Urban Meyer Calls Out Michigan's Light Non-Conference Schedule
The Michigan Wolverines' strength of schedule is currently 126th out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision, according to ESPN.
Michigan has had the third-easiest schedule of any Power Five team ahead of Maryland and Kentucky, respectively. Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer called the Wolverines out on playing East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green in their first three games.
“Look at the team up in Ann Arbor. You shouldn’t be allowed to play that schedule," Meyer said on "Urban's Take With Tim May" Wednesday. "Georgia is playing a schedule that, at the end of the day, you’re supposed to be penalized for that, and they’re not."
Ohio State has not played the most difficult first three games either ranking 109th in ESPN's strength of schedule, but the Buckeyes' road gets tougher this weekend facing a Notre Dame Fighting Irish team that is top 20 in total and scoring offense and defense while also traveling to South Bend, Indiana.
Ohio State could be out of the College Football Playoff conversation if it loses.
"Why would Ohio State play this game?" Meyer said. "Well, because it’s the right thing to do, it’s for the fans, it’s for the good of the game. It’s for everybody.”
Meyer said Notre Dame's philosophy when he was there from 1996-2000 was always to play the best opponents possible in each region of the country. He recalled a time when the Fighting Irish considered playing a Mid-American Conference opponent, but the university's administration and alumni shut down the idea.
Meyer said he's "disappointed" by teams that play "three much lesser opponents" and make the CFP at the end of the season. The Buckeyes played a Power Five non-conference opponent in each of Meyer's seven seasons at Ohio State.
"The Wolverines used to play Notre Dame all the time. They're not, and you know why," Meyer said. "You can say whatever you want because they don't want the potential of that loss to hurt them for a playoff run."
