Because Some of Them Have Contracts They Want to Honor . . .
See, the problem with doing things at the last minute (or at the last year, for football scheduling) is all the pretty dance partners probably already have dates.
For instance, Penn State already has its non-conference schedule for 2007 set, with Notre Dame, Florida International, Buffalo, and Temple next year. While I'm sure an upgrade to an opponent like Auburn to replace one of the three bottom dwellers would be nice, I think our program probably just wants to honor contracts. Ohio State, likewise, has their schedule completed, with Youngstown State, Akron, Washington, and Kent State. Notre Dame also has all 12 games filled. Miami's schedule for 2007 hasn't been released, but it has been released that they will be playing Oklahoma in 2007.
Texas, meanwhile, doesn't seem to have the same problem, as it has an empty non-conference game slot to go with TCU, Central Florida, and Rice. Same with Michigan, which has Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oregon on tap.
So, let's not throw stones at those teams who already have filled out their schedules, and want to honor contracts. (Remember Bowling Green? I bet you do!). As for Texas and Michigan, while it is possible that the avoidance of playing Auburn may have something to do with not wanting to schedule a team that's pretty successful right now, it may also have something to do with what Auburn's schedule has available. Perhaps a hom-home series split between 2007 and 2010 just isn't that attractive to a lot of teams. In addition, Auburn is looking for a season opener, at home. Both Texas and Michigan already have potentially tough non-conference challenges, as does Miami and our teams with set schedules already.
Along those lines, I had a difficult time in finding Auburn's 2007 schedule. And by difficult, I mean I couldn't find it. So if Auburn is scrambling to fill its schedule, whether with big boys or not, I would comment that trying to line someone up in 2006 is much like asking someone to prom about 2 days before the event. While the addition of the 12th game may be at fault, there are some teams (like Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame) who haven't had that problem.
posted by Da Craw @ 8:24 AM
2 Comments:
What I have seen, in line with your comment about Southern Miss, is that a lot of mid-major teams (Fresno State being an exception) seem to be pulling out of contracts with much more regularity. Bowling Green playing OU instead of Auburn in 04, Southern Miss this year for Auburn, Lousiana Tech pulling out of PSU's schedule (due to WAC conflicts, apparently). I think this is something we will see more often, especially with the addition of the 5th BCS game.
As that game gives the mid-majors more access to the BCS, and knowing that a mid-major almost has to finished undefeated to get the BCS bid, you'll see the top mid-majors (TCU, Southern Miss, Utah, UTEP) avoiding playing the best BCS teams much more, and taking on the middling teams in a conference instead. It gets them a chance to beat a BCS conference team, without the almost certain loss to the best in a conference (top 3-4 Big Ten, top 3-4 Big 12, top 6 SEC). I think it'll be harder and harder for the upper echelon BCS teams to fill their non-conference schedules with decent mid-major teams, leading to schedules with one BCS conference team, and 2-4 games against bottom-dwelling CUSA, MWC, WAC, and MAC teams, or Sun Belt/I-AA teams.
Dammit, we need a playoff!!
Texas had a 2 fer 1 scheduled with Utah, but Utah pulled out with the formation of the MWC. I don't remember the exact reason why, but it had something to do with MWC rules for playing non-conference games.
Texas has scheduled a home-and-home with UCLA and Arkiesaw, allegedly working on a deal with BC.
Remarkably, Cowherd is more unbearable than Jim Rome. I know those guys get paid to have unpopular opinions, but Cowherd just ripped on the Longhorns all last season. He even came on the local radio station and called the horns a fraud. Of course, now he eats crow. Ultimately the 1-AA issue this season was created by the short-sightedness of the NCAA in scheduling the 12th game. Major programs have their schedules set years in advance.
The Texas AD claims they called 60 different 1-A schools to play in the extra game, with no takers. They even got Iowa St. to move up their game to free up the schedule, to no avail. I think most major programs will get around to scheduling 1-A schools. However, the days of top 25 intrasectional match-ups is going the way of the dodo.
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