As I mentioned in the ACC grades, the SEC presents me with a dilemma.
The first three power conferences I graded each only played three nonconference 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 nonconference 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 nonconference 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 nonconference 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.
Keep in mind, of course, that all grades are subjective. It would be unfair to expect Vanderbilt to schedule the same way I expect Alabama to. So, for the most part, the West will be subject to tougher scrutiny than the East, which is just what we would expect from the generally-recognized best division in college football.
SEC West Non-Conference Schedule Grades
Alabama Crimson Tide
September 3rd: vs USC (in Arlington, TX)
Alabama will open the season as a CFP favorite and schedules like it. This is impressive for everyone. Thank you Alabama, thank you USC, and thank you AdvoCare for setting this up.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Western Kentucky
Alabama could have followed up USC with a cupcake and no one would have blamed the Tide. Instead, the Crimson Tide are playing a top Group of 5 team right after. This is impressive.
Grade: B+
September 24th: Kent State
Kent State had some potential a few years ago when Dri Archer was playing, but now the Golden Flashes are just a bottom-of-the-MAC cupcake.
Grade: D
November 19th: Chattanooga
Alabama finally picks up an FCS team to prepare for its rivalry game against Auburn.
Grade: F
Overall:
This is a solid schedule. A potentially elite P5 opponent, a very good Go5 team, and two cupcakes. It’s not a superlative schedule, but it is definitely more than good enough for a CFP contender.
Grade: A-
Arkansas Razorbacks
September 3rd: Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech is a decent Go5 program that has had some strong seasons in recent years. This is a solid game for Arkansas to schedule, especially considering what happened when the Razorbacks played a decent Go5 program last year.
Grade: B-
September 10th: @TCU
Arkansas scheduled a road game against a perennial CFP contender. No one’s quite sure how good TCU will be without Trevone Boykin, but knowing Gary Patterson this team will be very good once again.
Grade: A+
September 17th: Texas State
The Bobcats are building a program but it’s slow going. This is a nice cupcake for Arkansas.
Grade: D
October 1st: Alcorn State
Arkansas isn’t playing a cupcake in November, so it’s getting its FCS opponent out of the way in October.
Grade: F
Overall:
Overall, I like this schedule. Arkansas is playing an elite P5 opponent, a pretty good Go5 one, and two cupcakes. Nothing superlative here, but nothing to be embarrassed about either.
Grade: A-
Auburn Tigers
September 3rd: Clemson
It will be Tigers vs Tigers as Auburn faces one of the CFP favorites to start the season. Major scheduling props here.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Arkansas State
Arkansas State is one of the top Sun Belt programs, winning the league last year. The Red Wolves are no pushover, but they should be a win for Auburn nonetheless.
Grade: C+
October 1st: Louisiana-Monroe
ULM is one of the bottom programs of the Sun Belt, but the program has had some talent flow through it. Still, this qualifies as a cupcake.
Grade: D
November 19th: Alabama A&M
In-state FCS school to prepare for the big game against Alabama. Standard.
Grade: D
Overall:
This schedule has two cupcakes, a tremendous P5 game, and a decent Go5 game. It’s not quite of the superior caliber I’d like to see from a potential top team with only eight in-conference games, but it seems like expecting anything more from an SEC West school is just a pipe dream.
Grade: A-
LSU Tigers
September 3rd: vs Wisconsin (in Green Bay, WI)
It’s basically a road game and a chance to play in Lambeau Field. It’s a strong “neutral site” game between two teams towards the top of their conferences. If their 2014 meeting is any indication, this should be a great one.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Jacksonville State
I am not going to lie, it takes real guts to schedule these Gamecocks. Jacksonville State is a top FCS program who almost beat Auburn and reached the FCS National Championship Game last year. This is not an automatic win, but LSU will get absolutely no credit for winning it. Jacksonville State finished ahead of 50 FBS programs in the Sagarin rankings last year, which basically puts it on the level of a slightly-above-mediocre Go5 team.
