Alabama's Schedule of Cupcakes

[HeritageKing]

Just checking to see what matchups were coming out and saw that Bama is once again playing nobody. Its week 4 and they are playing a conference USA team. They will play Ole Miss next week at home and then take a week off and play their first "real" opponent in week 7 at Texas A&M.

Every year its the same thing. Bama gets half a season to tune up while other teams are playing powerhouses weeks one and two.

..and Saban wonders why no one comes to the games.

Bama won't travel out of their own time zone to play anyone. Anyone else notice this?

[Noles939913]

Eh, they usually play at least one or two non-conference Power 5 teams per year which is more than some teams can say.

[IronMonkey415]

Saw their schedule the other day. Almost threw my laptop out the window.

People just continue to hand them easy games every damn year.

[rhigh2390]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48767791907_5fe3ecd2ff.jpg

[CrownCollector]

They are the equivalent of the Patriots. If you had the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins 6 times a year, you better win 12 games.

[djdevon]

I believe these small schools stand to gain a tremendous financial windfall for showing up and taking a beating.

[Zauron]

Look, Alabama is playing nobody this year, but they do schedule some decent out of conference opponents. Florida State, USC, Wisconsin, Louisville wasn't total garbage when they scheduled them.

The thing that gets me with their schedule though, is they get 4 OOC games and 3 of those are absolute cupcakes and they play one in November every year. Get rid of that 4th OOC game, schedule another SEC game in there because I just checked, the last time they played Georgia in conference was #@#@#@#@ing 2015. That is absolutely dumb and annoying to see. The SEC scheduling is garbage.

[SethMurphy]

I hate Bama, I hate Saban. But this isn't on them, why if you were a perennial playoff contender would you want to purposely schedule games you "might" lose? The rules are set up to let them do it so it's not on them.


The only way to fix this is for the NCAA to start making all of the schedules and stop letting colleges have the freedom to buy wins. Set rules and standards that would prevent Alabama from just writing a $1M check to some FBS school to come to their home field and take a 75-0 beatdown.

Mandate that all out of conference games must be FCS schools, mandate that all OOC games must be power 5 v power 5, or just have the NCAA make all of the schedules, that's pretty simple.


Alabama's Future Non-Conference Opponents - https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/alabama/

2019 - Duke, New Mexico State, Southern Miss, Western Carolina
2020 - USC (Arlington, TX), Georgia State, Kent State, UT-Martin
2021 - Miami, Southern Miss, New Mexico State, Mercer
2022 - Utah State, Texas, Louisiana-Monroe
2023 - Central Michigan, Texas, at USF
2024 - WKU, USF, at Wisconsin

[Lancia Stratos]

They could have scheduled Boise State and gotten their ass kicked like FSU

[goodole13]

I hate Bama, I hate Saban. But this isn't on them, why if you were a perennial playoff contender would you want to purposely schedule games you "might" lose? The rules are set up to let them do it so it's not on them.


The only way to fix this is for the NCAA to start making all of the schedules and stop letting colleges have the freedom to buy wins. Set rules and standards that would prevent Alabama from just writing a $1M check to some FBS school to come to their home field and take a 75-0 beatdown.

Mandate that all out of conference games must be FCS schools, mandate that all OOC games must be power 5 v power 5, or just have the NCAA make all of the schedules, that's pretty simple.


Alabama's Future Non-Conference Opponents - https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/alabama/

2019 - Duke, New Mexico State, Southern Miss, Western Carolina
2020 - USC (Arlington, TX), Georgia State, Kent State, UT-Martin
2021 - Miami, Southern Miss, New Mexico State, Mercer
2022 - Utah State, Texas, Louisiana-Monroe
2023 - Central Michigan, Texas, at USF
2024 - WKU, USF, at Wisconsin

You got FBS and FCS mixed up, but I get what you’re saying.

[that's crucial]

No one will play Bama. Who wants to take the automatic L

[hairysasquatch]

No one will play Bama. Who wants to take the automatic L

Payday overcomes that for cupcakes. Looking at the projected schedule is very interesting. A moderate uptick in quality - with one game every other year in which their halftime lead may be less than 21 pts.

