Looking and seeing LAmar and Norfolks are in is interesting. OUr guy is pretty good at turning stones and finding those teams that are returning players that should make a run in the tourney then negotiation contracts. GIven the St Bonny pull out there would have been another one in their conference final.

Pretty sure we would all want to see a few bigger names on the road and in the Convo next year props should be given to our guy who spend smany hours looking at rosters, trends, performance and available dates and co ordinating those facts to make the schedule.

I have not had the chance to go through our schedule and see how many of those ended up in the dance or in their conference final....a little dissapointed in the No Iowa and Oaklands melt downs but Oakland was a return game IIRC.  ANyone who has done this please post.

YOu are right Mike. It all runs together a bit  after so many games....I think I got maybe  Morgan and Norfolk mixed up ???

ANyay thanks for the return. Louisville showed they were beatable but still able to get to the final. GOod read Fuss...now if we can get them in the COnvo....after beating us a few times in the last few seasons they may feel a littel smug

Gents,

Be apprised that I am thrilled at Ohio's success.  It was one heck of a memorable b-day gift.  For a while anyway, last night made me feel much younger than my years, and I am grateful.  This morning's inbox included Congratulations from friends who are grads of Ohio State, Kent State and Georgia Tech (this friend played for the Yellow Jackets). 

But, to me at least, this season's non-conf schedule was the weakest in the 48 years I've been following the Cats.  Before yesterday's game while I was attending a high school alumni association in my hometown - lots of miles on the road yesterday - my OSU friend asked if I thought OU would get an NCAA invite if the Cats lost to Akron.

My reply: "Coach Groce has taken a page from Coach Matta's scheduling approach.  Book lots of cupcakes - Houston Baptist, for example - to pile up early season wins.  But then Coach Matta can count on points for winning conference games, whereas Coach Groce can hope to win in the lesser-regarded MAC.  So, no."

I am not advocating not scheduling any Kennesaw States, Mariettas or NC A&T's, but I'd like to see the non-conf schedule dotted with more than one - Louisville - indisputably tough opponent. 

And, yes, I'd like to see a return to booking a quality tourney each season, the likes of the Stanford Invitational, Carrier Classic, Big Island Invitational, Great Alaska Shootout, etc - all tourneys Ohio has played in and several of which it has won.

Meanwhile, Go Cats.  Do yourselves proud in Round 1.

With the MAC West in the shape it is in you can afford one of these on the schedule not four.  We sort of got screwed by Wright State and Portland being much worse than they have been but the four teams above are exactly where they were expected to be.

Now that being said, it was the losses to Toledo and EMU that doomed our at large hopes not the OOC schedule. If we had won those two games we would be staring at a 29-5 record, a mid 30s RPI and about a 10 seed. Keep winning and we should start being able to get bigger and better teams to visit the Convo.