4 in 5 games from 06 Oct to 10 Nov)
vs. Middle Tennessee State
vs. Nevada
at Notre Dame
vs. Tennessee Tech (FCS)

 

[saluno22]

Here's the tally...

2018 Scheduled Non-Conference Games: Power 5 (Home / Away / Neutral) / Group of 5 (Home/Away/Neutral) / FCS (Home / Away / Neutral)
BIG TEN: 14 (9 / 4 / 1) / 26 (23 / 2 / 1) / 2 (2 / 0 / 0)
SEC: 13 (2 / 6 / 5) / 29 (28 / 1 / 0) / 14 (14 / 0 / 0)

For the sake of accounting, I treated both BYU and Notre Dame as Power 5 teams. If you want to count BYU as a Group of 5, then here is the revised total...
BIG TEN: 13 (8 / 4 / 1) / 27 (24 / 2 / 1) / 2 (2 / 0 / 0)
SEC: 13 (2 / 6 / 5) / 29 (28 / 1 / 0) / 14 (14 / 0 / 0)

All scheduled games (Conference and Non-Conference, counting each conference's participation in a game as an entry)
BIG TEN: 140 / 26 / 2 (counting BYU as Power 5) or 139 / 27 / 2 (counting BYU as Group of 5)
SEC: 125 / 29 / 14

All Power 5 teams being equal on average (we know that's not true, obviously, but close probably enough in the aggregate), it shouldn't be a shock when the Big Ten averages 12-12.5 more losses league-wide than the SEC (or slightly less than one loss per team on average).

EDIT: That accounts for league game SEC teams don't play (126 conference game entries for the Big Ten, 112 for the SEC), which are almost across the board replaced with FCS games (12) and Group of 5 games (2), not non-conference Power 5 games.

 

[NWFLCOCK]

With all those numbers it maybe difficult to remember what the original issue was. I believe it was a complain about unfair scheduling for Nebraska when compared with Iowa. Hopefully one day if your new coach is a top coach scheduling will not be an issue especially when the comparison is with Iowa! Seriously Iowa! If you want to see the future look closely at your OL and DL recruits this year and the coming years .

The SEC model for developing a fair and equitable in conference schedule can be applied to an 8 or 9 conference game schedule. Every one is treated the same.

 

[Nebyank_rivals]

If Nebraska wants to win the national championship or even the western division in the big 10 complaining about the SEC bye weeks , number of SEC conference games or your big ten scheduling is a waste of your time. The name of the game is recruiting superior OL and DL players and developing them. If you cannot do that nothing else matters. You can fool yourself with some wins against poor teams but when you run up against teams with good trench players you will be greatly disappointed which has happen to Nebraska with blow out losses in the pass. Check your recruiting this year. How has recruiting trench players coming along? That is the key to the future.

Talk about recruiting and development of talent are a totally different topic . Obviously both aspects of a program are very important. The topic in this thread , however, is scheduling. Other conferences are playing chess while the B1G plays checkers when scheduling is the topic. They substitute a tough conference game for a non conference game against Podunk U and schedule it in November. Basically a week off. Then they actually don't even win their division but get the opportunity to play for the national championship. It is wonderful when the B1G plays a 9 game conference schedule and the tv $ pours in but don't expect to be winning any national championships with regularity. Those championships will be mostly enjoyed by the conference that works hardest to enable it. You know, the SEC. They always have a couple teams at the top who are equal to or better than the rest but top to bottom the SEC is overrated. I will be surprised if any of these trens change anytime soon.

 

[Nebyank_rivals]

Here's the tally...

2018 Scheduled Non-Conference Games: Power 5 (Home / Away / Neutral) / Group of 5 (Home/Away/Neutral) / FCS (Home / Away / Neutral)
BIG TEN: 14 (9 / 4 / 1) / 26 (23 / 2 / 1) / 2 (2 / 0 / 0)
SEC: 13 (2 / 6 / 5) / 29 (28 / 1 / 0) / 14 (14 / 0 / 0)

For the sake of accounting, I treated both BYU and Notre Dame as Power 5 teams. If you want to count BYU as a Group of 5, then here is the revised total...
BIG TEN: 13 (8 / 4 / 1) / 27 (24 / 2 / 1) / 2 (2 / 0 / 0)
SEC: 13 (2 / 6 / 5) / 29 (28 / 1 / 0) / 14 (14 / 0 / 0)

All scheduled games (Conference and Non-Conference, counting each conference's participation in a game as an entry)
BIG TEN: 140 / 26 / 2 (counting BYU as Power 5) or 139 / 27 / 2 (counting BYU as Group of 5)
SEC: 125 / 29 / 14

All Power 5 teams being equal on average (we know that's not true, obviously, but close probably enough in the aggregate), it shouldn't be a shock when the Big Ten averages 12-12.5 more losses league-wide than the SEC (or slightly less than one loss per team on average).

