Let's Talk About the Open Slot for the 12th Game for the 2013 Schedule

[sutomcat]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I think it deserves a thread of its own.

SU needs a 12th opponent for 2013. Almost every FBS team schedules an FCS team to fill out its schedule these days. Given Syracuse has not scheduled one yet, one would think scheduling one would be a given. But Herman Frazier, the SU assistant AD in charge of scheduling, says this is not necessarily the case.

If SU decides to schedule another FBS opponent, here is a recent analysis regarding what teams are available. Something else to keep in mind, given the extremely aggressive scheduling tendencies for SU in recent years: Virginia Tech seriously entertained scheduling an ACC school that they were not going to play in 2013 as their 12th opponent. A bunch of ACC schools still need an opponent. Could we be that bold?

I hope we schedule an FCS school for the 12th game. The schedule is hard enough as it is (though I think it will be a lot more reasonable than this year...Penn State will not be as good as USC was, Northwestern is very beatable, even on the road, Tulane vs Stony Brook is a near wash and whoever we schedule for the 4th game, I doubt it will be as tough as playing on the road at Missouri or at a sold out night game in Minneapolis).

I also hope that, given we have again decided to play a major opponent at MetLife to start the season (Penn State), we seriously consider scheduling Tulane or the FCS school for the weekend before Thanksgiving.

This gives the team a relative breather after playing a tough OOC and ACC schedule, before presumably finishing the season against Boston College on Thanksgiving weekend. This is what Georgia Tech is doing before their Thanksgiving weekend game with Georgia and what Clemson is doing before their Thanksgiving weekend game with South Carolina. I think it makes a lot of sense.

 

[Chip]

I would guess GT and Clemson are doing it to even the playing field before their annual rivalry game. Basically the entire SEC schedules one of their cupcakes that week before Thanksgiving. I think the only ones who didn't this year were LSU and Ole Miss, who played each other. And then Mizzou, who played us, that was supposed to be an OOC setup game but they didn't realize how tough they scheduled it.

 

[Scooch]

I would think a benefit for us to scheduling an FCS game late in the year is attendance. Early in the season we just won't ever draw well, but I suppose if we're doing we'll we could get a few more thousand folks in the building even for a subpar opponent. Good SU teams historically draw best in November.

 

[Upstate]

Later in the season, preferably with a north eastern D-1 non-bcs or D-1AA. Buffalo, UMass, Colgate, Cornell, etc.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Schedule Colgate. With the Patriot League's increase of scholarships it will count as a W towards a bowl game.

 

[KaiserUEO]

the strength of schedule just jumped exponentially just by joining the ACC.

toss in state ped and @nw...then yeah, FCS it.

its good to know the Orange should have a W in pocket to get to 6 or 7.

and if they are having a nice season, that extra slash in the left column looks good in the paper for a higher bowl.

im with scooch, put it late in the year...and make it parents weekend.

Oh Lord

 

[Rocco]

Our new ACC schedule is already so much more difficult than the BE schedule. With 8 ACC games (instead of 7 BE games) and a game against PSU and @ NW, we should certainly schedule an FCS or Buffalo or someone.

6 home games and 1 at the Meadowlands should make fans happy. I can't wait to play Clemson and FSU in the dome. Good lord.

 

[TexanMark]

Schedule Colgate. With the Patriot League's increase of scholarships it will count as a W towards a bowl game.

Colgate has a 4 year phase in...they should be the plan in a few years.

We need to get a 2 for 1 with a lower Div 1 FBS school in a recruiting area...Akron, Kent State, FIU, FAU, ODU, etc...

 

[PhatOrange]

Need to schedule for success. Either go D1AA or a sure win D1 opponent.

 

[kingottoiii]

FCS should be option #1

IMO #2 from that BC list would be Marshall. They are good enough and name enough to get 30k to show up but they are bad enough that we really should win.

 

[OrangePA]

The discussion is excellent.

The thought of the Orange playing BC on Thanksgiving Weekend as an annual rivalry game - discussed in the same context as Clemson-SC or Ga-Ga Tech is very refreshing.

Really looking forward to the run-up of the ACC thing.

 

[bnoro]

Schedule ZooMass at Gillette Stadium. They went 1-11 last year so it's a guaranteed win even on the road.

 

[Marsh01]

FCS central

 

[OrangeMojo]

FCS school should be a no-brainer for that 12th game

by the end of the year, nobody gives style points - they just look at the final record

 

[Chip]

The discussion is excellent.

The thought of the Orange playing BC on Thanksgiving Weekend as an annual rivalry game - discussed in the same context as Clemson-SC or Ga-Ga Tech is very refreshing.

Really looking forward to the run-up of the ACC thing.

I know I'm not in the majority on this one, but I like the BC game to be around the 2nd/3rd week of October. We've had some great fall weather days playing in Chestnut Hill. On the home side, I'd like to have it as a student attended game. I know someone has to be the non-student Thanksgiving game, because we don't want our finale to be on the road every single year.

 

[Czar]

FCS or Buffalo.

 

[Chip]

Our new ACC schedule is already so much more difficult than the BE schedule. With 8 ACC games (instead of 7 BE games) and a game against PSU and @ NW, we should certainly schedule an FCS or Buffalo or someone.

6 home games and 1 at the Meadowlands should make fans happy. I can't wait to play Clemson and FSU in the dome. Good lord.

Make the 12th game FCS and continue to communicate to the fanbase that Penn State is a 1-1-1, so they will be coming to the Dome as part of the arrangement. I think many will see them on the schedule for NYC and think "great, we gave away another good home game!"

 

[bnoro]

Are people really not on board with playing UMass, an MAC team that went 1-11 last year? Easiest possible game we could schedule, and a game that might draw some away fans.

 

[Orangello]

FCS. All of the big boys go this route no reason to be any different.

 

[Frozen]

FCS. A victory against Maine is worth the same as a victory against Alabama in the quest to earn at least six wins a year. SU almost always plays an OOC schedule that is nothing to be ashamed of. SU is playing two B1G teams next season. Going the FCS route is the right thing to do.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I know there's a very long and historic rivalry with Colgate, but I feel really uncomfortable playing them. I know they will soon be granting scholarships, but something about playing a small private school nestled in a bucolic Madison County setting seems a bit too easy to me.

If we go the 1-AA route, I'd like to play someone from one of the FCS power conferences- Delaware, App St, JMU, etc.

If that doesn't work, take Wagner or Albany or Stony Brook (again).

 

[Frozen]

I know there's a very long and historic rivalry with Colgate, but I feel really uncomfortable playing them. I know they will soon be granting scholarships, but something about playing a small private school nestled in a bucolic Madison County setting seems a bit too easy to me.

If we go the 1-AA route, I'd like to play someone from one of the FCS power conferences- Delaware, App St, JMU, etc.

If that doesn't work, take Wagner or Albany or Stony Brook (again).

IMHO, FCS is FCS is FCS. We don't get any more credit playing/beating a ranked FCS team than a bad FCS team.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

IMHO, FCS is FCS is FCS. We don't get any more credit playing/beating a ranked FCS team than a bad FCS team.

And Colgate could probably beat Savannah State. That's true.

 

[OttoMets]

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Look, we could play OCC's top flag football intramural team, if the win counts towards bowl eligibility I don't care.

Our schedule is plenty good. Team #12 can and should be pounded.