OT: Alabama adds Florida St, Va Tech to future schedules
Just announced today that Alabama will play FSU in 2025 & 2026 and Virginia Tech in 2034 & 2035.
We'll see if Saban is around yet, but here's Alabama's notable non-conference foes until 2026:
2020: USC (neutral site)
2021: Miami YTM (neutral site)
2022: AT Texas
2023: Texas
2024: AT Wisconsin
2025: AT Florida State, Wisconsin
2026: AT West Virginia, Florida State
Yup, that's right. They got two P5 non-conference games in 2025 & 2026. Of course, they only have 8 SEC games, but that still leaves 10 P5 opponents.
And what about Florida State?
2020: West Virginia (neutral site), AT Boise State, Florida
2021: Notre Dame, AT Florida
2022: Florida (two opponents yet tbd)
2023: AT Florida (three opponents yet tbd)
2024: Florida, AT Notre Dame
2025: Alabama, AT Florida
2026: AT Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame
In 2020 and 2026, Florida State is playing a loaded schedule. Of course, say what you will about their ACC schedule.
https://fbschedules.com/alabama-adds-home-and-home-series-with-florida-state-virginia-tech/
October 31st, 2019 at 12:21 PM ^
Adding in a few more cupcakes I see.
October 31st, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^
Yup, East Carolina already has a full dance card...........
October 31st, 2019 at 12:22 PM ^
But... I was told that having P5 opponents in non-conference schedules will kill a team's playoff chances!
October 31st, 2019 at 12:33 PM ^
By the time these 2030s game role around it'll be a 68 team playoff. Nick Saban's Brain In A Jar will be trying to lead Alabama to the #1 seed in the Earth regional... getting relatively short travel distance in the early rounds is a big help.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:37 PM ^
In all seriousness though, you'd think an 8 team playoff is not far away. I would think an expanded playoff gives these teams some liberty to schedule these harder games, knowing you can get in with two losses in such a system.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:53 PM ^
If anything, just to clean up what is now an absolute mess of a bowl system. It has been a mess for quite some time, but now it is bordering on unsustainable in its folly. Nowhere is it more evident than the NY6 games. Don't get me wrong, I want Michigan to end up in one of those games, on balance, they have more historical significance. However, after being in the Orange Bowl and Peach Bowl the last few years, it takes a hell of a lot of intellectual bartering to convince myself that those games mean anything more than the Holiday Bowl or the Citrus Bowl. If anything, I am glad the Holiday Bowl is in play this year because maybe we can avoid another rivalry game against Florida.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
Alabama is suffering a lack of fan interest. I think these "big time" opponents are probably getting scheduled to pacify season ticket holders.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:27 PM ^
Yeah, Alabama's home schedule in 2019 is:
Southern Miss, New Mexico State, Western Carolina ...... Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU.
In 2018, their home schedule was:
Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, The Citadel ....... Texas A&M, Missouri, Mississippi State, Auburn.
Their fans are getting upset. LSU and Auburn will always be great games. And there's usually 1 other solid SEC home game. But they're paying for 7 games when only 2 will be competitive.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:36 PM ^
Seems more of an indictment of the competitive level of the SEC and college football in general.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:40 PM ^
I see that too. It goes back to the argument about how the CFP has funneled all the talent to a small select group of teams. Talent distribution was better before the CFP, but now that we have it the only way to get better talent distribution again is probably to expand the playoff to eight teams or more.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
It really wasn't.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:56 PM ^
The last 3 years we've had these teams finish in the top four (2016-2018): 7 teams
Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Washington
The last 3 years before the CFP (2011-2013): 10 teams
Florida State, Auburn, Michigan State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Florida, Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma State, Stanford
October 31st, 2019 at 2:08 PM ^
A difference of 3 teams is not vast.
October 31st, 2019 at 2:40 PM ^
That's not statistically significant.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:48 PM ^
Not really, when to you take into account home/away games. Is the B1G East lacking in competition when our home schedule doesn't include MSU and OSU? We get two decent home games (PSU and WI if they're good) and a bunch of "meh."
October 31st, 2019 at 1:22 PM ^
They get Tennessee as a cross division rival every year and LSU got Georgia and Florida last year and Florida this year, I'd be pissed if I were LSU. When's the last time Alabama played at Florida or Georgia? Has to be damn near a decade.
Make 9 game conference schedules a requirement. It's absurd to be in a conference where you're only playing two teams from the other division.
October 31st, 2019 at 3:22 PM ^
Alabama last visited Athens in 2015. Before that, it was 2008.
Alabama last visited Gainesville in 2011. Before that, it was 2006.
October 31st, 2019 at 4:42 PM ^
I would take it one step further (hell, several steps further) and say that the FBS should be fully bifurcated between Power 5 and non-Power 5 schools, Power 5 schools should only be allowed to play other Power 5 schools, and all conferences should be required to play 10 conference games (except the Big XII, which only has 10 schools). That only leaves 2 spots for non-conference games, but they would both be filled by Power 5 opponents.
