1A's don't bother me since it's who you play that really matters.
Playing Oregon, Cal, etc is not the way to go. Sure you approach those games like any other, thinking that you have a chance to win, but in reality they are scheduled losses. Playing New Mexico, Idaho, UNLV, San Diego State, etc is ok. These are games where there is a realistic chance to gain a victory.
I have seen, either on this board or on Oregonlive, where someone said we should schedule from the Great West Conference. Well a couple of these teams are probably better than the New Mexico's, etc (NDSU, Cal Poly,...). Not that PSU should fear them or not schedule them, but winning against those opponents is definitely not a certainty.
Here is how I would schedule:
1) Schedule any 1AA team that is available. If the game is played in the first 4 weeks of the season, play it on the road. If the game is later in the year, play it at home - get more home games when the school is actually in session and reduce travel once the conference season is on.
2) Schedule 1A programs that fit this mold:
a) They throw the ball more than run - decreases the pounding that the defense could take from a team like Cal or Oregon. If they do run more than pass then schedule a team that is not in the top half of their conference (probably not real good at it anyway). NO OPTION TEAMS!!! They employ cut blocks throughout their scheme - many of which push the limits of legality.
b) Defensively they are not blitz oriented - decreases the pounding that the RB's and QB's would take. Fewer full speed collisions.
c) Avoid the in-state games (UO and OSU). As much as people seem to think this is a good idea, I do not. Even if these games are winnable (by parts a & b above), they become much less so due to the fact that the "in state" idea is firmly implanted in the UO/OSU players minds. I feel that teams like EWU, UM, MSU, etc have a better chance (given equal circumstances) than PSU because the UO/OSU players don't have the "in state" motivation to fall back on.
IA teams that I would currently avoid (Pac10, WAC, MWC):
USC, Cal, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, BSU, Hawai'i, Nevada, Fresno, BYU, Utah, TCU, Air Force
IA teams that I would currently schedule (Pac10, WAC, MWC):
Arizona, WSU, ASU, UW, Stanford, Idaho, NMSU, Utah St., La Tech, UNLV, San Diego St, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado St