Should you really improve your non-conference schedule and add championship game?

[ShotgunDawg]

I feel like there is a knee jerk reaction from the media today, Kirk Herbstreit, etc that Baylor and TCU didn't get in either because they didn't have a good non-conference schedule or because they didn't play in a conference championship game.

For the sake of this argument, let's assume that the above is true and these teams really did actually get left out because of their non-conference schedule and not playing a conference championship.

Even though the Big 12 lost out here, I would contend that not playing a good non-conference schedule and not playing a conference championship COULD still be preferable to them.

Here are the positives and negatives of each choice:

Having a conference championship and good non-conference schedule - It allows you to control your own destiny, but, at the same time, it increases the chances that you will lose.

Not having a conference championship or good non-conference schedule - It doesn't allow you to control you own destiny but decreases the chances you will lose.


My point is that the Big 12 is looking bad right now, not because they chose the wrong route, but because everyone won out. If Ohio State, FSU, Oregon, or Alabama lose one game, then the Big 12 gets in the playoff, if two of them lose, then the Big 12 gets 2 teams.

I would contend that the Big 12 wasn't a very good conference this year, and that Ole Miss may very well show us that the Big 12 wasn't good at all in their bowl game. However, due to playing a poor non-conference schedule and not playing a championship game, the Big 12 was on the cusp of getting 2 teams in the playoff, which is much closer than the SEC was. On average, teams are going to lose, but it didn't happen this year, and the Big 12 should make decision on what will happen on average and not what seems to be an outlier year. Every year in the BCS someone lost.

As far as it concerns MSU, the SEC has put in a power 5 rule, so it's a moot point to us.