Play UH. One half at HRS, on

Play UH. One half at HRS, one half at UH. First half at 1pm, 2nd half at 7pm.
Somebody tell me why not.

I agree that a home game on Oct 4 would be good. As D1 has said in an earlier thread, playing SE La is less than ideal. Nothing against them, but it's a no win situation for us. We we might not have a choice.
Also, our toughest games, arguably are road games.. ND, A&M and Marshall. Not ideal.
For those of us that would like to make most, if not all, the road games, it's a brutal schedule. South Bend, Miami, Huntington, West Point. Pretty far flung from where I live. College Station is an easy road trip. And I can take an extra day or two around the Hattiesburg game and maybe have a nice stay in NOLA afterwards. I'm sorta conflicted about Ruston. And at the end of the season , no less. This is a challenging road schedule for the average Rice fan from Texas compared to last year's mostly SW region road schedule.
And just a very quick glance makes me think it's tougher, in general than 2013. Six or seven wins?

(02-03-2014 09:23 PM)greyowl72 Wrote:  For those of us that would like to make most, if not all, the road games, it's a brutal schedule. South Bend, Miami, Huntington, West Point.

On the other hand:
- These road games take Rice to distinct sections of the country, to alumni bases that rarely get to see the team.
- Several of these are very interesting travel destinations, and it wouldn't surprise me if Rice organizes some kind of fan itinerary for at least one of them.

(02-03-2014 09:23 PM)greyowl72 Wrote:  And just a very quick glance makes me think it's tougher, in general than 2013. Six or seven wins?

I think it would be hard to draw up a schedule that's easier than last year's. A harder schedule is pretty much just regression to the mean, methinks.

I really hope we can get to six again this year. I know that would be the back-to-back-to-back bowl games for the first time ever, if we get an invite. How long has it been since we've had three winning seasons in a row? Not in my lifetime, for sure.

(02-03-2014 08:04 PM)gsloth Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 06:14 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 05:16 PM)Pan95 Wrote:  FIU has eight home games. We will have six at most. Sad...

FIFY.

FIU worked their schedule well. They somehow got a home and home with UL and then this deal with Pitt was made 4 or 5 years ago that they are now reaping the home game from. Instead of going on the road, they are playing 2 FCS schools to try to pad their win total (granted, only one counts for bowl eligibility and they lost to Bethune-Cookman, who they host again, at home last year).

No, D1. There are only 4 home games currently on the schedule, and 7 away games. Unless Rice hosts the CUSA championship game again (always a possibility) or A&M's stadium falls down while under construction this summer (not likely), there won't be 6 home games next year.

He said 5 at most. The other OOC game that is TBA at this time will be at home, barring an absolute catastrophe, which makes 5. And yes, the CUSA championship game makes 6.

(02-03-2014 10:06 PM)Klobasnek Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 09:23 PM)greyowl72 Wrote:  And just a very quick glance makes me think it's tougher, in general than 2013. Six or seven wins?

I think it would be hard to draw up a schedule that's easier than last year's. A harder schedule is pretty much just regression to the mean, methinks.

I really hope we can get to six again this year. I know that would be the back-to-back-to-back bowl games for the first time ever, if we get an invite. How long has it been since we've had three winning seasons in a row? Not in my lifetime, for sure.

Can we dream a little bigger friends? We need to win this conference, and certainly have the talent to do it.

(02-03-2014 09:59 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 09:23 PM)greyowl72 Wrote:  For those of us that would like to make most, if not all, the road games, it's a brutal schedule. South Bend, Miami, Huntington, West Point.

On the other hand:
- These road games take Rice to distinct sections of the country, to alumni bases that rarely get to see the team.
- Several of these are very interesting travel destinations, and it wouldn't surprise me if Rice organizes some kind of fan itinerary for at least one of them.

I would really be happy if Rice would organize something for South Bend and West Point.

(02-03-2014 08:55 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Well I really hope they can get a home game for that October 4th date. If so, it's not a bad schedule really. Especially the home games with ODU having a high profile senior QB and pretty pumped up about their CUSA debut, and then arguably our toughest two western CUSA foes in UNT and UTSA at home (both should draw well too). Plus a UTEP team which always brings a few folks too.

I like having an off week between Notre Dame and A&M, and I hope we have an off week before the UNT game. I don't want to see SE Louisiana for Sept. 6th but I guess that's the rumor. In any regard, they return a couple of high profile players of their own in the national FCS special teams player of the year and their starting QB, who is a transfer from Oregon. Plus they beat Sam Houston State twice so they're a much more formidable opponent than people might realize.

SLU is probably better than half of the teams in CUSA. They'll play hard and I'm sure they'll want to beat an FBS opponent. Hopefully they bring several hundred fans. In what city are they located?

I also hope UTEP is much better this year. Their fans travel really well when they're winning.

I was hugely critical of scheduling NMSU. but dropping them to get SLU doesn't solve the problem.

Really would like a P5 or a decent MAC team, but would rather have Texas State or Lamar or Stephen F. than SLU.

(02-04-2014 08:27 AM)MemOwl Wrote:  I was hugely critical of scheduling NMSU. but dropping them to get SLU doesn't solve the problem.

Really would like a P5 or a decent MAC team, but would rather have Texas State or Lamar or Stephen F. than SLU.

With only 7 months until the season there probably wasn't much choice.

Would SLU qualify towards a bowl? I think USL would be a lot better draw but I guess not possible.


I was hugely critical of scheduling NMSU. but dropping them to get SLU doesn't solve the problem.

