The OOC Scheduling Myth

[TMFT]

As the PU (and salty IU) posters argue ad nauseum, this year's OOC ended up being soft. But looking at 2019-2025, I'm not seeing a big difference in how IU schedules compared to others. Purdue seems to currently follow the 2 G5 + 1 low P5 formula. They even *gasp* do the FCS + low P5 + G5 thing in 2022. By 2025, PU even plays UCONN & Ball St. (double *gasp*), although they pick up a marquee game in Notre Dame as opposed to an FCS squad.

Even the best of the B10 (OSU) generally follows the 1 marquee + 2 G5 scheduling format for every year until 2025 when they play Texas & Washington. With open dates, 2024 for them could show a similar schedule.

I would expect that if IU can string together another 8-9 win season and maybe knocks off one or two of the big boys in the B10, then we're likely to see that 2025 open date end up being a marquee game. And it shouldn't be lost on people that it's very hard to predict how good/bad a team will be 5-6 years out, particularly for G5 teams that have a nasty habit of turning in special seasons every once in a while.

Overall though, seeing the number of common opponents below, I'm just not sold on knocking down IU for a cream puff schedule when they're in the same ballpark as others.

2019:
IU: Ball State, Eastern Illinois, UCONN
PU: Nevada, Vandy, TCU
OSU: FAU, Cinci, Miami (OH)

2020:
IU: WKU, Ball State, UCONN
PU: Memphis, Air Force, Boston College
OSU: Bowling Green, Oregon, Buffalo

2021:
IU: Idaho, Cinci, WKU
PU: Oregon St., UCONN, Notre Dame
OSU: Oregon, Tulsa, Akron

2022:
IU: Idaho, WKU, Cinci
PU: Indiana St., Syracuse, FAU
OSU: Notre Dame, Arkansas St., Toledo

2023:
IU: Indiana St., Louisville, Akron
PU: Fresno St., VT, Syracuse
OSU: San Jose St., WKU, Notre Dame

2024:
IU: FIU, Louisville, Charlotte
PU: Indiana St., Notre Dame, Oregon St.
OSU: Washington, (other 2 non-cons TBD)

2025:
IU: Louisville, Indiana St., (other non-con TBD)
PU: Ball State, UCONN, Notre Dame
OSU: Texas, Washington, (other non-con TBD)

 

[Courtsensetwo]

OOC discussions...supporting ala this place and sobbing ala GBI are 100% consistently...predicably...agenda-driven.

 

[Hoosier009]

I have no issues on how IU has set up OOC schedule. We play in a tough conference and need to get wins in order to be bowl eligible. In fact starting in 21 they have at least one tough P5 opponent on the schedule at least on paper at this time.

Also if you look at Kansas State back in the day they always had a soft OOC schedule in order to ensure they would get bowl eligible. They have built a nice program as a school with little football tradition by making bowls consistently each year. it's a good recipe for IU to follow.

 

[YOTHN]

I have no issues on how IU has set up OOC schedule. We play in a tough conference and need to get wins in order to be bowl eligible. In fact starting in 21 they have at least one tough P5 opponent on the schedule at least on paper at this time.

Also if you look at Kansas State back in the day they always had a soft OOC schedule in order to ensure they would get bowl eligible. They have built a nice program as a school with little football tradition by making bowls consistently each year. it's a good recipe for IU to follow.

I couldn't agree more. We need to just get the program to a consistent bowl team level. Then with that as the foundation, we should consistently recruit well and have a more national relevant breakout campaign at some point. Once we do that and gosh forbid win at least ONE game vs OSU or UM without a 30 year gap between them....then maybe we can discuss making our schedule better. Until then, adding another tough opponent just makes no sense for our program. No one wants to go to Memorial Stadium to see IU play Clemson and lose 64-13.

 

[Grateful Redbeard]

I can't believe that after going 6-7, 6-7, 5-7, 5-7, and now 8-4 (with hopefully 1 more win coming next week ) that people really want us to have a tougher OOC schedule. It just defies logic. IU has a young coach and a young team. We need to walk before we can run, and we need to set a foundation of going bowling year after year before we even think about making our OOC schedule harder.

With having to play O$U, UM, Sparty, PSU, PU, Maryland, Rutgers, plus 2 other Big East teams every season, we do ourselves no favors in trying to put together a tough OOC schedule. Next year we have @Wisky and Illannoy as our 2 East games, and they are both bowl teams. That's 9 P5 games total and at least 5 games against Top 25 teams. Why on earth would we want to add another ranked, P5 team to that schedule?

