Below is a table showing the Out of Conference Schedules for the major college football programs. I've rated the opponents as follows: 5 points for an ESPN preseason top 25 pick 4 points for an unranked BCS conference opponent 2 points for an unranked, non-BCS conference, FBS opponent 1 point for an FCS opponent
I then totaled the points to come up with a rating score.
For the conference results, I averaged the totals of the conference teams scores. In the Big East, the highest ranked OOC team was dropped since they play 5 games and in the PAC-10, the fourth opponents score was an average of the three games they played, except for USC, Utah & Colorado, who actually play four OOC games. I've also incorporated the teams that jumped conferences into their new homes.
Is it flawed? Are there mistakes? I'm sure it has its shortcomings, but it is an attempt to create a totally objective rating system for the Out of Conference schedules.
Personally, I was disappointed that the Big Ten scored so poorly, but it was refreshing to see that the SEC didn't score that much higher. The two conferences with the toughest OOC schedules are the ACC & the PAC-10, and Oregon State by far had the toughest out of conference schedule, it isn't even close.
Unfortunately, my personal table had color coding for the different grades of opponents. Here only the ESPN top pre-season 25 are shown in green, the rest didn't come through. Sorry for that.
Enjoy!
|
Big Ten (9.67) |
Penn State |
Youngstown State 1 |
Alabama 5 |
Kent State 2 |
Temple 2 |
10 |
|
Ohio State |
Marshall 2 |
Miami (FL) 5 |
Ohio 2 |
Eastern Michigan 2 |
11 |
|
|
Wisconsin |
UNLV 2 |
San Jose State 2 |
Arizona State 4 |
Austin Peay 1 |
9 |
|
|
Iowa |
Eastern Illinois 1 |
Iowa State 4 |
Arizona |
Ball State 2 |
11 |
|
|
Michigan |
Connecticut 4 |
Notre Dame 4 |
Massachusetts 1 |
Bowling Green2 |
11 |
|
|
Nebraska |
Western Kentucky 2 |
Idaho 2 |
Washington 4 |
South Dakota State 1 |
9 |
|
|
Indiana |
Eastern Kentucky 1 |
Western Michigan 2 |
Akron 2 |
Virginia 4 |
9 |
|
|
Illinois |
Missouri 4 |
Southern Illinois 1 |
Northern Illinois 2 |
Fresno State 2 |
9 |
|
|
Minnesota |
Middle Tennessee State2 |
South Dakota 1 |
Southern California 5 |
Northern Illinois 2 |
10 |
|
|
Purdue |
Notre Dame 4 |
Western Illinois 1 |
Ball State 2 |
Toledo 2 |
9 |
|
|
Northwestern |
Vanderbilt 4 |
Illinois State 1 |
Rice 2 |
Central Michigan 2 |
9 |
|
|
Michigan State |
Western Michigan 2 |
Florida Atlantic 2 |
Notre Dame 4 |
Northern Colorado 1 |
9 |
|
|
SEC (10.17) |
Alabama |
San Jose State 2 |
Penn State 5 |
Duke 4 |
Georgia State 1 |
12 |
|
Florida |
Miami (Oh) 2 |
South Florida 4 |
Appalachian State 1 |
Florida State 5 |
12 |
|
|
Georgia |
Louisiana – Lafayette 2 |
Colorado 4 |
Idaho State 1 |
Georgia Tech 5 |
11 |
|
|
Arkansas |
Tennessee Tech 1 |
