Ain’t Played Nobody: 9 college football teams avoid Power Five non-conference games
By John Buhler
College football teams avoiding a Power Five team in the non-conference
Boston College needs to win games for Jeff Hafley to stay in Chestnut Hill
The 2022 season was a terrible year for Jeff Hafley’s Boston College Eagles. They were one of the worst teams in the ACC only a season ago. Although Hafley is back for another year, there are no excuses for BC not to go bowling this season, even without Phil Jurkovec. This is because the Eagles are not playing a Power Five team in the non-conference, despite four opportunities to even do so.
Although BC rarely ducks Power Five competition in the non-conference, the Eagles draw Northern Illinois, FCS Holy Cross, at Army and UConn this year. I get playing teams in the same regional vicinity of Boston College, but they are not going to get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to bowl inclusion should they clock in at a paltry 6-6. The ACC is not very menacing either.
Had the Eagles not been so atrocious the season prior, they should be ripped over this weak slate.
Ironically, Houston is not playing a non-conference P5 as it goes P5
For years, the Houston Cougars were a Group of Five program that conducted itself as a Power Five institution. Kind of a “see your future, be your future” mantra, if you will. While the Cougars are moving from the AAC and into the Big 12, they have to deal with the fact that a nine-game conference slate does create some scheduling issues. They only face Group of Five teams in-state.
Although UTSA is of quality in-state, and Rice is a metroplex rival, Houston will need to revamp its non-conference scheduling practices to avoid giving off the impression that it is finessing its way into the Power Five. Surely, U of H will rectify this in due time, but for now, there is nothing it can do about its weak non-conference slate in 2023. They need to figure this thing out in a hurry, y’all.
Houston does not have a Power Five team on its non-conference schedule for next season either.