Bear Down Wildcats

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... ome-series

Home and home with Mississippi St 2022-2023.

That could be fun.

Are they SEC?

Greg Byrne connection?

Finally an out of conference road trip worth taking! Excited to see what MSU is all about!

Hell yeah. MOAR!

Ih8assu wrote:Finally an out of conference road trip worth taking! Excited to see what MSU is all about!

lol Starkville, Mississippi is a road trip worth taking?

Em southerners know how to BBQ.

Will there still be football in 2022?

ElGatoBlanco wrote:

Ih8assu wrote:Finally an out of conference road trip worth taking! Excited to see what MSU is all about!

lol Starkville, Mississippi is a road trip worth taking?

Haha in the sense of those SEC folks can throw a party. Had a blast at LSU and while I would rather see the scene at ole Miss this will have to do. It sure beats UTSA or whoever we visit this year.

mississippi state is probably the least good road trip. 2nd smallest stadium with one of the smallest fanbases and worst programs in the conference in the smallest town in the conference. it's in bumf*ck mississippi...nearly any other sec team would've been a better road trip.

GB is throwing a bone to the Bullies.

About fucking time.

I though everyone was certain GB was opposed to scheduling a power5 school.

Anyone notice these games don't take place until after GB collects that oil money? Is it a change in philosophy, or is GB just throwing the fans a bone while leaving it for the next guy?

MSU is probably one of the few schools that would do this deal. So it's probably as good as we are going to get. All of the other top SEC schools are trolling for cupcakes to fill their OOC game slots.

wyo-cat wrote:MSU is probably one of the few schools that would do this deal. So it's probably as good as we are going to get. All of the other top SEC schools are trolling for cupcakes to fill their OOC game slots.

LSU is another who isn't scared to come out west.

You're right - LSU will come west. I can't think of many nowadays.

2022-2023? Well that is a good time out. I'm glade for it, but it will be a long wait.

Sort of surprised we aren't scheduling FAU, FIU, UCF, USF and UL-M, UL-L, Tulane. Those fit the philosophy, AND are where the coaching staff wants to be.

Ih8assu wrote:Finally an out of conference road trip worth taking! Excited to see what MSU is all about!

I'd probably go to New Orleans for a few days then drive to Starksville

The hits keep coming. SDSU 2021 and 2022 home and home. Ugh.

It's fine if that's our mid-tier game - it's in a recruiting base, good trip for the fans, etc. The problem arises when that becomes our premier OOC game, which it's very likely to be.

azthrillhouse wrote:It's fine if that's our mid-tier game - it's in a recruiting base, good trip for the fans, etc. The problem arises when that becomes our premier OOC game, which it's very likely to be.

It kills me some fans are ok with this.

Who's to say that Mississippi St won't be on top of the SEC in 8 years?

ElGatoBlanco wrote:

azthrillhouse wrote:It's fine if that's our mid-tier game - it's in a recruiting base, good trip for the fans, etc. The problem arises when that becomes our premier OOC game, which it's very likely to be.

It kills me some fans are ok with this.

EGB, are you saying that you think we should have 2 OOC games a year with a team in a higher strata than SDSU?

azgreg wrote:Who's to say that Mississippi St won't be on top of the SEC in 8 years?

That is a good OOC game and I look forward to it (in 8 years).

In the meantime here is what we have to look forward to:
2014: UNLV, @UTSA, Nevada
2015: UTSA, @Nevada
2016: BYU (Glendale), Grambling St.
2017: Houston, @UTEP
2018: BYU, @Houston, UTEP
2019: @Hawaii
2020: Hawaii, @BYU
2021: SDSU
2022: @SDSU, MSU
2023: @MSU

Sprinkle in NAU a few times in there too (which years I am not sure).

There are possibilities in a few of those years to add something. I hope they do, and that it's a team from a power 5 conference.

azthrillhouse wrote:

ElGatoBlanco wrote:

azthrillhouse wrote:It's fine if that's our mid-tier game - it's in a recruiting base, good trip for the fans, etc. The problem arises when that becomes our premier OOC game, which it's very likely to be.

It kills me some fans are ok with this.

