If you want respect, schedule good teams, part 4 of 4

----Everyone argues that strength of schedule should mean everything in college football, until someone calls their team out on scheduling Directional Community College...

Part 3/4., Part 2/4., Part 1/4.

So this is it, the final installment of the Schedules series. I hope it wasn't too painful for you. I tried to take a serious look into what teams have done well and what teams haven't in terms of scheduling tough games. In part four, I'm going to run down which games I'm most looking forward to in 2008. These are all out-of-conference games, because I figure conference games always mean something and a team doesn't have a choice to play those games. These are games that teams chose to play. In no particular order, I give you the best OOC games in 2008.

***Not all of the schedules have been finalized, so I may do a revised version of this list in August.

Ohio State (11-2) at Southern Cal (11-2) – If this isn’t the top game in September; you’re not watching the right sport. While everyone will be calling the Buckeyes doomed before they even step into the Coliseum, USC loses a good number of excellent players. I don’t see this one as a blowout in either direction. This prediction means nothing right now, but: OSU 26-21

Georgia (11-2) @ Arizona State (9-4) – The Sun Devils were rolling right along until a late-season mediocre fest. If this game was to be played in Athens, it wouldn’t even really be on this list. However, Georgia will travel farther to Tempe than it did all of last season combined. With a guy like Dennis Erickson at the helm, you never know what can happen in the desert. This prediction means nothing right now, but: UGA 35-20

Missouri (12-2) vs. Illinois (9-4) – (In St. Louis) Chances are that you didn’t see last season’s edition of this game in St. Louis. I’ll also bet that you’ll make it a priority to see it in 2008. With the Illini coming off a Rose Bowl bid—as bad as it was—and the Tigers proving to be better than most BCS teams that leaped over them, this is appointment September viewing. This prediction means nothing right now, but: Ill 41-38

Kansas (12-1) @ South Florida (9-4) – South Florida shouldn’t have been at the No. 2 spot last season. But it was deserving of the praise showering it got after knocking off teams like Auburn and West Virginia. Kansas proved its worth by sticking it to Virginia Tech in one of the better BCS games in recent memory. I’m wondering which quarterback will have the better day, Todd Reesing or Matt Grothe? This prediction means nothing right now, but: KU 21-18

Auburn (10-3) @ West Virginia (11-2) – How much did Rich Rodriguez mean to the Mountaineers? With Steve Slaton moving on, can Noel Devine step in and become a real starter? Moreover, will Auburn’s experimentation with the spread offense finally kick start the point production? These are the huge question marks going into this game. How many of those will be answered? This prediction means nothing right now, but: AU 34-31

Appalachian State (13-2) @ Louisiana State (12-2) – If the Tigers beat the Mountaineers, Michigan fans will never hear the end of it. Actually, the entire Big Ten will somehow sink even lower in the minds of SEC fans. That aside, Appalachian State returns most of its national championship team, while LSU loses most of its own ring wearers. This game’s in Baton Rouge, so figure it will give LSU the edge it usually gets with the home crowd. This prediction means nothing right now, but: LSU 28-24

Michigan (9-4) @ Notre Dame (3-9) – Regardless of what the common folk think, this game is huge for both teams. It will be a test for both coaches, as Charlie Weis will try to show 2007 was a fluke, and Rich Rodriguez will try to show that Michigan 2008 will not become Notre Dame 2007. The Irish have beaten the Wolverines a couple times at home recently, so look for a much better showing this time around in South Bend. This prediction means nothing right now, but: UM 20-17

Bonus Game

Michigan (9-4) @ Penn State (9-4) – This one’s for me. For the last six years, I’ve been one of those people saying “If Penn State can’t beat Michigan THIS year…” So I’m hoping that will ring true in 2008. These games have been surprisingly close the last four meetings, with the Nittany Lions only a mistake or two away from pulling out a win. These are two teams heading in almost opposite directions. Michigan hasn’t looked this vulnerable, well, ever. We’ll see. This prediction means nothing right now, but: PSU 29-20