Seeing as there was a recent cancelation of the Middle Tennessee. St game, I was thinking about what the ideal schedule would look like. Gary Pinkel seemed to have an intentional strategy of building the schedule in difficulty to a mid-season showdown or two. We also scheduled as many games in Missouri as possible, made an effort to get 7 home games and avoided any big boys in the non-con. The 2010, 2013 and 2014 seasons kind of followed this format. Something like this is the perfect year I think:
1. vs, FCS cupcake (maybe MO State)
2. vs. Western Kentucky (G5 1)
3. vs. KU at Arrowhead
4. @ Vandy
5. vs. UGA
BYE 1
6. @ Auburn
7. vs. SCar
8. @ Florida
9. vs. Marshall (G5 2)
10. vs. Kentucky
11. @ Tennessee
12. vs. Arkansas
13. SEC Title Game
You kind of stagger the tough games a bit, give yourself 4 weeks of buildup vs. cupcakes (including KU & Vandy) to round into form and strategically place the BYE and 2nd G5 game before the really tough games or stretches. In terms of non-con, you intentionally schedule 2 home G5 games, never play one away. You rotate your P5 non-con games something like this:
Year 1: vs KU at Arrowhead
Year 2: vs. Illinois at Edward Jones
Year 3: vs. TCU/Houston/Texas Tech in Jerry World
Year 4: vs. Purdue/Indiana/Iowa St/Nebraska/Minnesota/Cincy/Louisville - all are beatable in a border state or close
1. vs, FCS cupcake (maybe MO State)
2. vs. Western Kentucky (G5 1)
3. vs. KU at Arrowhead
4. @ Vandy
5. vs. UGA
BYE 1
6. @ Auburn
7. vs. SCar
8. @ Florida
9. vs. Marshall (G5 2)
10. vs. Kentucky
11. @ Tennessee
12. vs. Arkansas
13. SEC Title Game
You kind of stagger the tough games a bit, give yourself 4 weeks of buildup vs. cupcakes (including KU & Vandy) to round into form and strategically place the BYE and 2nd G5 game before the really tough games or stretches. In terms of non-con, you intentionally schedule 2 home G5 games, never play one away. You rotate your P5 non-con games something like this:
Year 1: vs KU at Arrowhead
Year 2: vs. Illinois at Edward Jones
Year 3: vs. TCU/Houston/Texas Tech in Jerry World
Year 4: vs. Purdue/Indiana/Iowa St/Nebraska/Minnesota/Cincy/Louisville - all are beatable in a border state or close
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