EGB, are you saying that you think we should have 2 OOC games a year with a team in a higher strata than SDSU?

No, just one is fine, but the problem is some fans are totally ok with having SDSU being the highest strata we play OOC.

azgreg wrote:Who's to say that Mississippi St won't be on top of the SEC in 8 years?

Historical evidence?

azgreg wrote:Who's to say that Mississippi St won't be on top of the SEC in 8 years?

they won't be.

ElGatoBlanco wrote: No, just one is fine, but the problem is some fans are totally ok with having SDSU being the highest strata we play OOC.

Gotcha. I was gonna say, it's not realistic to think we can book 2 games a year better than SDSU, and it's debatable as to whether it would be wise even if it was realistic.

I agree with you that if SDSU is the best OOC game on the schedule, that's disappointing to say the least. Looking at that 2018 schedule where we're already filled up with mid-majors is depressing.

It feels like we might be setting our OOC schedule based on the "old world" rules where going undefeated is the surest way to the natty. In the "new world" playoff, that's not going to be the case (supposedly).

yeahh..right now the highlights of the next 10 seasons on the ooc are mississippi state/byu/houston/nevada/hawaii. sdsu would probably right now be our 3rd biggest opponent.

azthrillhouse wrote:

ElGatoBlanco wrote: No, just one is fine, but the problem is some fans are totally ok with having SDSU being the highest strata we play OOC.

Gotcha. I was gonna say, it's not realistic to think we can book 2 games a year better than SDSU, and it's debatable as to whether it would be wise even if it was realistic.

Yeah I absolutely wouldn't want to play two games in the OOC against teams higher than the SDSU strata, but one over the next 8 years sure would've been swell. Who's our marquee OOC game this year? Nevada?

ASUHATER! wrote:

azgreg wrote:Who's to say that Mississippi St won't be on top of the SEC in 8 years?

they won't be.

You're more than likely right. However, there were times when all the great teams were bottom feeders.

Put SDSU on the schedule as well in 21,22.

CBSSports had the headline of "Aztecs, Sun Devils agree to series..."

I'm torn on whether I like the Arizona Sun Devils or not.

SDSU?

I like it.

In 8 years, who here thinks RR and GB will still be here? I don't, especially GB. I think once your confident that your program can always win 5 conference games, you then schedule one tough OOC home and home.

I have always thought if you go with that game plan you schedule high profile programs and make it a no lose situation. Schedule a upper tier team from a bcs conference.

azcat49 wrote:In 8 years, who here thinks RR and GB will still be here? I don't, especially GB. I think once your confident that your program can always win 5 conference games, you then schedule one tough OOC home and home.

I have always thought if you go with that game plan you schedule high profile programs and make it a no lose situation. Schedule a upper tier team from a bcs conference.

Both RR and Byrne have significant financial incentives to stay at the University for the next 8 years. I doubt that either is going anywhere.

This scheduling philosophy is RR's, not Byrne's. While I would love to see tougher OOC scheduling, I'd like a Rose Bowl more and if this is how RR thinks we can achieve a Rose Bowl, then I'm all for it.

CalStateTempe wrote:Are they SEC?

By 2022/2023 who knows where they will be

Coop Cat wrote:

CalStateTempe wrote:Are they SEC?

By 2022/2023 who knows where they will be

Likewise for many of us. I hope to be back in Tucson living the retired dream

Looks like this subject hasn't yet carried over from that other board; our weak OOC schedule.

More ammunition for the case. Wilner put together a list of Pac12 OOC schedules listing only "marquee opponents" (those that have a relatively higher strength of schedule rating).

