For as much as people complain about our OOC scheduling...

[Stern]

Yeah, but we should be able to predict several years out with perfect accuracy which P5s are going to be punching bags, and those are the only ones we should play!

Exactly...we know Kansas will suck at football forever, schedule them. Rutgers will always be a winable game, schedule them. Maryland...schedule them! Stop with the Wisconsin and LSU's of the world.

No problem scheduling 1 P5 school a year, just pick the right one!

 

[Scooch]

Yes - and we also LOST to Northwestern, USC, and Minnesota that year, starting off at 1-3.
Yay! We went 1 for 4 against the 'name' P5 OOC teams we played that year - yippee for us!

Our best team in over a decade, done in by moronic scheduling.

Imagine what going 3-1 or 4-0, instead of 1-3 might have done for our program's perception and trajectory?
We may have been ranked that year, for the first time in forever, for one thing.
But alas, we'll never know now.

As awesome as putting that beatdown on WVU in the Pinstripe bowl was, we could have been playing in a major New Year's bowl had we not scheduled so stupidly.

Have I not said repeatedly that scheduling multiple P5 teams is dumb? Although keep in mind that we were in the craptastic Big East in 2012, so a couple of mediocre P5s opponents was not entirely crazy.

So thanks for making my point for me. Our schedules the next many years out are just fine.

 

[721Comstock]

Have I not said repeatedly that scheduling multiple P5 teams is dumb? Although keep in mind that we were in the craptastic Big East in 2012, so a couple of mediocre P5s opponents was not entirely crazy.

So thanks for making my point for me. Our schedules the next many years out are just fine.

Yes, just fine.
@LSU and 2 games vs Wisky ='s scheduling likely losses.

Why make it harder on ourselves?
There are zero added bonus points for degree of difficulty.

A win vs a meh P5 is a W.
A loss vs a perennial Top 25 is still a L.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yes, just fine.
@LSU and 2 games vs Wisky ='s scheduling likely losses.

Why make it harder on ourselves?
There are zero added bonus points for degree of difficulty.

A win vs a meh P5 is a W.
A loss vs a perennial Top 25 is still a L.

I think the thing people always forget is that it takes two teams to make these arrangements.

LSU and Wiscy don't want to make it any harder on themselves either. It's not like the lower tier P5s can just schedule each other and let the upper tier P5s punch each other out.

 

[KCJax03]

1996: vs UNC, at Minnesota, at Tulane, vs Army
1997: Wisconsin (Meadowlands), vs NC State, at Oklahoma, vs Tulane, vs. East Carolina
1998: vs Tennessee, at Michigan, at NC State, vs Cincy

While I agree with your overall point, to be fair despite the name recognition, Minny and Oklahoma were doormats in there respective conferences when Syracuse played them. Without looking, I do not think either of those two teams won more than 4 games the year the games were played. NC State was at best mediocre. So from a pure name recognition standpoint that schedule seems like running a gauntlet but I bet Syracuse was favored in many of these match ups.

 

[OrangeDW]

MTSU was a random selection -- if you'd rather a different team that works better for the example then sub them in.

See I'm not sure I buy this logic above.

A) no one is saying frontload the schedule with huge names. I think playing one really good name school is fun but whatever, generally I think a team that isn't a huge name but is a legit program like Minnesota or Oregon state or Purdue or a school like that is a fun opportunity to potentially grab a solid W. they idea that we shouldn't play games like this is strange to me.

B) being good puts people in seats. winning is great but beating no one and going 3-5 in the ACC every year won't fool people.

C) this program needs casual fans too. this isn't an issue of either/or. Season tix holders are extremely important but the community getting excited and coming to a big game is really important too. One of the few things we know for sure is that this definitely won't happen for no name opponents.

Anyway, I'm fine with however they schedule -- if they want to play dregs and we hammer them, go whatever in conference and play a random bowl on dec. 27 in some southernish state, that's cool. I really mean it. I'm fine with that. if they want a tougher schedule OOC I'm fine with it as long as it's not a murderer's row.

I guess my thoughts are that I'm not entirely sure playing no one accomplishes what people think it does AND I tend to enjoy a good game against a solid opponent. I LOVED that va tech w this. I just hope we get to that point -- however we get there -- that we view a matchup with Missouri out of conference as an opportunity rather than a terrible strategic direction for the program.

On point C...I can't get past this: we play either Florida State or Clemson at home every single season!

 

[OrangeDW]

Yeah - but this fanbase refuses to admit that we're not the team we were. Winning vs lame teams is good - regardless of what casual friends want to see.

Doing ANYTHING based on what the college football ignorant CNY casual fans want would be insane.

 

[Chris02M]

What bowl was taking us at 5-7? A program that doesn't travel.

The other IFs are irrrelevant. It rained, Wake played in it too, they won. ND was 1-3 when we played them and had just lost to Duke the week prior. They stunk all year long.

5-7 bowl teams are picked on apr not travel with 1 win we bowl last year i believe in st pete since miss state was last bowl eligible team and our apr was higher