Last Call Drinks Bombay, Talks the Toughest Big Ten Schedules
by Law Buckeye on May 9, 2009 3:10 PM CDT
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8 comments
Great news. Last Call -- the sofa martini professional part of me -- isn't dead, it just had to go on hiatus for a few weeks while I powered through final exams.
Now we're back in full force, and like Daniel Craig's James Bond, it's time to suck some olives.
Toughest Big Ten Schedules in 2009. Today we're trading summer for the crisp air, and burnt orange fantasy that is fall in the Midwest to figure out who has the toughest road to travel in a league that is "all about who you miss in conference play and how you can hold up with few breaks." (See Scout.com)
Let's get to it:
11. Penn State
No excuses, boys. An out of conference schedule more suited for a MAC power than a would-be BCS contender won't win you any points with this pundit. Iron your panties and pin on your skirts for pink out of conference collisions with the likes of Akron, Syracuse, Temple, and Eastern Illinois. Then, enjoy the benfit of Ohio State at home.
Testicle Points: 4 (1 out of conference, 3 conference).
10. Northwestern
This to me was a no-brainer. The Wildcat's toughest out of conference game is a visit to Syracuse. They don't have to face the executioner: Ohio State. And they get Penn State at home.
Testicle Points: 5 (2 out of conference, 3 conference).
9. Wisconsin
A visit from Fresno State and a late road trip to Hawaii salvages an otherwise sagging out of conference slate. In conference Bielema is blessed to miss both Ohio State and Penn State. If Bret can't win with this schedule, he's out.
Testicle Points: 6 (4 out of conference, 2 conference).
8. Indiana
A visit from Western Michigan and an October trip to Virginia props up their out of conference agenda. Four roadtrips in six weeks during the conference stretch won't be easy for Ben Chappell.
Testicle Points: 8 (3 out of conference, 5 conference).
7. Purdue
A more than respectable out of conference schedule with a visit to Oregon and a visit from Notre Dame inflates a conference cakewalk. The Boilermakers won't see the likes of either Iowa or Penn State.
Testicle Points: 9 (7 out of conference, 2 conference)
6. Michigan
Watch out Wolverines. A season opener against MAC elite Western Michigan is anything but a gimme. Meanwhile, Notre Dame appears to be on the up and up. In conference, Rich Rod will go on the road to face Michigan State and Iowa. Fortunately, they'll get Penn State and Ohio State at home.
Testicle Points: 10 (5 out of conference, 5 conference)
5. Michigan State
The Spartans see Michigan's out of conference contests against Western Michigan and Notre Dame and raise them a dance with Central Michigan -- another one of those MAC bullies that keeps the Big Ten honest. In state, Dantonio won't miss seeing Ohio State. Oh yeah, he gets Penn State at home. Time for more timeout tantrums.
Testicle Points: 10.5 (7 out of conference, 3.5 conference)
4. Illinois
The Illini will have to do some fighting to make it through a season long gauntlet. Out of league they'll tustle with Missouri and Cincinnati. In conference they'll have the pleasure of facing Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State, in a row.
Testicle Points: 11 (6 out of conference, 5 conference)
3. Iowa
The Hawkeyes inaugurate their campaign for a conference championship with a visit from Arizona. Then they'll pack their bags for a brutal conference tour at Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Yikes.
Testicle Points: 12 (4 out of conference, 8 conference)
2. Ohio State
If the Buckeyes run the table this year, no one will say they don't deserve to play in Pasadena on January 7th. That's because the scarlet smashes into the season with visits from Navy and the San Diego Chargers, ahem, USC. If they make it to conference play, they can breathe easy -- at least through road games at Indiana, and Purdue. A late visit to Beaver Stadium to meet Penn State should again decide the conference. Oh yeah, they've got to go to Ann Arbor also.
Testicle Points: 13 (9 out of conference, 4 conference).
1. Minnesota
Hey, Golden Gophers, you're number 1. Enjoy it while you can, because you're playing Syracuse, Air Force, and Cal out of conference. Sure, you get the Golden Bears at home, but you'll still have to pack your bags to play Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa. This unbearable blitzkrieg brings Brewster the title of the Big Ten's toughest schedule in 2009.
