Future Schedules

[jdoggivjc]

Northern Illinois may not be a BCS caliber team but they haven't been terrible in recent years.

Overall not horrible arguments, but I'm calling BS on this one. NIU finished 2-10 last year, good enough for dead last in the MAC (and I remember them spending quite a few weeks on ESPN's "Bottom 10 List"). The year before that they did finish 7-6, but it was very unimpressive and highly uninspired...

[superfan]

that sounds like something a hawk fan would say about playing us. nothing to gain, everything to lose.

I didn't want to say this, but I did catch a bit of that drift.

It's not like we're the only team in the country that schedules non-major conference teams. Even Michigan and OSU had "easy" games (OSU: Youngstown State, Michigan: Appalachian State - that one didn't turn out so well for Michigan), it's all about the bowls. Four easy OOC games means two conference wins from being bowl-eligible.

But, to be fair, let's look at next year's OOC schedules for the end-season Top 15 (major programs in bold):

#1 LSU: Appalachian State (interesting there), Troy, North Texas, Tulane
#2 Georgia: Georgia Southern, Central Michigan, @Arizona St., Georgia Tech (rivalry)
#3 USC: @Virginia, Ohio State (that should be fun), Notre Dame
#4 Missouri: Illinois, SE Missouri St., Nevada, Buffalo
#5 Ohio State: Youngstown State, Ohio, @USC, Troy
#6 West Virginia: Villanova, @East Carolina, @Colorado, Marshall
#7 Kansas: Florida International, Louisiana Tech, @South Florida, Sam Houston State
#8 Oklahoma: Chattanooga, Cincinatti, @Washington, TCU
#9 Virginia Tech: @East Carolina, Furman, @Nebraska, Western Kentucky
#10 (tie) Boston College: @Kent State, Central Florida, Rhode Island, Notre Dame
#10 (tie) Texas: Florida Atlantic, @UTEP, Arkansas, Rice
#12 Tennessee: @UCLA, Alabama-Birmingham, Northern Illinois, Wyoming
#13 Florida: Hawaii, Miami (FL) (rivalry), Citadel, @Florida State (rivalry)
#14 BYU: Northern Iowa, @Washington, UCLA, @Utah State
#15 Auburn: Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Mississippi, @West Virginia, Tennessee-Martin

With the exception of USC, even the big-time programs don't play more than one big-conference school (barring a rivalry game as well)

[Bader]

I'd label BC ND rivalry as well, but yup pretty much

Edit: And also, Mizzou gets the play Illinois at home but didn't have to travel there? I lost a lot of respect for them when they backed out of the Iowa series but cmon, grow a backbone Tigers

[superfan]

I'd label BC ND rivalry as well, but yup pretty much

Yeah, I forgot about the Holy War. I could also throw "rivalry" behind the battle for the Jeweled Shillelgh with USC

[vmbplayer]

I understand where you're coming from but here's how I'm looking at it.

Since 2005 we have not won a road game outside of EIU. If we start scheduling the kind of teams you're looking for they're going to require another away game on the schedule. Although we had such major struggles in non-conf play this past season that is far from the norm. You're right that those games may not put as many butts in the seats as the opponents you'd like to play. HOWEVER, I think the problem is that the better record at the end of the season (resulting from the small school wins) makes up for the fewer single game ticket sales with the following seasons season ticket sales.

Until we start winning road games again I don't believe the record (and in turn the following year's interest and season tix sales) can take the headline matchups that will cause a lower 4-8, 3-9 kind of record year in and out.

As of where the program is right now we need those games to get a bowl bid, and it's much harder to build a program without a bowl game.

Since the 2000 season we have maxed out with 4 conference wins. Scheduling the NDSUs and SDSUs of the world is what keeps us in the bowl hunt right now.

The military academies imo are a step toward bigger games and I think that will continue once Chiz gets things moving along in the right direction. So hopefully we'll be fielding a strong enough team to bust out a game against a BCS opponent in a down the road, but not yet.

Remember in 2003 without Ohio and UNI we have a ZERO in the wins column. To me I'm glad that was a 2 against smaller schools than a couple matchups with big names and ending the year with a goose egg in the W column.

I'd love to see us play some major schools outside the Big 12 and EIU every year but not at the expense of forfeiting a better shot at a bowl game and having more excitement for next season's potential

[Clone9]

In browsing other teams' schedules, ours isn't that different from the rest. Most teams plan one non-conference BCS team, one "middle-level" team, and a couple of "lower-level" teams.

Some play a couple of better teams, but I'm all for these schedules until we prove we can beat other middle-level BCS teams.

Oh, and I like playing UNI. Hopefully the day will come soon where we can easily beat them every year, and we'll be able to fill our newly bowled-in stadium with ease.

[Aclone]

I also think the Athletic dept. knows that it is more important to make money then play decent teams in non-conf.

