What I am going to say will irritate a few people who post on this website. The Huskies non-league schedule, although very ambitious is just asking for trouble. Maybe the NI administrators mandated they play three money games as the Utah game is home or possibly at Soldier Field? They could very well win a game, but Vegas will probably have them under dogs in all four. If they lose all four and are fortunate to win six in the league, then they probably won't play in the post season. Of course maybe that is not high on their list of goals, but most college athletes want to play in bowl games. It is one of the reasons they put in countless number of hours during the season and in the spring and summer. I'm guessing the Huskies coaching staff is not licking their chops over that schedule.
Or here's an idea ... rather than scheduling to automatically make a bowl (i.e. Howard, UMass, etc) ..... maybe have faith in your program and no fear.
LIne up the big boys ... Iowa, Utah, Florida St, BYU in 2018
And again in 2019 ... at Nebraska, at Utah, at Vandy
And again in 2020 ... BYU (at home), at Maryland, at Iowa
I think going to a recruit and saying that we'll play that kind of schedule .... AND we'll be in the hunt for the MAC West and MACC every year sells a lot better than .... say .... we'll play Howard, UMass, FAU, UL Lafayette and Texas St ... AND we'll go to the Potato Bowl!!!!
Gimmie the NIU approach over the Ohio approach every day of the week.
NIU didn't get to become the premiere program in the MAC and the dominant program in this league the last 8 years by loading up on games vs. FBS punching bags and wins over the MAC East.