A Scheduling Lesson From the Oregon Schools

Oregon and Oregon State released their final schedules yesterday:

Oregon:

Sat, Aug 30 Washington
Sat, Sep 06 Utah State
Sat, Sep 13 at Purdue
Sat, Sep 20 Boise State
Sat, Sep 27 at Washington State
Sat, Oct 4 at USC
Sat, Oct 11 UCLA
Sat, Oct 18 Bye
Sat, Oct 25 at Arizona State
Sat, Nov 01 at California
Sat, Nov 08 Stanford
Sat, Nov 15 Arizona
Sat, Nov 22 Bye
Sat, Nov 29 at Oregon State

Oregon State:

Aug. 28 or 30 at Stanford
Sept. 6 at Penn State
Sept. 13 Hawai'i
Sept. 20 Bye
Sept. 25 (Thursday)USC
Oct. 2 (Thursday) at Utah
Oct. 11 Washington State
Oct. 18 at Washington
Oct. 25 Bye
Nov. 1 Arizona State (Homecoming)
Nov. 8 at UCLA
Nov. 15 California
Nov. 22 at Arizona
Nov. 29 Oregon

Notice something missing?  Where is Florida International?  The 1-AA schools?  Directional State U?  St. Mary's School for the Blind?  Look at the SEC--YOU'RE NOT A MAJOR SCHOOL IF YOUR NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ISN"T A BUNCH OF PASITES!  Yet, these two Pac-10 schools have loaded up the schedule.

Lets start with Oregon.  They are already facing the most ridiculous conference schedule in the country.  At USC.  At Cal.  At Arizona State.  And at OSU.  They top that off with a home game against a very good Boise State team, and a road game at a BCS school in Purdue?  Sure, Purdue isn't Ohio State, but road games at BCS schools are always difficult.  Utah State sticks out as a sore thumb, but at least they're 1-A.  Oregon deserves a bit of a respite from that brutal schedule, and they didn't resort to scheduling Portland State or Eastern Washington to do it.

OSU gets the more favorable conference schedule, getting all Oregon's road games at home.  But they make up for it with the non-conference schedule.  At Penn State.  At Utah.  Hawaii at home.  While Oregon has the most brutal conference schedule in the country, OSU has the most brutal non-conference slate.  Two very difficult road games, and a home game against a BCS team.  That's almost unheard of among major conference teams.  I'd like OSU to hold out for return games against the Penn State's of the world, but you have to give them credit for scheduling this game.

Oregon took the most difficult conference schedule in the country, and didn't back down in adding great non-conference games to it.  OSU went out and got themselves the best non-conference schedule in the country.  Both deserve to be commended.  They will face possibly the two most difficult schedules in the country next season.  But fans will be in for a treat every week.  College football fans in Oregon will spend their Saturday's watching legitimate teams, instead of Temple and Akron.  And we are the real winners.  Hope the SEC is taking notes.  Because nobody cares about Florida vs. Florida International.  But Oregon State/Penn State and Oregon/Boise State are good for college football.

GO DUCKS!!!

--Dave