LSU

[Capt. Tuttle]

For the time being I want to be exactly like Rutgers. We need wins. I'm tired of seeing 5000 people in dome at kick off because of the apathetic fan base. It doesn't matter who you beat because the conference schedule is so difficult. Just don't schedule the Lsu's of the world

This isn't the south or Midwest. Our non-diehard fans go for the opponent, not the game itself

 

[rocklloyd]

This isn't the south or Midwest. Our non-diehard fans go for the opponent, not the game itself

I completely disagree, our non die hard fans support teams that win, not "come close"and end up with a 4 win season.

 

[TheCusian]

Where is there a guaranteed win against a P5 team? You can't play Kansas and Purdue every year. Beyond them I don't see any pushovers. Who wants Syracuse football to be to be thought of in that category.

We are thought of that way. That's why LSU wanted to play us.

 

[rocklloyd]

Do you really think that fans are so easy to fool. SU gets no
credit for whipping sw state. Real wins will attract real fans.
You really think recruits are impressed that we played in
the Bush Bean bowl on 12/24. Maybe they would be more
interested in seeing how they stack up against the best competition.

Would not use the term easy to fool. Maybe better said as support a winner. I'm looking to build momentum for recruiting with wins. I don't want people to laugh at us anymore. You don't play then lsu's of the world when the coaching staff is learning how to manage the game flow

 

[TheCusian]

It's not that hard - swap a national power with a peer program like Illinois, Vanderbilt, etc. Or if you prefer UCONN, UCF, etc.

Doesn't have to be East Norfolk Institute for the Slightly Impaired.

(I also think that with Babers, he doesn't care. He believes we can play with the best in a year or two).

 

[Eric15]

Right now, yes. Telling recruits we played in a bowl game is very important. More important, IMO, than playing LSU or any other P5 power, especially since we have played them recently. Let's get back to where we should be before we go scheduling LSU again. Not that they have any room on their schedule anyway...

For me personally, I'm not interested in waiting a decade to play non-conference national powers. That's what makes college football such an exciting sport, to rub shoulders with other fanbases and see their traditions, etc.

This is entertainment, let's play entertaining games and see what happens.

 

[Eric15]

Would not use the term easy to fool. Maybe better said as support a winner. I'm looking to build momentum for recruiting with wins. I don't want people to laugh at us anymore. You don't play then lsu's of the world when the coaching staff is learning how to manage the game flow

LSU played in the Texas Bowl last year. Some of you guys are talking about them like they were 2001 Miami.

 

[rocklloyd]

LSU played in the Texas Bowl last year. Some of you guys are talking about them like they were 2001 Miami.

And we fired our entire coaching staff. We're not at that level yet. Build a foundation

 

[CousCuse]

We are thought of that way. That's why LSU wanted to play us.

I get that . But if we don't schedule an OOC P5 team , we will get get thrown out of the P5. If we play the dregs of the P5 ( Vandy , Purdue , Kansas , Rutgers , Colorado , Illinois ) can a win be guaranteed ? The thinking is , better to play a high level team and hope to keep it close or get a huge upset than chance losing to a floundering weakling.

 

[orange79]

For me personally, I'm not interested in waiting a decade to play non-conference national powers. That's what makes college football such an exciting sport, to rub shoulders with other fanbases and see their traditions, etc.

This is entertainment, let's play entertaining games and see what happens.

You're going to see entertaining games, if the Spring game is any indication. Personally, I'd rather see entertaining wins, not entertaining losses. But that's just me.

Not saying we should never play a P5 power OOC. Just that it hasn't worked out so well for us over the last decade. Let's get back on our feet before we schedule these types of games again. We have enough good teams in conference.

 

[CousCuse]

You're going to see entertaining games, if the Spring game is any indication. Personally, I'd rather see entertaining wins, not entertaining losses. But that's just me.

Not saying we should never play a P5 power OOC. Just that it hasn't worked out so well for us over the last decade. Let's get back on our feet before we schedule these types of games again. We have enough good teams in conference.

Let's play Purdue. Or Kansas. The point spread in either of those games would be very low. Just do not lose to one of those teams .

 

[FAL]

Can't beat the big dogs until we can consistently win against the smaller pups. Amen.

 

[Eric15]

You're going to see entertaining games, if the Spring game is any indication. Personally, I'd rather see entertaining wins, not entertaining losses. But that's just me.

Not saying we should never play a P5 power OOC. Just that it hasn't worked out so well for us over the last decade. Let's get back on our feet before we schedule these types of games again. We have enough good teams in conference.

Fair enough, agree to disagree I suppose. When I'm at Tiger Stadium next year experiencing one of the greatest atmospheres in sports, I just can't imagine I'll be thinking to myself: "I would kill to be in the Dome right now playing Eastern Michigan in front of 27k." I'm extremely excited for the experience even if we lose by a couple TDs.

 

[Stern]

Do you really think that fans are so easy to fool. SU gets no
credit for whipping sw state. Real wins will attract real fans.
You really think recruits are impressed that we played in
the Bush Bean bowl on 12/24. Maybe they would be more
interested in seeing how they stack up against the best competition.

We play in the ACC we play real competition for 3/4 of the season!

