Syracuse - Wisconsin series announced

[007]

i don't mean this snarky. have you ever gone to a big time road factory september game? they are so great that you quickly forget about scheduling smarter - you have an amazing time and great memories.

yeah, I have, many times. and yes i agree. the game itself is great. looking at it in a vacuum, it doesn't get much better than playing programs like Wis. scheduling "smarter" is going to rob us of those ooc experiences and memories in the short-term. and that really sucks. believe me, the fan in me hates taking this position. i played and coached the game. i get it. unfortunately, scheduling smarter is the collateral damage of losing so much over the years, imo. it will be interesting to see how this play outs with coyle calling the shots the next couple of years.

 

[OrangePA]

yeah, I have, many times. and yes i agree. the game itself is great. looking at it in a vacuum, it doesn't get much better than playing programs like Wis. scheduling "smarter" is going to rob us of those ooc experiences and memories in the short-term. and that really sucks. believe me, the fan in me hates taking this position. i played and coached the game. i get it. unfortunately, scheduling smarter is the collateral damage of losing so much over the years, imo. it will be interesting to see how this play outs with coyle calling the shots the next couple of years.

The conundrum that Jake C and Dr. G faced was this - the Syracuse fan base will not show up for a game against Maine or Rhode Island or Central Michigan.

And both wanted to fill the Dome.

So, the thought was that the program had to schedule higher profile teams in order to sell tickets and draw fans.

The Syracuse fan is demanding - even with BB the fan base is not all that interested in watching small time teams play in the Dome.

It will be interesting to see how Mark Coyle reacts to our fan base.

 

[Alsacs]

The conundrum that Jake C and Dr. G faced was this - the Syracuse fan base will not show up for a game against Maine or Rhode Island or Central Michigan.

And both wanted to fill the Dome.

So, the thought was that the program had to schedule higher profile teams in order to sell tickets and draw fans.

The Syracuse fan is demanding - even with BB the fan base is not all that interested in watching small time teams play in the Dome.

It will be interesting to see how Mark Coyle reacts to our fan base.

Those two though didn't have Clemson or Florida State on the annual home schedule. I would say the lack of a marquee conference opponent after Miami and Virginia Tech left played a factor in the schedule making.

Our recent problems have been talent more than scheduling I think you would agree no?

 

[retro44]

who knows what the landscape will look like in 5 years.

 

[007]

Those two though didn't have Clemson or Florida State on the annual home schedule. I would say the lack of a marquee conference opponent after Miami and Virginia Tech left played a factor in the schedule making.

Our recent problems have been talent more than scheduling I think you would agree no?

I realize you are trying to hammer this insightful "point" home as your clincher to winning this case. At no time did anyone in this thread suggest that scheduling was THE reason for the downfall of the program. I suggested it was a contributing factor. Talent, recruiting, and coaching, of course, are much more important. And water is wet. Of all the variables that affect the success of a program, scheduling smarter would be the easiest variable to control.

 

[Alsacs]

I realize you are trying to hammer this insightful "point" home as your clincher to winning this case. At no time did anyone in this thread suggest that scheduling was THE reason for the downfall of the program. I suggested it was a contributing factor. Talent, recruiting, and coaching, of course, are much more important. And water is wet. Of all the variables that affect the success of a program, scheduling smarter would be the easiest variable to control.

We were in the BE w/o Miami/Virginia Tech/Boston College. We haven't over scheduled these past 10 years. Gerg went 3-25 in Big East play and 7-12 in OOC play. Doug Marrone went 11-17 in Big East play and 14-8 in OOC play.
SS has only had 1 OOC road game in 2 years but he has played a tougher conference schedule. SS has gone 5-11 in conference play and 5-4 in OOC play.

OOC play hasn't been the problem it has been talent and the fact we have struggled in conference play which until 2 years ago was really weak conference play.

 

[Fjoinkay]

I think with a different schedule the OOC record the past 2 seasons could easily be 7-2. Having said that, I personally have no real problem with the scheduling. However, if the fan base is going to flip its lid when SU has a down year due to a rash of injuries and an unexpected coaching change, then maybe its just better to schedule differently.

 

[HtownOrange]

We can schedule Pansy State U, Bottom-feeder State, and Southwest-East-by-Northwest-take-a-left-at-the-stopsign Directional U, and a couple other cupcakes or we can have a decent, respectable schedule. If we have talent and good coaching, we will win. If we lack talent and good coaching we will lose. Our OOC schedules have not been so tough that Syracuse could not win. Syracuse had the GRob era (poor coaching with poor leftover talent from PP), Marrone era (good coaching with mediocre talent) and the Shafer era (improved talent, excellent defensive coaching with the offensive coaching yet to be resolved).

Ultimately, weak OOC schedules lead to Rutgers and VATechish results. Sure, you can win a lot of games but you cannot beat the big boys. For all of Beamer's success, he still ranks as a poor coach against the big boys. Rutgers struck lightening in a bottle last season with the a very down Michigan team, but I suspect that may be the last Rutgers victory over UM for a long time, beyond that, who have they beaten? Certainly no teams that were good at that time. VATEch and Rutgers are why the NCAA limited Div. 1A to playing 1 Div. 2A (now FBS and FCS respectively) and why the B1G is banning FCS games (will Rutgers have another winning season under these rules?). You cannot earn respect simply by number of wins. No big boy coach fears playing a Beamer coached team. None. Most big boy coaches salivate at the thought of playing VATech as their chances of winning are very high.

