Finebaum’s annual spring review of the SEC’s out of conference schedules is up and it’s a pretty decent analysis.
Georgia is listed as having the SEC’s toughest OOC slate, with this commentary:
— 1. Georgia (average star rating of opponents: (4): Georgia Southern (2), Central Michigan (4), Arizona State (5), Georgia Tech (5). The Bulldogs have the best team on paper in the SEC and they’ll need it with this very impressive non-conference slate. To make matters more difficult, Mark Richt’s team also has SEC road games at South Carolina, LSU and Auburn. Pick the Bulldogs to win the national championship at your own peril.
And Ole Miss’ schedule is found money for Houston Nutt. Instead of traveling to Austin to play Texas, he gets this instead:
— 11. Ole Miss (2): Memphis (2), Wake Forest (4), Samford (1), Louisiana-Monroe (1). Houston Nutt has to be pretty happy with this slate of losers.
Get The Picture 
I am sure that the comments on La-Monroe are easy fodder for the AU fans…
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What do these “star” ratings mean? I figured it was some sort of quality measure, but that can’t be true if Ga Tech gets a 5.
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Again, a SOS ranking are all the games a team does play that season. Looking at Southern California, for example, we find that all-time Southern California plays the Number 19 SOS and Georgia plays the Number 2 SOS in the nation.
Of course, you have to win the games. It is quite clear that the type player who plays for UGA is the type player who wants to play tough schedules. Last season, the NCAA ranked UGA’s SOS Number 7 in the nation.
No team lost fewer games than UGA.
No team ranked at the top of the rankings with UGA (UGA Number 2 Final AP Poll) played as tough a schedule of games. This is measured, not by out-of-conference games only, not by in-conference games only, not for regular season only, and includes Conference Championship Games and Bowl Games.
When it’s over, as it was with UGA Number 7 NCAA SOS last season, then you know the SOS of the season’s games for your team.
I like it that we have tough SOS. I like playing good teams. I like good football games. I’m a Bulldog.
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such bullshit…if Ga Southern is a “2,” Central Michigan is a “4” and Ga Tech is a “5” then Wake is a “6”
Ole Miss’ schedule is on par with the bottom 4-5 in conference.
Not saying UGA isn’t the strongest OOC, but finebaum isn’t offering any halfway intelligent analysis…he’s merely stoking the fire, per usual.
Miami’s a “5”!
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…he’s merely stoking the fire, per usual.
Well, yeah. He’s Finebaum, after all.
But he says the stars are a measure, not necessarily of the opponent’s strength, but rather of how compelling the matchup is – “with five signifying must-see and one being the equivalent of watching reruns of the Mike Shula Show”.
So, I’ll cut him a little slack, since there’s obviously some personal taste implicit in a standard like that.
BTW, I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to tell you before, but I really enjoy your blog.
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effin’ finebaum…he’s right though. there’s nothing quite as “compelling” as the Central Michigan University Chippewas. WTF?
[/rant]
Thanks, Senator. You’ve got a great thing going here. Much better than mine.
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