That just caught my eye BDR and I can't let that one go. In the last 20 years FSU has won about 70 more games than has the opponent for Tenn you like to trot up the flagpole....UCLA. Bama in that time played PSU a couple of years and OU in a home and home but other than that you sure don't want to compare Bama's non-con opponent's record to that of FSU.....UF's annual non-con foe. Also in that 20 year span UF has played Miami three times and Syracuse once (Fiesta Bowl that year). It's an argument you just cannot win BDR.
Is this the MCG that discounts the Irish success because it was long ago? How does FSU measure up over the last 5 to 10 years? For that matter, I think most of your detractors are not as concerned about strength of schedule as they are the fact that Florida hardly ever leaves the confines of the Southeast. Is that a bad thing? Not really. But they have the attitude: "Why should we have respect for a program that won't come to our area to play games?" I can understand that attitude. Doesn't make it right or wrong. I just understand it.
Tom nailed it. Its' not the strength of your schedule as much as your seeming unwillingness to travel outside of conference games. You guys mock Boise. Try playing them in Idaho in November. Try BYU at altitude. Go out to USC or UCLA. Try BC on rainy October day. Tenn has traveled. So has FSU. Auburn. Try it sometime.... against a real opponent.
Answer: Who knows??? They should not as their focus should be on those teams playing lesser schedules. Question: Why would anyone demand a team playing one of the most (perhaps the most) difficult schedules over the last few seasons ..... play an even more difficult schedule?
Who's demanding? Who said anything about "more difficult"? Take a risk sometime. Schedule a home-and-home with an unfamiliar opponent. Replace FSU or Miami with a similar team from another conference. Cross a few state lines. Nice attempt at spin, though.
Of course I realize that you know I am not the one debating with BDR. However, I want to state that everyone that knows ANYTHING about me knows I wouldn't bring a knife to a gun fight. It would be more like me to bring a howitzer to a derringer fight. 8)
Answer: Any change to the UF OOC (note conference schedule is set by the SEC) schedule will result in a more difficult schedule as …. game against FSU can’t/won’t be dropped and a change in any one or more of the other 3 guaranteed-win-versus-a-cupcake OOC games will, without a doubt, yield a more difficult schedule. Question: Who's demanding? Who said anything about "more difficult"?
Well Texas traveled to UTEP, Wyoming and to UCF on home/home why can't UF do something like that??? I understand your point about the UF/FSU matchup, before the B12 came about there was no way in hell that Texas/OU were not going to play even during some of the OU down years after Switzer did anybody say we need to get a better team on the schedule. It just isn't happening. There are a lot of Div 1 programs out there that you could do home/home with and not make the schedule more difficult.
Answer: Because there's no need to increase the difficulty of one of the most difficult schedules in the FBS and ...... it would not be good stewardship of the UF athletic programs' financial resources to alter the current football OOC scheduling philosophy in a fashion that would decrease revenues to the University's Athletic Assn. The Assn's stakeholders are UF, its boosters, and UF's student athletes ....... not some college football fan in Iowa, Wisconsin, etc wanting "better" games to watch on TV. Question: "Well Texas traveled to UTEP, Wyoming and to UCF on home/home why can't UF do something like that???"
So if I understand correctly, your argument is that the winners of the other BCS conferences simply have a playoff at the end of the year to have the honor of playing the SEC champion for the MNC? That would also solve the BCS formula argument I guess.
I forgot you guys (UF) are pikers when it comes to football revenue compared to Texas so you have to scrape every nickel you can out of the football program. Oh well not everybody has all the advantages of Texas, big stadium, sell lots of mechandise, lots of fat cat alums to donate money, etc. It allows us to schedule who we want where we want and not worry about going broke, I guess that's what UF worries about. Oh yeah and we support lots of non-revenue sports as well and pay Mack Brown even more than Urban Meyer. Maybe you guys could take out dead peasant insurance policies on all the oldsters in Fla to make up the revenue streams you need to be in the same league as Texas and be able to schedule a team trip every year to some place cool. Texas Alums love to get out and see another area of the country, the trips to places like Wyoming, El Paso, Fla (UCF) all sellout.
Only since FSU has slipped so much. Until several years ago FSU was better than USC most years and we play them all the time.
You know you folks must not have much to do if it's time to take on the Gator schedule again. I'm sorry if we don't do it like Notre Dame, Texas, USC, Tennessee or whoever. It seems that lot's of people want to hold up their way as to how the Gators should do things. Here's a news flash that I think has been covered above but ignored. Year in and year out the Gators have a strength of schedule that is among the toughest in the nation. We fill our stadium. We are on National television as much as anyone. Our program is in fine shape. Our out of conference strength of schedule matches most schools but probably isn't as tough as some. But no matter what we would do it wouldn't satisfy some of you. I think I'll go somewhere else for the afternoon.