Wilner puts us in the same class as OSU and Utah, but I would say we have the weakest going into the next 10 years.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegespo ... more-36033


ARIZONA

Brigham Young: 2016 (Glendale), 2018 (home) and 2020 (road)
Mississippi State: 2022 (home) and 2023 (road)

ARIZONA STATE

Notre Dame: 2014 (home)
Texas A&M: 2015 (neutral)
Texas Tech: 2016 (home) and 2017 (road)
LSU: 2022 (home) and 2023 (road)
Michigan State: 2018 (home) and 2019 (road)

CAL

Northwestern: 2014 (road)
Brigham Young: 2014 (home) and 2017 (road)
Texas: 2015 (road) and 2016 (home)

COLORADO

Michigan: 2016 (road)
Nebraska: 2018 (road), 2019 (home), 2023 (home and 2024 (road)
Minnesota: 2021 (home) and 2022 (road)

OREGON

Michigan State: 2014 (home) and 2015 (road)
Virginia: 2016 (home)
Nebraska: 2016 (road) and 2017 (home)
Texas A&M: 2018 (home) and 2019 (road)
Ohio State: 2020 (home) and 2021 (road)

OREGON STATE

Michigan: 2015 (road)
Minnesota: 2017 (road) and 2018 (home)
Boise State: 2016 (home)

STANFORD

Notre Dame: 2014 (road), 2015 (home), 2016 (road), 2017 (home), etc
Northwestern: 2015 (road) and 2016 (home)
Virginia: 2017 (road) and 2018 (home)
Northwestern: 2019 (road), 2020 (home), 2021 (road), 2022 (home)
Brigham Young: 2020 (home), 2022 (home), 2023 (road), 2025 (road)

UCLA

Virginia: 2015 (home)
Brigham Young: 2016 (home) and 2017 (road)
Texas A&M: 2016 (road) and 2017 (home)
Oklahoma: 2018 (road) and 2019 (home)
Rutgers: 2020 (home) and 2021 (road)
LSU: 2021 (home) and 2024 (road)
Michigan: 2022 (road) and 2023 (home)

USC

Boston College: 2014 (road)
Notre Dame: 2014 (home), 2015 (road), 2016 (home), 2017 (road), etc
Texas: 2017 (home) and 2018 (road)
Brigham Young: 2019 (road) and 2021 (home)

UTAH

Michigan: 2014 (road) and 2015 (home)
Brigham Young: 2016 (home) and 2017 (road)

WASHINGTON

Illinois: 2014 (home)
Boise State: 2015 (road)
Rutgers: 2016 (home) and 2017 (road)
Wisconsin: 2018 (home) and 2021 (road)

WASHINGTON STATE

Rutgers: 2014 (Seattle) and 2015 (road)
Boise State: 2016 (road) and 2017 (home)
Wisconsin: 2022 (road) and 2023 (home)

Michigan doesn't want to be our slampig?

Like what ASU, Rado, and UCLA are doing OCC wise.

CalStateTempe wrote:Michigan doesn't want to be our slampig?

Like what ASU, Rado, and UCLA are doing OCC wise.

ASU actually has BYU scheduled as well. I personally do not think BYU is much of a "marquee" matchup in this day and age, but they were listed as just such a matchup for UA, Cal, UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Utah; so I figure it bears mentioning that ASU has them scheduled as well.

Scummy Dick Douglas wrote:

CalStateTempe wrote:Michigan doesn't want to be our slampig?

Like what ASU, Rado, and UCLA are doing OCC wise.

ASU actually has BYU scheduled as well. I personally do not think BYU is much of a "marquee" matchup in this day and age, but they were listed as just such a matchup for UA, Cal, UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Utah; so I figure it bears mentioning that ASU has them scheduled as well.

Understood. But, you subtract BYU and what have we got? Miss State. Pretty weak.

Greg Byrne during a twitter Q&A said that after the next two years they are trying to get a team from a "Power 5" conference on the OOC sched every year. I hope it happens, BYU isn't the type of competition that's going to put butts in the seats. Especially when you consider our current trajectory.

Greg Byrne on future scheduling.

Arizona Wildcats athletic director Greg Byrne is "going to gear up" the football team's non-conference schedule now that coach Rich Rodriguez is settling in for his third season.
Byrne made the comment while appearing in-studio at Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix on Thursday.
Arizona doesn't have a non-conference opponent from another Big 5 conference -- ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, in addition to the Pac-12 -- on its schedule until 2022, when the Cats begin a two-game series against Mississippi State.

Arizona has one of the softest non-conference schedules in the Pac-12 this season, opening at home vs. UNLV, followed by a trip to Texas-San Antonio and a home game against Nevada.
"I told Coach Rodriguez when we hired him that we were going to give him a few years to get going," Byrne said. "We felt that was needed. That is why you have seen some of the non-conference games early on that you have. But we're going to gear that up a little bit going forward."