Keep the schedule average to above average. The team is improving. For those who want last season to be a point of reference instead of the aberation it was, so be it, they are defeatists and nothing will please them. If a person cannot realize that last season's team was nowhere near as bad as the record, that is was Syracuse' turn for the injury bug, oh well, we cannot help them. We played Clemson, Louisville and everyone else not named FSU very well considering our starters were out. We played four QBs. No team can win playing four QBs, two is bad enough! Life happens. It is not the fault of the schedule. Why change it?

Shafer will either prove up on offense or we will get a new staff. The schedule will not make or break Shafer. Shafer will make or break Shafer. The Schedule will not make or break Syracuse. Syracuse will make or break Syracuse.

 

[Alsacs]

We can schedule Pansy State U, Bottom-feeder State, and Southwest-East-by-Northwest-take-a-left-at-the-stopsign Directional U, and a couple other cupcakes or we can have a decent, respectable schedule. If we have talent and good coaching, we will win. If we lack talent and good coaching we will lose. Our OOC schedules have not been so tough that Syracuse could not win. Syracuse had the GRob era (poor coaching with poor leftover talent from PP), Marrone era (good coaching with mediocre talent) and the Shafer era (improved talent, excellent defensive coaching with the offensive coaching yet to be resolved).

Ultimately, weak OOC schedules lead to Rutgers and VATechish results. Sure, you can win a lot of games but you cannot beat the big boys. For all of Beamer's success, he still ranks as a poor coach against the big boys. Rutgers struck lightening in a bottle last season with the a very down Michigan team, but I suspect that may be the last Rutgers victory over UM for a long time, beyond that, who have they beaten? Certainly no teams that were good at that time. VATEch and Rutgers are why the NCAA limited Div. 1A to playing 1 Div. 2A (now FBS and FCS respectively) and why the B1G is banning FCS games (will Rutgers have another winning season under these rules?). You cannot earn respect simply by number of wins. No big boy coach fears playing a Beamer coached team. None. Most big boy coaches salivate at the thought of playing VATech as their chances of winning are very high.

Keep the schedule average to above average. The team is improving. For those who want last season to be a point of reference instead of the aberation it was, so be it, they are defeatists and nothing will please them. If a person cannot realize that last season's team was nowhere near as bad as the record, that is was Syracuse' turn for the injury bug, oh well, we cannot help them. We played Clemson, Louisville and everyone else not named FSU very well considering our starters were out. We played four QBs. No team can win playing four QBs, two is bad enough! Life happens. It is not the fault of the schedule. Why change it?

Shafer will either prove up on offense or we will get a new staff. The schedule will not make or break Shafer. Shafer will make or break Shafer. The Schedule will not make or break Syracuse. Syracuse will make or break Syracuse.

Thank you for taking my point and wonderfully explaining it with more clarity than I could have. Our schedule hasn't been the problem when factoring in we played in the weakest power conference and didn't even have a .500 record in that conference.

You nailed it SS needs an offense to develop as his defensive coaching has been excellent. Our offense has been awful and this a make or break year for the offense.

 

[Alsacs]

2005- Buffalo, Virginia, @Florida State, @Notre Dame (Big East Cincinnati, Louisville, WVU, Pitt, Rutgers, UConn, USF)
2oo6- @Wake Forest, Iowa, @Illinois, Miami(Oh), Wyoming
2007- Washington, @ Iowa, Illinois, @Miami(Oh), Buffalo
2008- @Northwestern, Akron, Penn State, Northeastern, @Notre Dame
2009- Minnesota, @Penn State, Northwestern, Maine, Akron
2010- @Akron @Washington, Maine, Colgate, Boston College
2011- Wake Forest, Rhode Island, @USC, Toledo, @Tulane
2012- Northwestern, USC-N, Stony Brook, @Minnesota, @Missouri (Temple replaces WVU)
2013- Penn State-N, @Northwestern, Wagner, Tulane (ACC Florida State, Clemson, Maryland, NC State, Boston College, Pitt, Wake Forest, 1 Coastal each year)
2014- Villanova, @Central Michigan, Maryland, Notre Dame-N (Louisville replaces Maryland)


The only challenge games we scheduled were Florida State, Penn State, and USC.
We played a bunch of middle Big Ten teams, Washington w/Jake Locker, @Missouri and overrated Notre Dame who Gerg split with. Our Big East schedule warranted atleast 2 OOC challenge games because we only played 7 conference games and we couldn't buy home games.

 

[OrangePA]

Those two though didn't have Clemson or Florida State on the annual home schedule. I would say the lack of a marquee conference opponent after Miami and Virginia Tech left played a factor in the schedule making.

Our recent problems have been talent more than scheduling I think you would agree no?

I agree with you that the ACC schedule will afford Mark Coyle more flexibility - Clemson, Florida State, BC, Pitt and other ACC teams will draw SU fans.

I was convinced when the season began last year, that from the top down we had more talent on the roster than we had had in a long time.

Maybe I was wrong.

It seems to me that crazy number of key injuries, an OC who apparently did not prepare his team all that well, and a pretty tough schedule that included ND all hurt.