(07-20-2013 01:22 PM)kyucat Wrote:  No more MAC teams at the Nippert. If you do , will fall off the chart. Keep trying to get regional teams from the ACC. Big 10, SEC and Big 12. An occasional trip to a PAC 12 schools would be really nice. I agree we should play Miami of Ohio but that is all

I would rather play Ohio and Toledo that an FCS school. Good MAC schools help your SOS. Marshall is another solid regional opponent. UC can't just name their opponents plus you need to balance your schedule out.

Schedule enough MAC schools for home games and you will be one the few fans who will be in the stadium. Sorry but no one wants to see MAC schools play even MAC fans don't show up for there games. Check the NCAA attendance for MAC schools it's bad.

(07-20-2013 05:10 PM)kyucat Wrote:  Schedule enough MAC schools for home games and you will be one the few fans who will be in the stadium. Sorry but no one wants to see MAC schools play even MAC fans don't show up for there games. Check the NCAA attendance for MAC schools it's bad.

Whats your ideal non conference schedule? I have Louisville, Miami, a regional MAC or C-USA opponent, and another power 5 five school or non-power five brand name like Boise State, BYU, or Fresno State.

Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Kentucky are not coming here. UC also can't just handpick its schedule so good MAC teams are a solid alternatives to Sun Belt, low level C-USA squads, and FCS teams

If UC and Louisville continue to play that solves a lot of problems. That would give the Bearcats two rivalry games every season. The rest of the schedule over the next seven years is going to be filled out with road games at Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan, and Nebraska. Plus home and home versus BYU, Ohio, and the back end of the Toledo series.

we are already basically "locked" into one MAC school a year (Cryamie)....scheduling a second MAC team is not the answer. Whit is going to have to figure out something else. I'd take an FCS tune up (like most everybody else does) over a second MAC opponent any given year.

Besides...MAC teams aren't bad on occasion and since we are losing our AQ, we can't afford losses at places like Toledo now because winning the AAC isn't going to get us into a major bowl. After this year every win counts, not just conference. I'm not saying I'm afraid of MAC teams...I'm saying if we lose an OOC game I'd rather it be to a mid to upper P5 team, not MAC.

(07-21-2013 05:45 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  we are already basically "locked" into one MAC school a year (Cryamie)....scheduling a second MAC team is not the answer. Whit is going to have to figure out something else. I'd take an FCS tune up (like most everybody else does) over a second MAC opponent any given year.

Besides...MAC teams aren't bad on occasion and since we are losing our AQ, we can't afford losses at places like Toledo now because winning the AAC isn't going to get us into a major bowl. After this year every win counts, not just conference. I'm not saying I'm afraid of MAC teams...I'm saying if we lose an OOC game I'd rather it be to a mid to upper P5 team, not MAC.

With SOS a major factor in determining the playoff and Gof5 bowl rep why would anybody play an FCS team. Don't lose at Toledo, Ohio, Miami or any other MAC school. A home game against Ohio or Toledo will outdraw any FCS school. Like I have said, I not asking that all we play are MAC schools. First thing UC needs to do is drop the 2014 and 2015 FCS games.

My preference would be to schedule an ACC, B1Gor SEC school but if push come to shove I agree with Bearcatlawjd here to an extent. Scheduling a select few MAC schools is much better than scheduling an FCS. The MAC schools I would want to play here are Ohio, Toledo and Central Michigan. Marsall from C-USA would be OK. Those schools would at least would bring a traveling fan base and most years are pretty solid. Schools like Akon, Buffalo, E. Michigan are definite no's along with Kent State most years (the jur is out whether last year was a fluke).

(07-21-2013 05:45 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  we are already basically "locked" into one MAC school a year (Cryamie)....scheduling a second MAC team is not the answer. Whit is going to have to figure out something else. I'd take an FCS tune up (like most everybody else does) over a second MAC opponent any given year.

Besides...MAC teams aren't bad on occasion and since we are losing our AQ, we can't afford losses at places like Toledo now because winning the AAC isn't going to get us into a major bowl. After this year every win counts, not just conference. I'm not saying I'm afraid of MAC teams...I'm saying if we lose an OOC game I'd rather it be to a mid to upper P5 team, not MAC.

It's basically no-win... We all know Toledo is a good team (as are other MAC teams) but they don't have the "media cachet" needed to proclaim them as a "good" win or loss.