You're just collateral damage Bill! Sorry about that! Gaeterz always brings up that bit about you guys can't do it because you can't afford, which is pure BS. He is right that the schedule is plenty tough and I personally never think you guys need to play a "tougher" schedule. I do think you should play some of those lower ranked teams that you bring in for home games on a home/home basis. I certainly don't think you need to add Ohio State or USC or Texas to your OOCS as long as you have FSU on the schedule though.
Terry, I know that you are one of the most open minded people here on every topic and I appreciate your thought. The home and home game thought is legitimate but is not likely to happen. It is true that we have expanded the stadium and facilities and rely on the money from those home games for paying for them. However I am like you in that it's not a strong argument. However it is as strong or stronger than the usual nonsense about the Gators out of conference schedule being weak when it is not. Bottom line is that the Gators schedule like they do because it is best for us and we can. Something like Notre Dame not being in a conference and having their own network for home games. It's best for Notre Dame and they can do it. Notre Dame will continue doing what is best for them and the Gators will continue doing what is best for us. Same for Tennessee, Texas, Nebraska, Miami when they left the ACC, Pitt who now seems about to leave the ACC, whatever two teams might join the Pac 10 etc etc etc But I know I can get carried away in attempting to discuss this with people who's minds are closed so it's better for me to try and ignore or be elsewhere for a bit. Excluding you of course Terry who does see the bigger picture.
Terry .... I don't think I've stated in my posts .... ever .... that the UF UAA "can't afford" to change its OOC scheduling philosophy but that it has chosen not to change in an effort keep as many games as possible in Gainesville ..... with the objective to maximimize revenues. It's simply a good business decision. Now re your comments about UT-A's scheduling philosophy .... I took a look back at the schedule difficulty for UT-A over the last 10 seasons and noted the following .... which may indicate there was a need for a modification therein: 2009 - 14 2008 - 3 2007 - 46 2006 - 25 2005 - 7 2004 - 14 2003 - 26 2002 - 23 2001 - 52 2000 - 97 with the cumulative average ranking as follows: 2009 - 30.7 2008 - 32.6 2007 - 36.3 2006 - 34.9 2005 - 36.5 2004 - 42.4 2003 - 49.5 2002 - 57.3 2001 - 74.5 Now .... I'll give you the same data for UF: 2009 - 6 2008 - 2 2007 - 3 2006 - 1 2005 - 27 2004 - 32 2003 - 2 2002 - 7 2001 - 15 2000 - 1 Cumulative average: 2009 - 9.6 2008 - 10.0 2007 - 11.0 2006 - 12.1 2005 - 14.0 2004 - 11.4 2003 - 6.3 2002 - 7.7 2001 - 8.0 2000 - Now ... WRT your statement ..... What would this accomplish and whom would it benefit? Why forgo the substantial financial benefits (for both the university and the surrounding supporting community) of playing a home in a 95+K seat stadium ..... to play in a 40K or 50K seat stadium? Why deny 80K of your fans/boosters the oppotunity to watch their team play in their home stadium ..... so 5-10-15k of your fans/boosters can watch their team play in a small stadium in some out-of-way locale? IMO, it would be nonsensical. Now .... I realize many folks will make the same old stale argument that UF won't travel ........ but it just doesn't matter to anyone who does matter. There's just no objective and substantive basis to support a change in UF's scheduling philosphy. There's just too much data to support UF continuing the status quo, with maybe a small tweak every so often to get Miami on the schedule as that benefits UF recruiting in South Florida.
First I never inferred that Texas played a tougher schedule than UF. 2nd If UF feels that they are so pinched for money that they have to wring every possible penny out of their football program possible, then fine. As far as going on the road out of region/conference 1 time per year, unless UF fans just love watching blowouts against teams like the Citadel or Charleston Southern, then fine again. It's just that Texas finds it's way to meet all of those obligations you stated for UF, and actually get of the region/confernce and have a nice road trip. We bring those same teams back to Austin. Good for all parties. Lord knows there are plenty of teams out there who are just as worthy an opponent as Charleston Southern and heck maybe UF fans would have even heard of them before. Also I don't advocate UF play a tougher schedule by putting FSU and Ohio State on the schedule, but why not Indiana instead of Charleston Southern on a home/home basis?