[ucLAkers]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48767791907_5fe3ecd2ff.jpg

Sept-14th is that a Madden Game? Could potentially be a L

[imbluestreak23]

If you think Bama's schedule is full of cupcakes, I guess Clemson's is full of sprinkles?

[Fenway55]

If you think Bama's schedule is full of cupcakes, I guess Clemson's is full of sprinkles?
Clemson has an easier conference schedule, but that’s hardly their fault or responsibility. If you compare OOC teams, Clemson’s schedule dominates Alabama’s, both now and in the future. They had A&M the last 2 years. They have UGA a whole bunch of times coming up.... Oklahoma... LSU..... plus their annual rivalry with S. Carolina. (And I am not even counting multiple OOC games against Notre Dame since those were scheduled by the ACC)

[gooddaysir]

I’m not a Bama fan. However, cupcake schedule or not, once they get to the playoff every year, they generally show they clearly belong in it.

[Longshot18]

Is this really a thread? Man haters going to hate. Look, Im a Georgia fan.

But 2017 Bama scheduled Florida State
2018 they scheduled Louisville
2016 they scheduled USC in game 1

All 3 in game 1. Now, some of those teams did not end up being top notch, but historically they are quality opponents and schedules are made 3-6 years in advance. They clearly made attempts to schedule top out of conference opponents.

2020 they are set to open up again vs. USC

The next few years they have scheduled Texas multiple times.

This year, there is not a top opponent

But every other year, they have tried to schedule a top program out of conference. Then they run the guantlent that is the SEC, play a SEC playoff game, and now 2 games in the playoffs.

no, they don't schedule 3 top 20 teams in their out of conference schedule every year. But most years they make attempts to schedule at least 1 big time program. To say they have an easy schedule is disingenuous to say the least. :doh:

[danfan1]

I’m not a Bama fan. However, cupcake schedule or not, once they get to the playoff every year, they generally show they clearly belong in it.

Ding ding ding what do we have for him johnny.
Alabama has made it to the playoffs every year since it started. They've won it twice and played in 4 of the 5 championship games. Do they play the toughest schedule? No, but that doest affect their caliber in the big games.

Ohio state plays in a joke of a conference and has a weak schedule every year as well difference is that they usually choke it up in big games.

[LCM1223]

Sounds like the Pats and Cowboys opening schedules

[IronMonkey415]

I know that word CULINARY means chef or cooking...LOL THEY ARE PLAYING THEM TODAY? No chance at all.

A school like that having a football team is funny as hell to me

[xXdirtyjoeXx]

Ding ding ding what do we have for him johnny.
Alabama has made it to the playoffs every year since it started. They've won it twice and played in 4 of the 5 championship games. Do they play the toughest schedule? No, but that doest affect their caliber in the big games.

Ohio state plays in a joke of a conference and has a weak schedule every year as well difference is that they usually choke it up in big games.

That's funny. As I recall the last time 'Bama and Ohio State played, 'Bama didn't do so hot. Anyway, haters going to hate. Go Bucks!

[Fenway55]

That's funny. As I recall the last time 'Bama and Ohio State played, 'Bama didn't do so hot. Anyway, haters going to hate. Go Bucks!
I lost a lot of money betting against OSU that year, both the Alabama game and the Oregon game (which I attended). :(:(

[Noles939913]

They could have scheduled Boise State and gotten their ass kicked like FSU

LOL no, we would have beaten Boise State if we had a competent head coach and Bama is much better than we are this year.

[PuddleMonkey]

Of course they play cupcakes, tide can't roll if there's something obstructing it.

[HeritageKing]

yeah I though I would get a lot of the usual excuses.

1) No one wants to play Bama (but teams will play Clemson, OU, and OSU out of
conference)

2) The SEC is sooooo great.......except the west hasn't been good in a long time LSU and Auburn have been high ranked pretenders year after year)

3) Once they get to the playoffs they are fire.....yeah while other teams have to make it
through tough games in the regular season

and only one game against the SEC East every year, but no Georgia?

oh and USC hasn't been good since Reggie Bush, so can we stop with that?

[imbluestreak23]

So if Bama has a cupcake schedule, who in the NCAA has a difficult schedule? What does a difficult schedule look like?

