SU to Host Middle Tennessee State in 2017

[upperdeck]

we played LSU last year when they were NC contenders and had the best RB in the country and still in our down year left points all over the place with a WALKON at qb. i will be vastly disappointed if the offense regresses for that game next year. if we lose because of the D, thats a win going forward

 

[SUfanNC]

You can't schedule like you are scared either. There needs to be balance for sure but you have to have one solid out of conference game. Give me a home and home verse ranked teams. As a player you have to think you can play ANYONE

 

[TheCusian]

We are never going to agree on this, so I don't expect to change your mind which is cool. But here is the difference to me. The difference is it is tough to build a program back up and recruit better players when you have more than a couple games each year where you have no chance to win essentially. And games which you are essentially non-competitive in. Play teams on your level and stock pile wins. There are no brownie points for playing "tough" and losing vs good teams. A loss is a loss and only losing to LSU by 10 instead of 20+ isn't how you build a program. You can't go into a recruits house and say, hey we only lost to LSU by 10, we aren't bad. No, you want to walk into a recruits house and say we won 8 games last year and we are aiming for 9 or 10 this year. You can build off that, you aren't building off trying to sell kids you played a good team tough and kept it close in a loss. Play a team on your level and get a win! Wins matter. LSU schedules us like SU schedules Colgate. It's a sure fire win and they know it!

NC State has had slightly better recruiting classes and any momentum gets eaten up by losing spectacularly to the good teams they play.

I think wins matter, but the quality of win matters more.

 

[TheCusian]

Easy to define that. With Clemson and FSU every year you realistically are starting off with 2 losses, even if Syracuse improves to get on that level to be competitive and win those games is going to be difficult. Not saying SU will never beat them on occasion, but you won't go into any season thinking SU is favored vs those programs as those 2 programs are powerhouses right now and on auto-pilot as college football monsters. And if you schedule a ND or LSU on top of that, odds are you aren't winning that so you start off at 3 losses. Which means getting to 6 wins and a bowl leaves you no margin for error in every other game. If you have an off day vs Wake or BC and lose OR your starting QB goes down for a couple week and you are stuck with a back-up; your season is screwed and you have almost no chance at a bowl because every game becomes must win just to make a low level bowl. You need to give yourself a cushion and some margin of error where you don't need to be perfect in every game that isn't vs LSU, Clem, FSU. Put yourself in the BEST position to get to 6 wins or more every year. When you are SU and at this level now looking to improve and grow, there is nothing wrong with playing more than a few cupcakes OOC and when you do schedule OOC P5 keep it with schools on the same level as you (ie Indiana, Purdue, Kansas...etc)

Math not adding up. We play a 12 game season, if you want to pencil in 3 losses to FSU/Clemson/LSU - that leaves 9 games to get 6 wins. But three of those should be OOC wins (Colgate/UCONN/Central Mich or whoever). Then you need to go .500 vs peer schools in conference. If you can't do that, you deserve to miss a bowl and not have momentum in recruiting.

All of this, I think will be moot. I think we'll be wanting to add some tough games in 4-5 years

 

[KaiserUEO]

So to be clear...scheduling middle Tennessee st as a home game...makes our away schedule to difficult to even bother to play.

Got it.

Or wait, is about the acc being too tough??

Or is it the 1 awesome game to be talked about for months on the lead up and centuries after if we win...at LSU??

Wowzers.

This place attracts some weird arse motherduckers.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

I dont think I am in the majority on this here, but to me, a road game at Death Valley and a potential 5-7 season beats playing in some tier #2 bowl against a 6-6 or 7-5 BCS team or some mid major. I'd like to see more home and homes against big-time opponents.

 

[cuseguy]

I dont think I am in the majority on this here, but to me, a road game at Death Valley and a potential 5-7 season beats playing in some tier #2 bowl against a 6-6 or 7-5 BCS team or some mid major. I'd like to see more home and homes against big-time opponents.

Never going to get out of the 2-3 star recruiting cycle with 5-7 seasons. Bowl games, second tier or not, need to become a priority.

 

[Finwad32]

Give me 1 marquee Non-Conf Home and Home til the day I die!

 

[rocklloyd]

When the LSU series was scheduled, we had just come off winning three bowl games in the prior four seasons (2010, 2012, 2013). How many more good seasons than that would you want before you feel ready to schedule one big time game per season?

Our conference is big time, schedule lower level out of conference P5 teams.. I want us to be 4-0 heading into October and have there be a buzz about the program. If they start 1-3, I'll be at the remaining games, but Ron from my office won't be there.

 

[Eric15]

Never going to get out of the 2-3 star recruiting cycle with 5-7 seasons. Bowl games, second tier or not, need to become a priority.

So you're saying that young recruits care more about the Belk Bowl than they do playing in showcase regular season games? Is that really true?

