Indiana’s Schedule - Easier than Rutgers

[PSAL_Hoops]

I don't see that much in the mainstream CFB media. Usually I see IU/RU happy there is no more B10 east and that's about it or schedule is doable, nothing about creampuff. Mind you, IU is still playing Michigan/OSU this year lol but whatever, the point is the same. You see how much I post in game threads on weekends and CFB news, notes stats etc..I don't come across anything that talks about cream puff schedule for either team only that the B10 east is gone and we don't have to play PSU/Michigan/OSU every year and that's about it.

If you look hard enough, I'm sure you can come across anything but I don't see anything like that from most of the CFB mainstream media.

I posted this over the weekend in the games thread and that's usually the kind of thing I'll come across with regards to mainstream CFB media.

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7. The death of the Big Ten East has been a blessing for Indiana and Rutgers.

No one was happier to see the new division-less Big Ten schedules than Rutgers and Indiana. Finally, after a decade spent in the East division with annual games against some of the biggest powerhouses in college football, these two schools no longer have schedules that require you to pencil in three or four losses right off the bat. Indiana is 5-0 for just the third time in program history in Curt Cignetti’s first season as head coach, backing up all of his big talk. Rutgers is 4-0 for the first time in over a decade, with a remaining schedule that does not include Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State or Oregon. Most years, we’d be talking about whether Rutgers and Indiana can reach the six-win threshold for bowl-eligibility. Now, we might be discussing how good a bowl game they can make. And that’s pretty cool.

Yeah - it’s mainly that number 7 reference to us not playing any of those teams that I’m talking about that comes up in the media a lot. I guess where I’m coming from is the big issue in previous years was that for so many years there were routinely 3 teams better than all the others and we always had to play all of them. Iowa or Wisconsin or whoever routinely had schedules where they only played one or even none of those teams and it wasn’t a stand out talking point in this way.

 

[rutgersguy1]

Yeah - it’s mainly that number 7 reference to us not playing any of those teams that I’m talking about that comes up in the media a lot. I guess where I’m coming from is the big issue in previous years was that for so many years there were routinely 3 teams better than all the others and we always had to play all of them. Iowa or Wisconsin or whoever routinely had schedules where they only played one or even none of those teams and it wasn’t a stand out talking point in this way.

Oh sure even now I see posts from CFB media that poke fun at the B10 west. Like it’s gone but still alive in spirit and style of play on the field, as in bad offense etc…

I don’t know if you’d get comments so much about their schedule as much is it’s not that good and how they mostly lost to the B10 East in champ games etc..

 

[fluoxetine]

According to Massey Ratings schedule rankings (for the full schedule, not just the first four games):
Rutgers #57
Indiana #58

So that would seem to indicate it's a wash lol.

Their game at Ohio State is clearly harder than anything on our schedule.
at USC is probably at least even or slightly harder than Michigan at home
They took three autowins in the OOC while we at least challenged ourselves a bit with at VT who are not very good but still a decent opponent on the road.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Oh sure even now I see posts from CFB media that poke fun at the B10 west. Like it’s gone but still alive in spirit and style of play on the field, as in bad offense etc…

I don’t know if you’d get comments so much about their schedule as much is it’s not that good and how they mostly lost to the B10 East in champ games etc..

That sounds right. It’s probably just a matter of us being the easiest example of the impact the structure change is having seeing that we don’t play any of those teams at all this season, but it’s definitely mentioned a lot at the individual team level - I hear a lot how somewhat miraculously we avoided those 3, Oregon and Iowa. Meanwhile, Iowa doesn’t seem that good so far. I’m not sold on Michigan either - their QB hasn’t been that good, but I guess we’ll see. Haven’t left home yet so maybe they will figure things out.

 

[fsg2]

Yeah - it’s mainly that number 7 reference to us not playing any of those teams that I’m talking about that comes up in the media a lot. I guess where I’m coming from is the big issue in previous years was that for so many years there were routinely 3 teams better than all the others and we always had to play all of them. Iowa or Wisconsin or whoever routinely had schedules where they only played one or even none of those teams and it wasn’t a stand out talking point in this way.

Don't see that as a negative or dismissive of RUs wins, more just a "can have a good season without that built-in obstacle."

Pretty much saying what you're saying and what we've all been saying for years: We were f-ed over with that B1G East schedule, as was Indiana and others. Now the conference has a more level playing field.

Media has actually seemed quite positive on RU and Schiano this season.

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

RU needed a bit of break after that brutal scheduling while the program was down…I say good for RU!!