[Fenway55]

and only one game against the SEC East every year, but no Georgia?They get 2 SEC East games per year: their annual game against Tennessee (which would be a good matchup if this was the mid to late 90's) and then a rotation of all the rest.

If the SEC had any balls - which they don't - they would arrange for the cross division game to be based off of last year's finish. Alabama actually gets UGA next year in the rotation, but that should be a matchup happening more than once every 6 years.

[HeritageKing]

Texas A&M played Clemson
Auburn played Oregon
Georgia plays Notre Dame
Bama plays.....Duke.

Saban is a scared little baby and would wet the bed if he had to travel more than 80 miles to go play someone decent.

[imbluestreak23]

So if Bama has a cupcake schedule, who in the NCAA has a difficult schedule? What does a difficult schedule look like?

Whose got a tough schedule?

[mc1]

USC won 10 games the year they got demolished by Bama. But A&M is such a great team when they’ve averaged 8 wins the last few years. Tough conference?

[SirTommyWinAlot]

Who doesn't love college football blowouts?

Fun!

[Copeskey45]

Clemson has an easier conference schedule, but that’s hardly their fault or responsibility. If you compare OOC teams, Clemson’s schedule dominates Alabama’s, both now and in the future. They had A&M the last 2 years. They have UGA a whole bunch of times coming up.... Oklahoma... LSU..... plus their annual rivalry with S. Carolina. (And I am not even counting multiple OOC games against Notre Dame since those were scheduled by the ACC)

So its Bamas fault for having an easy schedule, but not Clemsons fault for having one? Get outta here

[Copeskey45]

Texas A&M played Clemson
Auburn played Oregon
Georgia plays Notre Dame
Bama plays.....Duke.

Saban is a scared little baby and would wet the bed if he had to travel more than 80 miles to go play someone decent.

Bama plays A&M too... and LSU

[Copeskey45]

Bama plays A&M AND LSU but they have an easy schedule.

Man the OP must not have looked at the schedule before making this thread.

Oh I see the who the OP is now... doesn't surprise me he is complaining

[Fenway55]

So its Bamas fault for having an easy schedule, but not Clemsons fault for having one? Get outta here
You obviously don't know how college football scheduling works, so let me school you:

The conference controls its conference schedule. The university controls its out-of-conference schedule. So that's right, it's not Clemson's fault the rest of the ACC sucks. But yes, it is Alabama's fault they regularly play Chattanooga, The Citadel, TN-Martin, etc.

What part of "if you compare OOC teams, Clemson’s schedule dominates Alabama’s" did you not understand?

[BostonNut]

I like how the Patriots are whined about multiple times in this college football thread.

Carry on.

[Copeskey45]

You obviously don't know how college football scheduling works, so let me school you:

The conference controls its conference schedule. The university controls its out-of-conference schedule. So that's right, it's not Clemson's fault the rest of the ACC sucks. But yes, it is Alabama's fault they regularly play Chattanooga, The Citadel, TN-Martin, etc.

What part of "if you compare OOC teams, Clemson’s schedule dominates Alabama’s" did you not understand?

Ok. We will just agree to disagree

[Elbert3i]

So much I could say on this topic, especially about the hate people have towards Alabama and Nick Saban.

But there’s no argument against ignorance, so I’ll just say Roll Tide.

Roll Tide!


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[danfan1]

That's funny. As I recall the last time 'Bama and Ohio State played, 'Bama didn't do so hot. Anyway, haters going to hate. Go Bucks!

Bama has as many championships in the playoff era as OSU has appearances. You're absolutely right go Bucs, at least Bama wins their cupcakes. Those boilermakers sure are a tough bunch

[Zauron]

They get 2 SEC East games per year: their annual game against Tennessee (which would be a good matchup if this was the mid to late 90's) and then a rotation of all the rest.

If the SEC had any balls - which they don't - they would arrange for the cross division game to be based off of last year's finish. Alabama actually gets UGA next year in the rotation, but that should be a matchup happening more than once every 6 years.

This is what doesn't make sense. SEC should mandate only 3 OOC games at most, and play 9 conference games. 6 in division, and the other 3 the other division with rotating every year.

