FAU - smart scheduling

[stebo]

I just logged into the Owl's board to see how they were feeling about their loss to OSU and I found a post on their future scheduling. I tell you what, Schnelly isn't stupid, he makes the BCS schools play at their house FIRST. Who knows when (if ever) Air Force will give us our return game to Denton... and there have been more games like that over the years. Now we did get SMU to come to Denton first, as well as Tulsa... and I doubt that La Tech will pull out of the game, lol.. they can't afford the plne travel anywhere else. Last I heard they were gonna have players caravan to Denton to save money, hehehehe.. but I wish that we could get a few home and home BCS games. FAU is pulling it off somehow... maybe it is because Schnelly has some friends in the football world, maybe it is because everyone thinks that they will be an easy win, maybe it is that everyone wants to get a piece of that Football Recruiting pie... I am not sure... but the fact is, they have three home and home series with high caliber BCS teams (Okie State, Michigan State, and Minnesota) over the next five years - and they got each team to come to Florida first. Okie State is a 2 for 1 deal, but they got an ESPN game out of it - that alone is worth the extra trip to Stillwater. Pretty impressive stuff from our Sun Belt newbie:

2006

Sep 2, at S. Carolina

Sep 9, at Clemson

Sep 16, at Oklahoma State

Sep 23, at Kansas State

Sep 30, at Louisiana-Monroe*

Oct 14, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE*

Oct 28, ARKANSAS STATE*

Nov 4, at Middle Tennessee*

Nov 11, TROY*

Nov 18, at North Texas*

Nov 25, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL*

2007

Sep 8, at Oklahoma State

Sep 15, MINNESOTA

Sep 22, at Kentucky

Nov 17, at Florida

2008

Sep 13, at Michigan State

Sep 20, at Minnesota

2010

Sep 11, MICHIGAN STATE

2011

Sep 3, at Florida

Sep 10, at Michigan State

[greenminer]

interesting find. what can we learn from this?

-gm

[Guest Aquila_Viridis]

interesting find.  what can we learn from this? 

-gm

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We can learn that Minnesota will play somehwere for recruiting exposure. Hmm...

[stebo]

We can learn that Minnesota will play somehwere for recruiting exposure. Hmm...

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Personally, I would choose Tulsa, La Tech, and SMU over Minnesota anyday for a home and home series. But if we are going to play BCS teams for a paycheck, then we might as well get them to come to Denton and play in our home stadium in exchange (along with the guarantee for the trip there)... We might have to take less for the "payday" game; but we can adjust. Would we sell out for Minnesota? I doubt it. Would we sell Fouts out for Michigan State - likely. Would we sell Fouts out for Okie State? Abso-f'ing-lutely.

[Guest Aquila_Viridis]

Oh I didn't mean the Golden Gophers (that just cracks me up) were an appealing target, but they did go down to Tulsa last week, so they have shown their eagerness. Maybe they should change their name to the Golden Beavers. That has a lot better ring to it anyway. Plus they could develop an intriguing rivalry with Oregon State.

[Baby Arm!]

Looking at FAU reminds me of our return to Div 1A. In our first few seasons of D1 ball we scheduled Missouri, Kansas, Oregon St, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Louisvile, Arizona St, Texas A&M, Army, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech.

I think FAU getting OSU and Minnesotat to play them at Joe Robbie/Pro Player is akin to us getting games against Kansas, Army, Texas Tech, A&M at Texas Stadium in those years.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---OSU did not pound an inexperienced FAU last night and I am betting that will be noticed by the OSU coach while preparing for next year's game. He will not be expecting an easy victory. Those other I-A opponents may have noticed also.... depends on how OSU and FAU does the rest of the year.

Build the Belt.!!! competitive occ games help us greatly. Hope FIU can hold their own in Lubbock this week... the local ad here in Midland seems to be predicting a blowout.

BEAT MTSU!! (I am happy with only a one point win) They did ok last week it appears.

[Arkstfan]

I like the home/home series that Arkansas State has. Army and Oklahoma State (road 05, home 06), SMU (road 06 home 07), and Memphis (road 06, 08, home 07, 2010 or 2011). No world beaters, mostly regional or in the case of Army nationally recognized.

But I hope we have good enough buyouts to protect us in the event of a cancellation.

[theboro]

MT has home games against

Louisville '06 (at the Coliseum)

Virginia '07

Maryland '08

Memphis '09, '11

Supposedly deals are in the works with perhaps OSU and Army.

UAB bailed for next year.

[Eagle91Gator95]

2007

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[stebo]

2007

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I find this VERY hard to believe. Florida traditionally (read: ALWAYS) plays two relatively light non-conference opponents the first two weeks of the season, followed by their SEC slate, and finish with FSU. The only time I have seen them alter from this since I became associated (1993) was to add Miami.

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[OkState_Green]

As for OSU scheduling a "home and home" with FAU ... it is actually a 2 for 1. As you show, they play in Stillwater the next two years. Also, OSU has 3 or 4 starters from the FL area. Exposure sure helps recruiting. We have played OOC games either Houston or DFW several times too.

[stebo]

Here's one article that complains about their attendance for last night but mentions the Florida game in 2007. So it is not a mistake, they will be playing UF in 2007... (borrowed from the Mean and Green board):

Those unavoidable, necessary first steps. The way to neatly bypass them or speed them along has not been invented.

