Why does MSU have by far the weakest out of conference schedule in the SEC?

[digdawg]

Does this bother anyone else? I just looked at other teams in the conference for2012and we have the weakest schedule by a country mile. Among the weaker teams in the conference, Vandy plays Northwestern and our bowl opponent, Wake Forest. Those are two games that are way harder than any of our OOC games. Ole Miss plays TEXAS and UTEP, both are better than any team on our OOC schedule. Kentucky plays Louisville. Arkansas is probably adding another game but at least they have Tulsa right now (Texas A&M was their OOC game in 2012 but they became a conference game for them so they have an excuse).
Such weak OOC scheduling is good for the head coaches job (because seemingly most fans see a bowl game and are seem happy even with a 2-6 record in the SEC) and for the AD's job security, but it seems terrible for us as fans. I wish we would play at least one decent OOC game each year like every other team in the SEC. It just seems exceedingly weak that we don't. Sure, we are in the tough SEC but so is every other team in the SEC and they all do it. Next year is year 4 of Mullen's tenure. It seems like it is time.

 

[digdawg]

Does this bother anyone else? I just looked at other teams in the conference for2012and we have the weakest schedule by a country mile. Among the weaker teams in the conference, Vandy plays Northwestern and our bowl opponent, Wake Forest. Those are two games that are way harder than any of our OOC games. Ole Miss plays TEXAS and UTEP, both are better than any team on our OOC schedule. Kentucky plays Louisville. Arkansas is probably adding another game but at least they have Tulsa right now (Texas A&M was their OOC game in 2012 but they became a conference game for them so they have an excuse).
Such weak OOC scheduling is good for the head coaches job (because seemingly most fans see a bowl game and are seem happy even with a 2-6 record in the SEC) and for the AD's job security, but it seems terrible for us as fans. I wish we would play at least one decent OOC game each year like every other team in the SEC. It just seems exceedingly weak that we don't. Sure, we are in the tough SEC but so is every other team in the SEC and they all do it. Next year is year 4 of Mullen's tenure. It seems like it is time.

 

[dawgstudent]

win 6 games+. Whatever it takes to get there every year.

 

[seshomoru]

Why do some of our fans ask questions that our AD has been answering every year for the last three years?

 

[harrydawg.sixpack]

Good Lord man, what concerns you about this?

Let me tell you this, if it makes you feel better, IF we go undefeated, we should be in fine shape to play for a National Chamnionship. Does this make it OK?</p>

 

[redbird4state]

Bowls are all that matter.

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

And I really don't have a problem with it.

The only thing I don't understand is that we have much, much, much, much higher expectations in other sports. Namely basketball.

 

[Foronce]

i have no problem with it.

the way i see it is we play lsu, bama, a&m, arkansas, and auburn ...who the 17 does boise st play?
People don't hold SEC teams out of National Championship games anymore ...it is all about the wins


as for as fans go, that is just stupid ...enjoy a bowl trip on new years day rather than going to texas in september and texas coming here the next year


MSU, OM, Vandy, and Kentucky have no business playing good ooc teams ...that is their ad's fault, if they do

 

[RobbieRandolph]

I mean, it was even explained THIS WEEK by Stricklin in an interview in the NE Journal.

 

[Hanmudog]

Do we not play enough top 15 teams for your liking? Hell we played 5 of them this year. Until we have a program that can challenge for a national title (which will be never) give me cupcakes every year.

That ridiculously hardschedule we played in Mullen's first year is the reason we weren't in our third straight bowl game this season.

 

[seshomoru]

We will pretty much always have enough home SEC games that are interesting and "big" enough to generate a ton of excitement on campus. I don't really need some big out of conference game to make me feel like I'm getting my money's worth. In fact, I kind of like playing somebody from the SWAC or a bi-directional. I still get to tailgate and enjoy the company of friends I don't live near, and sometimes, chilling at the tailgate with the kids while watching on TV is kinda nice.

 

[starkvegasdawg]

Every team plays cupcake OOC games. It is just the SEC gets lambasted about by the national media because we dismantle their crappy conferences year in and year out in the NC game...when they can get a team in the NC game. If the Alabama's and LSU's want to schedule tougher OOC games let them. I completely agree with those that said all that matters are wins right now. With our SEC schedule we need all the breathers we can in between those games. As for UM playing TX next year...it is the first time in a while they have played a decent OOC team. They are usually fighting to the end to get wins against the Southern Illinois and Jacksonville States. If they want a 50-0 drubbing by TX to go with all their 50-0 drubbings in SEC play then more power to them.

 

[PBRME]

Yeah. Let's go back to having a top 10 toughest schedule in the country every year. It worked so well for us when we were going 3-8. Winning is what brings in money and top recruits. I'll take 4 patsies and a bowl game.

 

[AssEndDawg]

Lose two or more and you don't play. The Out of Conference schedule is meaningless and can only hurt you.

 

[Johnson85]

when UM took a mediocre at best football team to the cotton bowl while we sat at home with a mediocre team and the hardest schedule in the nation.

Pretty sure UM will be wishing they had our out of conference schedule this year, although they did manage to schedule a Texas team that will probably be as beatable as they will ever be.