Louisiana – Monroe 2 |
Texas A&M 4 |
UTEP 2 |
9 |
|
|
Tennessee |
Tennessee Martin 1 |
Oregon 5 |
UAB 2 |
Memphis 2 |
10 |
|
|
Auburn |
Arkansas State 2 |
Clemson 4 |
Louisiana – Monroe 2 |
Tennessee Chatanooga 1 |
9 |
|
|
Vanderbilt |
Northwestern 4 |
Connecticut 4 |
Eastern Michigan 2 |
Wake Forest 4 |
14 |
|
|
Mississippi |
Jacksonville State 1 |
Tulane 2 |
Fresno State 2 |
Louisiana – Lafayette 2 |
7 |
|
|
Kentucky |
Louisville 4 |
Western Kentucky 2 |
Akron 2 |
Charleston Southern 1 |
9 |
|
|
Mississippi State |
Memphis |
Alcorn State 1 |
Houston 2 |
UAB 2 |
7 |
|
|
LSU |
North Carolina 4 |
West Virginia 4 |
McNeese State 1 |
Louisiana – Monroe 2 |
11 |
|
|
South Carolina |
Southern Mississippi 4 |
Furman 1 |
Troy 2 |
Clemson 4 |
11 |
|
|
Big 12 (10.10) |
Texas |
Rice 2 |
Wyoming 2 |
UCLA 4 |
Florida Atlantic 2 |
10 |
|
Texas Tech |
SMU 2 |
New Mexico 2 |
Weber State 1 |
Houston 2 |
7 |
|
|
Oklahoma |
Utah State 2 |
Florida State 5 |
Air Force 2 |
Cincinnati 5 |
14 |
|
|
Oklahoma State |
Washington State 4 |
Troy 2 |
Tulsa 2 |
Louisiana – Lafayette 2 |
10 |
|
|
Texas A&M |
Stephen F. Austin 1 |
Louisiana Tech 2 |
Florida International 2 |
Arkansas 5 |
10 |
|
|
Kansas |
North Dakota State 1 |
Georgia Tech 5 |
Southern Mississippi 4 |
New Mexico State 2 |
12 |
|
|
Kansas State |
UCLA 4 |
Missouri State 1 |
Central Florida 2 |
North Texas 2 |
9 |
|
|
Baylor |
Sam Houston State 1 |
Buffalo 2 |
TCU 3 |
Rice 2 |
10 |
|
|
Iowa State |
Northern Illinois 2 |
Iowa 5 |
Northern Iowa 1 |
Utah 4 |
12 |
|
|
Missouri |
Illinois 2 |
McNeese State 1 |
San Diego State 2 |
Miami (OH) 2 |
7 |
|
|
Prima Donna |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notre Dame 2 |
Army 2 |
Western Michigan 2 |
Tulsa 2 |
Purdue 4 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ACC (12.00) |
Boston College |
Weber State 1 |
Kent State 2 |
Notre Dame 4 |
Syracuse 4 |
11 |
|
Florida State |
Samford 1 |
Oklahoma 5 |
BYU 2 |
Florida 5 |
13 |
|
|
North Carolina |
LSU 5 |
Rutgers 4 |
East Carolina 2 |
William & Mary 1 |
12 |
|
|
Miami (FL) |
Florida A&M 1 |
Ohio State 5 |
Pittsburgh 5 |
South Florida 4 |
15 |
|
|
Virginia Tech |
Boise State 5 |
James Madison 1 |
East Carolina 2 |
Central Michigan |
10 |
|
|
Georgia Tech |
South Carolina State 1 |
Kansas 4 |
Middle Tennessee State 2 |
Georgia 5 |
12 |
|
|
Duke |
Elon 1 |
Alabama 5 |
Army 2 |
Navy 5 |
13 |
|
|
Maryland |
Navy 5 |
Morgan State 1 |
West Virginia 4 |
Florida International 2 |
12 |
|
|
Wake Forest |
Presbyterian 1 |
Stanford |
Navy 5 |
Vanderbilt |
15 |
|
|
North Carolina State |
Western Carolina 1 |
Central Florida 2 |
Cincinnati 5 |
East Carolina 2 |
10 |
|
|
Virginia |
Richmond 1 |
Southern Cal 5 |
VMI 2 |
Eastern Michigan 2 |
10 |
|
|
Clemson |
North Texas 2 |
Presbyterian 1 |
Auburn 4 |
South Carolina 4 |
11 |
|
|
Big East 7 (9.38) |
