Smart on scheduling tough OOC

[WhosYourDawggy]

This is good news to those of us who want to have good OOC, and a 9 game IC schedule.

“It's always been my philosophy to go play a quality opponent, a Power Five opponent, a big matchup. I don't care if it's home-and-home, I don't care if it's a neutral site, go play a good team because I really believe that helps your team get better. When you play in the SEC, you're going to run the gauntlet anyway. What's one more tough, physical team?” Smart said. “We don't run from that at Georgia. We embrace that. Our fans want that. I want that. I think that generates a lot more excitement. I think you recruit off of that. You go and you get to sell the opening game and getting to play in big-time venues. So I think that's important.”

Smart’s comments came two weeks before Georgia takes on Oregon in Atlanta as part of the Chick-fil-A kickoff game. The Bulldogs will take on a Ducks team that won 10 games and played for the Pac-12 championship last December. Georgia has faced a number of notable opponents in non-conference since Smart took over prior to the 2016 season, a list that includes North Carolina, Notre Dame and Clemson. Georgia was scheduled to face Virginia to open the 2020 season before the COVID pandemic forced the Bulldogs and rest of the SEC to play a conference-only schedule during the regular season.

Smart is 24-2 in non-conference games as Georgia’s head coach. Those losses came to Georgia Tech in 2016 and to Texas in the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

Smart mentioned the potential of more SEC games in a given year, though he again made it clear that won’t change how he approaches non-conference play.

“As far as a philosophy with us playing more SEC games, if that happens then so be it. That's not going to change our philosophy with non-conference,” Smart said. “We had already moved to that before the realignment and all the things going on. We were already trying to schedule three big games a year. That's just the way we think is best."

 

[duckboy33]

So that sounds like:
P5 matchup
Cupcake
SEC 9 game game schedule
GT

Not a bad setup

 

[7samurai13]

So that sounds like:
P5 matchup
Cupcake
SEC 9 game game schedule
Cupcake

Not a bad setup

Fixed that for you

 

[Volbound1700]

Big issue with SEC programs (at least most of them) is not whether the team is tough or not but whether the team will give them a home game with no return or not. This is why the SEC has been hosting a lot of the neutral site games against tough OOC opponents.

Still I don't understand the neutral site and 3 OOC cupcake schedules (notably by Alabama). The neutral site is supposed to off-set the costs of not having a home game but Alabama is still getting 3 home games against OOC cupcakes.

 

[Wild Turkey]

Big issue with SEC programs (at least most of them) is not whether the team is tough or not but whether the team will give them a home game with no return or not. This is why the SEC has been hosting a lot of the neutral site games against tough OOC opponents.

Still I don't understand the neutral site and 3 OOC cupcake schedules (notably by Alabama). The neutral site is supposed to off-set the costs of not having a home game but Alabama is still getting 3 home games against OOC cupcakes.

Four reasons for the neutral site games:

1. Easier to find one open date for two teams instead of two
2. Typically you are playing in hot area for recruiting exposure (ATL & Dallas)
3. The money is better than being an OOC visitor
4. Fans eat it up. People bitch here but the stadiums are full.

 

[Thiefery]

Four reasons for the neutral site games:

1. Easier to find one open date for two teams instead of two
2. Typically you are playing in hot area for recruiting exposure (ATL & Dallas)
3. The money is better than being an OOC visitor
4. Fans eat it up. People bitch here but the stadiums are full.

lol fans don't eat it up.. they show up anyways.. But I would have hate to have had played LSU in Houston instead of Death Valley or Austin. Neutral site games suck ass outside the few that are legit rivalry games. Happy that the Bama/UT series is a home and home..not at Jerry World or Mercedez dome in Atlanta

 

[Wild Turkey]

lol fans don't eat it up.. they show up anyways.. But I would have hate to have had played LSU in Houston instead of Death Valley or Austin. Neutral site games suck ass outside the few that are legit rivalry games. Happy that the Bama/UT series is a home and home..not at Jerry World or Mercedez dome in Atlanta

SEC fans do they love a big game, exposure, and a road trip.

It's time you guys take off the training wheels and act like you're about to join the big boys.

 

[Thiefery]

SEC fans do they love a big game, exposure, and a road trip.

It's time you guys take off the training wheels and act like you're about to join the big boys.

lol if they get excited about traveling to arlington, tx or Atlanta instead of playing in Austin..

Guess they were right about SEC fans

 

[Wild Turkey]

lol if they get excited about traveling to arlington, tx or Atlanta instead of playing in Austin..

Guess they were right about SEC fans
View attachment 82332

I question if you understand recruiting at all.

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

This is good news to those of us who want to have good OOC, and a 9 game IC schedule.

