(05-20-2019 12:32 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  I say we pool our money and just buy a box. It's either too hot, or it's too wet, or it's too cold, or someone pours crap beer on your head, or there's a hurricane.

It would be funny if it were not absolutely true.

Remember the lie that Memphis coaches can’t recruit high level national basketball talent?
File that lie with this lie, that Memphis can’t schedule strong OOC teams.

Every year teams fighting for inclusion in the Top 25 are lambasted for not playing a difficult OOC schedule. You can’t have it both ways. (As I tried to type Both ways, autocorrect spelled it Bowen’s way. Even my computer knows it.)

They need us. We need them.
This year, we will be lambasted. Find the other teams like Nebraska or Washington St or Colorado or Arizona with the same problem.

(05-20-2019 10:32 AM)Tigx Wrote:  Are we just going to ignore how embarrassing it is to misspell the only word in a one-word thread title?

Sorry about that. I even looked up the word and then proceeded to hit the I instead the a. Oh well. Mea Culpa, mea culpa!

I guess my spelling is rated about as well as our schedule. There is hope that at least the schedule can be fixed.

(05-20-2019 12:28 PM)MemphisTigerPawr Wrote:  The weak schedule may not have hurt us yet but it will.

Let's get something straight--the schedule will NEVER hurt us.

Memphis is NEVER going to get a bid to the playoff, that is just not happening.


The only crumb Memphis can get is being the top ranked G5 team and the best way to get that bid is to run the table. Period. Fact.

What could actually bite Memphis in the ass is taking an L vs. OM this year (or Purdue next) and then losing out of a G5 bid to a Mountain West team who runs the table.

But actually what will be MORE likely is that Boise will lose to FSU this year and Fresno may drop 2 OOC games vs. Minnesota and USC and be practically eliminated from G5 contention by mid-September.

Basically, then, Memphis, USF, and UCF play for the spot.

(05-20-2019 11:45 AM)SouthernBoiNOLA Wrote:  I know I am in the minority on this, but as weak as the schedule is, it doesn't hurt us in anyway as far as national standings go. As UCF has shown, no non-P5 team will ever play for a NC in its current format. The best we can hope for is the NY6 Bowl. Yeah it sucks, but that is the reality we live in. Best thing we can do is to win the NY6 bowl for a few years and hope to be 1st in line when (if) conference realignment happens again.

I am sorry, but I do think it hurts us nationally. It hurts our reputation, which controls our entry into the NY6 Bowl and any opportunity to move up if conference realignment happens.

I remember many years ago, Bobby Bowden, the coach of Florida State being committed to playing anyone, anywhere. This fueled their rise in their national reputation.

I also remember Tulane being undefeated one year and being dismissed in talks of a national championship as playing a cream puff schedule.

Even for this year, if just one of the SunBelt games was exchanged for a game against a P6 or strong G4 the dialogue would be different. Additionally, we have no business playing 2 SunBelt teams on their home field in the same year.

(05-20-2019 12:29 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  

(05-20-2019 12:20 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  

(05-20-2019 11:45 AM)SouthernBoiNOLA Wrote:  I know I am in the minority on this, but as weak as the schedule is, it doesn't hurt us in anyway as far as national standings go. As UCF has shown, no non-P5 team will ever play for a NC in its current format. The best we can hope for is the NY6 Bowl. Yeah it sucks, but that is the reality we live in. Best thing we can do is to win the NY6 bowl for a few years and hope to be 1st in line when (if) conference realignment happens again.

Yeah ok, but I have no interest in sitting in the rain or ridiculous heat to watch WhoCaresU. But to each their own.

Hell, people won't go in the rain to watch undefeated UCF play here. Can't get more than 45k to watch a nationally ranked UCLA team with a Heisman watch QB on a sunny (albeit warm) Saturday morning.

Can't get 30K on the final game of the season (to CLINCH a division title) vs. Houston last year.

Everyone needs to pull a get the f--- outta here about "scheduling" until people can actually make a game or two that really matters.

This.

So sick of these threads.

The reality is last year, the Coach "Screwed the Pooch" by picking the wrong starting QB. By the time the last Houston game for the "Division title" took place, we all knew that the team was not going to beat UCF in Florida, even if they beat Houston. The challenge with attendance, as the Basketball team showed, is that they have to win in order to draw crowds. Memphis is a front runner town, with a limited population that will afford to spend money to attend a sporting event. That's why it has been tough to lure pro teams here. An 8-5, "Birmingham Bowl" team is not going to draw 60K in the rain in Memphis.

(05-20-2019 10:59 AM)rc0213 Wrote:  When Memphis consistently beat UCLA, Ole Miss, etc. on National TV, it makes the Power 5 schools think twice about scheduling Memphis. So, this was expected.

