Who do we fill out 2018 with?
Looking at our schedule, obviously we have three major games away in 2018, but it looks like we still have an empty spot for a game. Who do we fill it with? Does the answer to that question potentially change your mind about how desirable the scheduling set up with ND was?
A cursory glance shows that USC and Stanford are free that day.
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After looking through P5 2018 schedules quickly, here is who has Sept. 8 open:
Oregon
Stanford
USC
Florida State
Miami
Syracuse
Va Tech (but already has 4 OOC games)
Wake Forest
TCU (has Ohio State the following week)
Texas Tech
West Virginia
Auburn
Florida (4 OOC games scheduled)
Georiga (4 OOC games scheduled)
Kentucky
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Vandy
Those are your sexy options.
They did go to nine. And after looking again, that takes USC out of the equation. Still leaves Oregon (only 1 OOC game scheduled) and Stanford (2 games scheduled).
It would be beyond stupid to pay Arkansas $2M to not play and then fill their slot with Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina.....
It's not just arrogant; it's like lighting cigars with 100.00 bills. Lots of shit in this world, and I am sure you wouldn't have to look too far in any direction from Michigan Stadium or Reynolds Razorback Stadium to find a nice charity that could use say 1 million a piece. Additionally, it gives the Big Guy fuel to say Michigan wanted no part of us and paid us 2 million dollars to get out of the scheduled game.
I like the ND game, but seeing we're playing them in 2019 why could we not have waited another year if that would void our obligation to pay. I don't think any member of a big time P5 school needs gifts from members of other conferences. I can't recall us doing it before and if it is, indeed, true I don't like the precedence.
I think maybe someone like Kentucky, Vandy or Syracuse would be a decent but not too tough of a match up where we wouldn't have to do a return road game for.
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I think there was a rumor of us playing them in 2007 but I dont think that ever happened.
Vandy, Kentucky and Texas Tech seem like the only options to schedule a game without a return.
a lot of SEC teams do have most of their dates open, but is that for conference scheduling purposes? IE do SEC conference schedules come out really late for some reason?
They're in 11th hour negotiations with McNeese State and Wofford.
Honestly, the random ass SEC schedule may be a good part of the reason they always have major cupcake scheduled. "Want to play cupcake" is also a very large part of things, but it is easier to schedule someone decent when you know you have to work it in during the first 4-5 games. But when the whole calendar is "maybe we have a conf game this week, maybe we don't" that's kind of a bitch planning wise.
Fair enough
if that was what Warde wanted then why not just flip the Arkansas series?
It will be another cupcake.
If that was even a remote option, why are they paying off Arkansas to not go there?
I wouldn't be surprised to see USF come here soon, if not 2018.
Realistically probably a low P5 cupcake. Oregon State or Colorado type. Otherwise we'd have just moved the Arkansas game up a week or scheduled ND for the open week.
Van-dy! Van-dy! I like me a nice southern, cupcake that doesn't travel well. Play down there and we can do it in the heat.
play Notre Dame twice in 2018, both times in South Bend.
Dave Brandon, is that you?
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Probably?
My masochistic ass would most definitely watch Peters or McCaffrey thrown to the wolves on the road twice in a row to begin his starting career.
Everything is better with ranch dressing......
cannot be unseen. damn you.
as long as it's Newman's Own ranch...
But since we did not, let's schedule Vanderbilt just to piss off Bert.
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I'm waiting to see how we negotitaed this stupidity and handling of the schedule domino effects.
Most likely get some MACtion
A lot of NFL players come from the MAC. But I don't want to play a game ona Tuesday mornining. Blech.
I vote to invite USC to come for one game to the Big House. Pay them money and kick their asses once and for all. Show them what home field advantage is really about. ND and USC would be the greatest couple weeks of football ever.
Haha. Fair.