I guess you are going to have to settle for a team that has the following goals. 

1.  Win 7-8 games a year
2.  Have 5 of those wins come from teams that rank 100-120 nationally (thus have a SOS near 120)
3.  Lose 1-2 games a year against teams that are ranked near the bottom nationally
4.  Get pounded in the money game
5.  Almost win the MAC east- or win it and then lose badly in the MACC
6.  Make a bowl game that loses the University hundreds of thousands of $$
7.  Then look completely unprepared in the bowl game thus assuring that #6 stings that much more

Hey, you have to admit it sure does beat going 1-11. 

The reality is that up until now Ohio has lacked the skill players to take us to the next level.  There hasn't been a dominate back here for about 5 years (which is odd given Solich's history at Nebraska) or that truly special quarterback that can elevate this program.  True, we have had some special WR's but that doesn't matter if you don't have the guy that can make them shine.  Boo Jackson finished with some shiny numbers but all those INT's and then the late off the field matters really hurt his overall effectiveness.   The facilities are coming.   I just hope a special QB/RB are not too far behind.  

Agreed, OCF.  It is really hard to complain about SOS after the showing we had against Troy.   How on one hand can you complain about losing to Kent and then turn around and ask for a tough schedule?  I would rather go into MAC play with a 3-1 record against teams that are beatable then come into league play with a banged up demoralized 0-4 team.   

Coming from the guy that posted "I'M ON A BOAT" no less then 8 times in 8 different threads.

LOL!

I agree it sometimes seems like we have the same arguements over and over.  But that is because nothing is ever resolved.  I tend to agree with the "upgrade" and "they (players and fans) will come" approach.  How can you get enough 3 star rcruits with Wofford and Norfolk?  How can fans get excited?

I suppose they haven't come, but give Miami credit.  On the gridiron and in hoops, they don't seem to have a problem with an "upgraded" schedule.  They seem pretty competitive in the MAC with those tougher schedules.  And, I think most on this board would have traded their FB/BB schedules this year for ours! 

 

It's a ship, sir!  A boat is something carried on a ship. 

Great post. This is being part of the solution. I would pay extra to see Virginia. Book it.

The games you mentioned are all one-way games for Ohio. I think Louisville would be a very nice home-and-home if they would agree to it.

Yawn!!!           Bobcat Love is back!  I'll see ya'll next year around football season.

BL, I don't understand what this magic elixur you so regularly opine for will cure. Suddenly if we begin scheduling better OOC opponents what will we have- better attendance in Peden? higher poll rankings? better bowls? more fan support? I would like to see bigger names too, but I don't think it makes any significant difference.

Lets start with attendance-  How big of a difference will scheduling 1 "quality" opponent in Peden each year make on attendance? Our 2 biggest games ever in Peden were against UConn (24,617) and Pitt (24,545), by comparison, our biggest game this year was against Wofford (22,955). Two Big East teams drew 1,500 more fans then an FCS team. Is that the magic number to determine success? Would 1500 more fans, once a year, suddenly make OHIO football a nationally respected program? Or maybe it's a residual effect, attendance for other games in Peden will be higher after a big name comes to town. Well, lets look- attendance for the next home game after UConn- 16,018; after Pitt- 16,721, and after Wofford- 19,455. Nope, that's not it.

How about higher poll rankings? Before our last game OHIO, Fiami and Toledo all had 1 conference loss. In OOC OHIO was 2-2 with a "make-BL-angry, BL-smash" schedule and Fiami and Toledo were 1-3 with "respectable" schedules. And yet OHIO was the highest ranked of the 3 and the only one to get a vote in the AP, even though we lost to Toledo. Looks like thats not as important to voters as getting blown out on ESPN by Arizona and Boise St.

How about better bowl bids- Not a chance. ask Temple about their wins over UConn and Army, and playing Penn State tight, and how that helped them get a bowl game. Winning MAC games and improving our 0-5 bowl record is the only way to get to a bowl and get better bowl offers.

Then it must help build fan support- Conference championships and bowl wins are how you build fan support, not OOC scheduling. Do you think NIU fans are not celebrating their bowl win because it was "tainted" by a win against N Dakota?

Nobody is saying they wouldn't like to see bigger named opponents on the OOC schedule. But, this annual temper tantrum about it is beyond rediculous. If you're honest with yourself you'd agree that we aren't at the level yet to regularly compete with BCS teams, not even lowered tier ones. Sure, we might pull an upset once a decade (see Pitt) but what is the long term effect of that? Its nothing substantial, nothing near what winning 7-9 games regularly, regardless of the opponent, has done for our program.

Let's focus on getting good enough to not get trapped by a bad Kent State team two years in a row, win a MACC, and beat a bad Marshall or average Troy team in a bowl. THEN we can start crying about our OOC.

Ding, ding, ding, ding.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

See my notes above.  In the vein of the love, I self-appoint them to be tremendous points.  I agree with me.

Those who disagree are serious idiots and have never made a trace of a good point.

The nth thread on the same topic with the same thoughts is definitely needed.

It's good to be the love.


I may be an ass more than is necessary, love, but at least I'm not an ass about it.