Exactly. And how many of the average people around people will be willing to shell out good money for season tickets to see the likes of Tulsa, Western Kentucky, and Western Illinois? In case you didn't notice, the average Joe Fan likes it when decent schools like OU and UT come to town--those make for entertaining games with teams they have heard of.

In the end these are opponents where we can get a lot of home games to pay for that new expansion that everyone wants. You're not going to get that playing 2-3 BCS schools every year.

And you're not going to fill Jack Trice every game, no matter what capacity, playing Western Illinois. Nor are you providing a contest which forces your team to improve, prepares them for the level of competition of the Big XII. There has to be a middle ground.

Yeah, that was one of my thoughts reading this as well. However, the "nothing to gain discussion" is very different between ISU vs Iowa and ISU vs SDSU/NDSU/WIU/WKU/etc.

There's a difference between what some idiot Hawkeye fan (the intelligent ones enjoy the rivalry) says because he's afraid to lose, and the reality of playing...some of these schools.

My other thought was, we were defeated by Kent State, UNI and Toledo last season and the previous season to that, nearly defeated by UNLV, Toledo and UNI.

Yes, and UNLV, Toledo and UNI are still a step up from some of these games.

I agree that our Big XII South rotation blows goats for quarters, but sorry to tell you Aclone the Big XII decides who and when we play not us. Iowa State and Kansas are on the opposite South rotation, but I believe we are the only school who play UT and OU back to back.

As a matter of fact, since you mention that Kansas is our travel buddy, here's KU's schedule:

Aug. 30, 2008 Florida Int'l 6:00 pm CT
Sept. 6, 2008 Louisiana Tech 6:00 pm CT
Sept. 12, 2008 at South Florida 7:00 pm CT
Sept. 20, 2008 Sam Houston St. 6:00 pm CT
Oct. 4, 2008 at Iowa State TBA
Oct. 11, 2008 Colorado TBA
Oct. 18, 2008 at Oklahoma TBA
Oct. 25, 2008 Texas Tech TBA
Nov. 1, 2008 Kansas State TBA
Nov. 8, 2008 at Nebraska TBA
Nov. 15, 2008 Texas TBA
Nov. 29, 2008 at Missouri TBA

Not only a month apart, but not both on the road in the same season. While it might be an advantage to play them both at home if we have a powerhouse team one season, this still seems far more reasonable.

[tejasclone]

Not only a month apart, but not both on the road in the same season. While it might be an advantage to play them both at home if we have a powerhouse team one season, this still seems far more reasonable.

We are the only team in the Big 12 that has to play at Oklahoma and at Texas in the same season.

Even the other teams in the South get by unscathed:

Baylor: vs OU, @ UT
OSU: @ UT, vs OU
A&M: vs OU, @ UT
Tech: vs UT, @ OU

[Aclone]

Sorry if I'm being long winded, but here's my point. I see actual progress with this team, without the major Achille's Heel that McCarney's team developed (the offensive line). In '09 and '10 (especially), we'll have experienced, talented quarterbacks, big play receivers (Sedrick and Marquis), a big play back (Bo knows), and a deep, talented and veteran offensive line.

While it might be good to play patsies when we're down, how will it look if we're beating up on some tiny school 76-14? Like nothing more than bullies. I don't like that kind of image, personally.

[cloneu]

Exactly. And how many of the average people around people will be willing to shell out good money for season tickets to see the likes of Tulsa, Western Kentucky, and Western Illinois? In case you didn't notice, the average Joe Fan likes it when decent schools like OU and UT come to town--those make for entertaining games with teams they have heard of.

Those teams don't fill the stadium. But I would think that 40,000 for each SDSU and NDSU will make more money then 1 game against Wisconsin with 55,000 people. Maybe some people will get season tickets if there is a big name team on the schedule. How many? I don't know, I probably underestimate it because a big name team would not sway my decision on tickets.

[ajk4st8]

North Dakota State beat Minnesota last year.

[BigM]

ya minnesota was freikin horrible they were much worse than us

[ISUFan22]

There's a difference between what some idiot Hawkeye fan (the intelligent ones enjoy the rivalry) says because he's afraid to lose, and the reality of playing...some of these schools.

Is the difference because you're posting it? I mean, we as fans aught to be worried about losing these games under our very recent track record.

Yes, and UNLV, Toledo and UNI are still a step up from some of these games.

That's debatable.

[ISUFan22]

North Dakota State beat Minnesota last year.

Quite true.

ya minnesota was freikin horrible they were much worse than us

Another debatable item. I do think we improved more than the Gophers did - but early in the season - both teams were an equal amount of suckage.

[jtd9046]

My other thought was, we were defeated by Kent State, UNI and Toledo last season and the previous season to that, nearly defeated by UNLV, Toledo and UNI.

AMEN.