Hey, I learned the hard way in law school that having a tough schedule gets you squat -- all employers cared about was the GPA. So, here I was taking really tough tax and SEC reg classes and antitrust and getting an A in a few but more often a B. But, I thought, employers will recognize that I was taking the tough rode. What a laugh -- the folks taking Cakewalk Law 101 and getting high GPAs were getting the offers. I learned the hard way we are a shallow society.
I use to say the same about FSU and Boise State. Pat Hill was out there "taking on anyone" and losing to big time programs and getting the heck beat out of his team in the first 3 weeks, which translated to them being beat up for conference play and not finishing at the top. Chris Petersen played a much easier schedule, threw in some cupcake teams to start, and began to win the conference championship year after year and go undefeated several years and eventually played in -- and won -- the Fiesta Bowl.
No one remembers how hard or easy your schedule, they just remember if you made it to the National Championship. If playing an easy schedule gets me there, bring on the easy schedule. Play smart. So maybe Ed will start getting an easier schedule in years to come.