In life, they are an infant's first wobbly, lurching, almost comical forward movement. In college football, it is what you saw Thursday night from Florida Atlantic University, which is past the crawling stage now but not ready -- despite ambitions -- to claim a purposeful stride just yet.

''Learning to play football at the level we're playing,'' is how coach Howard Schnellenberger described the lesson.

This was the biggest game in FAU's five-season history. Its first home game in NCAA Division I-A. Against a major opponent, Oklahoma State. And with national television (ESPN2) delivering the craved-for attention.

The Owls' coming-out party, this was.

''An opportunity to see where we are in this higher echelon,'' Schnellenberger, always mindful of symbolism, had framed the context. ``This will go a long way in the introduction of our football program to the nation.''

If so, hope first impressions are forgiving.

Do you punish a baby because his first steps lack grace?

Stillwater's Cowboys, not that good by Big 12 standards, handled FAU 23-3 at Dolphins Stadium, before a crowd almost as modest as the home result: 16,421.

WHO PAID?

The students and others who showed were admirably enthusiastic, whapping plastic bats and chanting ''F-A-U!'' and working against odds to create ambience from a void of tradition, or even habit.

The crowd, though it seemed smaller than announced, was an FAU record. One wondered -- since students got in free along with members of the military, police and fire departments -- the number of actual paying spectators in the house.

No matter, though. Again: First steps. No finish line, no goal, has ever been reached without them.

FAU continues to benefit from the durable caché of Schnellenberger, who delivered the University of Miami's first national title in 1983 and two decades later unretired to birth a football program from nothing at a college in Boca Raton.

The Owls enjoy an edge over rival Florida International in their hell-bent race for the big time, beyond the fact FAU leads the series 3-0, head-to-head. Part of it is the Schnellenberger factor. Some of it is that FIU is closer to the literal and figurative shadow of mighty UM, one that seems inescapable.

FAU is positioned then, long-term, to be the interloper that finally elbows into the mix with UM, Florida and Florida State when the conversation turns to major-college football in the state. It has been CanesGatorsNoles, just them, forever.

Schnellenberger can see coming a day when his Owls are at least in the conversation, if not on the echelon.

None of those students in Thursday's crowd will still be students when it happens, presuming FAU has weeded out the latter-day Bluto Blutarskis who will be matriculating as 10th-year seniors.

The day is coming, though. Division I-A was the first major step, especially in South Florida, a market Schnellenberger knows keenly.

Small-college football works elsewhere, on quaint campuses under turning leaves. But not here. South Florida is a proven graveyard of second-tier sports teams like the WNBA, minor-league hockey, MLS soccer and indoor football.

Where Dolphins and Hurricanes play, you don't sell many tickets when Colgate and Troy come to town.

FAU gives itself a chance to at least have a chance with a Division I-A schedule. Kansas, OSU, Minnesota and Louisville are among 2005 opponents; South Carolina and Clemson are added next year.

A milestone comes in '07 when FAU plays Florida -- a first infiltration of the state's Big Three. A year after that, by which time FAU hopes to have its own on-campus stadium, the Owls add Michigan State.

The crowds will get bigger as the schedule does.

It is the belief at the foundation of everything.

It is a belief running on faith at the moment.

Thursday's gate was a letdown, ''record'' or not. FAU had heavily advertised the game. They had Schnellenberger bobbleheads, and Lee Greenwood at halftime. They promoted the game intensely on all six campuses, yet drew only about 6,000 students.

''Very disappointing,'' athletic director Craig Angelos admitted. ``I thought Oklahoma State on a Thursday night would be a bigger event.''

Excuses? Everywhere. Always.

The Patriots and Raiders were on TV in the NFL season opener Thursday night. So were the playoff-chasing Marlins.

Still.

TIME TO CARE

FAU students and alumni need to catch up to the ambition their football program has shown. Schnellenberger has not miscalculated much along his program's path to major-college status -- except maybe the most important thing of all.

Do enough fans passionately care?

It is the one question with a stubborn echo as FAU football moves forward, a step at a time.

[GrandGreen]

I just logged into the Owl's board to see how they were feeling about their loss to OSU and I found a post on their future scheduling. I tell you what, Schnelly isn't stupid, he makes the BCS schools play at their house FIRST. Who knows when (if ever) Air Force will give us our return game to Denton... and there have been more games like that over the years. Now we did get SMU to come to Denton first, as well as Tulsa... and I doubt that La Tech will pull out of the game, lol.. they can't afford the plne travel anywhere else. Last I heard they were gonna have players caravan to Denton to save money, hehehehe.. but I wish that we could get a few home and home BCS games. FAU is pulling it off somehow... maybe it is because Schnelly has some friends in the football world, maybe it is because everyone thinks that they will be an easy win, maybe it is that everyone wants to get a piece of that Football Recruiting pie... I am not sure... but the fact is, they have three home and home series with high caliber BCS teams (Okie State, Michigan State, and Minnesota) over the next five years - and they got each team to come to Florida first. Okie State is a 2 for 1 deal, but they got an ESPN game out of it - that alone is worth the extra trip to Stillwater. Pretty impressive stuff from our Sun Belt newbie:

Good point on Minn & Mich ST. I wonder if they are true 1and 1 contracts are if there are other games scheduled away against these two clubs in the future. I also hope FAU got guarantees if they change their mind.

By the way the overall schedule stinks. They are playing 13 games against power conference opponents and only two are at home. It is refreshing however to hear Schnelly positive spin relative to this type of schedule versus some other coach we all know.

Edited September 10, 2005 by GrandGreen