“It's always been my philosophy to go play a quality opponent, a Power Five opponent, a big matchup. I don't care if it's home-and-home, I don't care if it's a neutral site, go play a good team because I really believe that helps your team get better. When you play in the SEC, you're going to run the gauntlet anyway. What's one more tough, physical team?” Smart said. “We don't run from that at Georgia. We embrace that. Our fans want that. I want that. I think that generates a lot more excitement. I think you recruit off of that. You go and you get to sell the opening game and getting to play in big-time venues. So I think that's important.”

Smart’s comments came two weeks before Georgia takes on Oregon in Atlanta as part of the Chick-fil-A kickoff game. The Bulldogs will take on a Ducks team that won 10 games and played for the Pac-12 championship last December. Georgia has faced a number of notable opponents in non-conference since Smart took over prior to the 2016 season, a list that includes North Carolina, Notre Dame and Clemson. Georgia was scheduled to face Virginia to open the 2020 season before the COVID pandemic forced the Bulldogs and rest of the SEC to play a conference-only schedule during the regular season.

Smart is 24-2 in non-conference games as Georgia’s head coach. Those losses came to Georgia Tech in 2016 and to Texas in the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

Smart mentioned the potential of more SEC games in a given year, though he again made it clear that won’t change how he approaches non-conference play.

“As far as a philosophy with us playing more SEC games, if that happens then so be it. That's not going to change our philosophy with non-conference,” Smart said. “We had already moved to that before the realignment and all the things going on. We were already trying to schedule three big games a year. That's just the way we think is best."

SO.FULL.OF.SHIT

So entertaining listening to SEC coaches talk and their fans eat it all up. Georgia will be doing the same thing all SEC schools will do if they go to a 9 game conference schedule -- they will be dropping an OOC game. GT will stay. So will the cupcake games. They aren't going to drop Tennessee Tech from the schedule, so they can travel across the country to play a top program.

It sounds good coming out of his mouth and i'm sure the fans eat it up and truly believe Georgia will take on all comers, but it simply isn't happening. The CFP and SEC championship means way too much to them.

 

[duckboy33]

SO.FULL.OF.SHIT

So entertaining listening to SEC coaches talk and their fans eat it all up. Georgia will be doing the same thing all SEC schools will do if they go to a 9 game conference schedule -- they will be dropping an OOC game. GT will stay. So will the cupcake games. They aren't going to drop Tennessee Tech from the schedule, so they can travel across the country to play a top program.

It sounds good coming out of his mouth and i'm sure the fans eat it up and truly believe Georgia will take on all comers, but it simply isn't happening. The CFP and SEC championship means way too much to them.

Don't be so sure. Networks aren't giving these contracts to get UGA vs. Georgia State.

Pushing playoff expansion makes this easier. Teams can lose an OOC game and still be in good shape for a 16 team playoff.

 

[Volbound1700]

Don't be so sure. Networks aren't giving these contracts to get UGA vs. Georgia State.

Pushing playoff expansion makes this easier. Teams can lose an OOC game and still be in good shape for a 16 team playoff.

I think both of you are wrong, what will happen is the Big12/Pac12 now has lost the power to force home-home type situations so Georgia will be able to get people like Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Washington State, or Iowa State to come to Athens without a return game just like they do the Georgia States right now.

Sure they won't be scheduling a B1G team that has power to force home-home games.

Edit: This isn't just limited to Georgia, you can sub about any B1G or SEC team in here.

 

[duckboy33]

I think both of you are wrong, what will happen is the Big12/Pac12 now has lost the power to force home-home type situations so Georgia will be able to get people like Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Washington State, or Iowa State to come to Athens without a return game just like they do the Georgia States right now.

Sure they won't be scheduling a B1G team that has power to force home-home games.

Edit: This isn't just limited to Georgia, you can sub about any B1G or SEC team in here.

Good point, that’s entirely possible

 

[Tharvot]

Four reasons for the neutral site games:

1. Easier to find one open date for two teams instead of two
2. Typically you are playing in hot area for recruiting exposure (ATL & Dallas)
3. The money is better than being an OOC visitor
4. Networks eat it up

FIFY.

There's really only a couple reasons for the early season neutral site game:
- The schools couldn't work out a home-home schedule, so this is a 1-off scheduling
- The matchup features a large school vs a smaller school like Ohio State vs TCU a few years back (this was originally even supposed to be a home/home, but TCU backed out of the deal)
- There are major travel concerns - weather or natural disaster related


That's just off the top of my head, so maybe i missed something glaring. For the most part, the neutral site game is nothing but a moneygrab for the host venue and network.

