To play a national power or not to play a national power

Brett Vito · September 3, 2012

DRC Monday column: UNT must hope tough loss doesn't sap momentum

VideoEagle · September 3, 2012

I'm still asleep this morning. Brett wrote we are 1-42 against ranked teams and I can't remember who the 1 is. I didn't think Tennessee was ranked when we beat them.

I do remember something to the effect of averaging 22k for six home games would cut the need for a money game. Of corse, you start with the "six home games" part.

GrayEagle · September 3, 2012

The ranked team was San Diego State in the mid 70s.

vpackrats · September 3, 2012

Good article by Brett. I don't mind playing one money game a year. Not two and definitely not three. But one game against a Top 20 school is fine by me. It's cool to experience campuses such as LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Clemson, etc when you normally might not get to experience a historic school like that. Next year we have Georgia and 2015 we have Iowa. Two more places I am looking forward to visit for the 1st time. It's a great way to see the country & meet new people. I can tell you the LSU folks were about the friendliest people we've seen at any of our trips. We got stopped at about 5-7 tailgates while walking to see Mike the Tiger's enclosure by people giving us free beer, shots & telling us to eat some of their food. And, they'd be "offended" if we didn't. Great fans!

Anyway, back to the point. Sign me up for one national power per year...

GTWT · September 3, 2012

Money. National exposure (albeit as a sacrificial lamb). And recruits want to come to a program where they will on occasion play Texas, LSU, Alabama, & Oklahoma. Those are all good reasons to schedule top-10 teams. Plus some day we'll win one of those games.

island eagle · September 3, 2012

The question is not whether you schedule them, but when and where and how many?

VideoEagle · September 3, 2012

The question is not whether you schedule them, but when and where and how many?

Exactly! I'm from Texas and still like the idea of playing UT and/or OU every few years. But not every year and never two of those teams in the same year.

UNTcrazy727 · September 3, 2012

I'm down for playing one top 25 team a season, but this business of playing a top 5 team every year is a little much.

DT 90 · September 3, 2012

The players love these games. They get tested by the "best". How many O-lines can say they didn't give up a sack against BOTH Alabama and LSU? or a defense that has more sacks against these same two teams? That means something and the confidence carries through the entire season.

VideoEagle · September 3, 2012

The players love these games. They get tested by the "best". How many O-lines can say they didn't give up a sack against BOTH Alabama and LSU? or a defense that has more sacks against these same two teams? That means something and the confidence carries through the entire season.

Excellent point. But would last years team liked to have one more win more than playing well in a lopsided loss?

GrandGreen · September 3, 2012

Playing one guaranteed game a year is fine, it gives a good measure of your program, provides exposure, and believe it or not is a treat to most players. It also creates an unbalanced home schedule and provides a lot of money for the program.

Odds are stacked against ever winning, particularly if you continue to play LSU, Alabama, UT and OU. However, I think a game like this is much preferable to a TSU home game which IMO does nothing for the program.

I don't like these games being the first of the year, and I certainly wouldn't be opposed to playing team a notch lower such as Iowa or Clemson for example. However, I doubt the financial rewards are comparable.

Eastwood Eagle · September 3, 2012

I'm down for playing one top 25 team a season, but this business of playing a top 5 team every year is a little much.

I agree.

There is a big difference in playing Alabama and LSU compared to Iowa and Kanas State.

We need to start playing the latter. It may lead to a pay cut, I'm not sure, but it gives us a fighting shot, especially if the team keeps its upward trend that it appears to be on.

Green Mean · September 3, 2012

For now say no to money games to the super mega big fishes that are shooting for national championships. But mid to lower level BCS teams in which you may still get a check albeit a smaller one will work for me. Schools like Wash St, Iowa St, Illinois, Kansas, Ole Miss, Miss St, almost any ACC/Big East team etc are all good ones too. The score luckily has looked respectable against LSU on Saturday and Alabama last year but we run into the wrong team that purpose wants to run up the score on us like Ok St did then that isn't worth it.

Eastwood Eagle · September 3, 2012

Begs the question- if we keep improving will the lower BCS wannabes schedule us?

What does a school like Ole Miss have to gain by opening with a potential loss, for example.

H-towngreen · September 3, 2012

I do remember something to the effect of averaging 22k for six home games would cut the need for a money game. Of corse, you start with the "six home games" part.

How about we have a 6 game home schedule and instead of getting a mill to play LSU/'Bama we take half a mill to play Ole Miss/ Miss. State

UNTflyer · September 3, 2012

We don't need to schedule these games. We should replace these Body Bag Games with another regional series like Colorado State or New Mexico State.

Evan · September 3, 2012

Good article. I think the big issue is fan base growth. Just as Brett said, potential fans might not get past the 41-14, but most fans of the mean green will see what was done with a young team. The highlight reels showed us sacking their QB, and thats positive press. SMU was blown out by an unranked Baylor, Houston was beat by Texas state. I feel good going into week two.

Scheduling a regional series is fine, but with the CUSA schedule, and the deal with SMU, we have those in the books already. Will the fans be up for a 1-AA opponent or a Ball State or a chance to play big against an LSU, Alabama, Georgia, or Texas?

