As we have talked about in the past, there are a number of teams that "schedule smart" to help enhance their chances of making the playoffs.

(and that is not meant as a slap or slight...more power to them for working the system to their advantage)

ASU plays a FBS team and then typically gets two home games against weak FCS opponents (that they don't have to travel to the next year).

The only downside to this is...if you are going to rack up wins against weak opponents...you better get a signature win on your resume (like GSU had once they beat ASU)...had they beat Samford and lost to ASU...their record would have been the same, but they would have had a much tough time getting in. That ASU win was crucial for their resume.

And on a side note, I am happy the committee wasn't swayed by gaudy records with no resume (ie Jacksonville). It will be interesting to see how Bethune-Cookman, SC State, Robert Morris and CCU do in the playoffs (the first two aren't highly thought of in the SOS rankings...the last two are from leagues that are getting an autobid for the first time...all are ranked lower than a plethora of 6-5 CAA and SoCon team like, of course, Chattanooga. Not saying they don't belong, but it will be interesting to see how competitive they are (if I say they don't belong, I am also saying the mid-majors don't belong in the NCAA basketball tournament)

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier --Colin Powell