Three Very Big Games

Something to start thinking about:

Ohio State/Michigan

Louisville/West Virginia

USC/California

Hell, USC against anyone is something to keep an eye on right now.  Their computer advantage will slump in the next few weeks (BYE, Oregon State, Stanford) but after that it's Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame followed by Rival UCLA.  If USC miraculously survives that stretch, the computers will be very pleased with their strength of schedule and fall in love with them again.

They're not the nation's No. 2 team but if voters are unwilling to bump them and they just do the survival dance they'll be in Glendale, and unfairly so unless they get their acts together.

Comments

[phil]

What is the big issue with USC? If they beat 3 of the teams you have currently ranked in your top 15 in consecutive weeks how could they possibly not deserve the spot in the NC game?. I don't care what the margin is, if they win those games they are legit.

[CFR]

Deserve's got nothing to do with it.

They'll be evaluated on how good they are at the end of the day.

If they actually pull that off, chances are they'll have shown they're the nation's No. 2 team. But we don't know that yet, they could get real lucky for all we know.

I do my best to account for just bad days, or a unique setting/situation.

But right now there's no way they're the nation's second best team.

[Jae]

CFR,

You're probably right that USC isn't the #2 team right now. There are probably a few teams that could beat them on a neutral field. But if they run the table with the nation's toughest schedule, you're right they aren't the #2 team, they should be the #1 team.

By the way, all this hubbub in week six is just nonsense.

"They'll be evaluated on how good they are at the end of the day."

This goes for all teams not just USC.

[Andy T.]

Jae,

In what fantasy world does USC have the nation's toughest schedule?

[phil]

The world where they beat the leader of the SEC West and the Big 12 North, giving those teams their only losses. Also they didn't schedule any OOC weaklings like nearly every other team in the country. The SOS will drop as they play Stanford and OSU though. But Notre Dame and Cal will give a nice spike at the end of the year.

[Quaker]

USC does indeed have the toughest OOC schedule in the country. I don't think any reasonable person can argue that (this coming from an SEC guy).

[Cupcakes]

Q: In what fantasy world does USC have the nation's toughest schedule?

A: OOC -- BCS #13 Arkansas (5-1, SEC West leader over Aub), #17 Nebraska (6-1, B12 North leader) & #8 ND (5-1, NBC's concensus Nat. Champs)

The first 2 losses are to USC itself, the third loss was to Michigan.

In Conf. -- #10 Cal (6-1), #14 Oregon (5-1)

That's pretty tough OOC and overall to me. There are cupcakes, but every team from top to bottom has the same desert, if not more (no directional or AA teams). Does anyone have a tougher schedule?

[Brian Schroeder]

According to the Jeff Sagarin computer ratings, USC has the toughest schedule in the nation!

Southern California A = 93.90 6 0 78.26( 1) 0 0 | 3 0 | 106.83 1 | 88.30 12

[Brian Schroeder]

According to the May Rankings, USC holds the toughest schedule also (based upon strength of schedule).

1 1 USC (6-0) 4 116.55