(It should be noted we won't know who has the toughest schedules until the end of the season)

1. Oklahoma | Index -- 3.83: Louisiana-Monroe, the opener, is probably the easiest of the three games, and the Warhawks are coming off an eight-win season -- they won at Arkansas and almost won at Auburn and against Baylor. ULM also still has its standout QB Kolton Browning. Tulsa won 11 games last season, while the other non-conference game is at Notre Dame, a team that came to Norman last year and beat the Sooners en route to a 12-1 season. Unlike almost every other FBS team in the country, there is no "cupcake" non-conference game for the Sooners in 2013.

2. (tie) SMU | Index -- 3.5: The Mustangs load up on their old SWC foes, opening against Texas Tech then, visiting Texas A&M and TCU later in September. In Week 2, they get a really strong FCS opponent, Montana State, which won 11 games in 2012. Just going 2-2 before joining the new American Athletic Conference seems optimistic.

2. (tie) Nevada | Index -- 3.5: Congrats, Brian Polian. Not only are you following a football coaching legend in Hall of Famer Chris Ault at Nevada, but you take over and get just about as tough a non-conference schedule as there is in 2013. The Pack opens at UCLA before hosting UC Davis. After that, they're back on the road at Florida State. They close against a good BYU team on Nov. 30 led by one of the best players in the country, LB Kyle Van Noy.

<snip>

9. Arizona State | Index -- 3.08: The opener is hardly ominous against Sacramento State, and the Sun Devils actually get a few extra days to prepare for their visit from Wisconsin. Then, in early October, they play Notre Dame at Cowboys Stadium.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/bruce-feldman/22522143/top-10-toughest-non-conference-schedules-of-2013

When it comes to Notre Dame, looks like they are scared to play quality comp they already agreed to--or their excuses are genuine.

Report: Notre Dame drops ASU from 2014 football schedule

ASU not giving up on 2014 Notre Dame game

Arizona State doesn’t plan to let Notre Dame back out of its scheduled 2014 game in Tempe so easily.

The two universities agreed to play a home-and-home football series in 2007. The agreement was signed in February 2008.

According to the series contract, “in the event that a game is canceled due to an act of God, a national crisis, or other events beyond the control of the host institution,” both schools agree to “exercise their best efforts to reschedule to a date and time that are mutually agreeable” to both schools. ASU officials said this doesn’t give Notre Dame much room to back out.

“As far as ASU is concerned, Notre Dame is under contract to play at Sun Devil Stadium in 2014,” said Rocky Harris, ASU senior associate athletic director. “If Notre Dame chooses to unilaterally breach the agreement that they have signed over five years ago, it will negatively impact us competitively and financially. It is also unfair to our fans and student-athletes. Our expectation is that Notre Dame will honor the agreement they signed since the game is less than 18 months away.”

<snip>

ASU officials first learned of Notre Dame’s intent to cancel the 2014 game Friday through a phone call to the school’s media-relations office, which handles the bulk of football scheduling. As of Tuesday, ASU had yet to receive anything in writing from Notre Dame, which is required for any potential changes in the contract. Nor has Vice President of Athletics Steve Patterson — who spent the weekend in Atlanta for the Final Four — had a chance to discuss the matter with Notre Dame officials in hopes of working out an agreement.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/20130409asu-not-giving-up-on-2014-notre-dame-game.html

In fairness to Notre Dame, ASU likely has a hidden motive. I attended a Notre Dame @ ASU game in the 90's and it was packed house, I'd say close to 40% were Notre Dame fans so ASU does have a strong financial incentive to fight for the game.

The people in Oklahoma gnash their teeth at this, but good teams shouldn't be afraid to play anyone. I think next year it's a tough one too.

there should be a mercy rule.

Savannah State agreed with Miami to change the 4th quarter to 12 minutes from 15.

Eighty total yards. To 640 or something like that.

Yet, i also saw that they got more than 10% of their athletic budget for the year by taking that beating.

So, it's all about the money. Not that anybody here will be shocked by that.

Coaches want their teams to occasionally play superior teams--- Just like a pool player wants to play someone better---it simply makes them better.

Plus it helps recruiting in a big way. Hey kid---come to our small school and you'll get the chance to play against the Hurricanes, Buckeye's, etc.

There is no recruiting advantage to telling a kid "hey come to this smallish school that schedules Alabama or Ohio State so you can get slaughtered on national TV". That's not a sales pitch.

Also, your reference to the pool player is only partly valid. If one were to play a better tennis player in order to improve it would work, but playing Nadal would not help that. The only thing one would learn is to how to get their ass kicked in tennis. The thing would be over so fast, there wouldn't be time to learn a thing. And that's exactly what happened in these games yesterday.

Those kids learned nothing but how to get outclassed by an entire team of bigger, faster, more talented guys. If a coach really believes what you say they believe about playing superior talent, they should be fired. Playing a team a bit better may work. This doesn't.

Lastly, are you sure that coaches at mid majors really have that much influence on the schedules set by the athletic director's office?
GAC

. . .is the $$$$ given to the schools in exchange. Of course, that decision is made by the school's governing board: most of the students, athletes, and departments never see the money. Really cynical shit out there.