EDIT: That accounts for league game SEC teams don't play (126 conference game entries for the Big Ten, 112 for the SEC), which are almost across the board replaced with FCS games (12) and Group of 5 games (2), not non-conference Power 5 games.

Great post. A little factual data goes a long ways.

 

[Nebyank_rivals]

What difference does it make? Until we can beat Iowa and Wisconsin who we play from the East decides if we finish 3rd or 4th not 1st. Regardless if you count only games from within the division or all games.

Yes, we will always have to beat Wisconsin and Iowa. But wouldn't it be nice if we did defeat them and ended up with the best record against the teams in the West and it automatically resulted in a spot in the championship game ? Wouldn't that be the most equitable way to establish who plays against the East ?

 

[NWFLCOCK]

Yes, we will always have to beat Wisconsin and Iowa. But wouldn't it be nice if we did defeat them and ended up with the best record against the teams in the West and it automatically resulted in a spot in the championship game ? Wouldn't that be the most equitable way to establish who plays against the East ?

Actually all conference games should count when determining the divisional winner. Some Nebraska fans believe the schedule is not equitable . The obvious answer is to have a set rotating schedule for all members. There still will be years that one team’s schedule will be harder than the next but it will be fair since all teams are treated alike. This would be simple to do but there may be reasons not to. This problem can be address by the Big Ten league office. This problem can not be addressed by pointing a finger at another league.

 

[Redscarlet]

Good work saluno22, thanks for the work.

 

[Nebyank_rivals]

Actually all conference games should count when determining the divisional winner. Some Nebraska fans believe the schedule is not equitable . The obvious answer is to have a set rotating schedule for all members. There still will be years that one team’s schedule will be harder than the next but it will be fair since all teams are treated alike. This would be simple to do but there may be reasons not to. This problem can be address by the Big Ten league office. This problem can not be addressed by pointing a finger at another league.

The B1G league office may, unfortunately, be the source of the problem. There are still some in the B1G who resent our sharing the title with Michigan back in the 90's. If you think Nebraska has the loyalty of the B1G over Michigan or Ohio State then I have some Florida swamp for sale.

 

[huskerssalts]

On scheduling, one glaring thing I noticed is somehow we get OSU like what, 6 straight years!?!? Now I have no bones playing the SuckEyes but I don’t see Iowa, Wisconsin or Minnesota getting the BIG10 top team every year for over a half a century along with the reg running schedule. Are we/they hoping to start a Huskers vs OSUcks rivalry or something (we definitely need to step up our game if so, we been more then slacking and allowing OSUcks to beat us down since the come back lead by Burkhead and Martinez). I don’t mind playing tougher schedules and tougher non conference schedules but I do get the OPs point.

He’s wrong and right. Iowa has seemed to gotten off easy when it comes to scheduling. But it’s more so that Iowa has to stop running scared and start play better non conference opponents or add on solid team/s every year, and don’t say ISU. They had this worked out for years before ISU started stepping there game up while the Kirk and Iowa mobile spin there tires in the mud and go no where. But then again, that’s why Iowa sucks and will never get to the big time. You can’t play cupcakes and keep the same coach that never gets you nowhere and hope one day you might win 9-10 games and call it a good season.

 

[saluno22]

Lots of faux outrage. Our teams of the mid-90s never complained about their schedule.

1995 and earlier (Big 8): True round robin.
1996-2010 (Big 12): Three crossovers over two years (Home/Away), then the other three for two years. The gripe in that case would be the size of the conference requiring teams to be skipped.

I believe in the Big 12, some complaints came from when teams would travel for crossover games (early in the conference schedule or late). I looked at it once and didn't find it too out of whack. You don't want to have a crossover in the final regular season game so that they don't have a potential immediate rematch. (The Big Ten risked that with keeping OSU-UM at the end of the season when they were in different divisions, similar situation now with 7 games in the last weekend for the B1G (Indiana-Purdue is the crossover).)

2007 Kansas had a favorable schedule and went 12-1 / 7-1, missing the top 3 South teams (Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech) and climbing to #2 in the polls before a loss to #3 Missouri (crossovers Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M) in the last regular season game. Prior to that, they had only played a ranked opponent in #24 Kansas State (finished 5-7 / 3-5). That season was so messed up with top teams falling soon after they rose that nothing was inconceivable. I think most people noticed the imbalance, but it wasn't like it was planned, merely a function of the rotation established 11 years prior.

