Matt Hayes

Sporting News



He's the big, bad BCS boogeyman. The obstructionist.

Here’s something else you can call Jim Delany: the man who forced change in non-conference scheduling. He’ll accept your thanks after you rip him about the failure of the new College Football Playoff.

Because we all know that’s coming.

“You have to look at the health of the game, and right now, the best way to do that is more interesting games,” Delany said.

Delany’s point is simple: it’s a difficult challenge now to get fans to drive to a stadium, spend money for tickets and food and apparel, spend a night in a hotel (if it’s a night game) and drive back home on Sunday. Now throw the Eastern Michigans of the world (no offense, Eagles) into the mix.

Delany convinced Big Ten presidents to move to a nine-game league schedule (in 2016), and has said the Big Ten will eventually stop playing games against FCS teams. Better games, better experiences.

And why not start three years early: no conference plays more games against BCS teams this season, and no one plays less games against FCS schools. A breakdown of the Big Ten non-conference schedules:

From first to worst

1. Purdue: at Cincinnati, Indiana State, Notre Dame, Northern Illinois

2. Michigan State: Western Michigan, USF, Youngstown State, at Notre Dame

3. Michigan: Central Michigan, Notre Dame, Akron, at UConn

4. Nebraska: Wyoming, Southern Miss, UCLA, San Jose State

5. Wisconsin: UMass, Tennessee Tech, at Arizona State, BYU

6. Illinois: Southern Illinois, Cincinnati, Washington, Miami (OH)

7. Northwestern: at California, Syracuse, Western Michigan, Maine

8. Penn State: Syracuse (Meadowlands), Eastern Michigan, UCF, Kent State

9. Iowa: Northern Illinois, Missouri State, at Iowa State, Western Michigan

10. Ohio State: Buffalo, San Diego State, at California, Florida A&M

11. Indiana: Indiana State, Navy, Bowling Green, Missouri

12. Minnesota: UNLV, at New Mexico State, Western Illinois, San Jose State

Scoreboard

Games against BCS teams: 18 out of 48 (38 percent)

Games against non-BCS teams: 21 out of 48 (44 percent)

Games against FCS teams: 9 out of 48 (18 percent)

Keeping score (5 of 6 BCS conferences evaluated)

Games against BCS teams: Big Ten (38 percent); Pac-12 (30 percent); SEC (30 percent); ACC (29 percent); Big 12 (27 percent).

Games against non-BCS teams: Pac-12 (46 percent); Big 12 (46 percent); SEC (45 percent); Big Ten (44 percent); ACC (42 percent).

Games against FCS teams: ACC (29 percent); Big 12 (27 percent); SEC (25 percent); Pac-12 (24 percent); Big Ten (18 percent).

Five best games

UCLA at Nebraska, Sept. 14

Michigan State at Notre Dame, Sept. 21

Notre Dame at Michigan, Sept. 7

Wisconsin at Arizona State, Sept. 14

Syracuse at Northwestern, Sept. 7

Five worst games

Florida A&M at Ohio State, Sept. 21

Tennessee Tech at Wisconsin, Sept. 7

Western Illinois at Minnesota, Sept. 14

Indiana State at Indiana, Aug. 29

Missouri State at Iowa, Sept. 7

Quick hits

—While the Big Ten plays more BCS games than any other conference, the potential is minimal for one to impact the national title race. Michigan playing host to Notre Dame could be one; so could Michigan State traveling to Notre Dame. But the reality is Ohio State traveling to Cal is the only significant game – and a Buckeyes’ loss would be a massive upset.

That leaves us with solid games and just enough intrigue: Nebraska playing host to UCLA, Wisconsin at Arizona State and Washington at Illinois. Not necessarily riveting, but enough juice to make September games worth watching.

— Kirk Ferentz has lost 12 of his last 18 games at Iowa, and you better believe he’s feeling pressure to win. At some point, that big contract (and large buyout) won’t matter if some of the best fans in college football stop coming to games. That means the Hawkeyes need to start September with four non-conference wins; a tall order with games Northern Illinois and at Iowa State.

The Hawkeyes barely beat Northern Illinois in last year’s season opener in Chicago, and have lost two straight to rival Iowa State. A fast start is more critical because of a brutal Big Ten schedule, which includes games against the league’s top six teams (Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Northwestern).

Iowa hasn’t had back-to-back seasons without being bowl eligible since Ferentz’s first two seasons in Iowa City (1999-2000).

— At the other end of the schedule spectrum, we give you Ohio State’s cakewalk. It begins with a non-con schedule of Buffalo, San Diego State and FCS Florida A&M at home, and includes a road game at Cal. The Buckeyes could be favored by double digits in every game until the season finale at Michigan.

— Penn State began last season by losing two non-conference games (Ohio, Virginia) it should have won, and preventing Bill O’Brien from winning 10 games in his first season. He still won more games (8) than any first-year coach in the 126-year history of the program.

So what does he shoot for next? The best two-year start. Dick Harlow won 15 games from 1915-16, and O’Brien will need those four non-con games (Syracuse, Eastern Michigan, UCF, Kent State) to get to eight wins again this fall. Four wins in conference might be all this team can get.

--Story originally appeared on SportingNews.com.