[DEBATE] - OOC Scheduling

[TechDawgFan]

Got a question for everyone, but before I ask it, let me set it up.

I happened to be listening to Rome today and he had Tom Kite on talking about the Ryder Cup. I know, WHAT does this have to do with Football, right? Well he brought up a point that I think may have some application to our OOC scheduling philosophy.

Rome asked about the difference between the American team and the European teams when it came to the partner portion and individual portion of the Ryder Cup (Europeans typically do better than us in the partners where we do better in the indvidual), and whether this was because the Europeans thought of it more as a team event rather than an opportunity to shine. Tom came back that no, he didn't agree. He compared it to Texas football. Texas plays big games week in and week out through the Big XII conference schedule and it is tough for them to "get up" for a lot of the smaller schools they play in the OOC. The emotions aren't as high. Where the smaller schools that come in see Tx as their "Big Game" and are focused on it. It's the same with the Ryder Cup where our players are playing big tournaments every week where a lot of the Europeans aren't.

The question is this:

With Tech's philosophy of OOC scheduling being against the "Big Schools", does that impact or affect our ability to carry high levels of emotion into those games, thus losing that advantage on the field? Just look at our schedules year in and year out. These games are generally packed together early in the season and there are no "emotional rest" periods. Have we played so many Big Games in recent years that we have become "numb" to them where they are now "just another game"? Would it not benefit our program BETTER to schedule only 2 big OOC opponents with the others being mid majors and have a more legitimate shot at coming through the OOC schedule with a winning record?

I know it's tough for me, as a fan, to get excited about 4 big games in a row, especially when you hit a wall in the middle of them. What is it like for our players and coaches?

I'd be interested in other's thoughts.

TDF

[markay714]

For me, I'm as excited about the A&M game as I have been for our other big games this year. Maybe I'm crazy, but I've seen progress in the defense this year, improvement in the play calling from the Clemson game to the Penn State game. And, I really think we can win against A&M. We've got an exciting team to watch - I just wish that we had more people catching on. I'd really like to see us schedule some teams that are close geographically and who will play at our place for out of conference games, but I'm not at all thinking of ULL or ULM until they have teams that we won't beat as bad as we whipped Tulsa. I loved the Tulsa game - it was fun winning big even in the heat, but I'd rather see a competitive game against a team you hear about.

It probably is demoralizing to our team if they get whipped week after week, but I thought they hung tough with Clemson until the 4th quarter and could've won. And, they were really right in it with Penn State until the 3rd quarter. Maybe those two would be enough, but not this year - we didn't WIN either game. I think having the A&M game this week is a good thing.

[inudesu]

I think (like anything else) it is always a gamble. A brutal non-conference schedule can make you tougher, or it can cost you key injuries. It gives you a chance for a huge upset, or an embarassing blowout. It can help the team develop an "us against the world" mentality that will motivate them, or it can demoralize them so much that they are at each others throats (see previous BBB posts for evidence that this applies to fans, too). I like going up against the big guys, but I wouldn't think it was a horrible tragedy if we played two hosses and one game against a lower caliber team. I think the upcoming scheduling rules will do this for us anyway. I keep reading that the NCAA is going to allow 12 games more and more often. Maybe we can mix up our scheduling a little more with more games to work with.

[JAY]

hopefully we can stay with the two for one or three for one deals with bcs teams that are either nationally known (miami, t a&m) or close by on the map (a&m ok st.). getting home games against these scools are really important.

we wore out our welcome in alabama, but maybe ole miss or miss st. would give us a 2 for 1, or arkansas, texas, oklahoma, tennessee. (ole miss supposedly gave ulm a 3 for 1).

ok st. was a one for one and other schools that would be good are texas tech, baylor, missouri, kentucky, vanderbilt or any cusa or mwc team. i would love to get a shot at marshall and ucf is also respectable. if we have to give a bigger payout to make it happen, do it!

i think we are above going to a top 25 teams place for a one game big payout. we now need to get something in return because of this 5th home game rule. if they wont give us a home game, we need to find someone who will.

[Dirtydawg]

I have no problem getting fired up about all our big OOC games. I get more fired up for those than I do the conference games. However, I can see the possibility that our team might come to dread so many in a row. I'm sure they would like to have a weekend off with a bye or maybe a weaker school, even (gasp) a 1aa school in between big games to give them somewhat of a breather. I am of the opinion that we have to play at least 2 mid to top BCS teams a year to get respectability from recruits. I would like to see 3 of those games against teams with two of those games against the mid to top level and the other against the lower to mid level team-no less than 1 game against one of the top BCS programs though. Maybe one against a top BCS team every other year.

[EJ]

Marshall, Marshall, Marshall... (ala Brady Bunch)

[Dirtydawg]

We aren't in the same situation as Marshall is, though. We don't enjoy the media attention that they get. I guarantee that if we scheduled like they do, we would never even be considered for the top 25.

[EJ]

I meant that we should schedule a home and home series with Marshall. :idea:

That way we can them on national TV!

[BTR Bulldog]

If you need to know why we play these games, please refer to the WAC financial post on this board. We are dead last AFTER selling our souls to Florida St, Miami, Penn St, etc...

Imagine where we would be if we played C-USA teams as our out of conference!

[EJ]

If you need to know why we play these games, please refer to the WAC financial post on this board. We are dead last AFTER selling our souls to Florida St, Miami, Penn St, etc...

Imagine where we would be if we played C-USA teams as our out of conference!

Please re-read that "WAC financial post". It explains other options such as RAISING money to go along with selling our souls to the highest bidder.

[dhisaw]

i was listening to the game on the radio last week -- someone said that Tech had tried to get out of the contract with Penn State but that Penn state would not agree -- announcer said now the Penn state game was scheduled long before we were in the WAC -- now that we are in a conference he seemed to think we would no longer have to schedule games like that --

i still say a series with Souther Miss would be beneficial -- would be a nice trip

Auburn doesn't want anymore to do with us.

[hisaw]

here's how we get Marshall like media attention....
wait for the next Randy Moss type player to get booted out of several schools, offer him a scholarship and let im get in whatever trouble he can in Ruston.

[BTR Bulldog]

Wasn't that Troy Edwards?

[Tech77]

Wasn't that Troy Edwards?

I don't think so. I think it was his high school grades that allowed us to get him. Once here I don't think he caused any trouble at all, except for running his mouth a lot on the field.

[oledawg66]

I for one am tired of all of the heavy duty big boys we schedule year in and year out. Winning is a hell of a lot more fun. I would like to see us schedule one or two majors each year and then take a page from the big boys and schedule some games that we stand a better chance of winning. We are in a conference now. If we win our conference and have a legitimate shot at going 2 and 2 in our OCC games it would be a lot more fun than banging our heads against a brick wall every year. And we still end up in a bowl game Games against other midmajors like So Miss, Marshall, Memphis, Houston, Tulane, Cent Fla, etc would be a lot more competitive and a lot more fun. Its fun to knock off the big boys, but how many times have we done that compared to the number of times we come home saying what if. Just my $.02.