Lets say Sun Belt keeps an 8 game conference schedule. We get 4 OOC games to show what we've got to the pollsters.

I would like us to set the tone of playing 2 P5s every season - make it a goal to play and beat teams in the P5 year in year out (preferably at least 1 top 25% P5 team). Then pick a middle to upper tier G5 team. Round it out with a CAA/SoCon FCS team.

Summary: 2 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS

Example OOC Schedule:
Penn State
UVA
ECU
VMI

We win all 4 of those games plus run the table in Sun Belt play, there is no reason the team couldn't finish Top 10. In an expanded playoff we should be included.

Here's every G5 NY6 team's OOC makeup since 2014:

2014 Boise State: Ole Miss (L), UCONN (W), ULL (W), BYU (W)
2015 Houston: Tenn Tech (W), Louisville (W), TxSt (W), Vanderbilt (W)
2016 W. Mich: Northwestern (W), NC Central (W), Illinois (W), GA Southern (W)
2017 UCF: FIU (W), UMD (W), Austin Peay (W)
NOTE UCF had to cancel games against Georgia Tech and Maine (replaced by AP) because of Hurricane Irma
2018 UCF: SC State (W), FAU (W), Pitt (W)
NOTE UNC game cancelled due to Hurricane
2019 Memphis: Ole Miss (W), Southern (W), USA (W), ULM (W)
2020 Cincy: Austin Peay (W), Army (W)
NOTE W. Mich, Miami-OH, Nebraska games cancelled due to Covid.

Some other interesting schedules to look at are 2016 Houston and this year's Cincy and SMU teams (ALL WINS):

2016 Houston: #3 Oklahoma, Lamar, TxSt, #3 Louisville
2021 Cincy: #9 ND, Indiana, Miami-OH, Murray State
2021 SMU: Abilene Christian, UNT, LA Tech, TCU

2016 Houston was really the first year people gave any sort of shot at a G5 getting into the playoff, but they fumbled in AAC play. It will be interesting to see what happens with this year's Cincy team if they win out.

We would also need a very strong lead up year to position ourselves. For most G5s, it's as if it's a two year process. Most P5s have the ability to come out of nowhere due to the tough conference slates. Don't see it being a problem for a while, but it is nice to contemplate.

I also hope people realize that we aren't going to be done playing FCS programs any time soon.
Even as an FBS, there will be that "Morehead State" game on the schedule... Even P5 schools play those games. We are no different.

i dig this thread

(10-25-2021 03:19 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  I also hope people realize that we aren't going to be done playing FCS programs any time soon.
Even as an FBS, there will be that "Morehead State" game on the schedule... Even P5 schools play those games. We are no different.

Yes, but eventually that one FCS game could be W&M, RU or UD. Initially probably too expensive, unless they really want to play us, or we are their second FBS game.

Someone like a Hampton or NSU probably makes more sense.

(10-25-2021 03:19 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  I also hope people realize that we aren't going to be done playing FCS programs any time soon.
Even as an FBS, there will be that "Morehead State" game on the schedule... Even P5 schools play those games. We are no different.

True... But hopefully the FCS game we schedule will be teams we "enjoyed" watching during the year (Richmond, W&M, Delaware, etc)

I know this basically guaranteed at this point but this feels like such rat poison. I just need to trust the reports and allow myself to be excited.

(10-25-2021 03:45 PM)Anders Wrote:  I know this basically guaranteed at this point but this feels like such rat poison. I just need to trust the reports and allow myself to be excited.

I feel you on this one. I’m so excited at the possibility but don’t want to get ahead of myself until it’s officially official.

(10-25-2021 02:55 PM)olddawg Wrote:  We would also need a very strong lead up year to position ourselves. For most G5s, it's as if it's a two year process. Most P5s have the ability to come out of nowhere due the tough conference slates. Don't see it being a problem for a while, but it is nice to contemplate.

Having such a strong Sun Belt will help with this too. A lot easier to come out of nowhere for a very high ranking if you do it with good ooc wins and a win over something like a one loss App State who finished the previous season in the top 15 or 20 and a conference championship win over a similar Louisiana. Although I'm sure there will also be seasons where several of us just beat up on each other and keep from having any of us ranked that high.

(10-25-2021 03:39 PM)HolyCityDuke Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 03:19 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  I also hope people realize that we aren't going to be done playing FCS programs any time soon.
Even as an FBS, there will be that "Morehead State" game on the schedule... Even P5 schools play those games. We are no different.

