Gators a 73-Point Favorite Over Charleston Southern*

*Updated: Was the 73 meant be a 63? Matt Hinton of Dr Saturday has the scoop. Wiz take: Even at 63, it would probably be the biggest pointspread in college football history, eclipsing the 59.5 points Hawaii spotted Northern Colorado in a 2007 season opener. Hawaii won, 63-6, and failed to cover.

It has come to this in college football. Danny Sheridan of USA Today has made Florida a 73-point favorite in its Sept. 5 opening game against Division I-AA Charleston Southern. It's believed to be the largest pointspread ever for a college football game.

Las Vegas normally doesn't post lines on games involving Division I-A teams playing I-AA opponents for obvious reasons. It's simply not a fair fight. I-A teams are allowed to have 85 players on scholarship, I-AA teams only 63. There are a myriad of other reasons, but Sheridan occasionally puts a number on such a game.

But seriously, isn't it about time the NCAA put an end to such games? Since the NCAA adopted the divisional setup in 1978, only five I-A teams have not played a I-AA opponent. Those teams are Michigan State, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA and Washington. The Spartans fall off the list Sept. 5 because they play host to Montana State.

It's also time for the Bowl Championship Series put a strength-of-schedule component with teeth in its formula.

These issues impact you, the fan. Aren't you tired of paying higher prices for tickets and getting less? And if you want decent seats, you have to give money to the alumni association. All this in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. What are you getting in return? Charleston Southern?

College football has become nothing short of a scam, with coaches making millions of dollars and abusing fan rights by scheduling creampuff opponents in order to 1) go to a bowl game and 2) get another year on a rollover contract. Athletic directors, whose employment is often tied to the success of the football program, simply play along.

The excuses given for such behavior are 1) the conference schedule is so brutally tough, we have to schedule a couple of creampuffs and 2) we need a seventh or eighth home game to pay the bills.

Cry me a river. It's a man's sport, so try acting like one and play somebody. As for paying the bills, try exercising some fiscal responsibility, especially when it comes to awarding multimillion dollar contracts to coaches.

Back to Florida, which has set the gold standard in the scheduling of creampuff opponents. In the 1980s, when high-flying Miami was kicking Florida's tail, the Gators decided to end the series. (Yes, the teams have played three times since, but the annual event is no more.) The "excuse" given was that Florida wanted to play a nonconference schedule that would give it more national visibility.

So what has become of that national schedule? Florida last played an out-of-state regular season nonconference game in 1991, a 38-21 loss at Syracuse. The Gators last played a regular season game west of the Mississippi in 1983 when they traveled to USC and battled the Trojans to a 19-19 tie.

As for Charleston Southern, one can only hope it isn't looking past the Gators. The Buccaneers travel to Wofford the following week. That's the same Wofford that somehow found its way on Wisconsin's schedule. Bret Bielema, defending his weak nonconference schedule, said big-name teams wanted nothing to do with the Badgers, especially on Wisconsin's home turf.

Oh really? That's an interesting way to spin it considering that ESPN attempted to broker a game between Wisconsin and Texas this fall. The truth here is that Bielema, whose program is sliding fast, wanted nothing to do with the Longhorns.

Welcome to college football, 2009.

Comments

[Hike]

What's the point spread for the Montana State game? Or did no one even bother?

[bevo]

Nice article with some good points. Instead of banning these body bag games, how about this proposal: Any team that schedules at least one Division I-AA opponent cannot play in the MNC game? Want to play for the mythical title, then at least have the balls to play a full slate of Division I-A teams.

[gatorhead1013]

"Florida has set the gold standard for scheduling of creampuffs"

Gimme a break. Florida plays the SEC schedule in addition to Florida State every year. Miami is still on the schedule at least 2-3 times a decade. Other recent bowl teams that have appeared (or will appear) on the schedule include Hawaii, South Florida, Troy...at least a tier or two above the Chas Southerns of the world.
Sure, Florida has their share of cupcakes but if you want the "gold standard of cream puff scheduling" look at recent LSU, Penn State or Ole Miss schedules.

[DAve]

I'm about to take sides with a Gator here... what wonders never cease.

Seriously, though: to the programs and its fans from the PAC-10, Big 10, Independents, and Big East: until you have to win a conference championship game at the end of the regular season to guarantee a spot in the national championship, quit your whinging.

[Coach]

There's a single thing I take away from seeing that 73 point line...

That someone named 'danny sheridan' is going to great lengths to draw attention to himself and his employer, USA Today.

And it worked, didn't it?

So what next, a big mention in Sports Illustrated, and The Sporting News too?

Of course, the grand prize is a mention on ESPN, that's worth money!

Who cares and so what.

As far as the game itself, not only are the Charleston Southern players men enough to take the field against Florida in Gainesville, but they won't cry or whine about I-A versus I-AA no matter what happens, good or bad.

And another thing, as far as I-AA teams playing their supposedly superior I-AA brethren:

I believe that not only will I-AA Richmond beat I-A Duke in Durham on September 5, but that the I-AA Salukis of Southern Illinois will probably beat I-A Marshall in West Virginia... and I fully expect Northern Iowa, Weber State, William & Mary, Wofford, the University of Massachusetts, and other I-AA football teams also, to give their supposedly superior I-A opponents a great game on September 5.

Only wimps and cowards shy away from competition and battle... the players on those I-AA teams I mentioned are ready, willing, and eager to play a I-A opponent on September 5, or why else would they have scheduled those games?

And the football teams at Richmond and Southern Illinois are more than just eager to play, they're prepped for victories on that day!

[PT]

Nice writeup, schools such as Florida should never play D II schools, never. I wonder what the cost of a ticket is for that game?