I'm not going to give the SEC the benefit of "established rotation" when there is just one rotating game across six potential opponents in an 8-game conference schedule in 7-team divisions with a permanent crossover.

 

[saluno22]

Yes, we will always have to beat Wisconsin and Iowa. But wouldn't it be nice if we did defeat them and ended up with the best record against the teams in the West and it automatically resulted in a spot in the championship game ? Wouldn't that be the most equitable way to establish who plays against the East ?

Actually all conference games should count when determining the divisional winner. Some Nebraska fans believe the schedule is not equitable . The obvious answer is to have a set rotating schedule for all members. There still will be years that one team’s schedule will be harder than the next but it will be fair since all teams are treated alike. This would be simple to do but there may be reasons not to.

Double-edged sword in this case. I've been a division-games-only advocate due to potential opponent strength imbalance that has seen itself play out from year to year. Mainly, I'm a fan of providing objective and fair paths to championships. While objective (wins and losses, no style points), counting crossover games in division standings undermines the "fair" component. You can guess where I stand on CFP committee (conference championships matter... oh wait, they don't, nor does winning your division). Again, different standards of evaluation based on the pool of teams that need to be parsed.

Digressing to counting division-only games in division standings...

PRO: It would be nice to have a merit-based division title based on a common pool of opponents. Why should a game against East Teams A, B, and C by one west team count in a DIVISION race when the comparison is being made with another west team who played East Teams B, F, and G while another team played East Teams D, E, and F, etc. That's muddying up the sample. Keep it simple.

CON: Crossover games become exhibitions and only matter for bowl eligibility and playoff aspirations. Might as well not even be in the same conference.

When conferences go to 16 teams, I'm betting this is similar to the way it will be.

This problem can be address by the Big Ten league office. This problem can not be addressed by pointing a finger at another league.

Yep. I think this thread has established the Big Ten conference office is all about $$$. As someone else pointed out earlier, fans will happily pound their chests about the huge TV revenue disbursements, but the other side of it is the inventory that produces that revenue sacrifices championship opportunities outside the league and competitive balance inside of it.

Basketball would be another prime example. Nebraska this season avoided playing the big boys twice and got the 4th seed in the conference tournament, but come NCAA tourney time, the committee wasn't fooled.

EDIT: To add, it's frustrating to see SEC teams "rewarded" for their scheduling practices. As others have said, that resentment goes deeper when ESPN becomes a mouthpiece and cheerleader for the conference. Solution is obviously to start winning on the field more in bowl games, especially more premier bowls.

 

[NWFLCOCK]

Yes the solution for those that have resentment is for their teams to win more games on the field and more bowl games especially when matched up against the overrated SEC. The solution is so simple. It is amazing how winning cures resentments !

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Nebraska fan seems to be the only one bitching about this. Ohio St played Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska last year, I don’t recall their fans complaining about fair. Then in 2016 had Nebraska, Wisconsin and Northwestern. Still don’t remember any complaints about fair, even though they had to play Wisconsin both years along with Nebraska. If Nebraska doesn’t piss the bed with coaching decisions, the Ohio St schedules would be similar to what we are doing this year. Plus they were playing Oklahoma in the non con.

I just think we have become pussified and are looking for the easiest path and want to blame it on fairness.

 

[King Kong]

If Nebraska wants to win the national championship or even the western division in the big 10 complaining about the SEC bye weeks , number of SEC conference games or your big ten scheduling is a waste of your time. The name of the game is recruiting superior OL and DL players and developing them. If you cannot do that nothing else matters. You can fool yourself with some wins against poor teams but when you run up against teams with good trench players you will be greatly disappointed which has happen to Nebraska with blow out losses in the pass. Check your recruiting this year. How has recruiting trench players coming along? That is the key to the future.

Yeah, I agree recruiting for DL/OL is really important, this staff seems more focused, at least right now on skill players and DBs. I realize there is a real need there but talking about 15 scholarships for DBs, 5 or 6 for QBs, 7 for RBs seems to leave the balance of the roster a little thin?

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Yeah, I agree recruiting for DL/OL is really important, this staff seems more focused, at least right now on skill players and DBs. I realize there is a real need there but talking about 15 scholarships for DBs, 5 or 6 for QBs, 7 for RBs seems to leave the balance of the roster a little thin?

Build the lines with walk ons like the old days. ......sarcasm.