COLUMN: Pac-12 weakened by strength of schedule
The Pac-12 finds itself on the outside looking in after both of its one-loss teams — Stanford and Utah — suffered dramatic defeats. The losses mean the Pac-12 is guaranteed a conference champion with at least two losses. As of now the only other conference guaranteed a champion with one loss is the SEC.
The ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 all field undefeated teams. The ACC has the best shot at an undefeated team in Clemson. The Tigers already defeated their two biggest opponents, Notre Dame and Florida State. The only thing standing between Clemson and the College Football Playoff is most likely an ACC Championship showdown against the red hot North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Big Ten has two undefeated teams left in Iowa and Ohio State. However, Ohio State still has to play Michigan State and longtime rival Michigan. The conference is most likely looking at a one-loss conference champion. Something really weird would have to happen for the Big 10 to have a two-loss champion.
The Big 12 has the best chance of a two-loss team. Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU and Oklahoma State all have to play each other. This week’s games feature Baylor (8-1) vs. Oklahoma State (10-0) and TCU (9-1) vs. Oklahoma (9-1). The following week features Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State and Baylor vs. TCU. The Big 12 also lacks a conference championship game, which could come back to haunt them should Notre Dame finish with one loss — to No. 1 Clemson.
Many, especially the media that covers the Pac-12, are looking for reasons as to why the Pac-12 will be left out. One writer claimed that the Pac-12’s nine game conference was to blame. However, I feel that it is the opposite. The conference schedule is just as grueling as every other conference. The biggest difference between the Pac-12 and the rest of the country is that the Pac-12 schedules quality non-conference opponents.
For example, this year’s non-conference schedule included the likes of Michigan (8-2), Texas A&M (7-3), Michigan State (9-1), Notre Dame (9-1), Northwestern (8-2) and BYU (7-3). Those teams are a combined 48-12 (80 percent winning percentage) this season. The Pac-12 is a combined 2-4 in those games with Stanford still having a matchup with Notre Dame on the schedule.
In comparison, this year the SEC’s biggest schools, Alabama and LSU, found their toughest non-conference opponents in Wisconsin (8-2) and Syracuse (3-7). ’Bama and LSU also played against FCS opponents. Their other non-conference opponents featured Eastern Michigan, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Monroe.
The Big 10 is a little better about their scheduling, but their undefeated teams, Ohio State and Iowa, played Virginia Tech, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Illinois State, Pittsburgh and North Texas out of conference. Pair that out-of-conference schedule with an already weak conference slate and it’s easy to see why Iowa and Ohio State are undefeated.
The ACC also boasts a rather weak out-of-conference schedule. Besides Clemson facing Notre Dame and Florida State annually taking on Florida, the conference heavyweights hardly face anyone. Division-leading North Carolina’s only loss is to South Carolina (3-7). Their other non-conference opponents were North Carolina A&T, Illinois and Delaware.
We shouldn’t even get started on how weak the Big 12’s out-of-conference schedule is. The hardest opponent the Big 12 faced out-of-conference was Minnesota (4-6). The other opponents on the schedule? Lamar, Rice, SMU, Central Arkansas, Texas-San Antonio and Stephen F. Austin.
You can see quite a discrepancy in the quality of opponents that the Pac-12 schedules relative to the other Power 5 conferences.
The Pac-12 goes by the motto “The Conference of Champions.” It stands by that motto by actually scheduling quality opponents. You won’t see the likes of USC, Stanford, UCLA and Oregon playing against FCS opponents in Week 11 like Alabama will this weekend when they take on Charleston Southern. In fact, those four teams combined to play one FCS opponent — Eastern Washington.
The College Football Committee has promised to reward teams for strength of schedule. Unfortunately, it looks like the committee won’t be true to its word this year. It’s hard to imagine the committee picking a two- or three-loss Pac-12 champion, who played a tougher out-of-conference schedule, over the likes of a one-loss Big 12, Big 10 or SEC champion.
Regrettably, the non-conference slate gets even tougher next season for the Pac-12. USC will play both Alabama and Notre Dame; Stanford will play Kansas State and Notre Dame; UCLA will travel to take on Texas A&M; Oregon will visit Nebraska. The Pac-12 records would probably look a lot nicer if the teams were playing FCS opponents instead.
It seems that the Pac-12 will continue to be on the outside looking in until the committee decides to actually reward teams for scheduling quality non-conference opponents. For now, the conference of champions will have to settle for the Rose Bowl.
Nick Barbarino is a senior majoring in business administration. His column, “Beyond the Arc,” runs Thursdays.