Consistently?

(05-20-2019 02:02 PM)Collegiate Black Man Wrote:  The reality is last year, the Coach "Screwed the Pooch" by picking the wrong starting QB. By the time the last Houston game for the "Division title" took place, we all knew that the team was not going to beat UCF in Florida, even if they beat Houston. The challenge with attendance, as the Basketball team showed, is that they have to win in order to draw crowds. Memphis is a front runner town, with a limited population that will afford to spend money to attend a sporting event. That's why it has been tough to lure pro teams here. An 8-5, "Birmingham Bowl" team is not going to draw 60K in the rain in Memphis.

(05-20-2019 02:02 PM)Collegiate Black Man Wrote:  The reality is last year, the Coach "Screwed the Pooch" by picking the wrong starting QB. By the time the last Houston game for the "Division title" took place, we all knew that the team was not going to beat UCF in Florida, even if they beat Houston. The challenge with attendance, as the Basketball team showed, is that they have to win in order to draw crowds. Memphis is a front runner town, with a limited population that will afford to spend money to attend a sporting event. That's why it has been tough to lure pro teams here. An 8-5, "Birmingham Bowl" team is not going to draw 60K in the rain in Memphis.

Mid-year candidate for worst post of the year. We had UCF beat in Florida. Just choked. Brady White was the right QB 110%.

A bit unsure why folks are certain White cannot get it done at an even higher level. You must be thinking size and arm strength cannot be improved because his numbers were on par with Lynch in 2014 and way better than Lynch 2013, and similar to Ferguson in 2016, which was a bit pumped up because we did not have Juniors Henderson and Taylor like we did last year. In other words any QB would have lower numbers with those two to hand off to, they rushed for around 3,000 yards


2013 Lynch pedestrian numbers
2014 Lynch 22 TDS 9 INTs 3031 yards
Much better in 2015
2016 Ferguson 32 TDS 10 INTS 3698 yards
Much better numbers in 2017
2018 White 26 TDS 9 INTs 3296 yards, with, as mentioned, tremendous running backs
2019
2020

Tough to believe White won’t be really really good

(05-20-2019 02:22 PM)fishman6581 Wrote:  Mid-year candidate for worst post of the year. We had UCF beat in Florida. Just choked. Brady White was the right QB 110%.

How can anyone say that when if it rained, the team was doomed. White couldn't throw the ball in the rain because his hands are too small. I don't like to get on players (that's why I put this on the coach), but every time it rained, there was nothing the team could do on Offense. UCF was able to come back from 30+ pts down because they learned all they had to do force White to beat them, which was not going to happen, even with their back-up QB. Notice, UCF just loaded up the box, stopped the run, and dared White to actually read and react in the passing game. That's why you lose to Tulane in New Orleans, and Navy after having a lead. The team did not believe in White, they believed in Henderson and Pollard. Unfortunately, neither one of them played QB.

(05-20-2019 11:27 AM)BinghamptonNed Wrote:  

(05-20-2019 11:16 AM)memphisike Wrote:  You'll find Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, penn state, possibly wake and Duke Oregon state might give us a game at their place, they need a quality OOC WIN, which we r in that category now, their fans don't like CUPCAKES either.
I still don't understand why usf,houston, UFC, temple, and Tulane can get decent OOC OPPONENTS
We've been used by two A.D.'s who wanted a watered down schedule. Dr Rudd figured this out pretty quick,
Shirley Raines was clueless

the ADs have followed the wishes of the head coaches, that is understandable but is not the correct path.

Did Fuente stay because we dumbed down the schedule? No
Will Norvell stay due to the patsy ooc schedule? No

Do we need 4 blockbuster ooc games per year? Of course not.

It is amazing how simple minded people believe anything that an AD tells them.

As for your statement regarding the coaches staying/going - that's the double-edged sword. If the coach pushes for a "low ball" OOC, he can build his winning percentage against a few annual cupcakes and work it into a bigger job, more money, more prestige. If the coach requests an aggressive OOC schedule, then he takes the risk of losing and then the team/school doesn't get the recognition and he goes to a lower-level bowl (if at all - although in the day of 40+ bowl games...), and he doesn't get paid for any of the incentives in his contract and then has to hope an impatient AD doesn't fires him for lack of performance. It is in the coach's self interest to play a few cupcakes for career longevity.

(05-20-2019 12:29 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  

(05-20-2019 12:20 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  

(05-20-2019 11:45 AM)SouthernBoiNOLA Wrote:  I know I am in the minority on this, but as weak as the schedule is, it doesn't hurt us in anyway as far as national standings go. As UCF has shown, no non-P5 team will ever play for a NC in its current format. The best we can hope for is the NY6 Bowl. Yeah it sucks, but that is the reality we live in. Best thing we can do is to win the NY6 bowl for a few years and hope to be 1st in line when (if) conference realignment happens again.

