Well, I can't say I really disagree with this ranking, though much of it was through no fault of LSU. With Marshall, we would have been right in the middle of this list. http://www.southernpigskin.com/modu...le=article&sid=20&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Hate to bring something up non-basketball.
It's tough to get a good OOC schedule when you finally get someone decent like Marshall and they bail on us. At least we got someone from a major conference even if they aren't a power team(arizona).
I think Skip needs to realize that playing in-state schools like ULL, ULM and La Tech is much better for them than it is for us. If he feels we absolutely should play them, then don't schedule more than one a year. Rotate them over several years. We need a tougher OOC schedule!
Roating one a year was the original plan. Troy State bailed on us and we were able to move the ULM game up a year. The rotation is supposed to be Tulane, ULL, Tech, ULM...repeat.
2003 SEC OOC Schedules Boy, there are some good match-ups scheduled for this fall. Here is a list of each SEC team's big (toughest) OOC games scheduled for this fall: Alabama: Oklahoma Arkansas: Texas Auburn: Southern California, Georgia Tech LSU: Arizona Ole Miss: Texas Tech Miss State: Oregon Florida: Miami, Florida State Georgia: Clemson, Georgia Tech Kentucky: Louisville South Carolina: Virginia, Clemson Tennessee: Miami Vandy: Georgia Tech I would rank the toughest schedules as follows: 1. Florida – San Jose State, at Miami, FAMU, Florida State 2. Alabama – South Florida, Oklahoma, Northern Illinois, Southern Miss, at Hawaii 3. Auburn – Southern Cal, at Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky, Louisiana-Monroe 4. Tennessee – Fresno State, Marshall, at Miami, Duke 5. South Carolina – Louisiana-Lafayette, Virginia, UAB, Clemson 6. Georgia – at Clemson, Middle Tennessee State, UAB, at Georgia Tech 7. Mississippi State – Oregon, at Tulane, at Houston, Memphis 8. Arkansas – Tulsa, at Texas, North Texas, New Mexico State 9. Vanderbilt – Tennessee-Chattanooga, at TCU, Georgia Tech, Navy 9. Ole Miss - at Memphis, Louisiana-Monroe, Texas Tech, Arkansas State 9. Kentucky – Louisville, Murray State, at Indiana, Ohio 9. LSU - Louisiana-Monroe, at Arizona, Western Illinois, Louisiana Overall/as a whole, I think our conference plays a good OOC. Talk to everyone soon. AUDave
Ohio State had a big stink a few years ago about their policy of NOT playing in-state schools. After all the I-A schools in Ohio whined and complained Ohio State finally gave in to the pressure. Now, as tigerfan mentioned, they only schedule ONE in-state game a year. As it turned out, Cincinnati was the only non-conference team to almost upset the Buckeyes last year. It is more of a good faith jesture to the other schools in the state, but LSU should only schedule ONE in-state game per year. Otherwise you will hurt your recruiting, and the strength of schedule will show up come conference time.
Wait a minute..... How is Troy State any better for our strength of schedule than any of the in-state schools? I believe our OOC schedule would have sucked this year anyway. We need a tougher OOC schedule!
I think we were taking steps toward a tougher OOC schedule this year before Marshall backed out. I know this has been discussed here before, but in years of 3 OOC games, I'd like to see one pansy, one mid-level team (a la Marshall) and one national program. Now, I don't think Arizona necessarily qualifies as a national program, at least not on the lines of a Florida State, Michigan, UCLA, etc., but it is a major program in a major conference. As long as we have AT LEAST one marquee matchup each year, I'll be happy. But, the argument that the SEC is just too tough to play quality teams outside of conference no longer flies. Take a look at the list in the first post for proof. Oh, and for that fourth game that may now happen every year, bring back A&M!
