FOX analyst Joel Klatt offers Alabama a way to fix its schedule
By Keith Farner
Published:
One of the top storylines in college football this week has been Alabama’s schedule, coming off a game against New Mexico State, and with Southern Miss next after the game at South Carolina this week. Then there’s the kick off times, and how the Crimson Tide feel about early games and compared with other teams around the SEC.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has weighed in on the subject, and taken a unique view for a solution.
“Alabama has scheduled for championships better than anybody else,” Klatt said. “When they play Power 5 opponents, they’re on neutral sites. Those neutral sites, generally speaking except one, have been closer to Tuscaloosa than their opponent’s campus. That’s just how they schedule, it’s worked out incredible well for them.”
Having said that, the Crimson Tide can’t complain about when other non-conference games are scheduled, Klatt said. Alabama not reciprocating with a home-and-home is one reason why opponents won’t come to Bryant-Denny in his mind.
If commissioner of the NCAA, Klatt would adopt an NFL model with every team playing 8 conference games, which leaves 4 non-conference games. Two of those games will be against directional lower level schools in your region to help those smaller schools with their budgets.
Then Klatt would pair “scheduling partners,” so teams would play a first-place schedule or a last-place schedule. The SEC would, for example, be paired with the Big 10 and Pac-12. Under that example, Alabama would play a home game against either Ohio State or Washington, and a road game against the other team in matchups of reigning conference champions. Then the second place team, and on down, would play the second place team in corresponding conferences.
That would allow for more parity, and more flexibility with bowl eligibility.
Fans, television networks and teams would enjoy that setup, Klatt said.
“Players don’t come to play Mercer,” he said. “You go to Alabama to play Georgia, LSU, Clemson and any other top program in the country.”
“This is how I would fix your schedule, Alabama.”
Using the NFL as a model, @JoelKlatt breaks down his solution to change non-conference scheduling in college football ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SBH7PRR7sA
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 13, 2019
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
