I think schedule making is a difficult science, especially when you are looking five to ten years out, and it takes the planets aligning for a team to do what Boise has done, both in building the program and having the schedules to be able to be in the argument for a top four bowl. However, they definitely had strategic intent and an entire state's backing to make their rise to notoriety happen. Boise is THE TEAM in Idaho, so that definitely helps to have the backing of a multi hundred thousand resident city to boost your efforts.

NIU really backed into their good fortune en route to the Orange Bowl more or less on a kismet of circumstance, and if we make it to consideration for a top four bowl, I believe it would follow that route, not via the Boise model. Hit the Meigs Gold one more time if you think we will ever hit Boise status...ever.

I like what we have done in scheduling in recent years, appearing far more strategic than in the pre-Schaus regimes, however I would like to see us pushing our degree of difficulty of non-cons in the years to come, excluding the pay dates, which by definition are intended to be a difficult game. I have no interest in playing perennial top tens for our pay dates, such as the Alabama opportunity that didn't happen a couple of years ago.

Just move the Sunbelt games to AAC/Mtn West opponents and perhaps occasionally switch the FCS opponents for CUSA/SunBelts, and I'll be happy. I'd actually be really pleased to see more MAC V Mtn West games, as I really enjoy the Mtn West style of play, and wouldn't mind making a few of those trips out west in the non-con schedule. After all, a flight is a flight, and once you have to fly the costs for charters aren't that much greater regardless of your destination, so the budget hit for the program wouldn't be that consequential.