Shane Beamer to rethink non-conference scheduling after College Football Playoff rankings

The latest reveal of the College Football Playoff rankings has coaches and athletics directors alike up in arms over the outcome, and you can officially add South Carolina coach Shane Beamer to the list of those with a strong opinion.

The State’s Jordan Kaye asked Beamer if he would talk to his next athletics director about changing how the Gamecocks schedule non-conference games.

Beamer left little doubt that would be a point of conversation thanks to the College Football Playoff rankings.

“If you’re asking is there anything to gain by playing in some of these games that you play out of conference, I think it’s something that everybody, not just us, needs to look at,” Beamer said. “Because clearly you can go through an entire season, not beat a ranked team, and be in the playoff if you just win.

“So it’s something, I’m a competitor, I love playing in those games. I’m looking forward to playing Virginia Tech in Atlanta next season, but the committee made it very clear that they really don’t give a hoot who you beat. Just don’t lose three times and you’re in, even if it means you never beat a ranked opponent. Not one. Don’t beat a ranked opponent but just win the games on your schedule and you’re in. They made a pretty strong statement about that, absolutely.”

South Carolina, of course, was one of the three-loss teams that checked in on the wrong side of the College Football Playoff bubble on Tuesday night. Of course, all of South Carolina’s losses came in conference play, rendering the non-conference talk more pertinent to future years.

The Gamecocks checked in at No. 14 in the CFP rankings, behind three-loss Alabama at No. 11 and three-loss Ole Miss at No. 13. In other words, on the outside looking in.

Beamer isn’t the only one who voiced an opinion questioning how much strength of schedule really matters, though.

Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard also chimed in to that effect on Tuesday night, taking to Twitter to discuss his displeasure with that aspect of the rankings.

“Disappointing that strength of schedule clearly does not matter for SMU, Indiana and Boise State,” Pollard wrote. “Message is clear — win as many games as possible regardless of who you play. Time to rethink non-conference scheduling. Very different standards than the basketball committee.”

Beamer will likely soon be working with an athletics director from the Big 12, where the schedule strength argument in the College Football Playoff was even more relevant this year. That could create some like-minded synergy when it comes to future scheduling concerns.

South Carolina is reportedly ‘working toward’ hiring TCU athletics director Jeremiah Donati. Donati would replace departing athletics director Ray Tanner.

The College Football Playoff scheduling discussions that are sure to follow figure to be fascinating.