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.
It would good to get a big home game that season. Maybe start a home and home with someone for 2018-2019
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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.
Did Pac-12 go to 9 conference games? Because they already have 3 non conference games scheduled in 2019. But maybe we could return the trip in 2020? That would probably be better from Manuel's standpoint due to the 4 home conference games in odd years.
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).
Okay I vote Stanford in Ann Arbor in 2018 with a return in 2020.
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.
Fair enough. OTOH, it kind of sends a message that M Football can do whatever the hell it wants and if that means telling Arkansas to take a $2M hike so we can play ND, well, M doesn't have to worry about the money. I'd feel differently if M used student fees to fund athletics. But we don't, so I have no problem with this.
if we don't give a shit all about $2 mil then bring the band to road/neutral games, lower ticket costs, put students at midfield, give it to Mott's, anything but this
Don't we get TV money? That would cover the 2M and then some. Make it a minor issue at the least.
which is why it's gonna happen!
you know what's beyond stupid is allow ND to cancel with practically no notice after an extra home game on "gentlemen's agreement", schedule a bunch of quality replacement and then pay them millions to kiss irish ass and get them back on the schedule, first game at notre dame...so they can betray us again. Seriously watch manuel not bother with a buyout clause for 2019 and ND will cancel the return game
I honestly wouldn't mind any of those really. No thanks Texas Tech, but any of these are better than the inevitable Northern Illinois or Akron.
I'd take TT over SMU, though with either it's really about exposure in the state of Texas.
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.
I remember some games against Oregon in the late 90s and I wouldn't mind seeing us play them again.
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I think there was a rumor of us playing them in 2007 but I dont think that ever happened.
Good memories for him. Too bad "the ball coach" isn't there anymore. That would be interesting.
Vandy, Kentucky and Texas Tech seem like the only options to schedule a game without a return.
you left out arkansas. Come on, let's start the petitions!
Auburn has a lot of empty dates in 2018 and 2019. Let's do it.
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
Probably, but they only have two non conference games in 2018 and one in 2019, so even knowing there's conference games to account for they have room.
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?
No, it's Warde Manuel.
I would probably end up watching both games
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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......
Might I suggest bacon instead?
I have a friend/acquaintance who did a series of studies on childhood obesity. Anecdotally, she said that one thing that a lot of overweight kids have in common is that they put ranch dressing on everything.
Not that bacon is any better for you. But it is delicious.
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.
That wouldn't piss off Bert... limiting him at an all you can eat buffet, however, would
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I'm waiting to see how we negotitaed this stupidity and handling of the schedule domino effects.
the negotiation was more like "Yes sir mr swarbrick, i am new and we screwed you all last time, whatever you say"
lovely to get paid $1 mil/year to do a worse job than a 12 year old fanboy could
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.
Schedule the worst team available.
We are trying to make a playoff.