So far, we have graded the non-conference schedules of the Big 12, Pac 12 (North and South), and Big Ten (East and West). Now that TSS is up to the ACC and SEC previews, I’m left with a dilemma.
For the first three power conferences, I graded each only played three non-conference games. I made my expectations pretty clear. With a few exceptions (either for teams who are expected to be College Football Playoff favorites or who are expected to lose just about every game), I expected a team to play a Power 5 team of equal caliber, a mediocre-to-good Group of 5 team, and one tune-up/”cupcake”.
Now, though, I have to grade teams that play four non-conference games each. On the one hand, it wouldn’t be fair to those first three conferences if I didn’t expect ACC and SEC teams to play an additional P5 opponent, something that Pac 12, Big 12, and Big Ten schools have to do in conference play. On the other hand, no one does this, so I would be forced to give out lots of bad grades to SEC and ACC teams. I will try to split the difference somehow. I won’t give out very high grades as often to ACC and SEC teams unless the non-conference schedules are exemplary enough to make up for that missing P5 game in-conference. On the other hand, I won’t give out a grade too low unless a team’s schedule is weak compared to others that play four non-conference games.
The ACC and SEC also present a second issue in that they usually play late-season cupcake games before rivalry week. Again, I don’t want to be a bad guy here, so I won’t directly punish for that. Whether or not it’s actually an advantage (because it necessitates tougher early-season matchups) is a discussion far too long for this introduction here.
The Atlantic Division has two teams that are expected to be CFP hopefuls, so Clemson and Florida State will have higher expectations than everyone else. Good for them and the ACC, though, they definitely stepped up.
ACC Atlantic Non-Conference Schedule Grades
Boston College Eagles
September 10th: @Massachusetts
This might be a road game, or it might be an excuse to play a really bad team in the home stadium of the New England Patriots. Either way, it’s an early-season guaranteed win that doesn’t require travel.
Grade: D-
September 24th: Wagner
FCS team. Not much more to say.
Grade: F
October 1st: Buffalo
The Bulls are Boston College’s second MAC opponent. To be precise, they’re BC’s second really bad MAC opponent (though Buffalo did manage to win five games last year). How bad? Let’s just say that I could count the combined bowl wins of UMass and Buffalo on one hand. Wait, UMass’ one bowl win was a DII game? Make that zero hands.
Grade: F
November 19th: Connecticut
I’m actually a little surprised. UConn is by far the toughest opponent on this non-conference slate, which makes me wonder why the Huskies get the November OOC slot instead of Wagner or Buffalo.
Grade:D
Overall:
One FCS school and three Group of 5 schools, none of them any good. And if we’re calling it like it is, all four of these are home games. BC didn’t win an ACC game last year, but it’s a decent program that doesn’t need to pad its win numbers with four cupcakes.
Grade: F
Clemson Tigers
September 3rd: @Auburn
This battle of the Tigers looks to be an excellent start to the season for everyone involved. Clemson is expected to be a CFP contender and, even though last year was disappointing, Auburn is expected to be a very good team. Excellent opener.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Troy
The Trojans were once considered a dangerous opponent as Larry Blakeney was building them into the Boise State of the Sun Belt. That didn’t last and now they’re a cupcake again, if a relatively talented one.
Grade: C-
September 17th: South Carolina State
With a non-conference schedule this good, we can give Clemson a pass for one in-state FCS game.
Grade: D
November 26th: South Carolina
The Gamecocks might be in a down stretch, but this is still a rivalry game against an SEC team. Anything can happen.
Grade: B+
Overall:
Clemson is a CFP contender and scheduled like it. The Tigers play a top SEC team non-conference, along with a second SEC team and two acceptable cupcakes. This schedule will keep Clemson in contention.
Grade: A-
Florida State Seminoles
September 5th: vs Ole Miss (in Orlando, FL)
We get to see a high-profile Labor Day matchup against two teams that will be on the season-starting short list of CFP contenders. Kudos to both teams for playing in this game and to Camping World for setting it up.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Charleston Southern
FCS opponent as a post-Ole Miss tuneup. It’s disappointing, but won’t hurt the overall grade of a decent schedule.
Grade: D
September 24th: @South Florida
Like we saw before with Boston College against UMass, this isn’t so much a road game as it is an excuse to play in Raymond James Stadium. USF is in a downturn, but as a program scheduling the Bulls is always a risk because of the talent they have access to. They did look better and better as the season went on last year, too.
