When our team has had good talent and solid coaching (enough to make us competitive) this is something that I've done in the past that has SOME significance in the outcome of the games. Who plays who when and when do we play them? I'll break down the schedule comparison for each of our 9 power 5 games.
TT-
We are their first road game they play Sam Houston state and UTEP before us. We should slam them regardless. We play UTEP and Toledo. Home field advantage gives schedule matchup to us
aTm (Dallas)-
This will be their 2nd neutral site game of the year having played AZst in Houston week 1 which is an interesting matchup with ASU being ranked as high as 12 in some preseason polls. I think aTm loses that game and is 2-1 going into Dallas. We want revenge and the schedule draw is neutral at worst and a positive for us IMO.
@Tenn-
UT plays OU to start the season and I see it as a loss. As well they will play @ Florida the week before our game anD UGA the week after. It is not out of the question for UT to be 2-2 going into our game with UGA looming on the horizon. Florida plays 2 cupcakes and then Kentucky before UT and should have that game circled all summer. It's a road game with a rare good schedule draw. The playing field is even IMO. If UT loses to Florida it tilts greatly to our favor
@ Bama
I started this thinking Bama was a terrible slot. Not so fast. Bama plays Wisky and Ole Miss early then they are @UGA the week before us and @ aTm the week after. Saban is the ultimate mental prep coach. But there is no doubt that their schedule is actually harder than ours up to that point. And we get that favor. But it's still at Bama. Much better schedule draw than I anticipated. Edge to Bama at home.
Bye week
Auburn
our 1st true home SEC game. If we win 2/3 atm, UT, & Bama this game will be as big as the 2010 Bama game IMO. Auburn will have played LSU and MSU early and then @Kentucky the week before us while we are on Bye. This one is easy and I see why the sharks in Vegas opened us up as a 6.5 favorite. We get 2 weeks to prepare while Auburn will be finishing the 2nd leg of a road trip. Huge schedule draw advantage for us. 2 weeks off and a packed house no matter our record. Clearly our advantage
UT Martin
basically an off week to prep for OM
@ Ole Miss
OM plays aTm then @ Auburn then us .... but that's not the best part. We are their 10th straight game to start the season with no bye week until after they play us. They will be the walking dead coming off a road trip to Auburn and we will be rested after blowing out UT Martin. This is my pick of the year. If we are healthy this is an automatic win for the Hogs IMO..... By far the biggest schedule draw advantage of the season regardless of the location.
@ LSU
they have @ Bama the week before and @ OM after. I love it when we play teams after they play Bama which is why I love it we have our bye after we play them. The LSU Bama game is typically the most phsycal game of the season every year. Let's hope that trend continues. If so it's a decent schedule draw. We will play a worn out OM team LSU will battle Bama on the road. I like the draw. But it's still death valley. Schedule draw push IMO.....
MS St-
we will be bruised and battered but not as much as MS St will. They play @Missouri and Bama before us and Ole Miss after us. It's in our house. Did I mention that I love playing teams the week after they play Bama? This is an excellent schedule draw for the Hogs
Mizzou
this is probably our worst home schedule draw. Mizzou plays BYU, UT, then @ Ark. Not exactly a killer lineup and they just might be playing for yet another trip to Atlanta given their weak schedule. We want blood and so will our fans. Home field advantage will be a solid plus in this particular game but we have no real schedule draw advantage. Push on the draw with the favor going to us due to home field.
No, I'm not saying this will determine the winner but it will make an impact. I come away feeling much better about our schedule when I compare it against the teams we are playing, when we play them, and who/where they have to play around our game. Most noticeable is the Ole Miss and Auburn games. Bama isn't as bad as we thought in terms of the draw either. LSU and MSU we play both teams the week after they play Bama.
I think our season all comes down to 2 games. aTm in Dallas and Tennessee on the road. If we win those 2 games the outcome of the Bama game may very well determine the West champion. If we don't win both those games we find ourselves in the middle of the pack looking up with a very hard row to hoe.
