"...they must be on drugs."

[StopCoolio]

Miami is going to be the game that we all talk ourselves into winning in August and September and then the point spread will come out and it’ll be like 13.5, throwing a wet blanket on the whole thing. Let’s hope we’re one of the games they just don’t show up for.

Really glad we get Louisville later. Lamar Jackson just wasn’t the same player later in the year that he was when we saw him. Let’s see how fresh those legs are after about 10 games worth of hits as opposed to one vs. Charlotte.

One day they might make a 30 for 30 about how dumb this schedule is. We play 4 teams(3 on the road) in the top 9 of Vegas’ favorites to win the National Title(and Miami is #14, also on the road).

TEAM OPENING ODDS CURRENT ODDS

Alabama CRIMSON TIDE 3-1 7-2

Florida St SEMINOLES 8-1 8

Oklahoma SOONERS 8-1 8

Ohio St BUCKEYES 8-1 8

USC TROJANS 8-1 7

Louisville CARDINALS 10-1 15

Michigan WOLVERINES 12-1 12

LSU TIGERS 12-1 15

Clemson TIGERS 20-1 15

 

[KaiserUEO]

Miami is going to be the game that we all talk ourselves into winning in August and September and then the point spread will come out and it’ll be like 13.5, throwing a wet blanket on the whole thing. Let’s hope we’re one of the games they just don’t show up for.

Really glad we get Louisville later. Lamar Jackson just wasn’t the same player later in the year that he was when we saw him. Let’s see how fresh those legs are after about 10 games worth of hits as opposed to one vs. Charlotte.

One day they might make a 30 for 30 about how dumb this schedule is. We play 4 teams(3 on the road) in the top 9 of Vegas’ favorites to win the National Title(and Miami is #14, also on the road).

TEAM OPENING ODDS CURRENT ODDS

Alabama CRIMSON TIDE 3-1 7-2

Florida St SEMINOLES 8-1 8

Oklahoma SOONERS 8-1 8

Ohio St BUCKEYES 8-1 8

USC TROJANS 8-1 7

Louisville CARDINALS 10-1 15

Michigan WOLVERINES 12-1 12

LSU TIGERS 12-1 15

Clemson TIGERS 20-1 15

you see coolio, to do this correctly, you need to give a line like that its own post.

don't bury the gold.

 

[OrangeDW]

Every year, I think we have a shot at a great season, 9-3, 10-2. This year being no exception. Then I read this:

Our protagonist faces his toughest antagonists yet, with LSU, Miami, Florida State, Louisville, and Clemson on the schedule.

We don't play meathead ball anymore, but we still do meathead scheduling. "Hottest fire forges the strongest steel! BS". So frustrating.

 

[TheCusian]

There has been a ton of arguing over the schedule - but it really boils down to this:

You can schedule to make a bowl or you can schedule to get into the playoffs.

At most p5 schools, if you win your conference and finish undefeated - you're in the playoffs. This isn't hard. We should schedule to make a bowl until our talent is at the point where we're consistently at the top of the conference. Then *maybe* you schedule an LSU or Wiscy as way to sneak a 1 loss team into the playoffs.

--

In the Big East years we needed our conference to win the perception that we were big boys. In the waning years of the Big East Gross tried to generate $$ to keep from becoming irrelevant (lot of people hate on him for this - but I still think it was worth the $$ pre-ACC).

We are in one of the strongest conferences now, scheduling like we have the talent to get into the playoffs. Crazy-sauce.

 

[storange]

The uneven strength of the ACC football divisions is a big factor, Switch us to the coastal and the same non-conference Schedule and a bowl bid is very attainable.

 

[Finwad32]

We don't play meathead ball anymore, but we still do meathead scheduling. "Hottest fire forges the strongest steel! BS". So frustrating.

Nothing to do with the coaches, SS spoke publicly about his desire to play a lesser NC slate when the Conference competition was so steep.

Once it's done, the rest is lip service. You have to have that mentality when they're on the schedule, for the fans and the team's sake.

And, the AD probably wouldn't have been so concerned about a quality NC slate if more than 15K showed up for a MAC type opponent.