October 31st, 2019 at 2:38 PM ^
That and the growing issue of 8 conference games, 1 P5 occ and a typical fcs opponent on an already light schedule is having the Presidents and Commissioners of the Big10, Big12 and Pac12 coming at the Sec and Acc. It isn't a tough schedule when they only play 3 p5 opponents in a row and most aren't good. Two or three tough opponents the entire regular season! Sign us up..
October 31st, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
They still don't play a good non-conference team at home until 2023. If we still have a 4-team playoff by then, I won't be shocked if that game gets moved to Jerryworld or outright cancelled.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
Thank goodness we canceled the UCLA series - now we have more time to watch interesting matches on tv.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:29 PM ^
We'll see if Saban is around yet, but here's Alabama's notable non-conference foes until 2026:
Nick Saban is 68 years old, as of today actually. Happy Birthday, Nick. This means he'll be 75 in 2026...seems doubtful that he'll still be coaching Alabama.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:34 PM ^
He'll be AD by then, and former Alabama QB and soon-to be-displaced Browns HC Freddie Kitchens will be running the ship
October 31st, 2019 at 2:27 PM ^
I could see Greg McElroy jumping into the coaching profession eventually, he probably has a better shot than Kitchens of getting a HC job at this point
October 31st, 2019 at 12:32 PM ^
Maybe the criticism of cupcake non-conference scheduling is getting to them.
October 31st, 2019 at 12:35 PM ^
If Alabama played them this year theyd be favored by 2+ TDs in all of them. Thats why they do it. It doesnt look difficult at this time..of course if they are struggling in 5-10 years without Saban they ll whine about it.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:00 PM ^
They go to Boise with no return game in Alabama?
October 31st, 2019 at 1:06 PM ^
FSU goes to Boise. They've already had a game against Boise at home.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:36 PM ^
Wasn't that game actually scheduled for Jacksonville before being moved to Tallahasee because of a hurricane?
October 31st, 2019 at 1:38 PM ^
Yes, but I believe that was FSU's choice to originally have it at Jacksonville. Weird choice, but still their choice.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
FSU doesnt pick when they play ND, also no guarantee they'll be any good by then. And it would be the same if say MSU was in a different conference, then M would play them annually as well. Like Iowa/ISU and Clemson/SC.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:21 PM ^
My guess is a couple of those games get booted the minute Saban loses more than a game a year for 2 straight seasons and he freaks out.
It's solid scheduling (USC is 26th SP+), but considering the rest of their 2020 schedule is Kent St (119 SP+), Georgia St. (103rd SP+), and UT Martin (FCS) I don't see this being a murderer's row. For perspective, Michigan's 2020 OOC schedule is Washington (15), Ball St (100), and Ark St (83). So Alabama plays one team in the top 100 of SP+, and UM's worst opponent would be their second-best.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:21 PM ^
There is no chance Alabama is coming up to Madison, WI to play the Badgers.
October 31st, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
Do they ever play someone in 2019?
October 31st, 2019 at 1:55 PM ^
I did this too when I'd built my program up to total dominance in NCAA '14.
October 31st, 2019 at 2:03 PM ^
When I saw this, the first thing I thought was that there's still plenty of time for Alabama to cancel these series'. The SEC teams have done so on several occasions.
Happened twice to OSU when Tressel was there (~10 years ago)...had home-&-home scheduled with both Tennessee & Alabama 10 years out (late 20-teens, i.e. would have already played or would still be in the midst of these series), but both SEC teams weaseled out of those series' several years ago.
October 31st, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
Fuck Alabama
October 31st, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
Still ducking the MAC schools I see!
October 31st, 2019 at 6:43 PM ^
.....I'm still laughing. Thanks.
October 31st, 2019 at 2:09 PM ^
How about add one more conference game SEC....
October 31st, 2019 at 6:48 PM ^
You know, I think I'd rather have the BIG10 drop one conference game, down to 8.
If for nothing else, for more variety.
October 31st, 2019 at 2:20 PM ^
I'm guessing the CFP committee will start stressing importance of strength of schedule starting next year
October 31st, 2019 at 4:49 PM ^
Does this signal a thought that the CFP Committee in the future may be give more consideration to SOS. Would like to think so.
October 31st, 2019 at 5:56 PM ^
2034. Crazy
October 31st, 2019 at 6:20 PM ^
This is how every school should schedule. Play the best to be the best. And if you can’t beat these teams it usually means your gonna lose a few conference games anyways and wouldn’t have a chance at the playoffs regardless
October 31st, 2019 at 6:37 PM ^
2026 isn't that far away. Saban will probably win 4 more National Championships by then. Who know, maybe 5.
October 31st, 2019 at 11:44 PM ^
Don’t worry. There is still time to back out