"We're talking to about three other Big 5 conference schools to add to the schedule," Byrne said.
Going forward, Arizona's scheduling philosophy is moving toward what it was through much of the Dick Tomey years -- one major conference school, a "mid-major" school and then a lower-division school, such as NAU from the Football Championship Subdivision.

"We like playing Northern Arizona," Byrne said. "It's good for the state."

Here are Arizona's future non-conference schedules:
2014: UNLV, at Texas-San Antonio, Nevada
2015: Texas-San Antonio, at Nevada
2016: BYU (Glendale), Grambling State
2017: Houston, at UTEP
2018: BYU, at Houston, UTEP
2019: at Hawaii
2020: Hawaii, at BYU
2021: San Diego State
2022: at San Diego State, Mississippi State
2023: at Mississippi State

From the Pac-12 Blog on ESPN:

An anonymous Huskie in Cougar Land writes: Why can't Pac-12 teams schedule good opponents? Other than Oregon playing Michigan St and UCLA playing Texas, I can't count another Pac-12 team playing a team from a power five conference with a winning record. Why do we have to be such wimps? It's quite simple why nobody thinks the Pac-12 can compete with the SEC: they don't play anyone good! Imagine Oregon playing Alabama. Or Stanford playing LSU. If they played tougher opponents, they would not only get the credit they need - and want - but could also vault themselves into national prominence.

Kevin Gemmell: You might notice a trend … and that’s other schools ducking out of their obligations to play Pac-12 teams. It takes two to dance, otherwise you're just pulling a Billy Idol. The Pac-12 has been willing. But their partners haven’t been.

Like, for example, Texas A&M recently leaving Oregon at the altar, or Georgia pulling out of its Oregon game a few years ago. Or Notre Dame trying to get out of its obligation at ASU. By the way, this is the second year in a row that three teams from the Pac-12 play Notre Dame. Wouldn’t consider them wimps. And for what it's worth, Rutgers and Virginia are a couple of Power-5 teams that look bowl-bound.

But to ease your concerns, here are a few matchups we have to look forward to in the coming years (all information via fbsschedules.com):


•Arizona: Mississippi State in 2022 and 2023.
•Arizona State: Michigan State in 2018 and 2019; LSU in 2022 and 2023.
•Cal: Texas in 2015 and 2016; North Carolina in 2017 and 2018; Auburn in 2019 and 2020; TCU in 2020 and 2021.
•Colorado: Michigan in 2016; Nebraska in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024.
•Oregon: Michigan State in 2015; Nebraska in 2016 and 2017; Ohio State in 2020 and 2021.
•Oregon State: Michigan in 2015; Ohio State in 2018.
•Stanford: Notre Dame annually.
•UCLA: Texas A&M in 2016 and 2017; Oklahoma in 2018 and 2019; LSU in 2021 and 2024; Michigan in 2022 and 2023.
•USC: Notre Dame annually; Alabama in 2016, Texas in 2017 and 2018.
•Utah: Michigan in 2015.
•Washington: Michigan in 2020 and 2021.
•Washington State: Wisconsin in 2022 and 2023.

We really need that Power 5 OOC match-up to happen soon, because compared against the rest of the league outside of the Washington schools, we look downright pathetic with our OOC schedule over the next decade.

I don't understand giving these minor schools a 1 and 1. Isn't the norm a 2 and 1?

Merkin wrote:I don't understand giving these minor schools a 1 and 1. Isn't the norm a 2 and 1?

I don't mind playing in Texas or Nevada since we should be recruiting those states hard. Even if it's a school that isn't in a Power 5 conference.

Merkin wrote:I don't understand giving these minor schools a 1 and 1. Isn't the norm a 2 and 1?

Maybe it's a money thing. Going there means you don't have to pay them to come here. Also, you get to play in front of some recruits in the area.

ASUHATER! wrote:

azgreg wrote:Who's to say that Mississippi St won't be on top of the SEC in 8 years?

they won't be.

You were saying.....?