Testicle Points: 14 (6 out of conference, 8 conference).
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this article interests me enough to ask for a Top 5 out of conference matchups of 2009…can that be arranged
by grahamfiller10 on May 10, 2009 1:51 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Aren’t you in charge of this blog?
Resident Josh Freeman fan.
by gahnki on May 10, 2009 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's up next.
When last call returns to the barstool…
The Rivalry, Esq.
Big Ten Football. Excuses Included.
by Law Buckeye on May 10, 2009 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
9 for OSU?
Really?
They have a one game schedule out of conference. What’s the worst that can happen? They finish 3-1 and are out of the NatChamp discussion because of the loss. Purdue, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota shuold receive more points for their OOC than tOSU. Each of them has two games that they can legitimately lose on their OOC schedule. That takes a lot more onions than the 1 tough game and 3 layup approach that tOSU has been using.
by Bama Hawkeye on May 10, 2009 2:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Yes and no.
The worst that can happen is Ohio State goes 2-2, after consecutive losses to Navy and USC. An inexperienced linebacker corps is still struggling to stop the run — and the scarlet could, theoretically, get beaten in the opener. Ask Graham about how that works…
Now, I agree with you that the proper litmus should be the weight of the out of conference tests measured against an individual team’s prospects, a subjective approach, but I’m still not sure you’re right about all those teams.
Let’s break this down:
Iowa will play an Arizona team at home that went 8-5 last year, and lost its quarterback and best receiver. They’ll also take on an Arkansas State team that finished fourth in the Sun Belt last year, again at home. Yes, in state rival Iowa State always seems to give them a good run — but that’s not a credit to scheduling in so much as it is to the cantor of cross-town competition. Maybe I’m missing something here but I don’t see two legitimate losses. Worst case is an unlikely loss, and a huge upset.
Purdue will face two probable losses from Oregon and Notre Dame, hence they earned eight testicle points. But, I still think it takes slightly more stones for a team like Ohio State, who can conceivably play for a National Championship every year if they win out, to take on a virtual do or die in Week 2. They could act like LSU in 2008, and take on nobody out of conference.
That being said, I’ll concede that Illinois and Minnesota should probably be handed a few more OOC points. When I first worked on the analysis I missed Fresno State wedged in on the back end of the Illini’s slate. Although Missouri is way down in stock, they could easily drop two in that column. I’d be inclined to hand them another two testicle points, bringing their total up to 13, a tie for second.
Also, you might be right that Minnesota’s out of conference diet of Air Force, California, and Syracuse should garner a few more testicle points. Feel free to tack on a few — it won’t change the end result.
The Rivalry, Esq.
Big Ten Football. Excuses Included.
by Law Buckeye on May 10, 2009 11:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hate this...
ISU has beaten Iowa 5 of the last 6 games in Ames. In only one of those games was ISU the better team (the first).
And Purdue earned a 7. Which means that you equate WMU/CMU and Oregon, the best bet to knock USC from it’s run of conference championships? Odd.
I know that you and I haven’t met, Law Buckeye, but is it possible that you’re actually Lou Holtz? In my lifetime, he’s the only person who has ever sounded so afraid of Navy’s football squad.
It’s just a difference of opinion, but I will always have more respect for the program that has the testicular fortitude to schedule two BCS teams over the team that will only face one. I’ll cut teams slack for facing a surprisingly bad team (i.e. LSU goes to Washington this fall. That game took guts to schedule. LSU had no idea 5 years ago when it was scheduled that the Huskies would be awful. Same with Penn State’s game against the ‘Cuse.) That’s fine. It happens when schedules are made years in advance. But play two games against BCS teams. First, it increases the odds that you’ll actually face someone good. Second, it means that teams will end up playing a road game each OOC. And that’s a really good thing.
by Bama Hawkeye on May 11, 2009 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cut us a break
We at PSU TRIED to get Hellen Keller’s school for the blind, but they didn’t have any availabilities. So much for scheduling a decent team way aheadand hoping they don’t implode by then(I’m looking at you Rutgers in 2013, don’t even think about doing to me what Syracuse did)
Black Shoes.
Basic Blues.
No Name.
All Game.
by Roland86 on May 10, 2009 6:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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