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NCAA Football: Non-conference scheduling do’s and don’ts

By Patrik Nohe

Jul 14, 2014; Irving, TX, USA; College football playoff executive director Bill Hancock with the new championship trophy during a press conference at the college football playoff headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 14, 2014; Irving, TX, USA; College football playoff executive director Bill Hancock with the new championship trophy during a press conference at the college football playoff headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 2, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners celebrate with head coach Bob Stoops after the Sooners recovered the ball on an on side kick against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Oklahoma defeated Alabama 45-31. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners celebrate with head coach Bob Stoops after the Sooners recovered the ball on an on side kick against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Oklahoma defeated Alabama 45-31. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports /

DO: Schedule Challenging Opponents As Far Out as You Can

The era of being able to play a couple of FCS schools, an in-state mid-major and Bowling Green are done. Teams don’t have to kill themselves with four road games at perennial top 25 universities either, but it’s going to be more important than ever now that teams find that happy medium. Oklahoma is a great example of a school that has scheduled very well for the future.

The Sooners already play in the Big 12 (which has ten teams, while the Big Ten has 14), a solid conference in and of itself, but over the next ten to 15 years they will also play home-and-home series with some very quality non-conference competition. I did notice that they tossed Army in the middle of that grouping (which feels awfully reminiscent of the SAT’s “which-of-these-doesn’t-belong” questions). But all jokes aside, Oklahoma is doing a great job of putting together strong future schedules that will stand up well to scrutiny during the deliberations of “the Committee.”

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