It turns into a vortex = fans come with wins, wins come from lesser opponents when you're building. When you're not winning and you need to bring in bigger draws/go to NYC, you sacrifice a higher potential of wins.

The AD valued revenue moreso, expecting the coaching staff to be reliable enough to build a winner in the face of stiff competition.

Just beat LSU, FSU, Louisville & Clemson, that's all we have to do.

 

[Lou_C]

There has been a ton of arguing over the schedule - but it really boils down to this:

You can schedule to make a bowl or you can schedule to get into the playoffs.

At most p5 schools, if you win your conference and finish undefeated - you're in the playoffs. This isn't hard. We should schedule to make a bowl until our talent is at the point where we're consistently at the top of the conference. Then *maybe* you schedule an LSU or Wiscy as way to sneak a 1 loss team into the playoffs.

--

In the Big East years we needed our conference to win the perception that we were big boys. In the waning years of the Big East Gross tried to generate $$ to keep from becoming irrelevant (lot of people hate on him for this - but I still think it was worth the $$ pre-ACC).

We are in one of the strongest conferences now, scheduling like we have the talent to get into the playoffs. Crazy-sauce.

Yep. Every modern rags to riches story in college football of once-pathetic teams turning around into legitimate programs was built on paper-soft OOC scheduling. It's been proven to work again and again and again. Let people mock your out of conference schedule while you're going to New Years games and winning Heismans.

The last team to do on the David and Goliath plan was FSU, and the world has changed dramatically in the 40 years since then. And it was a different dynamic...by the time FSU was doing that scheduling they were pretty good with Florida talent already, and as an independent that was a "respect" tour, not a "get better by getting our brains bashed in" tour. Nobody in a major conference needs to do that to make a name for themselves or introduce themselves on the scene. Let alone Syracuse, with their brand name.

As you said, it means ZERO unless you're contending for a playoff spot. There is no prize for "But we played LSU."

 

[orangenirvana]

Every year, I think we have a shot at a great season, 9-3, 10-2. This year being no exception. Then I read this:

Our protagonist faces his toughest antagonists yet, with LSU, Miami, Florida State, Louisville, and Clemson on the schedule.

 

[bnoro]

Interim Ed is always a great coach when he's the interim coach... as a head coach though? We'll see.

 

[jr4750]

Interim Ed is always a great coach when he's the interim coach... as a head coach though? We'll see.

Agreed. Was looking at the schedule today and there are definitely 5 incredibly difficult games. Of the 5 though, the ones that I think we have maybe a 20% chance of stealing are Clemson at home, and LSU (I'm an insance person I know). Wouldn't ever put money on it, but Dino took one last year with VT (granted at home) and I think we do again. Mark Richt always chokes some games away, so maybe at Miami? Outside of that, I hope we hold serve with the rest of the winnable games. The one at NC State will again be a big one. Would be great to also grab all these home games, Pitt, Wake, BC.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

5-7 is the top end next year. Top end.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

5-7 is the top end next year. Top end.

Sigh. One of these years will be our year.

 

[orangecuse]

5-7 is the top end next year. Top end.

Well, if that's the case, we all can just utter what we always do around that time, can't wait for hoops...oh, but wait, that may not work either next year.

 

[jr4750]

5-7 is the top end next year. Top end.

IB, you could definitely be right. With that schedule we are going to be beat up and could definitely lose games that we should have won.

Must have wins:
CCSU
MTSU
CMU

Wins needed for Bowl game:

Wake
BC
Pitt or NCSU

Bonus Wins:

Clemson at home (down year with new QB??)
Miami away (Richt always chokes to someone, right??)
Louisville away (as others have said, maybe Jackson is beat up, and they lost a lot of defensive studs)

Hardly any chance:
LSU away - In years past, they choke to someone, why can't it be us. (highly unlikely though)

No Chance:
FSU away

I see a way to 6 wins, but we need to avoid getting ED hurt, especially against a team we are not beating anyway.

