Alabama desperate for 12th game in 2015, will 'take anybody'

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...ke-anybody
DESTIN, Fla. -- Bill Battle has tried everything.

He's called dozens of teams.

He's deployed help from ESPN and SEC. He's inquired about teams switching dates to come to Tuscaloosa.

After all that, he still has one vacancy on Alabama's 2015 schedule.

“Right now we'd take anybody,” Battle said.

This is the reality of the SEC staying with an eight-game schedule -- the merits of which I've argued strengthen the league's positioning until the College Football Playoff calls its bluff. But some years teams will have trouble getting good games. In this case, Alabama was hurt by the SEC's recent months-long scheduling moratorium as it figured out its future conference format.

Can somebody help Battle out and play Alabama? Sounds like the Tide would even take a home-and-home at this point, but Battle said he's not sure that's feasible because “everybody's scheduled for '15.”

Alabama has Wisconsin and Louisiana-Monroe on the non-conference schedule, and though Battle doesn't remember the third game offhand, Alabama is expected to play an FCS opponent in mid-November, according to a source.

That means Battle probably can't schedule another FCS for strength-of-schedule purposes, though he sounds desperate enough to do just that...................................

I hope they never find one.

The real problem with this is that there are now reports that Alabama and Southern Miss are in talks for that game. Only problem is, Southern Miss has to drop one game for it to happen, and their trip to Boone is looking like the game that will get cut. So we'll have to find someone on short notice, or lose a home game.
If that's the case, screw Saban, Alabama, and Southern Miss.

(06-01-2014 03:22 PM)BurlingtonApp Wrote:  The real problem with this is that there are now reports that Alabama and Southern Miss are in talks for that game. Only problem is, Southern Miss has to drop one game for it to happen, and their trip to Boone is looking like the game that will get cut. So we'll have to find someone on short notice, or lose a home game.
If that's the case, screw Saban, Alabama, and Southern Miss.

Could have gone all day without hearing that. If that happens would be in favor of us cancelling our SoMiss trip this year.

all about the money, if SM waits long enough they probably can ask for more money, home and home, or if Alabama is desperate enough, both. Unfortunately, someone is going to be screwed, looks like App. I get why they would drop us, still sucks, hope that Bama beats the living hell out of them, and really runs up the score.

That's why you don't put buyout in G5 home and home contracts.

Similarly NMSU is being mentioned to doing a home and home with Vanderbilt.

Wonder if UMass could arrange to play in Boone for a first of a home and home in 2015.
They will need a home game in 2016 since they will not be in the MAC after 2015.

If the P5 would stop playing FCS it would free up plenty of games for all the G5 . With these added benefits:
1.higher $$$ guarantees due to less supply(with fcs off the table as an option)
2. better chance for h-h,neutral,or 2-1-1 deals with desperate lowerP5's.
3.more games--more opportunity for wins against P5's!!!

We have our FCS (or whatever game) open for 2015 but they'd have to come to us. We're already in for a butt kicking (away) from FSU and an away at UH.

(06-01-2014 03:52 PM)moehler Wrote:  all about the money, if SM waits long enough they probably can ask for more money, home and home, or if Alabama is desperate enough, both. Unfortunately, someone is going to be screwed, looks like App. I get why they would drop us, still sucks, hope that Bama beats the living hell out of them, and really runs up the score.

Zero chance that Bama plays a home-and-home with Southern Miss. Will take the hit and play two FCS before they do that.

FBS teams that could play in Boone in 2015 and still have at least 6 home games.

Houston, SMU, Tulane, Georgia Tech, Chapel Hill, Syracuse, Penn State, Charlotte, Buffalo, New Mexico, Stanford,

(06-01-2014 04:50 PM)warhawk09 Wrote:  

(06-01-2014 03:52 PM)moehler Wrote:  all about the money, if SM waits long enough they probably can ask for more money, home and home, or if Alabama is desperate enough, both. Unfortunately, someone is going to be screwed, looks like App. I get why they would drop us, still sucks, hope that Bama beats the living hell out of them, and really runs up the score.

Zero chance that Bama plays a home-and-home with Southern Miss. Will take the hit and play two FCS before they do that.

they might accept a one and one then pay the buyout

(06-01-2014 04:13 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Wonder if UMass could arrange to play in Boone for a first of a home and home in 2015.

They will need a home game in 2016 since they will not be in the MAC after 2015.

Maybe ... their OOC in 2015 is already penciled in, with buy games at Notre Dame and Colorado, hosting Temple and FIU ... the FIU series is the first, to be completed away in Florida in 2018.

Maybe they could talk to FIU about moving the front end to 2016, but they'll in any event want that 2015 date at home, because playing six home games is what lets them treat both Amherst and Gillette as home stadiums.