FEI: ND-Michigan only non-conf game between top-20 teams.
by G.K.Chesterton (2018-12-12 23:34:53)
Edited on 2018-12-12 23:35:20
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The drop-off in games played between top opponents is chiefly tied to non-conference scheduling. The Notre Dame versus Michigan game played all the way back in Week 1 remains the only non-conference game played this year between FEI top-20 opponents. There were seven such games played prior to bowl season last year. There have been only seven non-conference games played between FEI top-30 opponents to date, half as many as last season.

Non-conference scheduling can be fickle. Many teams do make an effort to schedule at least one strong non-conference opponent, and some games that appeared to be matchups between heavyweights prior to the start of the season (Auburn-Washington, Ohio State-TCU, and Notre Dame versus USC, Stanford, Virginia Tech, and Florida State) all turned out to be underwhelming matchups when looked at in retrospect. Scheduling intentions are one thing, but 2018 made many of the non-conference games fizzle when it came time to play those games.

Of course, ND-Michigan was also a game between two top-10 teams.



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