Big Ten coaches see College Football Playoff implications in scheduling

Saturday for college football fans is going to require a steady hand and fully-charged remote control batteries.

Across the country, several high-profile matchups dot Week 2, and in a few cases offer College Football Playoff implications — yes, this early. Outside the Big Ten, No. 3 Clemson plays No. 13 Auburn, No. 15 Georgia is at No. 25 Notre Dame and No. 5 USC hosts No. 14 Stanford.

Within the Big Ten, No. 4 Penn State hosts Pitt, while Nebraska (maybe, hold that thought) goes to Oregon, Minnesota to Oregon State and, of course, No. 2 Ohio State hosts No. 6 Oklahoma in the top matchup of the week in college football.

The number of high-quality games and Power 5 matchups this week is a direct reflection of the CFP and its effect on scheduling. Big Ten coaches had no problem saying so, either.

'I think there's a lot of value to it, especially for the teams that are ranked in the top 10,' Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches teleconference. 'I think there's a lot of value in it in terms of being the strongest conference in the country and being able to continue to show that

'I think it does bring a lot of attention and a high profile to those schools to be able to help them down toward the end of the season. The faster you can gain attention, maybe the better off you'll be toward the end because people are talking about you all the way through the year.'

Fleck was responding to a question about scheduling high-profile teams as compared to FCS programs, which still is a practice in which many programs across the country take part.

The Big Ten, of course, got a mandate in 2015 from Commissioner Jim Delaney that scheduling FCS opponents would not be allowed after 2016, with already-contracted games to be honored. That was given a caveat this summer, with the conference stipulating that in seasons in which Big Ten teams have four home conference games out of the nine, an FCS opponent can be scheduled in the non-conference.

This season, only two Big Ten teams face FCS opponents — Maryland this week against Towson and Rutgers next week against Morgan State. Iowa, which lost to FCS power North Dakota State last season, has Northern Iowa on its schedule next season.

Ohio State's Urban Meyer said Tuesday it's too early to be talking playoff implications, but that he knows it's going to happen and 'always will.' For his part, Fleck broke it down on a wider scope. He said Tuesday programs that are already established and competing for national titles can easily schedule those Power 5, marquee matchups — and have to, with the playoff in mind. But programs that are amid a rebuild or needing to find footing still need those games to figure out who or where they are.

Clearly, most of the Big Ten schools have taken to heart a similar feeling to Fleck.

'If it comes down to an 11-1 team and there's an FCS school on there, no matter if you beat them by 40 or 10, that's not going to matter in terms of what the playoff committee is proving,' Fleck said. "It's going to weigh more on the decision not to put you in the playoff than the team who didn't schedule FCS. There's teams that need to do it until you get your program to a part where you can compete for Big Ten championships every year. But that's the challenge we all face as we continue to move our schedule forward, especially into the Big Ten with nine conference games.'

Fleck is in his first year at Minnesota and could conceivably fit into the category he described about building a program. Several others are in the same boat, including Rutgers and Coach Chris Ash.

The Scarlet Knights, who lost to Washington in Week 1, get the aforementioned FCS matchup next week. Ash, though, said he'd rather schedule FBS opponents too — though for him, it's about evaluation at this point instead of playoff implications.

'Honestly I'd rather play a team like the MAC, like we're doing, than an FCS team because you find out a little more about your team because they're good football teams,' Ash said. 'If you're not ready to go, they're going to beat you. That's what you want to do.'

WILDFIRES COULD IMPACT NEBRASKA, MINNESOTA

While the Houston area reels from Hurricane Harvey and south Florida braces for potential landfall of Hurricane Irma, the opposite side of the United States is dealing with the opposite issue: wildfires.

Oregon has dealt with extremely high temperatures and fires this weekend, and it could affect two Big Ten games this weekend: Nebraska at Oregon and Minnesota at Oregon State.

The Pac-12 issues a statement Tuesday morning saying air quality still was hazardous and that both Oregon and Oregon State 'have been working closely with the relevant regional air protection agency … to monitor and assess the air quality situation since the fires broke out and they will continue to do.'

Neither Nebraska head coach Mike Riley nor Minnesota's Fleck had any more information than that during Tuesday's conference call, but both said they were willing to do whatever was necessary.

'I do not know anything about the possibilities,' Riley said. 'I haven't heard anything about any of that. What I know enough about in these kinds of situation is you just plan for what's ahead of us and adjust if need be.'

Fleck agreed.

'It's a very, very scary situation. I know a lot of people are affected by it,' Fleck said. 'We're willing and able to be able to adjust.'

Just heard back from the Pac-12. Oregon hosts Nebraska, and Oregon St. hosts Minnesota on Saturday. Air quality at moment still "hazardous." September 5, 2017

Just heard back from the Pac-12. Oregon hosts Nebraska, and Oregon St. hosts Minnesota on Saturday. Air quality at moment still "hazardous." pic.twitter.com/E4hcDiS8a1

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif)

MARYLAND LOSES QB TO INJURY

The Maryland football team had a similar fall camp to Iowa in terms of its quarterback situation. Tyrrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill battled for the starting spot throughout camp, head coach D.J. Durkin said Tuesday.

Pigrome won the job, and looked deserving against Texas on Saturday. That only lasted a short time, though, as he went down with a knee injury — and won't be back this year. Maryland announced Pigrome was out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, which puts Hill under center for the Terrapins.

'That's always a tough conversation,' Durkin said. 'He's worked really hard to prepare himself and he earned the starting job. He went out and played really, really well and was excited about his performance. To have that happen is extremely disappointing.

'He's mentally tough, he's physically tough; he'll bounce back and be as good as ever.'

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com