Even with this schedule, the 'Cats are a threat to make the BCS.  If Ohio comes close or makes it this year, name recognition will be on Ohio's side to where the Bobcats wouldn't need a tougher schedule next season.

Don't they only count towards bowl eligibility once every two years? So if a team goes 6-6 in consecutive years, each with a win over an FCS team, and they went to a bowl the first year, they wouldn't be bowl eligible the second 6-6 season. That's how I thought it worked. Luckily we haven't been in that position lately, and hopefully we aren't needing FCS wins to go to bowls anytime soon.

It'll be interesting to see if/how schools change their scheduling philosophies when the playoff starts in a couple seasons.

I think we'll see fewer of the present AQ schools schedule 1AAs simply because it'll be a lose-lose situation for them.  A win over a 1AA won't help their playoff chances much while a loss would really kill them, assuming a Sagarin-like power ranking is used to determine the playoff teams.  This week, for example, the highest 1AA school came in at 57 while the vast majority are below 120.  We also may see AQ-level schools scheduling fewer teams from the present non-AQ conferences because of the pressure to play more high-profile games.  They'll still schedule some, but you probably won't see an O$U schedule three non-AQs just to have eight home games.  Plus, they won't want to risk serious injuries to key players in games that have little bearing on playoff hopes.

As to the original question, sure I'd like to see us get two AQ-type schools every year, with either two non-AQs or one AQ and a 1AA.  It's really great that we're 4-0, but we're going to struggle to get recognition because of our strength of schedule (122 of 124 1A teams, the last I saw).  We'd be getting more recognition if we had wins over Penn St and even an Indiana or a Vandy or a Kansas instead of NMSU or Norfolk.

I think the ranking in the polls isn't due to our 4-0 record. At least, not directly. There are a lot of undefeated teams at this point in the season.

I honestly think it's the favorable press regarding us that's appeared in the preseason, along with the stories on CNN, ESPN et.al. that have us labelled as a bracket buster.

I think it's a lot like the Gartner Group and their rankings. They say you don't have to pay them any money to be in the rankings, and such... and while that's certainly true, they don't take a week to examine your company and all of it's products and the overall strategy... they'll use 4 or 5 spare hours.

Is it the same?

Sort of.

The same areas are ranked, and discussed. It's just the DEPTH of analysis and discuss that varies.

So, to finish my thought, I think at this point in the season the voters aren't really doing their due diligence. They'll start looking around week 7 or so....

Until then, Rumor and Innuendo will substitute for facts.

Thank goodness, the rumors are favorable.

-john

Would love to see a game at WF or Duke or even ECU, heck I just want Ohio to come South so I can actually see them . I almost went to the Ohio Volleyball game at NC State just to see some Green and White. 

Almost?

Go! Those are Bobcats, too!

-john

I made the trip last time we played down there.  70 degrees at kickoff, in the 30s in the 2nd half.  Somewhere around 100 points scored in that game.