Really would like a P5 or a decent MAC team, but would rather have Texas State or Lamar or Stephen F. than SLU.
[/quote]

With only 7 months until the season there probably wasn't much choice.
[/quote]

(02-04-2014 10:44 AM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 08:27 AM)MemOwl Wrote:  I was hugely critical of scheduling NMSU. but dropping them to get SLU doesn't solve the problem.

Really would like a P5 or a decent MAC team, but would rather have Texas State or Lamar or Stephen F. than SLU.

With only 7 months until the season there probably wasn't much choice.

Yup. NMSU really put us in a bind with how they handled it.

(02-04-2014 12:56 PM)OldOwl Wrote:  Would SLU qualify towards a bowl? I think USL would be a lot better draw but I guess not possible.

I think you get to count one every two years


FCR teams are different... They have far fewer scholarships, but they also often get d1 transfers from big-time programs who want to play 'now'... particularly at the skill positions... They are sometimes as good, if not as deep as many solid d1 teams at the skill positions.

(02-04-2014 01:34 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 10:44 AM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 08:27 AM)MemOwl Wrote:  I was hugely critical of scheduling NMSU. but dropping them to get SLU doesn't solve the problem.

Really would like a P5 or a decent MAC team, but would rather have Texas State or Lamar or Stephen F. than SLU.

With only 7 months until the season there probably wasn't much choice.

Yup. NMSU really put us in a bind with how they handled it.

I don't get the anger towards NMSU. They did what they had to do with the WAC blowing up. Schedule as an independent then when they were invited to the Sun Belt they needed to drop an OOC game. They petitioned the NCAA to play 13 games for one year to honor their contracts but were denied that chance. It seems they really tried not to put someone else in a bind. I don't hear the same flack at Notre Dame even though they had to drop a game or is it OK since they didn't drop us?

(02-03-2014 09:17 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  Play UH. One half at HRS, one half at UH. First half at 1pm, 2nd half at 7pm.
Somebody tell me why not.

Coin toss decides which stadium first, in addition to trifling things like receive or defer?
Shuttle buses between stadia?
Charge twice, but half as much, for tickets?
Does each team get to count it as half of a home game?
Think of the mess it makes of the home team advantage stats calculations...

From the unique pure-crazy cross-town rival aspect, I like it.
It would certainly invite media attention, if not necessarily fans, given a fan-base already shown to be too lazy to show up, much less show up in two places on the same day. (I'm sharing the wealth on that assessment of fan interest between the two schools.)

Oh, and the "why not" part would be that the stadium might be rented out to a high school for the other time slot.

(02-04-2014 05:40 PM)Grungy Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 09:17 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  Play UH. One half at HRS, one half at UH. First half at 1pm, 2nd half at 7pm.
Somebody tell me why not.

Coin toss decides which stadium first, in addition to trifling things like receive or defer?
Shuttle buses between stadia?
Charge twice, but half as much, for tickets?
Does each team get to count it as half of a home game?
Think of the mess it makes of the home team advantage stats calculations...

From the unique pure-crazy cross-town rival aspect, I like it.
It would certainly invite media attention, if not necessarily fans, given a fan-base already shown to be too lazy to show up, much less show up in two places on the same day. (I'm sharing the wealth on that assessment of fan interest between the two schools.)

Oh, and the "why not" part would be that the stadium might be rented out to a high school for the other time slot.

How about simulcasting the game. Rice offensive possessions play in Rice Stadium. UH offensive possessions play in Cougar field. No punting allowed, and kickoffs automatically start at the 25 yd line.

Homecoming vs UTSA on 8 November?

(02-04-2014 05:34 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 01:34 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 10:44 AM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 08:27 AM)MemOwl Wrote:  I was hugely critical of scheduling NMSU. but dropping them to get SLU doesn't solve the problem.

Really would like a P5 or a decent MAC team, but would rather have Texas State or Lamar or Stephen F. than SLU.

With only 7 months until the season there probably wasn't much choice.

Yup. NMSU really put us in a bind with how they handled it.

I don't get the anger towards NMSU. They did what they had to do with the WAC blowing up. Schedule as an independent then when they were invited to the Sun Belt they needed to drop an OOC game. They petitioned the NCAA to play 13 games for one year to honor their contracts but were denied that chance. It seems they really tried not to put someone else in a bind. I don't hear the same flack at Notre Dame even though they had to drop a game or is it OK since they didn't drop us?

Not really angry with them. Just saying that NMSU allowing this to linger as long as it did put us in a bind.

(02-04-2014 05:34 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 01:34 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 10:44 AM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(02-04-2014 08:27 AM)MemOwl Wrote:  I was hugely critical of scheduling NMSU. but dropping them to get SLU doesn't solve the problem.

Really would like a P5 or a decent MAC team, but would rather have Texas State or Lamar or Stephen F. than SLU.

With only 7 months until the season there probably wasn't much choice.

Yup. NMSU really put us in a bind with how they handled it.

I don't get the anger towards NMSU. They did what they had to do with the WAC blowing up. Schedule as an independent then when they were invited to the Sun Belt they needed to drop an OOC game. They petitioned the NCAA to play 13 games for one year to honor their contracts but were denied that chance. It seems they really tried not to put someone else in a bind. I don't hear the same flack at Notre Dame even though they had to drop a game or is it OK since they didn't drop us?

I'd say that after Rice played there (in a year where they were desperate for home games), dropping the return the next year was poor form.