We play Georgia next year, and they will probably be ranked, so we will have the same discussion then. It is what it is...

Green Mean · September 3, 2012

How about we have a 6 game home schedule and instead of getting a mill to play LSU/'Bama we take half a mill to play Ole Miss/ Miss. State

That could be done but I believe RV has stated that by adding an extra home game still won't compensate the payday we would get from the LSU's and Bama's of the world. I think for us not to get the body bag games the overall revenue streams from fans buying tickets/joining mg club will just have to increase and that too by a significant number.

SilverEagle · September 3, 2012

The players love these games. They get tested by the "best". How many O-lines can say they didn't give up a sack against BOTH Alabama and LSU? or a defense that has more sacks against these same two teams? That means something and the confidence carries through the entire season.

Excellent points, and very encouraging regarding the mental state of our current team(s). You've not been here when the games were beat-downs from the very beginning. And instead of getting out there and trying to win, many of our previous teams would just give up....and subsequently so would the fans....and students.

I'm also wondering if the other thing that this current team likes by playing the LSU's and "Bamas" of the world is getting to play in a real college football game atmosphere. With real traditions and real college pageantry going on around them.

Green Mean · September 3, 2012

I'm also wondering if the other thing that this current team likes by playing the LSU's and "Bamas" of the world is getting to play in a real college football game atmosphere. With real traditions and real college pageantry going on around them.

Years and decades of winning and lots of it creates traditions and college pageantry. Without winning there is no pageantry and stuff.

SilverEagle · September 3, 2012

Years and decades of winning and lots of it creates traditions and college pageantry. Without winning there is no pageantry and stuff.

I respectfully disagree. What you're suggesting puts all the pressure on the coaching staff and players. That's very unrealistic.

What I've been making reference to is the school officials (and loyal and dedicated alumni volunteers) who are in charge of establishing a real game day atmosphere with lots of real college pageantry and school traditions. Winning only enhances it.....but it has to exist in the first place.

Students and fans come to the game to watch their team win. But what keeps them coming back (especially in lean times) is their participation in, and being part of (or feeling that they are a real part of), the total game day experience.

During the decade of my High School attendance (60's) the butt of everyone's football jokes was Texas A&M. Their 60's record was this..

1960--1-6-3

1961--4-5-1

1962--3-7

1963--2-7-1

1964--1-9

1965--3-7

1966--4-5-1

1967--7-4

1968--3-7

1969--3-7

They were a JOKE! Yet you wouldn't find a school with more loyal fans. One of the main reasons was that the students and fans were made to feel like they were a real part of the A&M game day traditions......which they consistently adhered to......even in very tough times.

Edited September 3, 2012 by SilverEagle

FirefightnRick · September 3, 2012

I respectfully disagree. What you're suggesting puts all the pressure on the coaching staff and players. That's very unrealistic.

What I've been making reference to is the school officials who are in charge of establishing a real game day atmosphere with lots of real college pageantry and school traditions. Winning only enhances it.....but it has to exist in the first place.

Students and fans come to the game to watch their team win. But what keeps them coming back (especially in lean times) is their participation in, and being part of (or feeling that they are a real part of), the total game day experience.

During the decade of my High School attendance (60's) the butt of everyone's football jokes was Texas A&M. Their 60's record was this..
1960--1-6-3
1961--4-5-1
1962--3-7
1963--2-7-1
1964--1-9
1965--3-7
1966--4-5-1
1967--7-4
1968--3-7
1969--3-7

They were a JOKE! Yet you wouldn't find a school with more loyal fans. One of the main reasons was that the students and fans were made to feel like they were a real part of the A&M game day traditions......which they consistently adhered to......even in very tough times.

Excellent post, and exactly right.

Rick

GrayEagle · September 3, 2012

We don't need to schedule these games. We should replace these Body Bag Games with another regional series like Colorado State or New Mexico State.

Unfortunately, flyer, we do need them. I wish it weren't so but until we can establish a fan base (tickets sold) of 15,000 with comparable student support we are likely going to need money games. That, or vastly increased donations to the Mean Green Club.

Continue a campaign to increase pagentry and student involvement and soon your comment will be spot on.

greenminer · September 3, 2012

A&M won 9 SWC titles before the 1960s, including 3 (4 if you count 1917) undefeated and unscored-on teams that have been titled National Champions by either the AP, NCF, or Billingsly polls/selectors.

DT 90 · September 3, 2012

Excellent points, and very encouraging regarding the mental state of our current team(s). You've not been here when the games were beat-downs from the very beginning. And instead of getting out there and trying to win, many of our previous teams would just give up....and subsequently so would the fans....and students.

I'm also wondering if the other thing that this current team likes by playing the LSU's and "Bamas" of the world is getting to play in a real college football game atmosphere. With real traditions and real college pageantry going on around them.

Ryan played in front of 25,000 in high school and was raised going to A&M and Baylor home games. He would play the game on a peewee field with lawn chairs on the sidelines. It doesn't matter to him. He did have a blast at Alabama last year though.

Edited September 3, 2012 by DT 90