Grade: C
November 26th: Florida
It’s a rivalry game and a darn good one. Non-conference meetings between ranked teams in November is a dream come true, and it would be a shock if this game wasn’t one.
Grade: A
Overall:
The Seminoles play two potential SEC contenders in non-conference play. On top of that, they added one true cupcake and one decent opponent that might end up as an easy win this year, but definitely isn’t guaranteed to be.
Grade: A+
Louisville Cardinals
September 1st: Charlotte
The 49ers are still working on building a program in just their fourth year of existence. They will probably be one of the worst teams in college football this year.
Grade: F
September 24th: @Marshall
Marshall was a very successful program and potential BCS/CFP-buster two years ago when Louisville agreed to move this game to 2016. The Herd might not be a threat to go undefeated anymore, but it is still a top Conference USA program. This is not a bad opponent at all
Grade: B
November 17th: @Houston
Louisville scheduled this game back when both were in the AAC but Louisville had announced the move to the ACC. I don’t know what Louisville expected out of this Houston team, but it probably wasn’t what ended up happening. Playing Tom Herman’s squad on just five days’ rest seems like a foolish proposition.
Grade: A
November 26th: Kentucky
Another ACC/SEC rivalry game. Louisville might be better than Kentucky in what could be a breakout season for the Cardinals, but this should be a solid matchup.
Grade: A
Overall:
This schedule only has one P5 opponent, and a mediocre one at that, but the road trip to Houston more than makes up for it. On top of that, there is one cupcake and another quality Group of 5 team. This is solid.
Grade: A
N.C. State Wolfpack
September 1st: William & Mary
A pretty good FCS opponent, but an FCS opponent nonetheless.
Grade: D
September 10th: @East Carolina
ECU is a solid and pretty consistent G5 program, though we can’t guess how the switch from Ruffin McNeill to Scottie Montgomery will affect it. Still, there is nothing bad about N.C. State scheduling this game, especially on the road.
Grade: B
September 17th: Old Dominion
ODU might put up gaudy stats sometimes, but it’s still adjusting to its transition to FBS.
Grade: D+
October 8th: Notre Dame
Yes, it’s part of Notre Dame’s ACC scheduling agreement, but I still have to give props to N.C. State for this game. The Irish are probably way out of the Wolfpack’s lead, though.
Grade: A-
Overall:
N.C. State has been trying to push its way to the top of the Atlantic Division the past few years, and this schedule reflects pretty well on a team that’s towards the top of its division but isn’t quite there. It’s two cupcakes, a decent Go5 team, and a great P5 (well, the equivalent thereof) opponent.
Grade: B
Syracuse Orange
September 2nd: Colgate
The Raiders were a nationally-ranked FCS team last year. I’m okay with this game for a struggling P5 team.
Grade: D+
September 17th: South Florida
As I said above, USF might have struggled last year (though the Bulls improved drastically over the course of the season and have a lethal dual-threat quarterback), but it is a program that always has potential and therefore always takes some guts to schedule.
Grade: B
September 24th: @Connecticut
Again, UConn is not a great program, though they have had good years in the past decade. The Huskies are never a truly easy win and this is a good road game for a struggling program.
Grade: B-
October 1st: vs Notre Dame (in MetLife stadium, East Rutherford, NJ)
Again, this is part of the ACC’s scheduling agreement with Notre Dame. And while we always love it when P5 teams play good teams in those valuable non-conference games, Syracuse doesn’t gain much from playing Notre Dame–other than a definite loss, that is.
Grade: B
Overall:
I’m happy with this schedule. It contains one definite win, one definite loss, and two Group of 5 games that should provide decent matchups.
Grade: B+
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
September 1st: Tulane
This is a cupcake to start, but at least it’s an FBS team.
Grade: D+
September 17th: Delaware
This one is another cupcake, but this time is is an FCS team.
Grade: F
September 24th: @Indiana
Indiana is one of the consistently worst P5 teams out there, but then again Wake Forest is consistently pretty bad too. It’s an even matchup, which is always good to see.
Grade: B+
October 29th: Army
The Black Knights are not a good program right now, but you always have to respect the service academies. I like it when lower P5 teams schedule them.
Grade: C
Overall:
This is a weak schedule, but it does have a road game against a fellow P5 team on it. Wake Forest needs help as a program and getting a few should-be easy wins in the non-conference is a way to do it. I won’t give a good grade for that, but I can’t complain too much either.
Grade: C+
