Top 10 Most Cowardly Programs in College Football

[Awsi Dooger]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/359395-the-top-10-most-cowardly-programs-in-college-football#page/11

1) Florida Gators

"Gators fans can boo-hoo all they want, but Florida’s one chink in the armor remains crystal clear.

I don’t know whether there is a joint effort between head coach Urban Meyer and athletic director Jeremy Foley to keep worthy opponents from entering Gainesville, but at least one of them has to rise up and grow a set, because the Gators’ current nonconference scheduling practices are downright appalling and, quite frankly, a little embarrassing.

Dating back to when the NCAA expanded the regular season schedule to 12 games prior to 2006, other than its yearly bout with Florida State, Florida has played just one non-SEC game against an opponent residing from a BCS conference (Miami in ’08)."

<snip>

"Florida is arguably the preeminent program in all of college football, and the accolades, conference championships, and national titles it receives are certainly earned, playing in the rugged SEC. But how much of that luster deserves to be chipped away when every season is guaranteed to feature at least three wins against outclassed opponents by an average of more than 50 points?"

***

Remainder of the list:

2) Arizona
3) Kansas
4) Penn State
5) Tennessee
6) Maryland
7) Rutgers
8) Kansas State
9) Michigan
10) Missouri

I would seriously quarrel with Tennessee. The author makes it clear he's taking a deserved second swipe at the SEC, more than at the Vols themselves. But it was a horrid choice. Tennessee has played home and home with Cal and UCLA recently, and plays Oregon in 2010. Several years ago they risked home and home with the Canes when Miami was on top.

[Condem]

1. Arizona?

They made a trip to Iowa City last September. We have to repay the visit this season. It's a game that worries me to no end.

[Upton]

2. Iowa was the only decent

out of conference opponent they scheduled...Central Michigan and Northern Arizona were the other two..Next year, Stoops has Toledo and The Citadel along with Iowa...

All these softies....wait a minute!...that sounds like a Big Ten schedule. Maybe Arizona ought to join the Big Ten..

[Condem]

3. I believe the Chippewa's of CMU went bowling this past season, Upton.

How's the PAC-10 doing in hoop? Did they even have a season? Not much to cheer about this year, is there? Oh well. There's always water polo.

[Upton]

4. At least 3 teams should go to the tournament..

Cal, ASU and Washington....

Btw, how's Iowa's basketball program doing? I mean, 10-20 (4-14 in conference) doesn't exactly cut it...does it?

[Condem]

5. Damn. Are any of those in the Top 25?

I mean, why bother, Upton? Lickliter will probably be coaching his last game tomorrow. Just not a good fit. Keep an eye on the wrestling team. Looks like another national championship is looming.

[Liberal_Dog]

6. Tenn Also Has A Series With Oklahoma Coming Up

2014 in Norman. 2015 in Knoxville.

I would not call that being cowardly.

[Condem]

8. I wish the Vols the best.

Losing THE biggest asshole in College Football will be the best thing to ever happen to their program.

[joeybee12]

7. Can't argue with the top choice, though...n/t

[Condem]

9. Nope.

[joeybee12]

10. You're agreeing with me too much, Condem, it makes me

:scared:

[Condem]

11. No worries, joey.

There's always figure skating to give you shit about.

[joeybee12]

12. World Championships start in about a week!!!!

:bounce:

[JonLP24]

13. Arizona #2

:woohoo:

[joeybee12]

14. Did you go to ASU? Well, as Ned Flanders said, "Heaven must be

easier to get into that Arizona State!"

[JonLP24]

15. Nope

From when I was age 4 or 5 to 12 years old I lived about 2 blocks from Sun Devil Stadium and went to games as a kid so I grew up rooting for the team.

[LisaM]

16. Why is Michigan on that list?

They played home and away with both Oregon and Washington since 2001, they've played Utah twice, and they also have Notre Dame on the schedule every year (which, despite down years at ND, is not planned as a cupcake game). Yes, they play MAC teams, but so do all the Big 10 teams. The MAC teams want it, because they get a lot of money for it. Plus, the MAC has been turning out some bowl teams in the last ten years.

I know Lloyd Carr would have preferred a more difficult schedule, but the BCS forced some different scheduling. Over the years, though, Michigan has played a lot of tough teams, including lots of PAC-10 teams on the road, and in the 1990s, I think they had a home and away with Miama of Florida.

In 2007, the year of the infamous App State game, Michigan's schedule was ranked 15th hardest in the country.

Yet another reason why the BCS is stupid.

[JonLP24]

17. Forgive me

but what does the BCS have to do with it? Michigan plays 8 conference opponents(that rotates a little) and 4 non-conference opponents it's as simple as that. Aside from the annual rivalry w/ Notre Dame that just gives them 3 games to choose opponents. Not sure why that would be any different if there was no BCS.

