Tag

Strength Of Schedule

All articles tagged with #strength of schedule

sports3 days ago•4 min saved

SEC Seeks Stronger Schedule Weight as CFP Defends Ranking Metrics

CFP officials briefed SEC coaches on their selection process and strength-of-record metrics used to pick the 12-team playoff, prompting pushback over how Texas Tech and BYU were ranked relative to SEC teams and how losses are penalized. SEC leaders argue schedule strength and quality wins should carry more weight, while acknowledging a role for human judgment. With the conference moving to nine league games, critics fear even more losses could be downplayed; commissioner Greg Sankey defended the league's depth and competitiveness.

via Sports Illustrated|

#cfp #college-football #playoff-rankings

sports4 days ago•6 min saved

NCAA committee cites 'whole body of work' as Arkansas denied regional host

NCAA Baseball Committee chair Michael Alford said Arkansas wasn’t chosen to host a regional after evaluating a full body of work that weighed strength of schedule, RAC rankings, and head-to-head results against other contenders (including Kansas, West Virginia, and Mississippi State). Despite Arkansas’ strong finish in the SEC and a solid late run, its metrics lagged some hosts (RAC and RPI considerations in particular), leading the committee to favor other sites. Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said he was surprised by the decision, which reflected the committee’s broader assessment rather than any single statistic.

via Whole Hog Sports|

#arkansas #ncaa-baseball #rac-rankings

sports9 days ago•7 min saved

Patriots face tougher 2026 slate as pundits foresee a possible dip

Opposing writers project a tougher 2026 schedule for the Patriots, with predictions ranging from a strong 12-5 to a potential drop toward 6-10 or 7-10, arguing last year’s success was aided by a softer slate and that the team must prove it can sustain performance against a stiffer schedule after a Super Bowl run.

via Pats Pulpit|

#2026-schedule #nfl #patriots

sports15 days ago•9 min saved

Sharp’s 2026 NFL SOS Tool Maps Week-by-Week Schedule Toughness

Sharp Football Analysis launches a 2026 NFL Strength of Schedule tool that lets users view a team’s week-by-week schedule difficulty across 10+ metrics, using Vegas win totals and offseason factors. The tool offers a Weekly Schedule view, a League Rankings chart, and a 2025 comparison to show early favorable starts vs. late-season gauntlets and how the 2026 slate compares to 2025.

via Sharp Football Analysis|

#analytics #nfl #sports

sports16 days ago•2 min saved

Saints top 2026 NFL schedule as two-method analysis shows mixed ease and hard slates

Two methods analyze the 2026 schedule: 2025 opponent win percentage and Sharp Football’s projected 2026 opponent win percentages. Combined results crown the Saints as having the easiest slate, with the Browns and Bengals also favorable; Dolphins and Cardinals appear toughest, with Bears ranked hardest in the composite view. The analysis hints at fantasy implications for players like Tyler Shough, Travis Etienne Jr., Chris Olave, Jordan Tyson, and Ja’Marr Chase, while cautioning that schedules shift year to year and should not be the sole driver of fantasy decisions.

via Sports Illustrated|

#2026-season #fantasy-football #nfl

sports16 days ago•2 min saved

Commanders' 2026 schedule leans mid-pack with London trip

Washington’s 2026 schedule will be unveiled with a roughly middle-of-the-pack strength of schedule (.502) and Sharp Football projecting No. 25, suggesting a tougher path than raw SOS implies. The slate includes NFC East home-and-away, NFC West, and AFC South, plus away games at Minnesota and home games versus Atlanta and Cincinnati; only three games cross time zones (at Arizona, at San Francisco, and a Week 4 London game against the Colts). The schedule drop is at 8:00 PM EST on Thursday, May 14, 2026 (ESPN2/NFL Network) with streaming on FuboTV, ESPN+, and Paramount+. Bye week placement and travel pacing will factor into the season as the release approaches.

via Hogs Haven|

#london-game #nfl #schedule-release

sports18 days ago•7 min saved

Bears set for NFL's toughest 2026 schedule after schedule release

The 2026 NFL schedule is out and Chicago Bears face the league's toughest strength of schedule (.550), driven by last season's winning records across the NFC North and the addition of a first-place slate. The Eagles have the easiest first-place schedule, while the Browns and Saints benefit from the two easiest overall schedules. Rankings are based on opponents' 2025 records under the 17-game format, which reshuffles who each team faces each year.

