I know this has been a heated debate on here in the past and that there are many schools of thought, but I personally have really liked the scheduling strategy we have had.  I know the games in Peden have not been all that sexy, but they have delivered wins and attracted more fans.  You can argue that having bigger schools come in, would drive greater attendance, and I would agree.  However, you cannot argue that are current scheduling strategy to detrimental to that based on the actual results.  We have gotten wins and national attention with our current scheduling strategy and that in turn has attracted more fans.  People like winners and I have felt strongly for a while now that Schaus has simply been trying to provide wins to grow our base level of supporters and get people in the stands. 

Now with the success we have had and the significant growth in our attendance Schaus is thanking the fans by providing 7 home games this year.  This is unheard of in the MAC and at most Mid-Major programs.  We are able to do it because our home games are actually generating revenue for us now.  We have very winnable games on the schedule this year along with the key game against Louisville, where if we win we will be in a great position to garner national attention again next year.  I don't know that a more challenging schedule last year or this coming year would or would have provided that same opportunity as a loss would have removed us from all conversation.

With that said, I do believe the program is getting to a level that we need to begin looking at challenging ourselves and providing our home crowd with some quality or at least big name opponents that are winnable.  That is why I was very happy to see, and I don't remember this being mentioned in a previous discussion, that we have Kansas and Cincinnati on home and away schedule in the future.  It is not posted on our site, but I found it at http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/mid-amer/ohio-bobcats.php.

Here's how I see our current approach to our 4 non con games-

#1- BCS team. Paycheck game. always played away. This game can be maximized by selecting regional BCS teams (B1G and ACC) that are tough but winnable. Avoid top 10 power houses.
#2- FCS team. Easy W. always played at home.
#3- Marshall. Home/Away series, good competition, good for local interest/rivalry
#4- Non AQ, below avg to poor. 1-1 with very beatable non AQs in regions not heavily recruited by Ohio. 


I'm ok with the first 3 but the key is how we approach #4. I would like to see us migrate that 4th game to a below avg to poor regional BCS team that would give us a 1-1.

Its more than just the names on the schedule that has to be considered. Ohio is capable of dominating a mid tier D1 conference like the MAC with its brand. The Bobcats would be over their heads in the SEC or Big Ten. Ohio would be like Vanderbilt or Wake Forest with a marginal improvement in recruiting. My point is the program would be much better off racking up a ton of wins and MAC Championships to attract next level recruits. I would stick with the formula with the exception of trying to play the money game in Cleveland every other year instead of always at a neutral site. Ohio should sign for example Iowa to a 1 for 1 with a game in Cleveland. Could we possibly get a 1 for 1 from Tennessee or Kentucky using Cleveland? I'm surprised we don't continue to play Temple every year because that is a quality upper tier non-AQ matchup to go along with the Marshall series. Marshall is going to roll through the new CUSA with all the FCS upgrades so that will be a solid for the schedule. Marshall, Temple, Kentucky and a FCS school would be competitive but winnable non-conference every year. 

Temple in the Big East is what Marshall is to CUSA a decent opponent but not great. Is it better than playing North Texas and New Mexico State for our fans? Definitely. I know we have Kansas 1 for 1 on the schedule and Cincinnati now non-AQ. That is another idea on the schedule; could we be talking to schools like Houston and East Carolina for 1 and 1's because they may be blackballed from playing CUSA.  Before Ohio would only play Marshall from CUSA but now since those schools are in different conferences it could make sense to play Marshall, a Big East school and a Big Ten money game. As an upper tier MAC school in a bowl game every year we shouldn't have a problem finding schools to play us 1 for 1 in the Big East.

If Cincinnati another school in the Big East can play us 1 for 1 so can Temple.

Miami has been burned by Missouri and Boise State this way.

I'd like games against any of the 3 academies home-home. Even lowly Army would be more compelling than Louisiana-Lafayette, New Mexico State, Idaho, etc.