Future Schedules

[Aclone]

I was just looking at the future schedules over at cyclones.com,

Football - Schedule - Iowa State University Athletics Official Web Site - www.CYCLONES.com - Iowa State Cyclones Sports

and had a few thoughts.

Franly, it's bad enough that we play South Dakota State this fall, but next season we replace them with North Dakota State. Seriously, nothing against either of these fine institutions, but what do we gain from playing them? Certainly no one is going to claim that it better prepares us for the likes of Oklahoma and Texas, let alone Missouri or Kansas?

And, Army? Just how soon will they renege on the return trip again?

Yes, I expect to have a good, seasoned squad in '09. So, where would the landmark wins come from?

I delved a little deeper, and found Utah on the schedule in '10, which I thought was pretty cool. Not one of the big conference teams, but still a good squad lately (even after Meyer's departure), a respectable challenge. However, we also play both "NI's" (UNI and NIU), and aside from gate revenue, I've never seen the benefit of playing Northern Iowa, either. If we win, so what? If we lose, it's horrible. And gate revenue we could get from playing a recognizable school like Washington, Arizona or even Vanderbilt.

Of course, then I delved a little further, and found that yes indeed, we're playing Oklahoma and Texas, not only both on the road in the same season, but back to back as well. Sure, we'll likely have a senior quarterback and etcetera, one way or another, but how does anyone consider this remotely fair? if we're locked into playing these two in the same two seasons, at least give us one home, and one away--and not back to back. Not every time.

And finally, in '11, we visit UConn. At least they're Big East.

2012 brings Western Illinois and Western Kentucky. Seriously--what's up with that? Do they really expect to sell many tickets for those two "marquis" matchups? That's on top of that powerhouse opener with Tulsa, of course. Who thought up this schedule?

Aside from gate value, I'll ask this. Are these games really going to prepare our team for the first conference game with A&M? Sure, we start with five of six at home, but I'm really not looking forward to that road trip to Baylor after so much home cookin'--nor the three game stretch beginning with K-State. I wish we had more of a challenge in the non conference schedule. Or, should I say, a challenge, period.

Though I have to admit that, aside from the road trip to Colorado, it looks like a favorable schedule overall--speaking five seasons in the future, of course.

Franly, I'd rather replace Western Kentucky and Western Illinois with at least moderately challenging opponents--so the team is more sharply honed when they get to Colorado and Missouri.

Seriously. Look what happened when Kansas finally had a decent challenge against Missouri last season (following early creampuffs)--and that was at home. It cost them a trip to the Big XII Title Game--which made a spectacular season only "nice".

[ISUFan22]

You forgot to mention 2013 - we're playing @ Air Force. Yeah, we're going to that one. It's been "on the calendar" the date it was announced. :)

[ISU BET]

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

[Bader]

Originally Posted by Aclone

Of course, then I delved a little further, and found that yes indeed, we're playing Oklahoma and Texas, not only both on the road in the same season, but back to back as well. Sure, we'll likely have a senior quarterback and etcetera, one way or another, but how does anyone consider this remotely fair? if we're locked into playing these two in the same two seasons, at least give us one home, and one away--and not back to back. Not every time.

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 far as Non-con, be careful with your gate revenue/loss-gain for us arguments, you're starting to sound like a Hawkeye buddy.

I agree that I'd like to see more BCS opponents on our schedule, but setting up a Home and Home with other BCS programs is damn near impossible. Nobody wants to play on the road more than once in their non-con. We already have Iowa on our schedule through what, 2020 or so now?

[cardinal&gold]

Right now we're not in a position where we can schedule teams like Washington, Arizona, and Vanderbilt. Even the crappy teams in other BCS conferences aren't willing to go into home-and-home series with us. I hope this will change if we can become consistently successful (like, when our worst season year-to-year is 6 wins, not 3 or 2). I would love to see us match up with other BCS schools, but our program is fragile at the moment, we have to take what we can get.

I'm glad that we are at least hitting the road to play Utah, Air Force, UCONN. Those are much better games than the MAC and Gateway. I also tire of us playing UNI 2 out of every 3 years. Once in a while it is fine, they are an instate school. But I'd like to see a little more variety in our schedule in the future.

[ISUFan22]

Originally Posted by ISU BET

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

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.

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.

So, we aught not be looking down upon these programs until ours is worth something (aka, routinely beating them).

[Tornado man]

I know there was an article in the USA Today last week talking about the escalating guarantee $$ that BCS schools have to pay to lesser schools to get them to come and play:
Ohio State is paying Navy $1.4 million to come to Columbus next year; Wisky is paying Northern Illinois almost $1 million a game to play twice in Madison. I think our payouts to the UNI's, UNLV's and the SDSU's of the world are around $300,000. We're being priced out of the market to get quality teams to come and play at Jack Trice, unless we agree to a home-and-home, which means we're losing a home gate.

[ISU BET]

Originally Posted by ISUFan22

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.

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.

So, we aught not be looking down upon these programs until ours is worth something (aka, routinely beating them).

agree 100%. just sayin that it sounds exactly like what i've heard hawks fans say.

[Clonehomer]

We play in the Big12. If we have a decent enough team that we need some big opponents to make some noise, we'll get them. I don't see how it would benefit us to play a really tough non-conference schedule and then enter the big12 schedule beat up.

We play Iowa every year and as much as I would love them to be horrible they probably won't be for a number of years.

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

Utah has shown they can have good seasons to the point that their name is known.

Air Force has always been tricky and I don't mind playing the service acadamies out of respect if nothing else.

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.

[cloneu]

Originally Posted by ISU BET

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

First off that is what came to mind. What do we have to gain? how about a win. What do we have to lose? Not winning.

I am looking forward to the Army. Air Force, Utah games. Are they power houses, no but I will enjoy them much more then a Toledo/Kent St game. Sure I would rather play North Carolina St. then North Dakota st, but I think that is hard to get somebody willing to do a 1 and 1 with us.

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

[mustangcy]

I say schedule all the creampuffs you can. I love getting drunk and watching us beat the hell out of team, it's something I really miss. On a serious note, until we get to the point as a program we can win 7-8 consistantly we need to schedule wins, not "test's" for big 12 play. Not to mention playing more difficult teams makes you open you're playbook which makes you more vulnarable for the start of big 12 play.

[ISUFan22]

Originally Posted by mustangcy

I say schedule all the creampuffs you can. I love getting drunk and watching us beat the hell out of team, it's something I really miss.

They've been on our schedule. The difference has been beating the hell out of them - or beating them at all.

I expect this to change, starting this year. But we have very little to go on, especially the past 2 years, that would prove we're any better than these teams.

[cardinal&gold]

Last time we beat the hell out of a creampuff was when Seneca and co. put 58 on Tennessee Tech in '02.

[Bader]

Originally Posted by cardinal&gold

Last time we beat the hell out of a creampuff was when Seneca and co. put 58 on Tennessee Tech in '02.

I would've said Iowa in '05 but I guess that works as well

[ISU BET]

Originally Posted by cardinal&gold

Last time we beat the hell out of a creampuff was when Seneca and co. put 58 on Tennessee Tech in '02.

i think that was the last time i got to sit in the "rich people" luxury boxes on the east side. that was a fun game to be at.