The fact Alabama hasn't played Georgia since 2015 in conference I think is absolutely insane.

Also, no way should SEC schools get to schedule these cupcakes in November.

[mike1498]

Everyone hates on LSU and Auburn but they’d crush so many non sec teams it’s not even funny. Sorry they play in the hardest conference

[imbluestreak23]

So if Bama has a cupcake schedule, who in the NCAA has a difficult schedule? What does a difficult schedule look like?

I will post this a third time.

If there is no legit response, I hereby deem this thread troll worthy

[IndyKMB]

They get 2 SEC East games per year: their annual game against Tennessee (which would be a good matchup if this was the mid to late 90's) and then a rotation of all the rest.


Yeah, it's my understanding that each team gets a protected rivalry game with the other conference. Alabama cannot get UGA because that is Auburn's game. I believe UGA/Auburn is the oldest rivalry in the South. Puls, why the hell would UGA want Alabama AND Auburn, and then potentially have to play 1 of them again in the SEC title game?

Anyway, I'd love to take pot-shots at Alabama and it's schedule but the fact is they take care of business and are constantly in position to play for a title. Auburn plays UGA and Alabama essentially back-to-back most years to wind down the regular season and it's a killer. Auburn fans have been clamoring for the UGA game to be moved up for years but it's not happening. Don't see Saban and the boys doing that with their schedule, and frankly I don't blame them.

[Siberian13]

I will post this a third time.

If there is no legit response, I hereby deem this thread troll worthy

You’re probably referring to the total schedule. But the toughest out of conference schedule would be Notre Dame’s :)

[HeritageKing]

Georgia playing men tonight and Alabama played the jv squad. How can you not move
the winner of tonight ahead of Bama?

[Siberian13]

Georgia playing men tonight and Alabama played the jv squad. How can you not move
the winner of tonight ahead of Bama?

UGA can’t beat Bama when it matters. Notre Dame needs to join a conference and they’d get more respect.

[HeritageKing]

Notre Dame will play anyone anywhere. Kudos to Georgia for putting them on the schedule.

It is time that the polls take into account who you beat. Bama has beat no one. Move them back after every cupcake and let teams who actually played and beat ranked teams take the high spots, once Bama beats someone then you can move them up. Im just sick of them preseason 1 or 2, play no one until week 8 but sit on the 1 spot the whole season.

[Fenway55]

Everyone hates on LSU and Auburn but they’d crush so many non sec teams it’s not even funny. Sorry they play in the hardest conference
Yeah yeah yeah... we heard it all last year... how all those secondary SEC teams would dominate other conferences.

Then Alabama got whupped by Clemson and Texas beat Georgia.

[mike1498]

Yeah yeah yeah... we heard it all last year... how all those secondary SEC teams would dominate other conferences.

Then Alabama got whupped by Clemson and Texas beat Georgia.

Oh yeah Clemson has a real hard schedule too. And don’t get me started on Texas. Ohh what happened to Oklahoma vs bama, Texas’s hardest conference game? I’m not a Bama fan but to say any team in the sec has a cake walk is only fooling themselves

[mnvikingstwins]

It's not just Alabama it's really college as a whole. Outside of the Gophers 3 ugly games I haven't watched more than an hour of college games this year, there hasn't been anything remotely interesting

[rats60]

Notre Dame will play anyone anywhere. Kudos to Georgia for putting them on the schedule.

It is time that the polls take into account who you beat. Bama has beat no one. Move them back after every cupcake and let teams who actually played and beat ranked teams take the high spots, once Bama beats someone then you can move them up. Im just sick of them preseason 1 or 2, play no one until week 8 but sit on the 1 spot the whole season.

Lol. Georgia is the only good team on their schedule. Their 2nd best game is Virginia, a team that struggled with ODU. Join a conference were you can't dodge good teams. Alabama has LSU and Auburn on their schedule and then if they win those 2, they likely get UGA in the SECCG. There is no non SEC team with a schedule like that. Oh, and their "bye" week coming up is Texas A & M, the best team on Clemson's schedule.

[HeritageKing]

This doesn't change the fact that Bama still hasn't played anyone. Georgia plays #7 and beats them and can't move up in the polls after Bama plays a Conf USA opponent?

