Hey Big-10, Want Respect? Play Someone!

Every year, we analyze the non-conference schedule of the six BCS conferences. I am going to look at the Big-10 (11) non-conference schedule.

There are 11 teams in this conference. Each team plays four non-conference games during the year.

With 44 non-conference games this year a good percentage of games against other BCS schools would be 50 percent. That means 22 games should be against other BCS schools. The Big-10 will have only 11 games vs other BCS schools.

If you throw Notre Dame into the mix, it goes up to 14 games. That is a total of 31.8 percent with Notre Dame included and 25 percent without.

The Big-10 needs to understand that to get the support from pollsters and those deadly computers, they are going to have to play stronger competition.

Even of the teams that the are playing from other BCS schools are not that strong.

Syracuse will play three Big-10 teams.

Six of the 11 games are actually on the road.

Five of the 11 games at home or a  neutral site.

The Breakdown for the Big-10 is:

Four games vs. PAC-10 (USC, Arizona, California, and @ Oregon)

Four games vs. Big East ( two @ Syracuse, Syracuse, and @ Cincinnati)

Two games vs. Big 12 ( @ Iowa State and Missouri)

One game vs. ACC (@ Virginia)

No Big-10 team plays an SEC school this season.

The Big-10 will play nine of its 44 non-conference games against FCS opponents. That is 20.45 percent.

That makes 24 (54.5 percent) games against other FBS schools for the Big-10.

The Big-10 needs to remedy this situation in the near future. With four non-conference games, each two of those games should be against other BCS schools. The Big-10 is not alone in this. No other BCS school plays 50 percent of non-conference against BCS schools.

I would like to say that Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa play two games each against BCS schools where Michigan State, Michigan, and Wisconsin play none.

The Big-10 will never get any type of respect playing this type of schedule. Get rid of the FCS opponents and schedule BCS Opponents.

The NCAA needs to look really hard at making sure that all teams that are in BCS top-six conferences schedule at least two games against other BCS teams. The need to also make sure there are no FCS opponents in place of FBS schools.