 

[SWC75]

I like the idea of a rolling start but I'd prefer to start each year with Colgate and then a home and home with Army. I think local fans would be more interested in those games.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

Never going to get out of the 2-3 star recruiting cycle with 5-7 seasons. Bowl games, second tier or not, need to become a priority.

I believe the opposite. Hire a name coach. Run an exciting offense/defense. Get some fans in the seats. Recruits will come. Hell, maybe even knock off an FSU every few years. These recruits are like the anti-jedi - they crave adventure and excitement, not 6-6 and a win in the Independence Bowl against a 6-6 SEC team in Shreveport.

 

[SU68]

Our new AD gets it.

Um, isn't he still working at ESPN?

 

[HtownOrange]

And what if Miles goes to the NFL in 2017?

HCDB beats the new coach. I have no issue with whomever is coaching an opponent so long as we win.

I just got this info regarding HCDB. I probably shouldn't make it public, but I know people on this board can keep a secret.

Top Syracuse Secret Football Game Plan:

1) Kick Opponent's tail-side down the field offensively and defensively.
2) Get the T-shirt.
3) Go home.
4) Repeat next week.

Seriously, why worry now, let's save the worry/discussion for the off season next year.

 

[Toga]

Our conference is big time, schedule lower level out of conference P5 teams.. I want us to be 4-0 heading into October and have there be a buzz about the program. If they start 1-3, I'll be at the remaining games, but Ron from my office won't be there.

Well Ron is a douche.

 

[Scooch]

Never going to get out of the 2-3 star recruiting cycle with 5-7 seasons. Bowl games, second tier or not, need to become a priority.

These are false choices.

 

[TheCusian]

It's not just winning that gets you in the conversation with recruits, it's the quality of wins. It's the same way we feel about it. We say - we're 3-3 and then we look at the wins and think hmm Colgate, Western Michigan and Wake Forest. The losses - ND, FSU, and LSU.

We need wins and we need some to be quality wins. That's real momentum. Not Rutgers or NC State paper tiger résumés. There are no shortcuts. Missing out on bowls and the practices hurt - but there have been 6 wins on the schedule the past two years with the talent we have. Coaching and scheme have let us down, not the schedule.

 

[TexanMark]

MTSU fans are saying a buy game...Cuse paying $950k.

 

[sutomcat]

MTSU fans are saying a buy game...Cuse paying $950k.

I will bet that is a record for Syracuse. Got to be done though to give the team a fighting chance to go bowling.

 

[Stern]

So you're saying that young recruits care more about the Belk Bowl than they do playing in showcase regular season games? Is that really true?

Yes, they care more about the bowl! Kids see a bowl game, any bowl game, as a reward. A free vacation for a week or so where they are treated like kings by the host city. Where their family can say their son played in a bowl game. Playing just another game the 3rd or 4th week of September, sorry its just another game at the end of the day that gets lost in the shuffle of a regular college football weekend.

 

[TheCusian]

Yes, they care more about the bowl! Kids see a bowl game, any bowl game, as a reward. A free vacation for a week or so where they are treated like kings by the host city. Where their family can say their son played in a bowl game. Playing just another game the 3rd or 4th week of September, sorry its just another game at the end of the day that gets lost in the shuffle of a regular college football weekend.

They are not mutually exclusive. Most of the schools we are competing with recruits for are playing a marquee non-conference game and still getting to a bowl game. There are no shortcuts.

 

[creatorsgam]

Excellent scheduling with such few options open this late. Winnable, but zero guarantees and no room for complacency.

Count me in with the crew that wants the big boys on the schedule.

That game in Baton Rouge, assuming the doors don't get blown off, will build experience that cannot be duplicated at the Dome against Paddycake University. Handle what the Tigers throw at you for 4 quarters, handle the crowd... down the road when you need a late stop or score at NC State in a game that may have implications in conference standings, the players will be much better equipped to handle the heat of the moment. An early season competitive L (or better: huge upset W) in that environment, against that level of competition, builds a better foundation for long-term success than running plays against a virtual practice squad.

 

[Eric15]

I believe the opposite. Hire a name coach. Run an exciting offense/defense. Get some fans in the seats. Recruits will come. Hell, maybe even knock off an FSU every few years. These recruits are like the anti-jedi - they crave adventure and excitement, not 6-6 and a win in the Independence Bowl against a 6-6 SEC team in Shreveport.

Stern, did you mean to like this post? It literally is saying the exact opposite of your position in this debate.

 

[Stern]

Stern, did you mean to like this post? It literally is saying the exact opposite of your position in this debate.

Nope, must have clicked it by mistake when scrolling through with my mouse

 

[Scooch]

Never going to get out of the 2-3 star recruiting cycle with 5-7 seasons. Bowl games, second tier or not, need to become a priority.

We made 3 middling bowls in 4 years and won 8, 8 and 7 games doing so. Where are the 4 star recruits?