 

[TexanMark]

Oh, and that article is awesome. What an interesting guy. Reminds me a bit of Leonard Hamilton, although Hamilton is a bit more reserved. I like to hear about coaches that have interests outside the game. I know it's hard in today's game, but it's got to be more healthy. I'll be shocked if a guy like this doesn't get a lot of time to get this thing going, given the challenge ahead.

I know the Dad of a '19 recruit...I shared the article with him...he was floored (in a good way).
That leaked VTech post game locker room video was genius. It has SU back in the convo for many 3/4 star kids out there.

 

[upperdeck]

i dont get the no chance fSU theory

we lost 45-21 in 2015, it was 21-14 going into the half when we botched a kick off. we will have 3rd yr dungey and a huge improvement at WR

2014 we lost 38-20 with a true FR and Wilson subbing in..

are we 1 TD better on each side now?

last year fsu lost to unc beat NC st by 4 and while losing 3 probably should have lost to Ole miss and mich and miami and been a 7-6 team..

yeah we would have to play really well, but we get them the week before clemson too and our QB has been there (hopefully) and we get them off a bye week..

 

[HtownOrange]

i dont get the no chance fSU theory

we lost 45-21 in 2015, it was 21-14 going into the half when we botched a kick off. we will have 3rd yr dungey and a huge improvement at WR

2014 we lost 38-20 with a true FR and Wilson subbing in..

are we 1 TD better on each side now?

last year fsu lost to unc beat NC st by 4 and while losing 3 probably should have lost to Ole miss and mich and miami and been a 7-6 team..

yeah we would have to play really well, but we get them the week before clemson too and our QB has been there (hopefully) and we get them off a bye week..

Exactly. This is why the games must be played, anything can happen...And often does.

 

[upperdeck]

when we played Miami in the 90's you had the feeling we could play our best game and it wouldnt be enough since they really played down to even a B game.

FSU still has a nice A game but they play C games too, i dont think we have played better than a C+ game against them and its not just because of what they do to us. we miss tackles, we miss FGs, we over throw open TDs, we fumble without getting hit.

We fix the correctable things and stuff can happen in a good way. if we can score 20 with no QB play, far less talent on offense and tons of mistakes, I like to think one game will be like the UL game from years back where it just went right, and we have far more talent now. Did anyone else score 60 on Pitt last year? some good teams clem/unc/ok st/PSU/VT/Miami and no one else score more 42. We almost double the season avg they allowed.. yeah we lose the WR who did the damage but most of the plays we ran we not the ones a deep threat gets, it was out of the offense and the system we want to run..

 

[orange79]

i dont get the no chance fSU theory

we lost 45-21 in 2015, it was 21-14 going into the half when we botched a kick off. we will have 3rd yr dungey and a huge improvement at WR

2014 we lost 38-20 with a true FR and Wilson subbing in..

are we 1 TD better on each side now?

last year fsu lost to unc beat NC st by 4 and while losing 3 probably should have lost to Ole miss and mich and miami and been a 7-6 team..

yeah we would have to play really well, but we get them the week before clemson too and our QB has been there (hopefully) and we get them off a bye week..

Puncher's chance

 

[Ish88888]

The uneven strength of the ACC football divisions is a big factor, Switch us to the coastal and the same non-conference Schedule and a bowl bid is very attainable.

Very good point, the Atlantic is ridiculous. The Ville should have been placed in the coastal with FSU and Clemson already in the division.

 

[Consigliere]

We will be underdogs in all but 3 or 4 games. This is the most difficult schedule we have faced since i watched my first game in the 60s. It is brutal.

Expect to be favored against CCSU, MTSU, CMU, Wake and BC all in the Dome.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Anyone remember what Lamar Jackson did to us last year?

 

[Trueblue25]

Anyone remember what Lamar Jackson did to us last year?

If anyone posts that damn hurdle highlight im reporting you

 

[HtownOrange]

Anyone remember what Lamar Jackson did to us last year?

Wasn't that an early season game, with a new offensive scheme new defensive scheme, near zero depth, and limited experienced payers? I think Louisville will be a little impressed with some of the advances the team has made since they last saw each other.

 

[TheCusian]

We looked better on O vs them then FSU did. In our second game.