One full of teams that you think you can beat, and that will make you look good when you do. Take away either of those factors, and the game is not attractive.

(09-13-2013 07:30 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  One full of teams that you think you can beat, and that will make you look good when you do. Take away either of those factors, and the game is not attractive.

For coaches, yes. For me, and I assume a lot of fans, no. I loved the opportunity to play "big" name schools at home. Fairly recent games against Ole Miss, Memphis, and Mississippi State were exciting for me as a fan even though we lost. When Newell brought in a great Clemson team (with the Grant brothers) I was thrilled despite losing by 30. I love to see games against good midmajors like Creighton, SIU, Tulsa, LaTech, Mo. State, etc. Yes, we might lose but it's worth the risk to me (again, I'm a fan not a coach).

Several years back, we did a good job of scheduling beatable BCS teams- Minnesota, Northwestern, etc. For whatever reason (probably because we beat them) we can't get those kind of games now. Florida and Memphis are body bag games. At least, Oklahoma looks like they could be manageable.

(09-13-2013 12:09 PM)mjs Wrote:  For coaches, yes.

Correct. I was speaking from the coaches' perspective.

(09-13-2013 12:09 PM)mjs Wrote:  Florida and Memphis are body bag games. At least, Oklahoma looks like they could be manageable.

I hate scheduling games where we won't stay within 30. Those don't gain you anything but money, and sometimes can really hurt a team's morale. But even if we get beat by 20, that probably means that we were at least a reasonable margin for part of the game.

(09-13-2013 12:33 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  

(09-13-2013 12:09 PM)mjs Wrote:  Florida and Memphis are body bag games. At least, Oklahoma looks like they could be manageable.

I hate scheduling games where we won't stay within 30. Those don't gain you anything but money, and sometimes can really hurt a team's morale. But even if we get beat by 20, that probably means that we were at least a reasonable margin for part of the game.

Keeping Memphis and Florida with 10 or less at the half would be my goal. Both coaches go into halftime able to tell the players it's still a game.

I just want a situation where our guys come out of the game thinking, "If we had had a few breaks, we might have been able to play with those guys." Positive motivation instead of discouragement.

(09-13-2013 01:22 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  I just want a situation where our guys come out of the game thinking, "If we had had a few breaks, we might have been able to play with those guys." Positive motivation instead of discouragement.

Well, 2 years ago we led eventual National Champion Kentucky at half time, despite the fact that Will Neighbour was out. My son's response when I called him at halftime with the score sums up my feelings at the time "How is that possible?"

Of course, if we make a game of it, then we may not even be able to schedule those games next time.

(09-13-2013 02:08 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  Of course, if we make a game of it, then we may not even be able to schedule those games next time.

My first lesson in college basketball scheduling came the first year I moved to Arkansas. Coach Ron Kestenbaum was talking about the fact that the year before he took UALR to Clemson and lost by one point. He told the group that "Clemson wouldn't return my calls" when he tried to schedule them for the next season.

While all basketball fans like to see good teams with "names" come in to play our teams at home, I'd bet that most of us wouldn't complain about the OCC schedule the hogs play each year, if we were winning 20+ games and going to post season most every year.

(09-13-2013 03:13 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  While all basketball fans like to see good teams with "names" come in to play our teams at home, I'd bet that most of us wouldn't complain about the OCC schedule the hogs play each year, if we were winning 20+ games and going to post season most every year.

I would complain plenty. I don't really enjoy watching noncompetitive games no matter what side of the score we are on.

(09-13-2013 03:36 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(09-13-2013 03:13 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  While all basketball fans like to see good teams with "names" come in to play our teams at home, I'd bet that most of us wouldn't complain about the OCC schedule the hogs play each year, if we were winning 20+ games and going to post season most every year.

I would complain plenty. I don't really enjoy watching noncompetitive games no matter what side of the score we are on.

You don't hear many hog fans complaining. I hear a few comment about their OCC football schedule, but let them win six games and qualify for a bowl game, and they're in hog heaven. Most teams fans are like that. You are definitely in the minority.

(09-13-2013 12:09 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(09-13-2013 07:30 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  One full of teams that you think you can beat, and that will make you look good when you do. Take away either of those factors, and the game is not attractive.

For coaches, yes. For me, and I assume a lot of fans, no. I loved the opportunity to play "big" name schools at home. Fairly recent games against Ole Miss, Memphis, and Mississippi State were exciting for me as a fan even though we lost. When Newell brought in a great Clemson team (with the Grant brothers) I was thrilled despite losing by 30. I love to see games against good midmajors like Creighton, SIU, Tulsa, LaTech, Mo. State, etc. Yes, we might lose but it's worth the risk to me (again, I'm a fan not a coach).

Several years back, we did a good job of scheduling beatable BCS teams- Minnesota, Northwestern, etc. For whatever reason (probably because we beat them) we can't get those kind of games now. Florida and Memphis are body bag games. At least, Oklahoma looks like they could be manageable.

"Several years back, we did a good job of scheduling beatable BCS teams- Minnesota, Northwestern, etc. For whatever reason (probably because we beat them) we can't get those kind of games now."

One of the reason we can't these kind of games is that we don't have the master of scheduling Kevin Fricke putting our schedule together anymore. Another casualty of the present regime.

The ideal thing would be for every team in the conference to schedule games that they can win and then go win them.

If every Sun Belt team were undefeated going into conference play (even if those wins came against nobodies) then who ever rose to the top would always have top flight rpi.

In other words your "big" games would come in conference.