Grade: C-
October 15th: Southern Miss
Like Jacksonville State, Southern Miss is a program that was expected to be a cupcake when the game was scheduled. The Golden Eagles won’t be, though. It’s a game that LSU should win, but it really won’t be automatic.
Grade: C+
November 19th: South Alabama
Once again, this is a program that should be a total cupcake but really isn’t. The Jaguars are a middle-of-the pack Sun Belt team, which usually does equate with being a cupcake. South Alabama is probably the weakest team on the nonconference slate, which says something positive about LSU.
Grade: C-
Overall:
I am really impressed with LSU. There is only one really good game on this schedule, but there are no true cupcakes. Yes, there’s an FCS team on the schedule, but Jacksonville State doesn’t really count. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than most in the SEC West.
Grade: A
Mississippi State Bulldogs
September 3rd: South Alabama
As I said above, South Alabama isn’t a true cupcake. But it isn’t a marquee opponent either.
Grade: C-
September 24th: @Massachusetts
The Bulldogs will take a recruiting trip to Foxboro, Massachusetts, in the guise of a nonconference game. This won’t be a loss and will be a good opportunity to fans and recruits to have an enjoyable trip.
Grade: D
October 14th: @BYU
This is the biggest game on the Mississippi State schedule. BYU will probably be either the equivalent of a very good Go5 team or a pretty good P5 team, so there is no shame in this game. The fact that it’s on the road is also a point in Mississippi State’s favor.
Grade: A-
October 29th: Samford
Apparently an FCS opponent is necessary to break up the monotony of an SEC schedule. This isn’t even right before Rivalry Week.
Grade: F
Overall:
I would like to see another tough game from a team that competed for a CFP spot two years ago, but this is definitely a step in the right direction for a program that was known in recent years for its weak nonconference scheduling.
Grade: B-
Mississippi Rebels
September 5th: vs Florida State (in Orlando, FL)
Once again, I need to thank Camping World for scheduling this game. It’s a neutral site game between two potential CFP contenders. It will be an excellent way to close the first week of the season.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Wofford
Ole Miss is playing a potentially decent FCS school on five days’ rest after a tough season-opening game against a top team. Ask Virginia Tech how that worked out back in 2010. (To be fair, though, Wofford is no James Madison.)
Grade: F
October 1st: Memphis
The Tigers will be a different squad without Justin Fuente and Paxton Lynch, but they will still be a pretty good AAC team. This is not the great game it was last year, but it’s still a solid nonconference game.
Grade: B
November 5th: Georgia Southern
Ole Miss is playing a second potential Go5 conference champion. The Eagles also bring a triple-option offense, which is never easy to play in the middle of a tough conference season. It takes real guts from Ole Miss to play this game.
Grade: B+
Overall:
Some people might not like this schedule because it only has one P5 team on it. I don’t care. This is an excellent nonconference schedule that includes three games against teams that can definitely win ten games. There is no shame in losing to either Memphis or Georgia Southern, which is a definite possibility for just about any team.
Grade: A+
Texas A&M Aggies
September 3rd: UCLA
Two expected above-average P5 teams will meet to start the season. These are the kinds of nonconference games we love to see.
Grade: A
September 10th: Prairie View A&M
Cupcake number one coms in the form of an FCS team.
Grade: F
October 29th: New Mexico State
Cupcake number two is one of the worst FBS teams year-in and year-out.
Grade: F
November 19th: Texas-San Antonio
Cupcake number three comes in the form of a team in its sixth year of existence that could only muster up three wins against some relatively weak competition last year. UTSA is better than the other two cupcakes, but not by much.
Grade: D
Overall:
Texas A&M gets in one tough game, but that’s really all this schedule has. It’s three guaranteed wins anchored by a high-profile season-opener that will overshadow the other games.
Grade: B-
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