According to an article in yesterdays Daily Disappointment here in OKC, OU is having trouble trying to fill it's schedule next year. According to Joe Castiglione, OU's AD, " We have tried to schedule series with several schools from power conferences including USC, LSU, Virginia, West Virginia, Syracuse, Clemson, Miami, Minnesota and Pitt. Many prospective opponents were unwilling to play OU which has compiled a 48-6 record the last four seasons." "It's tough! Most people won't play us! Believe me, we have checked everybody in the USA. The bottom line is there haven't been a lot of takers, for obvious reasons." according to OU coach Bob Stoops. In another article about Derrick Strait, the writer (Berry Tramel) praised strait on his play in the Sugar Bowl but claimed that "many of his teammates were lethargic" against LSU. I don't know about you guys but they didn't look too lethargic to me. They just looked like they knew their butts were whipped. And if I remember correctly, didn't we try to schedule OU to fill in the VT slot? GEAUX TIGERS!!!! :geaux: :helmet: :lsug: :helmet: :geaux:
There were talks between the two athletic departments but both schools wanted a home game. The problem for LSU is that they didn't want a home-and-home. LSU didn't want to concede an additional away game (2004 or otherwise) just because VT postponed. And that Bob Stoops quote is BS. There are plenty of schools that are more than willing to take on anyone (see UCLA, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Arizona State, Ohio State, Washington, Miami, Notre Dame) Most talks for home-and-home's fall through because of logistics and money, not fear of playing a tough opponent.
Coach Stoops has just given all 11 of his regular season opponents next year prime bulletin board material. I hope it comes back to bite him in the azz.
Most if not all of these "we tried to schedule LSU but they refused" stories (heard this from SC as well) are not true. LSU can't and won't do non-conference home and home series the next few years b/c the AD needs the revenue that 7 home games will generate (at $1 mil a pop); this will not change until other revenue streams come on line over the next 3-5 years (club level suites, etc.). I know it sucks b/c no other "big" school will do a one and done game (and on the road, for that matter). This will, thankfully, change soon enough, though. "Lethargic"? What the hell kind of team has a month to get ready for a national championship game, only to come out "lethargic"? Look, OU had a nice little run there for about 4 years in which their aggressiveness, speed and atleticism plus very aggressive and cutting-edge coaching would overwhelm their opponents. Other "big" schools have caught up and now OU is one of a few great teams as opposed to being more or less alone as a dominant one. Without question they have been the most consistently good team in the country since 2000 or so, but "acting like you've been there" applies just as much to losing as to winning. Mark Richt and Georgia, for example, took their SEC CG beating in stride, gave LSU kudos and vowed to return next season. THAT'S what grade A, championship-level programs do: take wins and losses with eqanimity. That game in Athens is gonna be a barn-burner, that's for sure!
Quote: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark Richt and Georgia, for example, took their SEC CG beating in stride, gave LSU kudos and vowed to return next season. THAT'S what grade A, championship-level programs do: take wins and losses with eqanimity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You got that right. Stoops can't seem to get over it, his team isn't the best of all time. I think that quote really got him to believe they were better than they really were. Give credit to Richt and Georgia for showing class. Most of the OU fans were classy but thier coach has no class..... NONE........ I hope whomever they play next year use that quote as bulletin board material and bites OU in the ass. LSU has been just as good as OU since 2000 IMHP, we just weren't ranked as high!
We actually net over 2.5 mil when we play a marquee game at home according to Radovich(?). Richt has handled it much better than Stooooooooops but of course we did beat them twice.
In response to Purple Jungle, I know what the reason was why we wouldn't/couldn't play them, but the article was written in such a way that it was made to appear that LSU and these other schools were simply afraid to play Big Bad OU because they were afraid they'd get their butts beat. It didn't go into any explanation for the real reason. And I really had to laugh at Tramel's "lethargic" statement! I found the whole thing too comical not to share. GEAUX TIGERS!!!!! :geaux: :helmet: :lsug: :helmet: :geaux:
After the Tiger Vision fee passed, we got a Cyberchat from Skip in which he stated that the new seat license will allow LSU to begin scheduling prime time "home and home" series. So, it is on the agenda to schedule some prime time matchups in the future. One of the problems will ALWAYS BE the "Va. Tech" scenario. We'll NEVER go anywhere first unless there's a HUGE buyout of the second game. With respect to Oklahoma, the A.D. also has to ask itself, "Is this an attractive away game that LSU WILL sell all of its ticket allotment for?" My group LOVES to do away games. We did Va. Tech two years ago, N.D. 5 years ago, and try to do 2 SEC away games every year. Frankly, I could care less about going to Norman, Oklahoma. I'd love to do a USC. FSU or Miami. Being a UMich alum as well, I would DEFINITELY make a game in Ann Arbor as I suspect most on this board would do as well. Ohio State wouldn't be bad either. But, even though they have good teams, the thought of going to Norman or Lincoln just isn't that appealling to me.