MAC schools and FCS schools will not do UC football any good. It must be one of the five majors to really gain any recognition in the new college football world. I sorry if MAC is all the better Whit can do then we are in big trouble. Boise St is getting big games home and home. If UC really wants to compete for major bowls it must have a OCC schedule that looks something like this:
one MAC school Miami of Ohio for openers, one ACC school, one or even two Big 12 teams or one PAC 10 or SEC or Big 10 school and/or one CUSA school. Add that to our conference schedule and we may get a shot at a decent bowl if we win big other wise UC has no shot at any of the major bowls. We must have resume building games to get any attention.
And yes I would play Texas Tech home and home. Capitalize on the Tubberville issues to get them up here first. Play the game a PBS and get 67,000 in the stands for that game. If win that would build our resume for the Big 12. Two for one may be what has to be done for the 1st few years and of course WIN.

The same Boise St. that has an OOC schedule of @ Washington, vs Tenn-Martin, @ Fresno St., vs Southern Miss, and @ BYU? That also has future home and home series with Troy and UL-Lafayette.

I would love to see the FCS schools come off the schedule, but the ones that are there now will probably stay there. After 2015 I could see us not signing anymore. The biggest problem with your scenario is getting teams from those power 5 conferences to agree to home and home series. You say just sign them 2 for 1, but if we do that then we are looking at some seasons where we may not get 7 home games, and even 6 might be tough. We have a renovation to pay for, which means we need home games to earn the money to pay for the renovation. I also wouldn't expect any games to be played at PBS after the 2014 season. Again, you don't do a major renovation and then move games away from the renovated stadium.

There's no reason to not schedule an FCS school every year. They're cheap and basically a free win for your football team (unless you're Pitt). If scheduled properly they can really help get the team geared up for the rest of the season.

(07-21-2013 01:57 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  There's no reason to not schedule an FCS school every year. They're cheap and basically a free win for your football team (unless you're Pitt). If scheduled properly they can really help get the team geared up for the rest of the season.

bingo

plus you are going to win 99.9% of the time and although you get no credit for the win in the media, it's a nice tune up.

By contrast...play a MAC team and you STILL don't get credit for the win and you may in fact lose.

I'd take FCS over a second MAC team every time.

(07-21-2013 04:59 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(07-21-2013 01:57 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  There's no reason to not schedule an FCS school every year. They're cheap and basically a free win for your football team (unless you're Pitt). If scheduled properly they can really help get the team geared up for the rest of the season.

bingo

plus you are going to win 99.9% of the time and although you get no credit for the win in the media, it's a nice tune up.

By contrast...play a MAC team and you STILL don't get credit for the win and you may in fact lose.

I'd take FCS over a second MAC team every time.

I don't buy this argument. Not with SOS a factor in the new system. With a new stadium expansion coming in 2015 why would you play an exhibition game in your stadium versus a real FBS opponent. Bearcat football is beyond the point where you need to load up on easy wins. Its about filling the stadium with quality opponents, regional teams, and interesting match ups that offset a conference schedule that lacks many of our traditional rivals. If Cincinnati is in the Big XII I could buy the FCS argument because the Cats are going to play a loaded schedule anyway and there might be a need those games to get to 6 or 7 wins.

(07-21-2013 04:59 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(07-21-2013 01:57 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  There's no reason to not schedule an FCS school every year. They're cheap and basically a free win for your football team (unless you're Pitt). If scheduled properly they can really help get the team geared up for the rest of the season.

bingo

plus you are going to win 99.9% of the time and although you get no credit for the win in the media, it's a nice tune up.

By contrast...play a MAC team and you STILL don't get credit for the win and you may in fact lose.

I'd take FCS over a second MAC team every time.

There is one major reason not to schedule MAC teams. UC is in a pro town and no one cares about MAC teams. so if you want attendance to be between 15,000 and 25,000 play MAC schools. If you want attendance to be 35,000 to 40,000 play teams from the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, ACC or PAC 12

Scheduling those teams is tough. Have to play MAC schools to fill the schedule.

With what Nippert will become, the game day experience should become the draw for many new fans, moreso than who UC is playing. Yes, a game with a B10 or SEC opponent will always be a guaranteed sellout but those teams won't be available on a consistent basis.

The Bengals' product has been way below average for two decades and they host some lousy opponents too. Many (most?) attend for the "NFL experience". Corporate-owned luxury boxes will bring an entirely new market segment to UC football for the first time. Given the limited capacity overall, Nippert with improved fan amenities, a winning team and a big-time college game day experience could become the hottest ticket in town seven times a year.