[Jason]

For what it is worth an actual I-A opponent pulled out of the opener and the Gators were forced to settle for this team on their schedule.

[skaboomizzy]

Regarding the strength of schedule argument:

I know back in the early days of the BCS, wins against I-AA teams (cram your FBS/FCS crap NCAA, it'll always be I-A and I-AA to me) did not count toward bowl eligibility or strength of schedule. In other words, if you went 6-6 and one win was against Directional Cupcake Tech, no bowl for you. For all computer ranking purposes, that game essentially does not exist.

I agree with just about every other point in the article. If we've learned nothing else from the last decade, it's that a tough early-season loss to a highly-regarded team is not a deathblow to national title chances. If the Big 12 title game winner ends up 12-1 with a close September loss to Florida or USC, they're probably still getting a slot in the national title game. The big money guys will never pick an undefeated Utah or Boise St over them.

[Dave]

"Seriously, though: to the programs and its fans from the PAC-10, Big 10, Independents, and Big East: until you have to win a conference championship game at the end of the regular season to guarantee a spot in the national championship, quit your whinging."

The teams in the Pac 10 and Big East play every other team in their conference. If you play every other conference opponent, do you need to have a conference championship game at the end of the season?

[SpiceDonk]

Of the 4 teams that will have unblemished DII schedules at the end of the season, 3 are in the PAC-10, clearly let's attack the conference that regularly schedules real games and beats itself up with tough competition. SEC has always scheduled these early season laughers.

[Sam]

"Gimme a break. Florida plays the SEC schedule..."

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH....

[tristan]

With all due respect, won't the spread for the Tennessee game be even bigger?

[Horace Steenblatter]

Houston was favored by 80-something in their game vs TCU when TCU had just come back from the death penalty. As I recall Houston covered, winning 91-0 or therabouts.

[Wyatt Moore]

Houston was never favored by 80 nor has anyone ever been...they did play SMU coming off of the death penalty but were "only" -59...they won 95-21 in 89 I think. To my knowledge that is the highest "widely available" line between 2 1-A teams. I was thinking perhaps Fla was in the high 50's a earlier this decade vs a La directional...

[Jonathan]

I do not really agree with this article at all. You leave out how much these 1 AA teams depend on the notoriety and game guarantee $. Oh wait, no one in the media cares about them or the fact that it is good football to alot of people.

[Lisa horne]

Your stats are incorrect, FYI.

USC played Memphis State in 1991, UCLA played N.E. Louisiana in '96, Washington played Pacific in 1981.

As of now, Notre Dame is the only school to have played all FBS (div 1A) schools since '78.

[Wyatt Moore]

all of the schools you mentioned are 1-A

[Matt]

I don't know if "Memphis State" is now considered Memphis or if "NE Louisiana" is now one of the directional Louisiana schools, but Pacific isn't I-A in football. There are 120 teams, and Pacific isn't one of them.

[The Wiz]

The reason you don't see Pacific on the current I-A roll is that it dropped football after the 1995 season. Among its notable alums: Pete Carroll.

Memphis State is now Memphis. The name was shortened in 1994.

Northeast Louisiana is now Louisiana Monroe. You might recall that the Warhawks defeated Alabama in 2007.

[Jams]

Strength of schedule is included in all the components of the BCS, computer polls included. The reason there isn't a separate component for strength of schedule is that all the existing components are supposed to include that already, thus having a SoS component would double-count it.

Margin of victory is what's not included, maybe that's what you're thinking of, Wiz.

[The Wiz]

I understand that strength of schedule is (supposedly) included in the BCS, but as I noted, a strength of schedule component "with teeth" needs to be added to the BCS formula. One that docks teams for scheduling nonconference games against I-AA opponents, as Florida regularly does. Nonconference scheduling is something teams control.

Example: USC lost one game in 2008, on the road at Oregon State, which finished 9-4. Its three nonconference games: at Virginia, Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Florida lost one game in 2008, at home to Mississippi, which finished 9-4. Florida's four nonconference games: Hawaii, Miami, The Citadel (I-AA), at Florida State.

I would rate the USC nonconference schedule ahead of Florida's.

USC and Florida each lost on the same week in 2008. The Trojans dropped from No. 1 to No. 9 in the AP poll. Florida dropped from No. 4 to No. 12.

As the season progressed and teams entered conference play, Florida eventually passed USC in the BCS standings. In the second-to-last game of the regular season, Florida played The Citadel, a I-AA team, but was not penalized for doing so.

Frankly, I'm not sure how a team that fills out its nonconference schedule against a I-AA opponent can be considered to have a schedule that is more demanding, regardless of what the perception is regarding the strength of a conference.

If the argument comes down to the SEC being superior, consider this: The Pac-10 is 10-7 in head-to-head matchups against the SEC since 1998.

[ESinclair]

We repeatedly hear this SEC excuse-making that SEC teams are allowed to schedule creampuffs because their in-conference schedule is so tough. One problem. This is inarguably bogus.

Over the last decade, the SEC hasn't had the most difficult SOS. It hasn't even had the second most difficult SOS. In fact, the SEC ranks THIRD in SOS over the last decade. THIRD.

Conference BCS Strength of Schedule Rankings (this decade)
1. Pac-10 (2.285)
2. ACC (2.428)
3. SEC (2.714)
4. Big-10 (3.857)
5. Big-12 (4.142)
6. Big East (5.571)

The SEC excuses are simply statistically bogus. The SEC doesn't play anything even close to the most difficult schedules. The facts prove objectively that SEC OOC scheduling is laughably pathetic and completely unjustifiable.

Let's hear it for Southern Cal, UCLA, and Notre Dame: these are the only three teams in all of college football with any self respect.