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

SO.FULL.OF.SHIT

So entertaining listening to SEC coaches talk and their fans eat it all up. Georgia will be doing the same thing all SEC schools will do if they go to a 9 game conference schedule -- they will be dropping an OOC game. GT will stay. So will the cupcake games. They aren't going to drop Tennessee Tech from the schedule, so they can travel across the country to play a top program.

It sounds good coming out of his mouth and i'm sure the fans eat it up and truly believe Georgia will take on all comers, but it simply isn't happening. The CFP and SEC championship means way too much to them.

I'll put UGA's OOC up against yours any day of the year. Go ahead, let's see it.

When we go to 9 games IC, we have GaTech - we can't help that they suck now, one cupcake just like you will, and then a solid OOC game most years. Book it. We will play a cupcake, just like you do two or three times per year.

And, FWIW, our OOC it's happening and scheduled. If that changes, you come on back. Until then let's see your OOC. I mean you have Colo State, Hawaii, and UConn ... don't hurt yourself patting your back for that weakass schedule. Yours sucks next year before you toughen up a bit with TX, OU, ND and Washington. Guess what ... we also have TX, OU on our OOC schedule, although that changes now. And we have played ND in the past 4 or 5 years. And we have Clemson 5 times, FSU, tOSU, and others. So man up with your OOC before getting on your high-horse.

 

[Tharvot]

SO.FULL.OF.SHIT

So entertaining listening to SEC coaches talk and their fans eat it all up. Georgia will be doing the same thing all SEC schools will do if they go to a 9 game conference schedule -- they will be dropping an OOC game. GT will stay. So will the cupcake games. They aren't going to drop Tennessee Tech from the schedule, so they can travel across the country to play a top program.

It sounds good coming out of his mouth and i'm sure the fans eat it up and truly believe Georgia will take on all comers, but it simply isn't happening. The CFP and SEC championship means way too much to them.

OOC games have no bearing whatsoever on conference championships

CFP will expand, making a potential early season OOC loss far less impactful

 

[Wild Turkey]

SO.FULL.OF.SHIT

So entertaining listening to SEC coaches talk and their fans eat it all up. Georgia will be doing the same thing all SEC schools will do if they go to a 9 game conference schedule -- they will be dropping an OOC game. GT will stay. So will the cupcake games. They aren't going to drop Tennessee Tech from the schedule, so they can travel across the country to play a top program.

It sounds good coming out of his mouth and i'm sure the fans eat it up and truly believe Georgia will take on all comers, but it simply isn't happening. The CFP and SEC championship means way too much to them.

If they expand the playoff to 12 teams that takes a lot of pressure off OOC games and hopefully makes it more likely that they happen. Dropping an early OOC game doesn't hurt you nearly as much at that point.

 

[Wild Turkey]

OOC games have no bearing whatsoever on conference championships

CFP will expand, making a potential early season OOC loss far less impactful

Bastard that was my post. Delete yours immediately.

 

[Red_Alert]

When you play in the SEC, you're going to run the gauntlet anyway. What's one more tough, physical team?” Smart said. “We don't run from that at Georgia. We embrace that. Our fans want that. I want that. I think that generates a lot more excitement. I think you recruit off of that. You go and you get to sell the opening game and getting to play in big-time venues. So I think that's important.”

Clemson: (10-3)
UAB: (9-4) G5
South Carolina: (7-6)
Vanderbilt: (2-10)
Arkansas: (9-4)
Auburn: (6-7)
Kentucky: (10-3)
Florida; (6-7)
Missouri: (6-7)
Tennessee: (7-6)
Charleston Southern: FCS
Georgia Tech: (3-9)

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

I'll put UGA's OOC up against yours any day of the year. Go ahead, let's see it.

When we go to 9 games IC, we have GaTech - we can't help that they suck now, one cupcake just like you will, and then a solid OOC game most years. Book it. We will play a cupcake, just like you do two or three times per year.

And, FWIW, our OOC it's happening and scheduled. If that changes, you come on back. Until then let's see your OOC. I mean you have Colo State, Hawaii, and UConn ... don't hurt yourself patting your back for that weakass schedule. Yours sucks next year before you toughen up a bit with TX, OU, ND and Washington. Guess what ... we also have TX, OU on our OOC schedule, although that changes now. And we have played ND in the past 4 or 5 years. And we have Clemson 5 times, FSU, tOSU, and others. So man up with your OOC before getting on your high-horse.

The OOC you have scheduled is with 8 conference games. If you go to 9, those OOC games will go away, because Smart isn't dumb -- the more high impact games you play, the more you risk injury.

And I'm not pounding my chest about OOC games -- I really couldn't care less about OOC games. I was simply pointing out that Smart is full of it