USF Near Deal with Illinois...

[Joe]

These are not weak teams, they are average BCS teams.  Ill. has had decent teams the past 10 years, and they will again.  Same with MSU, NC St. etc.  We can't take anything for granted.

We play UL, WVU and Pitt every year, those are sure to be tough games annually.

Look at what K State did.  Winning 10 games every year is more important than getting beat down playing a brutal schedule.  Sprinkle the hard games (UM) with plenty of cupcakes.  Build up a string of 9-10 win seasons and bowl games.  Build and get national recognition.  Bill Snyder is considered a great coach.  He "cupcaked" his way to a great program.  They won and brought in recruits.  Winning brings in recruits, they want to be associated with a winner.

So, schedule a few toughies to get national exposure, hopefully by winning them, but don't forget about the cupcakes to build up that impressive record every year.  DW is doing a great job scheduling so far.  

MSU and NC State are average, but both are teams that I don't have to look at their schedule and say 6-5 (or 7-5 now), they've had success here and their bur neither will ever be national powers or consistently ranked.

However, the KState is exactly what I don't want us to be. You do know they finished 11-1 (only loss is the Big 12 title game) and went to their conferences' 4th place bowl game? They were passed 3 times for their schedule dispite guarenteeing 25,000 tickets sold by BCS games. Their 1st BCS appearance took an upset over Oklahoma in Big 12 title game in 2003. But you're talking a team that went 11-1 two years in a row and was snubbed by the BCS (specifically because of schedule) and went to the Alamo Bowl and Holiday Bowl.

Good article about it here.

http://archives.thedaily.washington.edu/1999/120899/S3.NatesKStat.html

That being said I think our schedules are getting better in the future. Hopefully Miami can pick up itself and be a much better team than they've displayed the last few seasons. We go to Auburn next year and Florida in 2010,2011. We just have to remember that unlike the other conferences we need 5 OOC games, and one of those should be a big boy.

I'd just like to see some monster team that gonna bring thousands of passionate fans come into RJS. I think it would do wonders for team support, etc. And we might knock them off.

[smazza]

ksu  is a bad example

they never got respect and never won a thing

usf should use miami and fsu as an examples

if you want to be the best you need to play the best otherwise you are a bystander

you are never going to draw the interest or gain success playing wofford and samford

[Guest]

Smazza... People have shown before that all major programs play I-AA teams.  Miami is playing FAMU today.  Pitt plays the Citadel in two weeks.  FSU played the Citadel recently.

If you lived in Tampa, you would feel differently about having more home games.

[Bull Matrix]

Playing anyone in the BIG TEN and beating them is good for a young program like USF. We are not to the level of Michigan, Iowa, or Ohio St right now. Why commit scheduling suicide just for a pay check?? Sure UCF has to do it because they are not in the BCS. I would rather USF cancell one of those games up in Gainseville because two games for nothing is  just too much in my opinion. USF should continue to schedule 1 for 1 deals against the BCS to grow the program. Boys and Girls, we are sitting at the big boys table whether we are playing Indiana or Michigan. It is all about getting to the BCS or a nice bowl game in these days. And USF is playing hard teams, it is that schools like Bama, UF, Auburn dont want to come to Tampa. So, I hope USF talks to schools like Miss St or maybe a Virginia. When USF gets ranked on a consitant basis, then you will see more powerful teams coming to Tampa because they wont be ashamed of losing to us since we will have then gained national respect.

[Bobcat99]

If Illinois plays like they're playing right now against Buttgers, I say we schedule them every season.

[Joe]

 just too much in my opinion. USF should continue to schedule 1 for 1 deals against the BCS to grow the program. Boys and Girls, we are sitting at the big boys table whether we are playing Indiana or Michigan. It is all about getting to the BCS or a nice bowl game in these days.

No it's not,

Indiana is playing @ Ball State, @ Central Michigan, and @ Akron in the next few seasons. The reason, they cannot get outside games with big programs, they won't sign 2 and 1's and a big school outside the conference has no interest in going to Indiana when they can get a BETTER opponent in a team like So Miss or Utah to come to their house. Further they signed a CASH game at Oregon 2 years ago! Just because a team is in a BCS conference doesn't mean they're BCS quality.

IU was smoked by a Not so Good Utah team (before Urban Meyer) in their 1 for 1 they had a few years ago.

That being said, I don't have a problem not signing a non BCS school. I can understand why the school doesn't want to do it and don't blame them.

Lets not go acting like games with IU, Illinois, or Kansas a great BCS games to grab. All of those schools have signed 1 and 1s or CASH games with non-BCS schools the last few years and I believe we could have tied them down regardless of our BE affilation.

So, I hope USF talks to schools like Miss St or maybe a Virginia. When USF gets ranked on a consitant basis, then you will see more powerful teams coming to Tampa because they wont be ashamed of losing to us since we will have then gained national respect.

Worst thing I've ever heard. I wanna play good teams. I know we are, but to say "we need to play easier teams til we're good." You never shy away from a good opponent.

I can't believe we have fans saying this, yet some are condemning FSU and Florida for their schedules...

Listen I'm really happy with what Wollard has done, he's been GREAT for this program and I appreciate everything he's done> I haven't really ever talked about about him, however, I just don't get as excited about playing Indiana, Illinois, Kansas or UNC like some on here do. Maybe if it were 2001, but not now, sorry.

[Bullpride08]

SOmeone told me this months ago.

I'm glad we're signing all these BCS teams, however outside Miami they all have something in common...

They're basketball schools.

id much rather be signing series with basketball schools than football schools... we still arent ready to have OOC's of Michigan, Ohio St, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Miami, etc. on a regular basis.  I like having solid, winnable OOC games than a brutal schedule to beat us up.  It's not like we have to worry about having a stong schedule for the BCS rankings anytime soon.  

I agree, it's not like every opponent is a hoops school- Miami, UF (well some of their fans may tell you they're a hoops school now- until football gets going), and Auburn.  Let's throttle most of these schools then meet those bigger ones in bowl games!

I still continue to hear we're working on a home and home with OK though.

[Bull Matrix]

Jeez Joe,

Let us know when USF gets a 1and1 deal with a FSU, VaTech, Bama, Auburn, UF, Iowa, Ohio St, Texas, OU, then I will understand your argument. USF is in not position to get a 1 and 1 deal with those powers right now. You are way ahead of yourself if you think USF has that much clout. Wait until USF gets more national respect before we go demanding 1 for 1 deals with the powers.

[Joe]

I'm not saying one of those big teams in a 1 and 1, but there are good games out there.

Fresno got a 1 and 1 with Wisconsin

Boise St a 1 and 1 with Oregon

TCU got a 1 and 1 with LSU

Tulsa a 1 and 1 with Texas Tech

San Diego State 1 and 1 wth Wisconsin

So there are games out there against teams that have been in the top 25 consistently the last 5 years. I'd love to see Wisconsin in RJS, great following top 25 team.