 

[Coach34]

....LSU actually did also come to think of it, but went OOC to do it.<div>
</div><div>Much like Bama, LSU, and Auburn consider us an easy W when they play us, we need some easy W's ourselves...our RPI will be fine come bowl season</div>

 

[EmoryBellard]

I'll take 3-4 doo-doo games a year, and make a bowl. Any bowl an SEC school makes is going to have a decent OOC team.

Playing the likes of Oregon, WVU, GT, etc in regular season? Pass. I'll gladly take them in a Bowl.

 

[ckDOG]

Who in their right mind would want to beef up the OOC schedule and have our reality be that the exceptional season is a trip to the B'ham or Liberty Bowl? We played just okay this year and we got to play in a half decent bowl - if that's just an average year for us from here on out, I'm totally okay with that.

We should keep the patsies on the schedule for a very long time. The only argument for beefing up the schedule is if we ever get snubbed by a BCS at-large bid because our 10 regular season wins weren't enough. Then, it's time to make OOC upgrades. Plus, if there's ever some freak miracle season where we went undefeated with our crap OOC, we still go to the national championship game. 9 SEC wins would be more than enough assuming the conference doesn't crap out - which won't happen.

ETA: Let's also not forget that we were 1 overtime period away from sitting our arses at home for bowl season this year.

 

[engie]

have the home/home series with USM coming up that I, for one, am concerned about.

If you are honestly proposing that we beef up the OOC schedule, I have to believe that you haven't followed State football for very long. Tough OOC games were a staple of the previous regime here. LT made it almost impossible for Jackie to sustain success with the powerhouses he brought in to play against every year, and that was LONG before the sec west was the powerhouse that it has now become.

Follow Ole Miss in the upcoming years and let me know how the "beefing" OOC schedule model works out. They've practically scheduled themselves out of contention through 2019 in the OOC. Of course, in several recent seasons, they've had the easiest schedule possible, by getting Vandy, Ky, and Tn from the east...

 

[Coach34]

We played 3

Beefing up the OOC with Saban, Miles, and Petrino in the West right now would be insane

 

[Todd4State]

if you are playing for a National Championship if you are MSU. The thing is, in that regard- playing an easier schedule helps us because once again, we do not have the depth as a team to play the SEC, a team like West Virginia which just skulldrug Clemson in the Orange Bowl, and a team like Georgia Tech who is pretty darn good and has a tough offense to get ready for. On top of that, we did play La Tech which had a very good season and made a bowl.

Now, why do I say it is easier for us to win a National Championship with an easier OOC schedule? Because let's say just for the heck of it we have a dream season- like 1980 or 1999. If we happen to win the SEC with a 13-0 or 12-1 record, it is easier to do so and have a season like that with a OOC like we have and we are still likely going to go to the BCS Championship Game because of the conference that we play in. It is easier because we will be able to build up depth and rest starters and things like that with an easier OOC schedule, not to mention the obvious easier opponents. Doing that gives us a better chance against the LSU's and Alabama's of the world. And playing an easier schedule will not hurt us all that much BCS points standing wise. The SEC is that good. It just is.

And yes, I know that is unlikely.

Playing a difficult schedule doesn't benefit us at all. It would benefit someone like USM. Even at the gate- we can find ways to attract people to those games- it's not hard. A losing team also doesn't draw well. We have to continue to build up our depth and go to bowl games if we want to continue to be relevant and change opinions about MSU football.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

..in the last 20 years, MSU has played:


1) Texas (3 times counting Cotton Bowl).


2) Oregon = twice.


3)BYU = twice.


4) Oklahoma state = twice.


5) Baylor = once.


6) Houston = at least twice.


7) Georgia Tech = twice.


There are more; these I just recall off the top of my head.


So please with the "weakest OOC schedule" crap.


After playing the aforementioned, I welcome a weak OOC schedule.


To answer your question, "Why does MSU play a weak OOC schedule?"


Because we've 17 EARNED a weak OOC schedule.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Maybe you'd like us to make them our Spring Game opponent?

 

[Mjoelner]

once? I remember they backed out of the home-and-home but I thought we went back and played them there twice. I'm probably wrong though. Too lazy to look it up.

 

[nsvltndog]

for someone like Boise orWest Virginia. Alot of folks have suggested Kansas State as a possible opponentsincetheir President was on staff at MSU until he took that job. That would have been perfect MSU timing for them to pop on the schedule this season while rolling through the Big 12 for thefirst time in over a decade.If we had played and lost to someone like one of these teams,we would havemissed the Music City Bowl or any other bowl game. I think the day is coming when we will have an opportunity to have the luxury of scheduling some tougher OOC games again, but it is not here yet. If the SEC ever goes to 16 teams which maycreate a 9 game SEC schedule, that day may never arrive.

 

[The Peeper]

.

 

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

I had a much better time at the Music City Bowl and playing a bunch of OOC cupcakes than I did at the bowl we went to when we played the most difficult schedule in the country and went 5-7. I have a hard time seeing your point of view...primarily because I can't get my head that far up my ***.

 

[Topgundawg]

on this:

Bama, Tigers, Pigs 1,2, and 6 in final standings not to mention the other cupcakes we played Bulldogs, Cocks, Tigers (Last years ****** defending champions) I don't even like us playing 17ing Troy next year.

One of these days the black bears may figure out how to win a game and Kentucky might find a QB. Not to mention it was not
long ago the Vols kicked ***. A&M has retooled and will be looking at us for a win next year.