Question of the Week 5/28/12

[superhornet]

Sorry I'm late with this. Let's try it one more time. Maybe last week's topic was bad.

Given the dearth of peer teams in our area, what is the best way to craft an OOC schedule? Play up? (Body bag game or low-lier?) Play down? (D-II or lower nobody or national power?) An in-conference "OOC"? One of each? Bite the "travel money" bullet and go back East?

 

[OldGreen67]

I would actually love to see us play CA schools. SDSU, U San Diego, SJSU, Fresno St, UCLA, CAL, Stanford (again), USC (OK maybe leave SC out) and throw Humbolt a bone. It would be cheaper travel as well as allow more Sac State fans a chance to see that our level of play isn't that different from the lower/mid level FBS.

 

[SDHornet]

:+1:
I’d be ok with another trip to Vegas too.

 

[superhornet]

OK. That sounds good, OG. I particularly like USD. SDSU might be asking for a big loss, but perhaps not; they seem to go in cycles, and even getting spanked by them would be nothing compared to U$C. SJSU shouldn't have much of a problem scheduling us, though Cal and Stanford might. Stanford seems to go in cycles, too, so they might be beatable if we catch them at the right spot (probably a couple of years from now).

SD makes a good point, too, if one can handle the heat of Lost Wages (temperature and the temptation of the Strip).

Anyone else?

 

[SDHornet]

OK. That sounds good, OG. I particularly like USD. SDSU might be asking for a big loss, but perhaps not; they seem to go in cycles, and even getting spanked by them would be nothing compared to U$C. SJSU shouldn't have much of a problem scheduling us, though Cal and Stanford might. Stanford seems to go in cycles, too, so they might be beatable if we catch them at the right spot (probably a couple of years from now).

SD makes a good point, too, if one can handle the heat of Lost Wages (temperature and the temptation of the Strippers).

Anyone else?

FIFY

 

[superhornet]

:lmao:

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

If we play FBS teams it will be to the highest bidder. I dont think SJSU has any $$$, therefore, we wont be playing them for awhile, same with Humboldt and USD at the D2 and FCS level.

 

[iSac]

I would actually love to see us play CA schools. SDSU, U San Diego, SJSU, Fresno St, UCLA, CAL, Stanford (again), USC (OK maybe leave SC out) and throw Humbolt a bone. It would be cheaper travel as well as allow more Sac State fans a chance to see that our level of play isn't that different from the lower/mid level FBS.

Spot on, OG67.

I like to see Sac play up to D1 schools within a reasonable drive. We’re lucky to have several in the area. Fresno State, Cal, SJSU, Stanford, and UNR would all be good ones to rotate through. Games there make for an excellent day outing.

FCS or FBS programs in So Cal would be a 2nd choice. We have some recruiting reach down there, so it’s good to stoke the presence.

Other MWC, WAC, or Pac-12 schools would be a 3rd choice. Good to play as they are recognized for the most part, but they become more of a true body bag game. Lower tier schools in those conferences can of course become wins, but those are more of a stretch... not forgetting OSU in 2011 of course!

If a D2 were thrown in for some reason, then our Nor Cal CSU brothers in Humboldt would be a solid choice. Others have no real interest locally, and would seem like a hole on the schedule.

Good question, SH.

 

[ChiCity]

If we play FBS teams it will be to the highest bidder. I dont think SJSU has any $$$, therefore, we wont be playing them for awhile, same with Humboldt and USD at the D2 and FCS level.

SJSU just hired the AD from Boise and he will support the football program. They just gave the head coach an extension and SJSU is on the rise, which will put butts in the seats. They also have the Silicon Valley support, which means some serious dollars coming to the program, so even though they may not pay quite as much as a PAC 12 school, it would be a good game to schedule (and close to Sacramento).

 

[superhornet]

If we play FBS teams it will be to the highest bidder. I dont think SJSU has any $$$, therefore, we wont be playing them for awhile, same with Humboldt and USD at the D2 and FCS level.

SJSU just hired the AD from Boise and he will support the football program. They just gave the head coach an extension and SJSU is on the rise, which will put butts in the seats. They also have the Silicon Valley support, which means some serious dollars coming to the program, so even though they may not pay quite as much as a PAC 12 school, it would be a good game to schedule (and close to Sacramento).

That would be good if it weren't for the fact that many at SJSU have delusions of grandeur. They only scheduled UOP (back when UOP had football) because it was a rivalry game. (At the time, the Big West as a I-A football conference was Sagarin-rated BELOW the Big Sky.) They probably won't even admit that UOP won the last UOP-SJSU tilt, which was on THEIR field, no less. As far as I'm concerned, SJSU-Sac is a peer game (SJSU being FBS-INO), but they won't see that.

Yes, good game close to Sac, ensuring a good traveling fan base, but it probably won't happen because they're so delusional. While I agree that a pro-football AD will support their program, I'm fairly certain that if they continue to get pressed in the on-going conference realignment, they'll take the Don DeRosa coward's way out, essentially saying "FCS is beneath our dignity," and take their ball and go home.

Of course, I've taken that response beyond the scope of the thread.

 

[GoldenEagleHornet]

Sac can definitely get it's name out a lot more in this state. Schedule games against any football team willing to play regardless of classification.

NAIA
Menlo College

DIII
Cal Lutheran
Chapman University
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College(s)
La Verne University
Occidental College
Pomona-Pitzer College
Redlands University
Whittier College

DII
Humboldt St
Azusa Pacific University

FCS
You know who they are.
Only one needs to be added to the schedule.

FBS
You know who they are
Sac St should rotate OOC games at the 3 other CSUs each season.

 

[superhornet]

Azusa and Cal Lutheran are divisional powers; that could prove dangerous. I'm not sure about Menlo.

Regardless, D-III is probably a little TOO far down if we have to play down. Not much benefit to be derived from that, even as a break from a big FBS game. The only way I could condone it would be to make the D-III a mid-season game as the traditional Homecoming patsy that seems to have gone out of style. And even then there would be issues with it.