Method to the Madness

This article is an analytical look at scheduling practices of some major college football programs. Some teams seek to insure victories. Other schools look for tough opponents for one of three reasons: 1) to prepare for the balance of the schedule; 2) enhance exposure for the program; or 3) increase revenues. While we are not advocating any one type of philosophy, we do understand that a program\'s success or lack thereof can be determined by the scheduling policies put in place. The reality of college football is that it is a business, and teams adopt scheduling policies as a part of their overall \"business plan.\"Teams playing in BCS conferences may well realize that the road to big paydays runs through conference championships, and scheduling difficult non-conference games is an unnecessary and unwarranted risk. Given the nature of the competition to play in the BCS Bowl games and