TT-
We are their first road game they play Sam Houston state and UTEP before us. We should slam them regardless. We play UTEP and Toledo. Home field advantage gives schedule matchup to us
aTm (Dallas)-
This will be their 2nd neutral site game of the year having played AZst in Houston week 1 which is an interesting matchup with ASU being ranked as high as 12 in some preseason polls. I think aTm loses that game and is 2-1 going into Dallas. We want revenge and the schedule draw is neutral at worst and a positive for us IMO.
@Tenn-
UT plays OU to start the season and I see it as a loss. As well they will play @ Florida the week before our game anD UGA the week after. It is not out of the question for UT to be 2-2 going into our game with UGA looming on the horizon. Florida plays 2 cupcakes and then Kentucky before UT and should have that game circled all summer. It's a road game with a rare good schedule draw. The playing field is even IMO. If UT loses to Florida it tilts greatly to our favor
@ Bama
I started this thinking Bama was a terrible slot. Not so fast. Bama plays Wisky and Ole Miss early then they are @UGA the week before us and @ aTm the week after. Saban is the ultimate mental prep coach. But there is no doubt that their schedule is actually harder than ours up to that point. And we get that favor. But it's still at Bama. Much better schedule draw than I anticipated. Edge to Bama at home.
Bye week
Auburn
our 1st true home SEC game. If we win 2/3 atm, UT, & Bama this game will be as big as the 2010 Bama game IMO. Auburn will have played LSU and MSU early and then @Kentucky the week before us while we are on Bye. This one is easy and I see why the sharks in Vegas opened us up as a 6.5 favorite. We get 2 weeks to prepare while Auburn will be finishing the 2nd leg of a road trip. Huge schedule draw advantage for us. 2 weeks off and a packed house no matter our record. Clearly our advantage
UT Martin
basically an off week to prep for OM
@ Ole Miss
OM plays aTm then @ Auburn then us .... but that's not the best part. We are their 10th straight game to start the season with no bye week until after they play us. They will be the walking dead coming off a road trip to Auburn and we will be rested after blowing out UT Martin. This is my pick of the year. If we are healthy this is an automatic win for the Hogs IMO..... By far the biggest schedule draw advantage of the season regardless of the location.
@ LSU
they have @ Bama the week before and @ OM after. I love it when we play teams after they play Bama which is why I love it we have our bye after we play them. The LSU Bama game is typically the most phsycal game of the season every year. Let's hope that trend continues. If so it's a decent schedule draw. We will play a worn out OM team LSU will battle Bama on the road. I like the draw. But it's still death valley. Schedule draw push IMO.....
MS St-
we will be bruised and battered but not as much as MS St will. They play @Missouri and Bama before us and Ole Miss after us. It's in our house. Did I mention that I love playing teams the week after they play Bama? This is an excellent schedule draw for the Hogs
Mizzou
this is probably our worst home schedule draw. Mizzou plays BYU, UT, then @ Ark. Not exactly a killer lineup and they just might be playing for yet another trip to Atlanta given their weak schedule. We want blood and so will our fans. Home field advantage will be a solid plus in this particular game but we have no real schedule draw advantage. Push on the draw with the favor going to us due to home field.
No, I'm not saying this will determine the winner but it will make an impact. I come away feeling much better about our schedule when I compare it against the teams we are playing, when we play them, and who/where they have to play around our game. Most noticeable is the Ole Miss and Auburn games. Bama isn't as bad as we thought in terms of the draw either. LSU and MSU we play both teams the week after they play Bama.
I think our season all comes down to 2 games. aTm in Dallas and Tennessee on the road. If we win those 2 games the outcome of the Bama game may very well determine the West champion. If we don't win both those games we find ourselves in the middle of the pack looking up with a very hard row to hoe.
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