A few weeks ago I saved this link to the 2006 ACC Football Schedule (by football helmets).
Just this week, 850TheBuzz has enhanced the 2006 ACC Football Helmet Schedule with a downloadable schedule. You can click here for it.
A lot of fans (somewhat understandbly) love to criticize NC State’s 2006 Out of Conference schedule despite the fact that So. Miss played in a bowl last year, App State won a national championship, and that we seem to have little control in our discretion to schedule or not schedule ECU.
I think that this graphic representation of other programs’ OOC schedules helps frame a comparable picture for the naysayers. It helps get your mind in a more accurate place to see that Boston College plays Central Michigan, BYU, Maine and Buffalo; Clemson plays Florida Atlantic, La Tech, Temple and in-state rival USC; and Maryland plays William & Mary, MTSU and Florida International along with West Virginia.
Heck, the same Southern Miss that sits as NC State’s toughest OOC game also represents Virginia Tech’s toughest OOC opponent; the Hokies play Northeastern, Cincinnati and Kent State. But…look at the difference in the way that VPI’s schedule is covered – it is called “boring” instead of being deeply criticized as “easy” and such. (Link that includes more comments on football scheduling)
Didn’t George O’Leary’s burgeoning UCF program buy their way out of a game with us this year? Was the Louisville back out for a game last year or this year? What could State have done with an extra game on the schedule instead of being held hostage to a series with ECU. It is nobody at NC State’s fault that ECU is not condisered a tougher game.