As to your larger point I agree. In fact the author is pretty much considering any lesser conference team to be a cupcake. For example, even if I hate them Arizona at #2 may be a mistake, they got Iowa two years in a row which is a more than worthy opponent and they played Central Michigan this year. I know I will get laughed at on this forum but Central Michigan was a very good team who won the MAC(IIRC). Plus they were led by outstanding QB Dan LeFevour who is actually shinning the most out of QBs through the Senior Bowl, combines, scouts, etc. according to reports.

[LisaM]

18. It's just that the necessity of winning all the games became so much more important

after the BCS was put into place, and so many schools scheduled cupcakes, Lloyd Carr finally said, fine, if everyone else is going to do it, we'll quit trucking out to the West Coast for home and aways. But he didn't like it.

I liked it better when Michigan played all the Big Ten schools. We've added a game, but now we skip a Big Ten opponent? Makes no sense. In fact, the Michigan/Minnesota game - teams that have played for a trophy since something like 1916 - is on a two-year break.

[JonLP24]

19. First paragraph is a fair point

However I feel the idea of winning all the games has always been important because they awarded National Championships way before the BCS existed.

However I can't figure out when Michigan actually played everyone in the Conference. The way it rotates opponents two-years which explains why they don't play Minnesota for two years. It's not really skipping anyone because if they play Minnesota than there are two other teams they won't play. They also didn't play each other in '99 or 2000.

What I'm getting at is these conferences play every one of each other. Big East, Sun Belt, MWC, WAC, and the Pac 10 is the only one that plays 9 conference games, everyone else 8. Big 12, MAC, Conference USA, Big 10, SEC, and ACC use rotational schedules because they have too many teams for a standard 8 game conference schedule. For a team like Michigan to play everyone they would have to play 10 conference games.

So since I can't figure out (had to be before they added Penn St but even then it would be 9 conference games) when was the last time Michigan played EVERY conference opponent it's difficult for me to find yearly schedules until I spot one. The 1997 schedule was very simple to find even back then before the BCS Michigan played 8 conference games and "skipped" Purdue and Illinois.

We've added a game, but now we skip a Big Ten opponent?
If you were referring to adding a 12th game total that made sense because there were many teams that had 11 game schedules while many others played 12 minus the Conference title games. That had no impact on regular conference games and know there wasn't anything changed regarding Michigan in that it was only '05 or '06 when they made this move and know full well Michigan played 8 conference opponents before te move. If not I have no idea what you mean about adding a game.

[LisaM]

20. Michigan used to have 11 games on its schedule

But I looked at some random years and maybe they did skip a conference opponent each year. I guess that since Penn State came, we just skip two now.

I wish we did play every school in the conference, though.

[Awsi Dooger]

21. Michigan did not play home and home with Miami

They hosted the Canes twice, in 1984 and 1988. Miami lost in '84 and made a miraculous comeback in '88.

There was supposed to be a return matchup in Miami but it never happened. I forget the specifics, other than it was on Michigan's end.

Regardless, I agree there were better choices than Michigan. Playing Notre Dame every year is a risk.

[LisaM]

23. Oh, okay

I remember playing Miami twice. That 1988 game was horrible. We had new puppies, and that was their introduction to watching sports with us. They kept running under tables. But within a few years, they were old hands and didn't bat an eye during football games!

[Dulcinea]

22. Penn State may be a lot of things, but cowardly isn't one of them.

PSU vs. Alabama in Tuscaloosa Sept. 11, 2010. Hardly a cupcake! And Iowa is NEVER an easy game.

Sept. 4: Youngstown State
Sept. 11: at Alabama
Sept. 18: Kent State
Sept. 25: Temple
Oct. 2: at Iowa
Oct. 9: Illinois
Oct. 16: OPEN
Oct. 23: at Minnesota
Oct. 30: Michigan
Nov. 6: Northwestern
Nov. 13: at Ohio State
Nov. 20: at Indiana
Nov. 27: Michigan State

[fishwax]

25. conference games don't count

and while it's nice to see Alabama on the schedule next year, Penn State has played a lot of nobodies in the last 5-10 years. They play Temple every year, they play an FCS school almost every year, and the third and fourth non-conference schools are usually the likes of Akron and Syracuse.

But the PSU-Alabama game next year will be fun to watch. :toast:

[two gun sid]

24. Bwahahaha!!! I love it, Awsi...

fuckin' gators. Big fuckin' chickens.

[Awsi Dooger]

26. Orange, blue and mostly yellow

I can't stop posting that summary on one college football site, because the Gator fans are unnerved every time. :evilgrin: