As noted in yesterday’s piece about the ACC Atlantic division, I’m faced with a dilemma.
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.
ACC Coastal Non-Conference Schedule Grades
September 3rd: North Carolina Central
An in-state FCS opponent to start. Yawn.
Grade: D-
September 17th: @Northwestern
These two schools traditionally known for academics (and basketball in Duke’s case) have made tremendous strides in football the past few years. This should be a good non-conference matchups.
Grade: A
September 24th: @Notre Dame
This should be a great matchup. For over a century, this would be a “gimme” game for Notre Dame. Not anymore. Duke is a good program now because of coach David Cutcliffe. Maybe the Blue Devils aren’t on the elite level yet, but they can challenge the elites on a good day.
Grade: A+
October 8th: Army
As I mentioned for Wake Forest in the Atlantic Division preview, I always give respect to those who schedule Army, even if many view Army as a cupcake nowadays.
Grade: C+
Overall:
Duke plays a cupcake, a military academy that is almost a cupcake, and two very good Power 5 teams. This is a good non-conference schedule.
Grade: A
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
September 10th: Mercer
It’s an in-state FCS opponent, so I can forgive it a little as long as the rest of the schedule is pretty strong.
Grade: D
September 17th: Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is not the same program as when James Franklin was leading, but it’s still a P5 school. Georgia Tech went from a Peach Bowl blowout victory to just three wins last year, so we have no idea what to expect this year. Don’t underestimate the Yellow Jackets, though, especially with Justin Thomas at quarterback.
Grade: B
October 15h: Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern might be a Sun Belt team, but it is a very good one. In just a few years since transitioning from FCS, GSU has already posted a ten-win season last year, as well as almost upsetting Georgia. This is a good matchup.
Grade: B+
November 26th: @Georgia
Another rivalry, another great game. Georgia has owned this matchup for a long time, but the games have been very high-quality the past few years.
Grade: A+
Overall:
Georgia Tech gets two SEC teams, including one elite one, as well as a very good Group of 5 team. This is a strong schedule, even with the FCS team on it.
Grade: A
Miami Hurricanes
September 3rd: Florida A&M
In-state FCS school to start. Nothing to see here.
Grade: D
September 10th: Florida Atlantic
Really bad in-state FBS school after that. The Mark Richt era is starting with two snoozers.
Grade: D
September 17th: @Appalachian State
Don’t be fooled by the Sun Belt label on Appalachian State. This is a quality football program that has had immediate success since moving up from FCS a few short years ago. This game was scheduled last November, so Miami knew what it was getting with this game. This will be the first test of the Mark Richt era.
Grade: B+
October 29th: @Notre Dame
This is by far the pinnacle of the non-conference schedule. The season will ease its way into an October 8th meeting against Florida State, but the Notre Dame game will have a national spotlight smack in the middle of the season.
Grade: A+
Overall:
There are a few weak games here, but the Notre Dame game makes this respectable. It’s one great game, one pretty good game, and two cupcakes.
Grade: B-
September 3rd: vs Georgia (in Atlanta, GA)
Thank you, Chick-Fil-A. This kickoff game will be a meeting of Top 25 teams. It looks like a good one. And full credit to North Carolina for playing in it.
Grade: A+
September 10th: @Illinois
Will North Carolina take a week off after playing a national spotlight game against Georgia? Nope. The Tar Heels are traveling to face another Power 5 team. Yeah, Illinois is a program in turmoil. But it’s still a better team than any cupcake option would have been.
Grade: A-
September 17th: James Madison
JMU is an FCS school. But it’s a very good program, as Virginia Tech can attest to. A letdown after two weeks to start the season could actually be dangerous here.
Grade: D+
November 19th: The Citadel
Finally, a true cupcake before rivalry week.
Grade: F
Overall:
This is a tough schedule to grade. It’s two P5 opponents, both away from home, but it also has two FCS programs on it. I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt, though, because James Madison is better than a few dozen FBS teams.
Grade: B+
September 3rd: Villanova
Villanova is an FCS program that was strong for a long time but has fallen on down times recently. It’s a weak opener for a very good Pittsburgh team, though. I’ll let it slide because it’s in-state (in-city, even) and because of the rest of this schedule.
Grade: C
September 10th: Penn State
This rivalry game for Pennsylvania recruiting should be a good one between two strong teams. This will be a real test to show how far Pat Narduzzi’s defense has come after its second offseason with him at the helm.
Grade: A
September 17th: @Oklahoma State
A second consecutive non-conference game against a power conference team? On the road against a potential contender? Yes.please.
Grade: A+
October 1st: Marshall
No cupcakes after Villanova for this team. Marshall is not a P5 school or even a G5 elite. But it is a solid program that can beat a good school that has an off night.
Grade: B
Overall:
I don’t know if Narduzzi has Pitt at the level of being a national contender yet, but this year’s schedule is set up for it. Pitt gets a Big 12 contender on the road and an above-average Big Ten team at home. On top of that is a third pretty good game. This schedule might not look flashy, but it is very, very strong when you look at it.
Grade: A+
Virginia Cavaliers
September 3rd: Richmond
The Spiders are a good FCS program that seems to be able to beat a P5 team every once in a while. It’s still a scheduled (in-state) cupcake, but it’s not a particularly bad one — especially with the game that follows.
Grade: C-
September 10th: @Oregon
Bronco Mendenhall gets an early challenge in his new job. This could be a blowout loss but this could also be a chance for Mendenhall to set a new tone for the Virginia program.
Grade: A
September 17th: @Connecticut
UConn actually plays three ACC teams, two of them at home. This program is down right now but had success in the old Big East. It’s not a bad game to schedule.
Grade: C+
September 24th: Central Michigan
Central Michigan is a mediocre MAC school, probably barely in the top half of the league. That’s actually an okay team for a bottom-half of the ACC school to schedule.
Grade: C
Overall:
Virginia is in the midst of building a program, so the game against Oregon might be a reach. There is no other P5 opponent on this schedule, but there is no true cupcake either. Solid job, if not great.
Grade: B
September 3rd: Liberty
A cupcake to start. Not much more to say.
Grade: D
September 10th: vs Tennessee (in Bristol, TN)
This will be the first major test for Justin Fuente, and based on most preseason predictions it won’t be pretty. It’s still always good to see good P5 programs schedule each other.
Grade: A+
September 24th: East Carolina
ECU has actually won the last two games in this budding rivalry. I don’t know if this series will continue past 2020, but it’s been good to watch while it has been played in eight of the last nine years. ECU might be down this year without coach Ruffin McNeill, but this series will hopefully provide another good game.
Grade: B+
November 19th: @Notre Dame
This game, more than any other, will be what Fuente’s first season is judged by. Winning the ACC might be too tall of a task. There is no cross-divisional game against Florida State or Clemson. Notre Dame will be the pinnacle of this season.
Grade: A+
Overall:
There is one FCS cupcake on the schedule and then three quality games. Two elite P5 opponents and a very good G5 team are all we can ask a program to schedule.
Grade: A+
Other Non-Conference Scheduling Grades
Big 12
Pac-12 North
Pac-12 South
Big Ten East
Big Ten West
ACC Atlantic