Yeah ok, but I have no interest in sitting in the rain or ridiculous heat to watch WhoCaresU. But to each their own.

Hell, people won't go in the rain to watch undefeated UCF play here. Can't get more than 45k to watch a nationally ranked UCLA team with a Heisman watch QB on a sunny (albeit warm) Saturday morning.

Can't get 30K on the final game of the season (to CLINCH a division title) vs. Houston last year.

Everyone needs to pull a get the f--- outta here about "scheduling" until people can actually make a game or two that really matters.

Well, the problem is, who are those extra 15 to 20K people? I'm afraid it is a bunch of people who will go as long as we are in the hunt for a NY6 bowl, and nothing less. It's the SEC co-workers effect. Too much water cooler shame.

(05-20-2019 12:43 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  

(05-20-2019 12:28 PM)MemphisTigerPawr Wrote:  The weak schedule may not have hurt us yet but it will.

Let's get something straight--the schedule will NEVER hurt us.

Memphis is NEVER going to get a bid to the playoff, that is just not happening.

Imma disagree with you here (without being disagreeable) in this way. We get a LOT of pride in the city by being a Top25 team, even if we can't reach the playoff. Pride plays a role in attendance. With this schedule, if we lose to Ole Miss, we will not be ranked until the last few weeks of the season (assuming we win out). The pundits DO pay attention to SOS. And the voters (AP and Coaches) DO pay attention to the pundits.

So, in summary, it will never hurt us AFA the playoffs go, you are right. But it can still hurt us in other ways. Important ways.

(05-20-2019 03:03 PM)Collegiate Black Man Wrote:  

(05-20-2019 02:22 PM)fishman6581 Wrote:  Mid-year candidate for worst post of the year. We had UCF beat in Florida. Just choked. Brady White was the right QB 110%.

How can anyone say that when if it rained, the team was doomed. White couldn't throw the ball in the rain because his hands are too small. I don't like to get on players (that's why I put this on the coach), but every time it rained, there was nothing the team could do on Offense. UCF was able to come back from 30+ pts down because they learned all they had to do force White to beat them, which was not going to happen, even with their back-up QB. Notice, UCF just loaded up the box, stopped the run, and dared White to actually read and react in the passing game. That's why you lose to Tulane in New Orleans, and Navy after having a lead. The team did not believe in White, they believed in Henderson and Pollard. Unfortunately, neither one of them played QB.

Yeah maybe the Juco quarterback who averaged a hundred yards a game passing could have led us to the promised land.

His final game saw him go 2-10 for 16 yards passing and 2 int's in a 10-9 loss.

But, yeah, Brady was the wrong guy.

Pfft.

I was for the SunBelt scheduling a few years ago, for the sake of "getting in the habit of winning", "learning to win", stringing together some winning seasons, etc., which I'm quite sure was the motive of Fuente, not padding the schedule so he could have a better record in his search for a new job as some of the Memphis Miserables want to claim. Even though Norvell took over a solid program, he was an unproven commodity as head coach and many of the schedule gripers also gripe about his playcalling, clock management, player selection, etc., so maybe we're lucky the schedule didn't get tougher competition yet.

The gripes about Norvell's playcalling and clock management are legit it seems, and maybe he has transformed into a more traditional head coach in these areas, so I think it is time to not play 2 SunBelt teams. How long it takes to find willing opponents and get contracts worked out is an issue, so it's not going to change next year or probably the year after.

Even though most of the big names play an "auto-win" opener, maybe we should open with a SunBelt, which can bite you if you pick the wrong one and aren't on your A game (ask LSU and Auburn). Of course, Memphians are so preposterously falsely arrogant, they would even look down on an opener against Troy, who is not a program to be looked down upon. Appalachian State has some more mojo so would probably draw a good crowd, but you wanna talk about dangerous opener, that's definitely one.

^ I am still all in favor of playing a patsy or two to start the season. I want the first game to be a tune-up. I have no interest in playing Alabama in our opening game and starting the year 0-1. Later in the schedule, we need high interest games.

The casual fan is not coming in part because of our schedule and, for the most part, don’t care about all the if, ands and buts in this thread. ESPN has brainwashed fans into believing that P5 FOOTBALL is so special when it’s only about 20-25 teams that bring an extra 15K into MOST G5’s stadiums. Those are the only teams we should do a 2 for 1 with.

And IMO we should buy out the last two Tennessee basketball games. We should never play them unless there is a football game with large buyout involved.

Looks like this turned into a bit of an issing contest.