We're about a 3 - 4 win per season team historically. We're trying to become a perennial 6 - 7 win team that goes to a bowl every year. As many others have pointed out, Indiana doesn't produce a ton of high major talent, and what does get produced typically doesn't come to IU. In order to be able to recruit enough good talent to overcome that issue, we need to be able to sell winning seasons and bowl games. Then every few years when things all come together, we can have that 8, 9 or even 10 win season.

 

[ce36ei]

I don’t exactly know what y’alls expectations are. This is pretty much our ceiling. Enjoy it. We’re never going to be 10 game winners in the Big 10 East. Everybody railing that we should’ve had 10 wins this year should also realize we could’ve very easily been 6-6. Enjoy this. Our OCC is exactly where we need it. In fact, it’s harder than it really needs to be. Not looking forward to the Louisville games. If we can get to 8 wins every 3rd year or so with a shot at 9 we should be ELATED!! I know I am. I literally never thought I’d see Indiana I’m a Florida bowl game. And here we are.

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

I don’t exactly know what y’alls expectations are. This is pretty much our ceiling. Enjoy it. We’re never going to be 10 game winners in the Big 10 East. Everybody railing that we should’ve had 10 wins this year should also realize we could’ve very easily been 6-6. Enjoy this. Our OCC is exactly where we need it. In fact, it’s harder than it really needs to be. Not looking forward to the Louisville games. If we can get to 8 wins every 3rd year or so with a shot at 9 we should be ELATED!! I know I am. I literally never thought I’d see Indiana I’m a Florida bowl game. And here we are.

We should have won 10 this year. Its do-able.

 

[Bowlmania]

I don’t exactly know what y’alls expectations are. This is pretty much our ceiling. Enjoy it. We’re never going to be 10 game winners in the Big 10 East. Everybody railing that we should’ve had 10 wins this year should also realize we could’ve very easily been 6-6. Enjoy this. Our OCC is exactly where we need it. In fact, it’s harder than it really needs to be. Not looking forward to the Louisville games. If we can get to 8 wins every 3rd year or so with a shot at 9 we should be ELATED!! I know I am. I literally never thought I’d see Indiana I’m a Florida bowl game. And here we are.

I don't understand your logic. If, as you say, "8 wins every third year or so with a shot at 9" is doable, why is a 10 win season completely out of reach, particularly in a season when we have five conference home games instead of four like this year? The argument just doesn't make sense.

And, with respect to the "we could've easily been 6-6 this season" argument, that's kind of silly. I suppose someone could just as easily argue, fallaciously, that we could've been 4-8 - - but we weren't. There was nothing flukey about any of our eight wins. Good teams win close games and overcome adversity like losing the starting QB, or when a Groza Award semi-finalist suddenly and unexpectedly can't put it through the uprights (i.e. the Purdue game).

 

[TMFT]

I don't understand your logic. If, as you say, "8 wins every third year or so with a shot at 9" is doable, why is a 10 win season completely out of reach, particularly in a season when we have five conference home games instead of four like this year? The argument just doesn't make sense.

And, with respect to the "we could've easily been 6-6 this season" argument, that's kind of silly. I suppose someone could just as easily argue, fallaciously, that we could've been 4-8 - - but we weren't. There was nothing flukey about any of our eight wins. Good teams win close games and overcome adversity like losing the starting QB, or when a Groza Award semi-finalist suddenly and unexpectedly can't put it through the uprights (i.e. the Purdue game).

I think he's just been conditioned by decades of losing the close games consistently.

He's totally right that Nebraska, Maryland, PU, and to some extent BSU could've gone the other way, and in the past they often have. It didn't work out that way this year, so go IU.

But where I think he's wrong and you're right is that 8-4 is clearly not the ceiling considering how close they were to 10-2.

No doubt that UM & OSU beat the brakes off of IU, but getting smacked by 2 good teams and having 6 close games where IU can win them all (and has shown the ability to win some already) is going to take some getting used to.

 

[mattndallas]

No one wants to go to Memorial Stadium to see IU play Clemson and lose 64-13.

That's conjecture based on.....well....absolutely nothing actually. We've never tried it.

Place would be sold out. Players would want it as well.

Now, I think we have ample support and evidence that "No one wants to go to Memorial Stadium to see IU play UConn and win 64-13."

 

[mattndallas]

As the PU (and salty IU) posters argue ad nauseum, this year's OOC ended up being soft. But looking at 2019-2025, I'm not seeing a big difference in how IU schedules compared to others. Purdue seems to currently follow the 2 G5 + 1 low P5 formula. They even *gasp* do the FCS + low P5 + G5 thing in 2022. By 2025, PU even plays UCONN & Ball St. (double *gasp*), although they pick up a marquee game in Notre Dame as opposed to an FCS squad.