True... But hopefully the FCS game we schedule will be teams we "enjoyed" watching during the year (Richmond, W&M, Delaware, etc)

We should be done with the "Morehead State" types who offer few athletic scholarships once those contracts have been completed. By NCAA rule, an FCS team must meet a minimum number of schollys. It will be awhile before we can land RU or Billy and His Gal, they get good cash and more than we'll offer. Frankly, I'd concentrate on home and home deals as much as possible instead of an FCS payday game. Doing deals with UConn, UMass, Akron, etc. (only one very much winnable FBS game per season), would gain more respect than beating NSU in the ground.

if one team comes out of SBC-East 12-0, then you gotta think top 15 is realistic

the next best two MIGHT be able to come in at 10-2, 11-1 at best - top 25 is realistic

SEC has "suffered" from this problem...good problem to have

(10-25-2021 03:19 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  I also hope people realize that we aren't going to be done playing FCS programs any time soon.
Even as an FBS, there will be that "Morehead State" game on the schedule... Even P5 schools play those games. We are no different.

Not completely true. Games against programs that don’t fund 90% of the FCS 63 scholarships do not count towards bowl eligibility. Morehead would not qualify nor would 5 of the FCS conferences who have no scholarships or reduced scholarships. We will not see anymore Morehead games after the 2 year transition. Sports fans it is a bittersweet day when we have to say no Morehead.

If JMU ever wants to play an Ivy League school, they better do it in the next 2 years when they aren’t eligible for post season. Non scholly is a non starter.

Maybe Bourne will grow gigantic gonads and invite ND State to play JMU in the Burg for some cash. That would be a boss move and probably give our head coach stress they don’t want. Losing to FCS teams is just as bad as we made it sound when JMU beat FBS teams as a FCS school. Losing to FCS gets coaches fired.

Getting a nearby old FCS peer makes the most sense for an FCS game. Get Richmond, W&M, Delaware, Towson, VMI. Those teams will at least bring some paying fans as well as have some name recognition for JMU fans.

(10-25-2021 04:20 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 03:39 PM)HolyCityDuke Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 03:19 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  I also hope people realize that we aren't going to be done playing FCS programs any time soon.
Even as an FBS, there will be that "Morehead State" game on the schedule... Even P5 schools play those games. We are no different.

True... But hopefully the FCS game we schedule will be teams we "enjoyed" watching during the year (Richmond, W&M, Delaware, etc)

We should be done with the "Morehead State" types who offer few athletic scholarships once those contracts have been completed. By NCAA rule, an FCS team must meet a minimum number of schollys. It will be awhile before we can land RU or Billy and His Gal, they get good cash and more than we'll offer. Frankly, I'd concentrate on home and home deals as much as possible instead of an FCS payday game. Doing deals with UConn, UMass, Akron, etc. (only one very much winnable FBS game per season), would gain more respect than beating NSU in the ground.

I think we should keep Morehead on the schedule just for the in-game poster potential.

(10-25-2021 04:45 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 03:19 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  I also hope people realize that we aren't going to be done playing FCS programs any time soon.
Even as an FBS, there will be that "Morehead State" game on the schedule... Even P5 schools play those games. We are no different.

Not completely true. Games against programs that don’t fund 90% of the FCS 63 scholarships do not count towards bowl eligibility. Morehead would not qualify nor would 5 of the FCS conferences who have no scholarships or reduced scholarships. We will not see anymore Morehead games after the 2 year transition. Sports fans it is a bittersweet day when we have to say no Morehead.

If JMU ever wants to play an Ivy League school, they better do it in the next 2 years when they aren’t eligible for post season. Non scholly is a non starter.

Maybe Bourne will grow gigantic gonads and invite ND State to play JMU in the Burg for some cash. That would be a boss move and probably give our head coach stress they don’t want. Losing to FCS teams is just as bad as we made it sound when JMU beat FBS teams as a FCS school. Losing to FCS gets coaches fired.

Getting a nearby old FCS peer makes the most sense for an FCS game. Get Richmond, W&M, Delaware, Towson, VMI. Those teams will at least bring some paying fans as well as have some name recognition for JMU fans.

Definitely think a H/H with NDSU for 22 & 23 would be awesome. I think when the dust settles they may be doing the transition dance too. I think both fanbases would appreciate a chance to throw down on a home field. Could even happen this year and that might make it more fun for the transition.

The key is the SB itself. A team running the table in its conference when no other team is sniffing the top 25 is different than a year when there are 2 or more teams IN the top 25. We need to beat SB teams that have beaten P5s themselves, in addition to proving ourselves in our OOC.