Reusse: Kill follows the Mason School of Scheduling; Kill still wants out of UNC game

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Every game is "relevant" in college especially when You are trying to get to 6 wins and a bowl. The Gophers SOS is #41, good enough.
 


lakesgopher said:
My question was will we have to pay unc to drop that game?
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Gonna be a dick and point out that, no, that wasn't your question. You opened it with "Did we" not "Will we" which are really different things. To answer the 2nd one, my guess would be yes.
 

GoAUpher said:
Actually, I'm going to guess Kill would argue that he doesn't think his team will be as fresh for the B1G season after playing this level of competition. That's how he's been selling it. Is that all of it? Prob not, but that's still the public face he puts on it.
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Yes, that's the angle he is going to put on it. You don't seem to completely buy it. I don't buy it. I'm sure most fans wouldn't buy it hook-line-and-sinker, so why would the team buy it? And what difference does his public rationale make? It's still wussing out, plain and simple.

But the idea of being ready for B1G play is interesting to me. I don't think we can play a home game during the State Fair. I can't say it with complete confidence, but I imagine that's why we have started on the road since TCF has opened...

Anyhow, that would mean that we'd have to sit out week 1, which opens a whole new set of issues. Our week 2 opponent would already have a game under their belt, while we'd still have to shake off the 1st game jitters/rust. And we'd have to make up the non-con game sometime during the middle of the conference season, when a week's rest would be hugely beneficial. What would be better--opening at UNC or skipping week 1?
 


SonOfTheVarsity said:
It's still wussing out, plain and simple.
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Maybe, but that doesn't mean he's wrong either. I don't like the philosophy and would prefer to keep 1 BCS on the sched each year but he does have a point about where the program is now. Also, I sincerely doubt the players care about this enough to have their respect for Kill changed. They have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves against the best in the B1G season. It's not like they aren't being challenged.

SonOfTheVarsity said:
But the idea of being ready for B1G play is interesting to me. I don't think we can play a home game during the State Fair. I can't say it with complete confidence, but I imagine that's why we have started on the road since TCF has opened...
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Previously we couldn't, b/c the parking lot contracts through this season were already signed. Starting next year we could, but it looks like the U is going to try and move the 1st game home openers to Thursday night and let the State Fair pay them to keep access on the Saturday. There is no issue with sitting out week 1 either way.
 

Interesting while watching BTN Live and they discussed what the Big 10 has to do get get back to National Championship level as a conference. They mentioned that recruiting is huge and that there needed to be Spring HS ball in the Midwest like there is in the South. They also said that the conference has fallen behind in scheduling. They said there needs to be Big Ten games in September and that doing so would market itself better early in the year. Example is that the SEC has big games televised all 13 weeks of the season. Marketing and perception play a role in scheduling. If UNLV, Syracuse, Western Michigan, and New Hampshire where spread out between Big Ten games, people would not complain as much. You could argue that there is no reason to pay attention until October. Add to it that the Vikings have played three meaningful games before the Gophers play a conference game.
 

Iceland12 said:
Bob_Loblaw said:
Sure do Bob. The problem is the people not going to the game, the bandwagon or "entertain" me fans. Say North Carolina or Eastern Michigan and it would be North Carolina hands down. Now they may be thinking "basketball" not football but it doesn't matter. One's a "name" the other isn't. There are legions of those people around here, hard to believe that you couldn't fool a few thousand of them to head over to TCF.

Besides, reading the posts on here a College Football, Gopher Football site, makes you believe that UNC is one of the major powers of the sport. If they believe that seeing let alone beating the Tar Heels is that big a deal then fooling the "great unwashed" might be easier then you think!:)
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I think that you're overestimating the drawing power of a school like North Carolina.

As someone else pointed out, New Mexico State outdrew some quality Big 10 opponents. As much of a paper tiger as it is, I think a 4-0 / 3-1 Gopher team outdraws a 2-2 Gopher team, regardless of opposition.

I just don't buy the argument that scheduling programs like North Carolina does anything for your attendence.
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popeyoung5 said:
Every game is "relevant" in college especially when You are trying to get to 6 wins and a bowl. The Gophers SOS is #41, good enough.
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I have no idea how they tabulate SOS, but is it based on your opponents and who your opponents play as well? If so, that SOS is getting a big bump from playing the exact type of team the Gophers should be playing in Syracuse, who plays #1A USC and Michigan, who played #1 Alabama.
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
Iceland12 said:
I think that you're overestimating the drawing power of a school like North Carolina.

As someone else pointed out, New Mexico State outdrew some quality Big 10 opponents. As much of a paper tiger as it is, I think a 4-0 / 3-1 Gopher team outdraws a 2-2 Gopher team, regardless of opposition.

I just don't buy the argument that scheduling programs like North Carolina does anything for your attendence.
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Maybe but your question was about UNC versus Eastern Michigan not just about the drawing power of North Carolina

Do you really think that a game against UNC is going to generate a ton more buzz than a game against Eastern Michigan at TCF?

UNC versus Eastern Michigan? Slam dunk for UNC. I was bothered more by the contract sandbagging anyway though Highwayman (I think) says that they are working it out.
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I think the benefits of at least one decent non-conf. opponent is it gives the team more of an edge and understanding of what is needed heading into the conf. schedule and a little more respect for themselves that they actually played someone. Not saying they should schedule Alabama or anything, but at least one competitive team would be good.
 

If Jerry Kill does away with the UNC series he is making a big mistake.
 

calminnfan said:
the team more of an edge and understanding of what is needed heading into the conf. schedule and a little more respect for themselves that they actually played someone.
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A theory impossible to prove with many examples to suggest otherwise.
 



I looked at last years final top 25 rankings and almost every one on the list had played another BCS team in the non-conference schedule. It took me quite a bit of time so I really don't want to go through other years, but I wouldn't be surprised if the results are similar. Some teams may have played multiple BCS teams, I just took the first one I saw.

P.S. not all of the non-conf games were "preseason" as the SEC has non-conf games throughout their season. Also the teams that play ND obviously could happen any week.

Alabama - Penn State
LSU - Oregon
OK State - Arizona
Oregon - LSU
Arkansas - Texas A&M
USC - GOPHERS
Stanford - Notre Dame
Boise State - Georgia
South Carolina - Clemson? also Navy (independent)
Wisconsin - Oregon State
Mich State - Notre Dame
Michigan - Notre Dame
Baylor - TCU
TCU - Baylor
Kansas State - Miami
Oklahoma - FL State
West Virginia - LSU
Houston - UCLA
Georgia - GA Tech, Boise State
Southern Miss - Virginia
Virginia Tech - NONE
Clemson - Auburn
Florida State - Oklahoma
Nebraska - Washington
Cincinatti - Tennessee
 

calminnfan said:
I think the benefits of at least one decent non-conf. opponent is it gives the team more of an edge and understanding of what is needed heading into the conf. schedule and a little more respect for themselves that they actually played someone. Not saying they should schedule Alabama or anything, but at least one competitive team would be good.
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Agreed. I think a balanced approach is the way to go.
 

oak_street1981 said:
If Jerry Kill does away with the UNC series he is making a big mistake.
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I wouldn't call it a "big" mistake, but I do think it'd look poor on his part to force this move. It's kinda like playing the hand you're dealt. I'm guessing we'll see our Gophers in Chapel Hill come next season, whether he wants to go there or not, considering there's money involved.
 

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