Even the best of the B10 (OSU) generally follows the 1 marquee + 2 G5 scheduling format for every year until 2025 when they play Texas & Washington. With open dates, 2024 for them could show a similar schedule.

I would expect that if IU can string together another 8-9 win season and maybe knocks off one or two of the big boys in the B10, then we're likely to see that 2025 open date end up being a marquee game. And it shouldn't be lost on people that it's very hard to predict how good/bad a team will be 5-6 years out, particularly for G5 teams that have a nasty habit of turning in special seasons every once in a while.

Overall though, seeing the number of common opponents below, I'm just not sold on knocking down IU for a cream puff schedule when they're in the same ballpark as others.

2019:
IU: Ball State, Eastern Illinois, UCONN
PU: Nevada, Vandy, TCU
OSU: FAU, Cinci, Miami (OH)

2020:
IU: WKU, Ball State, UCONN
PU: Memphis, Air Force, Boston College
OSU: Bowling Green, Oregon, Buffalo

2021:
IU: Idaho, Cinci, WKU
PU: Oregon St., UCONN, Notre Dame
OSU: Oregon, Tulsa, Akron

2022:
IU: Idaho, WKU, Cinci
PU: Indiana St., Syracuse, FAU
OSU: Notre Dame, Arkansas St., Toledo

2023:
IU: Indiana St., Louisville, Akron
PU: Fresno St., VT, Syracuse
OSU: San Jose St., WKU, Notre Dame

2024:
IU: FIU, Louisville, Charlotte
PU: Indiana St., Notre Dame, Oregon St.
OSU: Washington, (other 2 non-cons TBD)

2025:
IU: Louisville, Indiana St., (other non-con TBD)
PU: Ball State, UCONN, Notre Dame
OSU: Texas, Washington, (other non-con TBD)

Purdue's OOC is LIGHT YEARS better than ours.

I would LOVE to play those teams.

 

[Courtsensetwo]

Purdue's OOC is LIGHT YEARS better than ours.

I would LOVE to play those teams.

Huh? They played a decent TCU team and got their asses kicked, Nev sucked as did Vandy. BSU vs IU is a better than either one.

 

[CDBRclass01]

As the PU (and salty IU) posters argue ad nauseum, this year's OOC ended up being soft. But looking at 2019-2025, I'm not seeing a big difference in how IU schedules compared to others. Purdue seems to currently follow the 2 G5 + 1 low P5 formula. They even *gasp* do the FCS + low P5 + G5 thing in 2022. By 2025, PU even plays UCONN & Ball St. (double *gasp*), although they pick up a marquee game in Notre Dame as opposed to an FCS squad.

Even the best of the B10 (OSU) generally follows the 1 marquee + 2 G5 scheduling format for every year until 2025 when they play Texas & Washington. With open dates, 2024 for them could show a similar schedule.

I would expect that if IU can string together another 8-9 win season and maybe knocks off one or two of the big boys in the B10, then we're likely to see that 2025 open date end up being a marquee game. And it shouldn't be lost on people that it's very hard to predict how good/bad a team will be 5-6 years out, particularly for G5 teams that have a nasty habit of turning in special seasons every once in a while.

Overall though, seeing the number of common opponents below, I'm just not sold on knocking down IU for a cream puff schedule when they're in the same ballpark as others.

2019:
IU: Ball State, Eastern Illinois, UCONN
PU: Nevada, Vandy, TCU
OSU: FAU, Cinci, Miami (OH)

2020:
IU: WKU, Ball State, UCONN
PU: Memphis, Air Force, Boston College
OSU: Bowling Green, Oregon, Buffalo

2021:
IU: Idaho, Cinci, WKU
PU: Oregon St., UCONN, Notre Dame
OSU: Oregon, Tulsa, Akron

2022:
IU: Idaho, WKU, Cinci
PU: Indiana St., Syracuse, FAU
OSU: Notre Dame, Arkansas St., Toledo

2023:
IU: Indiana St., Louisville, Akron
PU: Fresno St., VT, Syracuse
OSU: San Jose St., WKU, Notre Dame

2024:
IU: FIU, Louisville, Charlotte
PU: Indiana St., Notre Dame, Oregon St.
OSU: Washington, (other 2 non-cons TBD)

2025:
IU: Louisville, Indiana St., (other non-con TBD)
PU: Ball State, UCONN, Notre Dame
OSU: Texas, Washington, (other non-con TBD)

I’m one of the Purdue fans who, in addition to getting roasted for saying that whether I like IU or not.. you acquitted yourselves nicely at Penn State, also WISHES PURDUE WOULD schedule more like you for a couple reasons ...

