Miami football 2019 strength of schedule huge discrepancy overall and Non-conference

In recent rankings by a pair of media outlets, there is a huge discrepancy between the Miami football program’s 2019 overall strength of schedule and the non-conference games they have scheduled.

The prevailing thinking would be that the 2019 overall strength of schedule for the Miami football program should be stronger than what the Hurricanes non-conference schedule would be ranked. Miami opens with Florida and then plays Bethune-Cookman, Central Michigan and Florida International later in the season.

Oklahoma City newspaper the Oklahoman, college football writer Berry Tramel ranked the 64 power five teams, non-conference schedules for 2019. Matt Smith of SouthernPigskin.com ranked the Power five programs overall strength schedule for 2019. The discrepancies of those lists were surprising.

Miami will host Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Louisville in their ACC games this season. The Hurricanes travel to North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Florida State and Duke in 2019.  The analysis of the outlook for Miami contending in the ACC Coastal has pointed to their favorable schedule this season as a major reason.

Tremel ranked Miami’s 2019 schedule one spot higher than the middle of the 64 power five teams. He suggests in his short synopsis that if the Miami football program wants to return to past glories that they have a non-conference schedule to match.

"33. Miami: Florida in Orlando, Bethune-Cookman, Central Michigan, Florida International in Miami. The Hurricanes need a better schedule than this to resurrect their brand."

Canes Warning examined the need for teams from the FBS in general and the ACC and Miami football program more specifically in 2017 to stop scheduling games against FCS programs.

SouthernPigskin.Com and Smith have a drastically different outlook for the strength of schedule for the 2019 Miami football team than Tremel and the Oklahoman. Although no analysis was written about the strength of schedule provided by Southern Pigskin it is obvious they have no respect for the ACC Coastal Division.

Miami is ranked 61st out of 66 power five teams that include BYU and Notre Dame with the 64 teams in the power five conferences. North Carolina State, Virginia and Virginia Tech are ranked from 62-64 in their strength of schedule rankings.

The low rankings for Miami, Virginia and VaTech’s schedules are a clear indication of Southern Pigskin’s projections for North Carolina, Duke, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels, Blue Devils, Panthers and Yellow Jackets are hard to read entering 2018.

UNC has Mack Brown returning to Chapel Hill in his first season. Duke has to replace quarterback Daniel Jones who was the sixth pick in the NFL: Draft. Pittsburgh is coming off a surprising run to win the ACC Coastal in 2019 despite an overall record of 7-7.

Georgia Tech is finally switching out of the triple option offense under new head coach Geoff Collins. The projected bottom half of the ACC Coastal Division clearly brings down the schedules of the Cavaliers, Hokies and Hurricanes. The latter three teams are the favorites to win the Coastal.