via CBS Sports|

#bears #first-place-schedule #nfl

sports19 days ago•10 min saved

Raiders eye 2026 schedule release with hopes for international games

The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 schedule will be released Thursday, May 14 at 4:30 p.m. PT on Raiders platforms, with a full league reveal at 5 p.m. on NFL Network, ESPN2 and more. The team is slated for eight home games and nine on the road; based on 2025 opponent win percentage, their 2026 slate has the seventh-toughest strength of schedule (.529). Two international game options are on the table: a trip to Paris to face the Saints or to Mexico City to play the 49ers. The NFL has a nine-game international slate in 2026 across Rio, Paris, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, Madrid and London, with the full international schedule set to be announced May 13.

via Raiders.com|

#international-games #las-vegas-raiders #nfl-schedule-2026

sports19 days ago•8 min saved

Bears top 2026 SOS as Giants land mid-pack at No. 17

Based on 2025 results, the Bears have the NFL’s toughest 2026 strength of schedule at .550 and the Browns the easiest at .429. The New York Giants sit 17th with a .498 opponent winning percentage; their 2026 slate includes the entire NFC West, AFC South, and the same‑place finishers from the AFC North, NFC South, and NFC North, plus the usual NFC East home-and-home games. The article also provides the full 32-team SOS rankings and notes broad playoff trends related to recent realignment and turnover.

via Giants.com|

#2026 #bears #giants

sports24 days ago•2 min saved

Giants Face a Middle-Of-The-Pack 2026 Schedule — Time to Prove It

New York’s 2026 schedule sits in the middle of the pack (about 24th in strength of schedule) according to Warren Sharp’s Vegas-based model, suggesting a manageable slate rather than a death march. With a 7.5-win projection, this is a “prove it” year where success will hinge on execution and late-game performance more than external hurdles.

via Big Blue View|

#2026-season #new-york-giants #nfl

sports2 months ago•6 min saved

Miami (OH) deserves a March Madness bid, not a cold shoulder

Nicole Auerbach argues that Miami (OH) should earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament despite an undefeated regular season and a weaker schedule, pointing to Wins Above Bubble (1.7, 37th) and Strength of Record (28th) to show the RedHawks performed better than typical bubble teams. She criticizes the reluctance of high-major programs to play mid-majors and urges the Selection Committee to reward mid-major excellence by including Miami on Selection Sunday, rather than excluding a 31–1 team that dominated its schedule.

via NBC Sports|

#bubble-watch #miami-oh-redhawks #ncaa-tournament

sports1 year ago•4 min saved

SEC's Sankey Pushes for College Sports Overhaul Amid CFP Uncertainty

Greg Sankey, SEC commissioner, defended the league's approach to playoff selection, emphasizing the importance of 'not losing' and strength of schedule, but the article argues that losses to weaker teams and other factors like head-to-head results also significantly influence playoff decisions, challenging Sankey's selective memory and spin.

via CBS Sports|

#college-football-playoff #greg-sankey #playoff-selection

sports1 year ago•2 min saved

Nick Saban Criticizes CFP Selection as Alabama Misses 12-Team Bracket

Alabama Crimson Tide will not participate in the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the third time since 2014, as the selection committee chose the SMU Mustangs over them for the final at-large berth. Despite Alabama's stronger schedule, former coach Nick Saban, now an ESPN analyst, expressed concerns about the incentive to schedule tough nonconference games if strength of schedule isn't prioritized. Saban acknowledged that the best teams made the playoffs and emphasized that teams control their own destiny through their performance.

via Roll Tide Wire|

#alabama-crimson-tide #college-football-playoff #nick-saban

sports1 year ago•4 min saved

Nick Saban Hints at SEC Schedule and Playoff Changes

Nick Saban criticized the College Football Playoff selection process for not valuing strength of schedule, arguing it disincentivizes tough non-conference games. Despite Alabama's strong schedule, they missed the playoffs due to losses against weaker teams like Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. Saban's comments may influence future SEC scheduling, potentially reducing non-conference games. The debate highlights broader concerns about the playoff selection criteria and its impact on college football scheduling strategies.

via CBS Sports|

#alabama #college-football-playoff #nick-saban

sports1 year ago•6 min saved

Big 12's Yormark Criticizes CFP for Prioritizing Brand Over Performance

Critics argue that the College Football Playoff committee is not adequately rewarding teams for their strength of schedule, as evidenced by Boise State's higher ranking over Big 12 teams despite a weaker schedule. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and others have expressed frustration, noting inconsistencies in how rankings are determined, with some teams seemingly benefiting from a better win-loss record rather than tougher competition. The debate highlights the subjective nature of the selection process, especially with the recent expansion to a 12-team playoff.

via The Athletic|

#big-12 #boise-state #college-football-playoff