Non-conference schedule released

[Salt City Sooner]

I would love to see the argument that supports those three teams creating a tough non-conference schedule for football. UCLA lost 8 games last year. BYU lost 6 games. Rice lost 8 games last year and the wins were very unimpressive. Simply because UCLA beat Texas last year does not make that a tough game for anyone other than Texas.

OU plays Tulas, FSU and Ball State. Tulsa won 10 games last year and two of its losses were close games. FSU had a solid season last year and is a preseason Top 10 team. Ball State was brutal last year just like Rice.

I just don't see that UT has a strong schedule. I guess I need to learn to think like Barry Tramel so that I can understand this myth.

Don't know if you're referring to me or not, but if so, that's an argument you won't see me make, because on face value, it's not a great schedule (although I would point out the fact that prior to last year, BYU had won at least 10 games 4 straight seasons which would say to me that last year was an exception to their norm). I was referring to their OOC's in future years, not this upcoming one, per se.

 

[WaymanFan]

I would love to see the argument that supports those three teams creating a tough non-conference schedule for football. UCLA lost 8 games last year. BYU lost 6 games. Rice lost 8 games last year and the wins were very unimpressive. Simply because UCLA beat Texas last year does not make that a tough game for anyone other than Texas.

OU plays Tulas, FSU and Ball State. Tulsa won 10 games last year and two of its losses were close games. FSU had a solid season last year and is a preseason Top 10 team. Ball State was brutal last year just like Rice.

I just don't see that UT has a strong schedule. I guess I need to learn to think like Barry Tramel so that I can understand this myth.

I'm not a Longhorn apologist, but some of these teams are scheduled years in advance. Two of the three teams they're playing have beaten Oklahoma in the past 6 years, so there could be a chance they thought they'd be playing a tougher schedule at the time they put it together.

As for OU's hoops non-conference schedule, I like it. Someone else said on here that it may be more important to get some of these guys a little confidence than to worry about preparing for the rugged conference slate. I would have to agree. Let's have a winning season, THEN try to schedule a tougher non-conference slate...back to football - that worked wonders for Bill Snyder in the early '90s, and OU's hoops schedule is light years stronger.

 

[NickZepp]

If you aren't very good you don't want that tough a schedule. That was basically Kelvin's style for scheduling his first 5 years or so you look at our scheduled games(not counting our tournaments sometimes) from 1995-99 or 2000 we played really crappy schedules. Then we got good and scheduled, UConn, Cincy, Maryland, Michigan State and won our fair share against those teams. If you are trying to build a program you want a relatively easy schedule at first, as the teams improve you get tougher and tougher schedules.