 

[Stern]

I get that . But if we don't schedule an OOC P5 team , we will get get thrown out of the P5. If we play the dregs of the P5 ( Vandy , Purdue , Kansas , Rutgers , Colorado , Illinois ) can a win be guaranteed ? The thinking is , better to play a high level team and hope to keep it close or get a huge upset than chance losing to a floundering weakling.

We can find 1 team near our level on the P5 to schedule each year, that's the point. It doesn't need to be LSU. Go play Kansas or Indiana or Northwestern. Doesn't need to be LSU and Wisconsin who will beat us 9 times out of 10 at this point in time and probably for the next few years as we built it back up.

 

[CousCuse]

We can find 1 team near our level on the P5 to schedule each year, that's the point. It doesn't need to be LSU. Go play Kansas or Indiana or Northwestern. Doesn't need to be LSU and Wisconsin who will beat us 9 times out of 10 at this point in time and probably for the next few years as we built it back up.

If we lose to Kansas or Purdue , we would be viewed as THE worst P5 team. Can we risk that.

 

[TheCusian]

If we lose to Kansas or Purdue , we would be viewed as THE worst P5 team. Can we risk that.

Ha! I think you are vastly underselling Babers. The day he got hired we the spread went from pick em to 4-7, maybe more.

Very, very soon - we'll be a team no one wants to play (outside of the top 25).

You can't just not play anyone because you're afraid to lose. Our offense will give us more of a chance to compete than anytime in the last 15 years vs all competition.

 

[007]

If we lose to Kansas or Purdue , we would be viewed as THE worst P5 team. Can we risk that.

Like it or not, reality or perception, there is little debate currently as to who sits near the bottom of the Power 5. There are only 2 Power 5 football programs that have never made an appearance in the AP top 25. One of those programs is Indiana. Guess who the other one is.

SU has not been ranked in the AP since 2001. The last time we made a preseason Top 25...1998. And here is how we compare to our peers in the ACC:

 

[HtownOrange]

Like it or not, reality or perception, there is little debate currently as to who sits near the bottom of the Power 5. There are only 2 Power 5 football programs that have never made an appearance in the AP top 25. One of those programs is Indiana. Guess who the other one is.

SU has not been ranked in the AP since 2001. The last time we made a preseason Top 25...1998. And here is how we compare to our peers in the ACC:

That fact changes this season or next. I liked HCSS and believe in time he would have been an tolerable coach. The SU administration concluded that tolerable and waiting were not acceptable options. They made the change. HCDB will win, he was brought to Syracuse to do just that, nothing less. And he will do it with good kids, kids ho work for their degrees.

 

[CousCuse]

Like it or not, reality or perception, there is little debate currently as to who sits near the bottom of the Power 5. There are only 2 Power 5 football programs that have never made an appearance in the AP top 25. One of those programs is Indiana. Guess who the other one is.

SU has not been ranked in the AP since 2001. The last time we made a preseason Top 25...1998. And here is how we compare to our peers in the ACC:

So your scheduling strategy is to play the worst teams in the P5 ? If you win , pundits will say BFD. If you lose .....

 

[007]

That fact changes this season or next. I liked HCSS and believe in time he would have been an tolerable coach. The SU administration concluded that tolerable and waiting were not acceptable options. They made the change. HCDB will win, he was brought to Syracuse to do just that, nothing less. And he will do it with good kids, kids ho work for their degrees.

Big Babers fan here. Perfect hire, IMO.

As to the point being made, there is an undeniable reality that needs to be considered in scheduling.

The "fan" in me loves the thought of continuing to play the big boys out of conference, and I absolutely get why others want this to continue. The realist in me understands that wins and bowl appearances = better recruiting classes = even more wins and better bowls = what is BEST for the program's resurrection.

We NEED to schedule accordingly for the immediate future.

 

[Stern]

If we lose to Kansas or Purdue , we would be viewed as THE worst P5 team. Can we risk that.

YES! Better to give yourself a shot at winning vs that type of team and if we lose so be it. Not like we can sink any further than we are currently.

Nothing positive comes out from playing a big boy and losing

 

[Stern]

So your scheduling strategy is to play the worst teams in the P5 ? If you win , pundits will say BFD. If you lose ...

Pundits aren't talking about us because we aren't that good. Getting to 6 or 7 wins still won't have pundits talking about us. So might as well rack up some wins and put yourself in a position to succeed.

 

[HtownOrange]

YES! Better to give yourself a shot at winning vs that type of team and if we lose so be it. Not like we can sink any further than we are currently.

Nothing positive comes out from playing a big boy and losing

Moreso, failing to play big boys, see VATech for most of Beamerball, Garner's disrespect and contempt. I have lived in every P5 conference territory at one time or another and universally, VATech was denigrated for failing to play big boys unless forced to do so (I.e. conference mates or bowl games) and worse yet, losing nearly all of the big boy games they did play.

 

[Briancuse]

Let's play Purdue. Or Kansas. The point spread in either of those games would be very low. Just do not lose to one of those teams .

What is the point to playing those teams? If you play a team like Lsu, and you are ever competitive with them, your team can gain a lot of confidence. Teams schedule tough non conference games to build their teams, so when they get later in the season, their teams are ready.