[lambeauleap87]

Aside from non-Alabama SEC schools, there's really no need for any P5 team to schedule tough OOC games. Undefeated in a P5 conference effectively guarantees a trip to the CFP, why make your route any tougher than you have to?

[Chicosbailbonds]

Saban has gone on record for playing an extra conference game and eliminating a nonconference game. They have future games with ND and Wisconsin.

[Polar Bear Phan]

The SEC mandates that every team play an OOC game against another P5 school, Notre Dame, or BYU every season. The knock on Alabama's OOC P5 game (and several other SEC schools) is that it has recently been a neutral site game in the southeast or Texas. They are starting to schedule OOC true road games, but they will go from 2011 (at Penn State) to 2022 (at Texas) without playing an OOC P5 road game. As for the rest of their schedule, while the SEC tends to be the most top heavy conference, the middle and bottom portions of that conference are pretty indistinguishable from any other P5 conference. Let's be real, their presumptive beating the snot out of Ole Miss this week isn't much different from what Ohio State does against Indiana almost every year.

[Archangel1775]

Small schools disagree with the OP. They'll take the money,this includes FCS schools. All top schools in college(high school even) normally schedule a weaker historically weaker opponent the first game.

[jrg1128]

Clemson can't help that their conference is bad. Alabama can't help that their conference is good. To say Alabama needs to schedule a tougher OOC schedule to prove themselves worthy is foolish. The toughest team on Clemson's schedule (Texas A&M) is the 3rd toughest game on Alabama's schedule. 4th toughest if Bama makes it to the SEC championship game.

So let's not rag on Clemson since they scheduled 1 better OOC game than Bama, even though Bama's schedule is much tougher, and it's not even close.

Bama doesn't need to schedule tough OOC games because of how tough their conference schedule is. Clemson proves nothing by running the table in the ACC.

But according to many people here, they want Bama to play Oklahoma, Georgia, Auburn, LSU, and Texas A&M every year. While every other team only needs to schedule 1 tough OOC game and play a joke of a conference schedule.

[bedler]

Bama always has a weaker schedule than most in the SEC West and it's prob cause the SEC Office is in Alabama [emoji23]. They play Tenn every yr whereas LSU plays Florida annually. LSU has always played a harder schedule than Alabama however comparing conferences is nuts... SEC West can be split into 3 conferences and still run college Football...

Big 12, Big 10, ACC, PAC-12 are all Trash

Clemson is in a league of their own in the ACC and they are legit but that's about it and honestly Lawrence looks like crap this yr..

Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame only get into the final 4 because they play nobody all yr...

This yr playoffs will be:

1. Clemson
2. Bama or LSU
3. Ohio St
4. LSU or Bama

Texas will beat Oklahoma and LSU will get in over Texas/Ok/ND/GA even if they lose at BAMA.

LSU wins Natty over Alabama

SEC West Rules again... Burrow #1 Pick

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[chfu3030]

This doesn't change the fact that Bama still hasn't played anyone. Georgia plays #7 and beats them and can't move up in the polls after Bama plays a Conf USA opponent?

They beat Notre Dame...not the 7th best team in the nation. There is a difference.

Couple of points I have for you since your Bama hating is at an all time high.

1. Schedules are set at least 5 years in advance.
2. I can promise you that we call most if not all power 5 teams to try and get a game.
3. Most don't want to take it because they are "rebuilding" every year and if you were rebuilding, would you want Alabama Weeks 1, 2 or 3?
4. Tennessee sucks...I get it, it's not our fault.....just like it's not Clemson's fault the entire ACC sucks.
5. We played FSU, USC and Louisville the past 3 years for our first game. But we get Duke this year and it's a "huge" deal.
6. No power 5 conference team wants to play Alabama unless it the last game of the Season....the National Championship game.

We play GA during the season next year which means someone might have a chance to win the east if they go undefeated.

[mc1]

This doesn't change the fact that Bama still hasn't played anyone. Georgia plays #7 and beats them and can't move up in the polls after Bama plays a Conf USA opponent?

#7 according to whom? CFP poll isn’t out yet. Other rankings are meaningless this early in the year.