Since the SEC and ACC are going to stay at 8 conference games

[Alsacs]

Playing an extra conference game which would guarantee a win too. In any case, if avoiding losses is the goal, the playing more SEC teams probably isn't the best strategy.

Right but SEC East teams don't want to play Alabama AND LSU in 1 year and SEC West teams don't want to play Florida AND Georgia in the same regular season. By each conference playing 8 conference games 1 cross-conference game would basically allow the schools to schedule only 3 other games like the B1G, Big XII, Pac-12 do and make scheduling easier. The SEC coaches voted 13-1 to keep the conference schedule at 8 games. 3 of the top SEC teams already play ACC opponents Georgia, Florida, South Carolina. Alabama, LSU rotating Virginia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, NC State, Miami, and the rest isn't a bad thing and follows what Nick Saban has been saying play good games.

 

[riskylogic]

That's not going to happen. I'd rather see Syracuse play Northwestern, PSU, any SEC team or even Maryland/Rutgers than playing an ACC team in a game that doesn't count.

What if it were a team that Syracuse would hardly ever play otherwise, like Virginia? The orange-and-blue bowl would be epic.

For the purpose of determining divisional champions, I don't think OOD games should count for anything other than a tie breaker anyway.

 

[Moontan]

What if it were a team that Syracuse would hardly ever play otherwise, like Virginia? The orange-and-blue bowl would be epic.

That is a nice game, but so is SU-VPI, etc.. Pods will bring a major relief to the once-every-six-year match ups. Until then, drop the fixed crossover games (other than FSU-Miami & Duke-GAtech).

Back to the subject, I just don't see how you count one game against an ACC opponent in the standings, but not the other.

If the goal is to strengthen the schedule then play another quality opponent. The 9 left over SEC programs seem to fit that bill. For mighty Alabama, what's the difference between directional-LA or one of the NC schools?

 

[riskylogic]

I'm all in for pods.

You cannot play conference teams and not count the games in the standings. That just doesn't work.

Notre Dame is fine with it, apparently. In fact, for teams like Duke that need all the OOC wins they can get just to be bowl eligible, ND will be a pretty good ninth ACC opponent. I think Purdue is dropping ND because if they keep a probable loss on the schedule, they will need at least four conference wins to be bowl eligible most years.

 

[All4SU]

I'm all in for pods. The other thing to think about is that for bottom tier teams (e.g. Duke, Wake, BC, UVa), it more important to rack up OOC wins than to

Notre Dame is fine with it, apparently.

Except they are not in the conference for football. Totally unrelated.

 

[Alsacs]

What if it were a team that Syracuse would hardly ever play otherwise, like Virginia? The orange-and-blue bowl would be epic.

For the purpose of determining divisional champions, I don't think OOD games should count for anything other than a tie breaker anyway.

Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech from the ACC and Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky from the SEC are BOTH adamantly against each of their conferences going from 8 to 9 conference games. The reason is because these teams would automatically have 10 games a years and won't be able to schedule any more road games and get 7 home games a year which all of them need. If the ACC and SEC came together scheduled 1 cross-conference game a year ALL 14 schools would be playing on a level playing field and would allow non-conference scheduling to be a lot easier. Alabama and LSU are obviously the blue bloods from the SEC that would play ACC games, but they could easily play a "home" game in the Super Dome one year against North Carolina and the following year play a "road" game in Charlotte against NC State. This collaboration would be good for both conferences. Alabama could play a "home" game in the Georgia Dome versus Virginia Tech, and then play a "road" game at FedEx Field against Virginia the following year. The payouts from these neutral site games would exceed or get close to home games and would help SOS for both conferences.

 

[BlazeOrange]

That's not going to happen. I'd rather see Syracuse play Northwestern, PSU, any SEC team or even Maryland/Rutgers than playing an ACC team in a game that doesn't count.

Didn't the PAC/B1G scheduling alliance go away? Wonder if a 3-way B1G/SEC/ACC agreement could work - half the conference plays one & the other half plays the other. Something like:
ACC-SEC
Florida State - Florida
Georgia Tech - Georgia
Louisville - Kentucky
Clemson - South Carolina
Wake Forest - Vanderbilt
Virginia Tech - Tennessee
North Carolina - Alabama

ACC-B1G
Miami - Ohio State
Pitt - Penn State
BC - Rutgers
Virginia - Maryland
Duke - Northwestern
SU - Michigan State
NC State - Purdue

B1G-SEC
Michigan - LSU
Nebraska - Texas A&M
Wisconsin - Arkansas
Iowa - Auburn
Minnesota - Ole Miss
Illinois - Missouri
Indiana - Miss. St.

A couple matchups are random/duds, but many have historical rivalries or other selling points.

 

[Alsacs]

Didn't the PAC/B1G scheduling alliance go away? Wonder if a 3-way B1G/SEC/ACC agreement could work - half the conference plays one & the other half plays the other. Something like:
ACC-SEC
Florida State - Florida
Georgia Tech - Georgia
Louisville - Kentucky
Clemson - South Carolina
Wake Forest - Vanderbilt
Virginia Tech - Tennessee
North Carolina - Alabama

ACC-B1G
Miami - Ohio State
Pitt - Penn State
BC - Rutgers
Virginia - Maryland
Duke - Northwestern
SU - Michigan State
NC State - Purdue

B1G-SEC
Michigan - LSU
Nebraska - Texas A&M
Wisconsin - Arkansas
Iowa - Auburn
Minnesota - Ole Miss
Illinois - Missouri
Indiana - Miss. St.

A couple matchups are random/duds, but many have historical rivalries or other selling points.

I like this idea and the matchups in bold would be locks, but the reason I suggested the ACC and SEC was because each conference is currently at 8 conference games and neither wants to go to 9 games because FSU, Ga. Tech, Clemson, Florida, UGA, S. Carolina, Kentucky are against having 10 games automatically scheduled. If the two conferences would come together and matchup the other 10 teams each year then it would fix the problem.

 

[BlazeOrange]

Even though I just suggested a series of annual games, I'd prefer to keep the conferences out and just schedule quality H-H or H-H-N series with various opponents, as we have been. Also fine with teams that have evenly-matched rivalry games out of conference.

The only advantage in "conference challenge" type alliances is that it ensures that all members in the conference will schedule a BCS measuring stick game to aid in any SOS component in playoff selection. I don't see this as an issue in the ACC and would rather just see the conferences "encourage" teams (you know who I'm talking about) to upgrade their schedules if necessary instead of dictating it.