Scheduling Non Conference Football

[SchuellerClones]

When are we going to start Scheduling good games? I know the Big 12 is tough so we want to go into conference play with our feet running but I would rather lose to a good team than pound a Division III team that we use to get an easy win. Why don't we schedule some teams from the big conferences.......we don't have to schedule the top dogs but what about team like Virginia, NC State, Colorado State, or a Pac 10 School. I would say someone from the Big Ten but we already have to beat someone from that conference every year.......ISU vs FSU was a great game!!

09' Non conference - Iowa, ND State, @Kent State and Army
10' Non Conference - @Iowa, Northern Ill, Utah and UNI....Utah will be good
11' Non Conference - Iowa, @Utah, @UConn, and UNI....Getting better
12' Non Confernece - @Iowa, Tulsa, Western Ill, and Western Kentucky

[Palmer]

When are we going to start Scheduling good games? I know the Big 12 is tough so we want to go into conference play with our feet running but I would rather lose to a good team than pound a Division III team that we use to get an easy win. Why don't we schedule some teams from the big conferences.......we don't have to schedule the top dogs but what about team like Virginia, NC State, Colorado State, or a Pac 10 School. I would say someone from the Big Ten but we already have to beat someone from that conference every year.......ISU vs FSU was a great game!!

09' Non conference - Iowa, ND State, @Kent State and Army
10' Non Conference - @Iowa, Northern Ill, Utah and UNI....Utah will be good
11' Non Conference - Iowa, @Utah, @UConn, and UNI....Getting better
12' Non Confernece - @Iowa, Tulsa, Western Ill, and Western Kentucky

um....this is good enough for me.

[Cardinal&Gold11]

All the good teams schedule cupcakes. i would happily take a weak non conference schedule in order to stack some wins and get to a bowl game, then get the crap kicked out of us and not go to a bowl.

[TarHeelHawk]

You could do a lot worse than Utah and UConn, assuming they both stay competetive.

It isn't like you're going the K-State route or anything.

[ahaselhu]

I'd say that most BCS schools only schedule one other BCS school in non-conference, and we have that every year with Iowa. That '11 schedule is rough.

[kingcy]

Teams like FSU would never come to Ames to play. Why would a BCS school want to play a home and home with ISU? ISU doesnt want to do a 2 for 1 in the other schools favor either.

[jaretac]

um....this is good enough for me.

No kidding!

"getting better"

Who do you want us to play? USC, Iowa, Florida, and Boise State.

[SchuellerClones]

If Utah and UConn don't stay competitive then they are another easy win because by then Coach will have us at the top of the North!

[hursts]

When are we going to start Scheduling good games? I know the Big 12 is tough so we want to go into conference play with our feet running but I would rather lose to a good team than pound a Division III team that we use to get an easy win. Why don't we schedule some teams from the big conferences.......we don't have to schedule the top dogs but what about team like Virginia, NC State, Colorado State, or a Pac 10 School. I would say someone from the Big Ten but we already have to beat someone from that conference every year.......ISU vs FSU was a great game!!

09' Non conference - Iowa, ND State, @Kent State and Army
10' Non Conference - @Iowa, Northern Ill, Utah and UNI....Utah will be good
11' Non Conference - Iowa, @Utah, @UConn, and UNI....Getting better
12' Non Confernece - @Iowa, Tulsa, Western Ill, and Western Kentucky

I really hope you are kidding. We were 2-10 last season. Iowa is on the non-conference schedule every year and that is plenty. We need to schedule as many "cupcakes" on the schedule as possible in the future and get back to bowl games. I would rather beat South Dakota State and go to a bowl game than schedule Wisconsin and not.

[tejasclone]

Prepare to be hated on, Schueller.

Many argue that ISU should be scheduling as many cupcakes as possible in the non-con to pad our win totals, which is a not uncommon and thoroughly sound approach for struggling teams (like us) trying to become bowl eligible. It worked for Kansas State. When we develop into perennial bowl contenders and start to compete more seriously with better schools, we can worry about scheduling better non-con opponents to improve our strength of schedule and jockey for better bowl position. Until then, we just need wins, no matter whom they come against.

Keep in mind, even with a lousy non-con schedule in '08 and '07, we won a total of 3 games. And in 2010, we play road games at UConn, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Colorado. Ouch.

I would like to see us schedule at least one more BCS opponent each year in addition to Iowa, or scrap Iowa altogether and find two BCS opponents. I imagine we could find decent opponents in most any conference (except prolly the SEC) for a home-and-away series.

Scheduling smaller schools for non-con games also guarantees the athletic department more home games, which of course means more gate revenue. Scheduling better opponents often means home-and-away series, so we'd lose home games.

[Omaha Cy]

09' Non conference - Iowa, ND State, @Kent State and Army
10' Non Conference - @Iowa, Northern Ill, Utah and UNI....Utah will be good
11' Non Conference - Iowa, @Utah, @UConn, and UNI....Getting better
12' Non Confernece - @Iowa, Tulsa, Western Ill, and Western Kentucky

Northern Illinois was in a bowl this past season(and ranked about 10 spots of ahead of us). UNI is routinely(of late) one of the top D2 schools. Utah/Uconn were both bowl teams. Heck even Iowa goes to a bowl every once in a while.

Tulsa was one of the top scoring teams in the nation as well. 2010/2011 at this very moment looks to be a pretty rough OOC schedule. Who do you want....Ohio State, and USC?

[SchuellerClones]

Understandable that with a lousy nonconference schedule the past few years we still only won 3 of those games. Just thought it would help recruiting if we play some more BCS schools!

[IcSyU]

or scrap Iowa altogether

That would be the dumbest move the AD could ever make. That's $$$$$$$$$$

[aeroclone]

For the point our program is at right now, the softer the non conference schedule the better. KSU is one example of this, and I'm pretty sure Texas Tech didn't schedule much in the non conference as they were building up the program.

Bottom line, you beat 4 cupcakes and you just need 2 conference wins to go bowling. Wins and bowls will build momentum, get the fanbase energized, and help recruiting.

In addition to getting us back on a winning track, it can address another challenege for our program: money. A few more wins each season would do wonders for attendance, thus more cash. Getting to a bowl more often would be more cash. Also, if we schedule a bunch of cupcakes where we don't have to make a return trip, we will have more home games, and thus more cash.

There are a lot of schools out there that play 4 home games non conference against the sisters of the poor. This gives them 8 home games per year, and 4 conference road trips. I would love to see that on the schedule year in and year out.

I think one could really make the case that not only should we not toughen up the schedule, we should drop the series with Iowa. Because for building the program and increasing revenue, right now, I think we would be better off without that on the schedule.

[Cardinal&Gold11]

We really need to start scheduling Florida, USC, LSU and some other big time school every year