Schedules for Season 2 and Beyond

[SmoothPancakes]

So I was looking at some of the schedules some of us have. We really need to look into working out some even non-conference schedules for all of us each year. Some of us have fairly easy non-conference schedules (some playing two FCS team), others are facing multiple top 10 or top 25 teams non-conference.

While the schedules do sort of come with the territory with the teams we start at and advance to in CC, it's impossible to really get a sense of who is the best of all of us (since we aren't all in the same conference and are playing each other every week) when we're playing really unbalanced OOC schedules that are having a direct effect (or will be at least once we get sliders and difficulty ironed out to avoid having these upsets anymore that we've seen) on the success of our teams before getting into conference play.

This was some research I did real quick regarding our OOC games as listed in our schedules on the Dynasty Wire website.

User Team||OOC 1|OOC 2|OOC 3|OOC 4|OOC 5
:FAU:||:Auburn:|:Florida:|:Michigan_State:|:UAB:|
:FIU:||:Akron:|:Duke:|:Louisville:|:UCF:|
:Eastern_Michigan:||FCS East|FCS Southeast|:Michigan:|:Penn_State:|
:Kent_State:||:Alabama:|FCS Southeast|:Kansas_State:|:Louisiana:|
:Memphis:||:Arkansas_State:|FCS Southeast|:MTSU:|:Mississippi_State:|
:New_Mexico:||:Arkansas:|FCS West|:New_Mexico_State:|:Texas_Tech:|
:North_Texas:||:Alabama:|:Houston:|:Indiana:|:Tuls a:|
:Tulane:||:Army:|:Duke:|:Hawaii:|:Syracuse:|
:Utah_State:||:Auburn:|:BYU:|:Colorado_State:|FCS West|:Wyoming:
:Washington_State:||FCS West|:San_Diego_State:|:UNLV:||
:Western_Michigan:||:Connecticut:|FCS Midwest|:Illinois:|:Michigan:|

Florida Atlantic by far has the hardest OOC schedule, and would be automatic 0-3 if not for the issues with the sliders and whatnot that allowed the upsets we saw in week 1. Eastern Michigan meanwhile, I'd say has the easiest OOC schedule, even with games against Michigan and Penn State, just because they play two FCS schools for pretty much automatic wins.

It isn't necessarily a big deal, but something we should keep an eye on in the future. Conference schedules are nothing we can control, those come with the job and are the nature of the beast. But in the future, as we start moving around in jobs, if someone has non-conference games against three top 10 teams, and another has games against 3 FCS schools or something, I think some scheduling changes may/would be needed to balance things out for everyone.

[Archedemius]

I'm totally fine with this! I probably asked something way early on when we first started this dynasty about scheduling. I think it had to do with user vs. user games ooc, but hey whatever. You can make a rule where we all get an FCS team each year, or whatever. You can even add "contract" scheduling that smooth talked about in one of his dynasties. I think it was smooth anyhow. This might not matter much in a few years when half of us are coaching in the Big 10 though. In any case, I'm all for rules with scheduling, but always keep in mind the teams we are coaching, because eventually we will all be at different ranked schools anyhow.

[SmoothPancakes]

I'm totally fine with this! I probably asked something way early on when we first started this dynasty about scheduling. I think it had to do with user vs. user games ooc, but hey whatever. You can make a rule where we all get an FCS team each year, or whatever. You can even add "contract" scheduling that smooth talked about in one of his dynasties. I think it was smooth anyhow. This might not matter much in a few years when half of us are coaching in the Big 10 though. In any case, I'm all for rules with scheduling, but always keep in mind the teams we are coaching, because eventually we will all be at different ranked schools anyhow.

Yeah, that was why I wanted to bring it up now, was especially for in the future as we progress up the coaching ranks. Just as an off the wall example of where this could become an issue. So say you and I are in the Big East together. You're at Louisville, I'm at Cincinnati, two fairly even teams. You're game generated OOC schedule consists of two FCS teams, Tulsa, and UAB. My game generated OOC schedule consists of Alabama, Wisconsin, UCF, and Clemson. The Big East would already be pretty tough for both of us. Then to have those two uneven OOC schedules, mine by far much harder than yours, it sort of ruins the hype of the season in regards to our competition together as Big East rivals as you could very well be 4-0 going into Big East play, while I could possibly be limping in at 0-4.

Again, it's not a major issue, just something for us to keep an eye on in future seasons so one team isn't playing the Sisters of the Poor for every OOC game, while someone else has to run a gauntlet of four straight top 10 teams.

[Archedemius]

We could get rid of all FCS games? Or limit everyone to one as their first game of the season? I always used to set my four games to one selection from 4 of the 6 big six conferences+mwc. I kind of role played it by saying "hey these guys deserve a trip to so-cal so we are scheduling a game against UCLA or whoever.

[Coach Kernzy]

I'm fine with replacing FCS teams with FBS teams but I don't think we need to go messing with scheduling to much.

[Archedemius]

So, let's keep the schedules as they are unless an FCS team pops up. Then the user needs to replace them with someone. What guidelines should we use? Or should they post on here who they want to replace and we decide if it works?

I can kind of see how the "using the schedule you are given" thing is easier now.

I guess, imho, I think schedules should just always stay the way they are, unless the particular user WANTS to make his schedule harder. I don't think I plan on staying with a MAC team no matter what, so if next years schedule is way too hard or easy, I really don't care. Doesn't the AD usually work the schedules? I'm the coach and I do what the AD and the school wants.

If I get to a big six school like MSU, I'm going to be trying to schedule some home and home games with the likes of upper tier Pac 12 and SEC schools.

[Coach Kernzy]

Yeah we'll cross this bridge when we get there :)

[natcret]

I may be the odd man out on this one. I don't mind the tuff schedule that I was dealt with to start (plus it mirrored the real Owls sked). I say this because I think it is helping me to be a better player, as this is my first ever OD. I think that if this was to change, then for me it takes away the challenge. For example, I lost big time to Mich St in week 2, but the score does not really reflect the hard-fought game that was played. Yea, I need better players just like the rest of us. But to know I could score in both the games and not be blown out was a personal accomplishment for me.

If shcedules were to change, I would like to see more user vs user games.

[SmoothPancakes]

I may be the odd man out on this one. I don't mind the tuff schedule that I was dealt with to start (plus it mirrored the real Owls sked). I say this because I think it is helping me to be a better player, as this is my first ever OD. I think that if this was to change, then for me it takes away the challenge. For example, I lost big time to Mich St in week 2, but the score does not really reflect the hard-fought game that was played. Yea, I need better players just like the rest of us. But to know I could score in both the games and not be blown out was a personal accomplishment for me.

If shcedules were to change, I would like to see more user vs user games.

Well, don't forget, we were playing with settings that allowed teams like Kent State and Western Michigan to defeat teams like Alabama and Michigan, and not by just a 1 or 2 point upset, but beat them by 10 points or so. ;)

[natcret]

Copy.... So do the settings need to also change if schedules change?