I love your math ... and the logic is hard to argue.
Looking at the first triad over that time period (since 2016):
2025 - won all 3 non-conference games and lost to Michigan
2024 - won all 3 non-conference games and lost to Illinois
2023 - lost season opener to Minnesota (10-13), lost to CU (at CU), won other two non-conference games
2022 - lost season opener in Ireland to NW (28-31), lost to OU & Georgia Southern, won non-conference game
2021 - lost season opener to Illinois (22-30), lost to OU, won other two non-conference games
2019 - lost to CU in OT (31-34), won other two non-conference games, beat Illinois
2018 - lost all 4 games, two to CU and Troy, two to Michigan and Purdue
2017 - won first non-conference game, lost to Oregon (non-conference) and Northern Illinois, beat Rutgers
2016 - won all four games (including Oregon non-con) and Northwestern
Those 9 years overall first triad record was 20-16
The non-conference record during the first triad was 17-9. Losses were to:
- Oregon (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- CU (3)
- Georgia Southern
- Northern Illinois
- Troy
We've open the season 3 times with conference games and lost all 3 (Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern).
The other four losses are conference games in week 3 or 4. Those losses were to Michigan (2), Illinois and Purdue. We won 3 conference games in the first triad during this span.
So our overall record in conference games in the first triad is 4-3 not counting season opener games and 4-6 with season opener games.
How to get better?
- Don't EVER lose Troy, Northern Illinois and Georgia Southern games. Rhule is 8-1 in non-conference games albeit only having played 2 P4 games.
- Be better in season opener conference games. We are 3-6 in season openers. Even a 2 game improvement is significant.
