Originally Posted by m21eagle45
They play a few big games in the OOC and then depend on their Big10 schedule. That is all they need to do to get into the tournament because of the current system that is in place. If the A10 was as strong as the Big10 we would be playing a very similar schedule, but it's not. So we are forced to try and find some better games in the OOC.
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And there's the rub. How do you define how "strong" the Big 10 is? The members of the Big 10 (et al) will probably play 3-5 games (challenges, preseason tournies) against other Big 5+1 schools, then play the remaining non conference against teams that they are bound to beat. They can all finish the non-conference season with no more than 2-4 losses based on their Big 5+1 games, and therefore they are strong.
Let's look at OSU:
- Starts the season with 3 home games (Robert Morris, Radford and Texas Southern).
- Then the PK80 where they host Northeastern (4-0)
- Then they play Gonzaga then either Florida or Stanford.
- Then they have another team in the PK80. So, 3 games against good teams.
- Hosting Clemson in the B10/ACC Challenge
- Host William & Mary, Appalachian State, Citadel (7-0 ignoring PK80 and B10/ACC)
- North Carolina in CBS Sports Classic
- Host Miami-Ohio (8-0 ignoring Big 5+1 schools)
Gonzaga, Florida/Stanford, 1-more-PK80, Clemson and North Carolina.
So 5 games of "caliber" in the non-conference, and they can go 2-3/3-2 and be be 10-3/11-2 going into non-conference, and therefore, the Big10 is "strong".
I understand why OSU (and other Big5+1 schools) schedule, but it "skews" strength when they talk about things on TV. That 8-0 record should be skewed based on those teams non-conference records, or their RPI, or something. A log curve, maybe.