Pittsburgh |
Utah 4 |
New Hampshire 1 |
Florida International 2 |
Miami (FL) 5 |
12 |
|
Connecticut |
Michigan 4 |
Texas Southern 1 |
Temple 2 |
Buffalo 2 |
9 |
|
|
West Virginia |
Coastal Carolina 1 |
Marshall 2 |
UNLV 2 |
LSU 5 |
10 |
|
|
Rutgers |
Norfolk State 1 |
Florida International 2 |
Tulane 2 |
Army 2 |
7 |
|
|
Louisville |
Kentucky 4 |
Eastern Kentucky 1 |
Arkansas State 2 |
Memphis 2 |
9 |
|
|
Syracuse |
Akron 2 |
Washington 4 |
Colgate 1 |
Maine 1 |
8 |
|
|
South Florida |
Stony Brook 1 |
Florida 5 |
Western Kentucky 2 |
Florida Atlantic 2 |
10 |
|
|
Cincinnati |
Fresno State 2 |
Indiana State 1 |
Oklahoma 5 |
Miami (Oh) 2 |
10 |
|
|
Pac 10 8 (11.92) |
USC |
Hawaii 2 |
Virginia 4 |
Minnesota 4 |
Notre Dame 4 |
14 |
|
Oregon |
New Mexico 2 |
Tennessee 4 |
Portland State 1 |
2 |
9 |
|
|
Stanford |
Sacramento State 1 |
Wake Forest 4 |
Notre Dame 4 |
3 |
12 |
|
|
Washington |
BYU 2 |
Syracuse 4 |
Nebraska 5 |
4 |
15 |
|
|
California |
UC Davis 1 |
Colorado 4 |
Nevada 2 |
2 |
9 |
|
|
Oregon State |
TCU 5 |
Boise State 5 |
Louisville 4 |
5 |
19 |
|
|
Arizona |
Toledo 2 |
The Citadel 1 |
Iowa 5 |
3 |
11 |
|
|
Arizona State |
Portland State 1 |
Northern Arizona 1 |
Wisconsin 5 |
2 |
9 |
|
|
Colorado |
Colorado State 1 |
California 4 |
Hawaii 2 |
Georgia 5 |
12 |
|
|
UCLA |
Kansas State 4 |
Houston 2 |
Texas 5 |
4 |
15 |
|
|
Washington State |
Oklahoma State 4 |
Montana State 1 |
SMU 2 |
2 |
9 |
|
|
Utah |
Pittsburgh 5 |
UNLV 2 |
New Mexico 2 |
San Jose State 2 |
11 |
|
|
MWC |
TCU |
Oregon State 4 |
Tennessee Tech 1 |
Baylor 4 |
SMU 2 |
11 |
|
BYU |
Washington 4 |
Florida State 5 |
Nevada 2 |
Utah State 2 |
13 |
|
|
Boise State |
Virginia Tech 5 |
Wyoming 2 |
Oregon State 5 |
Toledo 2 |
14 |
|
|
|
Color Code Legend |
FCS Schools |
Unranked, non-BCS, FBS Schools |
Unranked BCS Schools & Notre Dame |
ESPN Top 25 |
|
1 Division 1 FCS School (1 point)
2 Remaining FBS Schools (2 points)
4 BCS Conference Team outside the ESPN top 25 + Notre Dame (4 points)
5 ESPN pre-season top 25 (5 points)
6 Since Notre Dame’s entire schedule is OOC, only their weakest opponents are shown
7 Big East Schools play 5 OOC games, one OOC game against a BCS conference foe is not counted.
8 Except USC, Utah & Colorado, and since PAC 10 schools only play 3 OOC games, the last game score will count as the rounded average of the three games.
|
Toughest Out of Conference Schedules |
Score |
|
Oregon State |
19 |
|
Miami (FL), UCLA, Washington, Wake Forest |
15 |
|
Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Boise State, USC |
14 |
|
Duke, Florida State, BYU |
13 |
|
Conference Toughest OOC Schedule Standings |
Score |
|
ACC |
12.00 |
|
Pac - 10 |
11.92 |
|
SEC |
10.17 |
|
Big 12 |
10.10 |
|
Big Ten |
9.67 |
|
Big East |
9.38 |
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