Unless the NCAA agrees to add a week to the schedule, the chances of you guys getting a big name school to play is slim. Here is a thread that dealt with this briefly. http://www.tigerforums.com/showthread.php?t=26879
Not sure what rock you've been under, but the 12th game is now a reality. Here's the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801872.html BTW, what do you mean YOU guys? What makes you think Auburn has a better chance of drawing a big name opponent than we do?
I think most coaches would prefer to play big name OOC opponents earlier in the year. It's going to take 2-3 years before most schools can schedule quality home and home series that fits their schedule. It's also going to be chaos with some schools trying to back out of existing games.
But they didn't add an extra week to the schedule, so teams will have to fit this 12th game into their bye weeks. LSU has 2 bye weeks this season ... 9/17 and 10/29. The new 12 game schedule means we'll be playing 12 games in 13 weeks.
Aubie16 makes a lot of sense. This will be much harder than we all realize. To use this upcoming schedule as an example, that would mean we would have to schedule the 12th game either between the Arizona St and UT game or between AU and Appl. St. You would have to find an opponent with the same open dates and I am pretty sure they wouldn't put another real good team between the Sun Devils and Vols. However, that would mean adding the game in place of the second bye week would make LSU play 10 straight weeks not counting the SEC CG if we were to make it. In 2006 the bye weeks are between N. Illni/Miss ST and the second one is between Auburn and UT. We would have to play 8 straight Saturdays if we replace the first one, 9 if we played on the second bye week, plus the SEC CG if we made it. This will be some very tough decisions.
Ideally, I would like to see LSU schedule the following: 1 team that will most likely be a top 20 team. The 12th game should be used to secure these teams, as almost all would have to be home and away. Teams that I would include on this list are historically top flight teams like Ohio St, Mich, FSU, OK, TX, VT, Miami, and USC. I would also include teams that may have fallen on somewhat hard times but have the tradition and desire to return like ND, Neb, Penn St, or A&M. I wouldn't argue teams like Wis, Iowa, Wash, Maryland. 1 team that would be a top 40 team, most likely 21-40. This is the next tier of teams who may pop up, but are usually outside of the top. Many of these would have to be from traveling teams from non-BCS conferences like Fresno St, So. Miss, Bowling Green, Boise St. and I'm sure there are other solid, but not spectacular teams. A few home and aways could be reserved for mid-level teams from BCS conferences like a Minn, BC, Iowa St, . 2 teams from the top 80, most likely 41-80. These would always be home games. They might fall out of this range, but I would prefer not to schedule the really bad teams from the bottom third of Div I or AA teams if possible. I don't think trying to establish a long term rival is desirable from a scheduling perspective because of the constraints it would place on scheduling other good teams. I would like variety in the schedule.
I haven't been under any rock. I am well aware that the 12th game has been approved. I was talking about an extra week to the schedule to give schools more flexibility. Nothing makes me think we have a better chance of drawing a big name opponent. I never implied that. I am on an LSU forum, and you are talking about YOUR schedule, so i said yall will have a hard time. Never said we wouldn't either, I just didn't bring it up since this thead has nothign to do with Auburn. Calm down a little bit man.
Unfortunately, who we fans want to see our team play... and who we will actually get are two vastly different things. This is about MONEY, it's about assuring your school 7 home games, upping the season ticket prices to see your team beat the crap out of some pansy on some bye week you have before an important game. Now if any of the big boys can schedule another big boy on a home and away, it will ONLY be done if ABC agrees to make it a national TV night game or something similar. They could have added rules to the 12th game... like add another league game, don't play more than 1 Div II school, etc.... but they didn't. They now encourage adding Div II. Why....'cuz that was the intent from the get-go.