1. Preseason/OOC should be about working on your strengths. This idea that, if you don’t play ND in OOC, you’ll suffer for it against Michigan in week 5 or whatever.. is just wrong.

OOC you get your timing down. When you play your first tough conference game, you’re either going to not beat yourselves, have that athlete who can give you a mismatch, have that good assistant coach.. or you aren’t. Playing ND in week 3 won’t change.

2. The way we scheduled this season was arrogant .. if we trade TCU and Nevada for lower level programs we are likely 6-6 and headed bowling. No need to try to schedule to impress until you’re going for a playoff spot...

And people will say “these games are scheduled a minimum of 5 years out.” Okay.., I love Purdue. We ain’t going to no playoff in 5 years.

I think if there’s a reason we haven’t seen how good IU is yet, it’s because, other than Michigan State and Purdue, everyone was either worse than IU by a LOT, or better by a lot. If you guys had played say... Iowa, I think that would have been your chance at a statement win that wouldn’t have been out of the question.

 

[CDBRclass01]

Purdue's OOC is LIGHT YEARS better than ours.

I would LOVE to play those teams.

I think it’s fair to say for you guys cause you got 8 wins. Vandy was dogshit. So, even if you got jobbed by Nevada officials and lost to TCU, you would have had your six wins..

Give me a bowl and yeah I want to play exciting teams. I’ll take a meh OOC for a bowl though.

 

[mattndallas]

I think it’s fair to say for you guys cause you got 8 wins. Vandy was dogshit. So, even if you got jobbed by Nevada officials and lost to TCU, you would have had your six wins..

Give me a bowl and yeah I want to play exciting teams. I’ll take a meh OOC for a bowl though.

I'd take home and homes to Reno, Nashville, and Ft Worth anyday.

That's a full bowl destination schedule right there.

We get to go to Louisville and Bowling Green.

I mean, your WORST OOC game from the above was our marquee this year (UConn).

 

[CDBRclass01]

I'd take home and homes to Reno, Nashville, and Ft Worth anyday.

That's a full bowl destination schedule right there.

We get to go to Louisville and Bowling Green.

I mean, your WORST OOC game from the above was our marquee this year (UConn).

Never ever go to the mountain west in a game with an agreement to use their officials. The two times I’ve seen it were us against Hawaii and us against Nevada. And both times funny shit happened. When I say funny shit I mean... I’ve seen Purdue, Indiana and Illinois get fairer officiating at Ohio State then at those venues.

Any Big Ten school should host a mountain west school in our house with our officials. The few fans they have traveling will realize their loud BS isn’t gonna go over well and we should drown those teams out...

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

Purdue's OOC is LIGHT YEARS better than ours.

I would LOVE to play those teams.

Maybe should go to Ross-Ade. Or maybe you can catch their bowl game.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

That's conjecture based on.....well....absolutely nothing actually. We've never tried it.

Place would be sold out. Players would want it as well.

Now, I think we have ample support and evidence that "No one wants to go to Memorial Stadium to see IU play UConn and win 64-13."

Oh the place would be sold out alright.......with Clemson fans.

We have done all of this before and it’s not conjecture. I will list some of the non-con teams we played in the 70s and 80s:

• Nebraska
• Utah
• NC State
• Washington
• LSU
• Vanderbilt
• Kentucky
• Colorado
• Duke
• USC
• Syracuse
• Louisville
• Navy
• Missouri
• Notre Dame

In many of these games, IU was drawing 36k to 42k in a 52,000 seat stadium.

 

[IUninethree]

I'm curious if Idaho stays on the schedule for 2022. They were FBS when IU scheduled them and have since moved back to FCS. By B10 rules, we can only have an FCS team on schedule in the years we have four home conference games (odd numbered years). Not sure if that game got grandfathered in since they were FBS when signed.

 

[TMFT]

Purdue's OOC is LIGHT YEARS better than ours.

I would LOVE to play those teams.

Slow down there Captain Hyperbole. This year's OOC was soft in comparison to be sure, but light years?

Looking at the schedules I originally posted, can you explain which years you think are light years apart? Take 2021 for example, IU is facing two bowl teams & Idaho. PU is facing two trash teams and Notre Dame. The ND game is obviously superior, but taken as a whole, IUs schedule looks harder as of now.

And to your other point about scheduling a top tier team like Clemson for a home & home, there's (a) no chance IU competes with someone like that at this point in their development and (b) no chance it sells out. IU has hosted top 5 teams for decades without selling out because there's been a low probability of being competitive. Why would you think that the people would flock to a watch a new team come in and beat IU badly?

NOW, if the AD wants to make a show of faith in CTA and schedule a top 15 home & home starting in like '24, '25, or '26, I could get behind that as showing a dedicated effort to try and break into the top tier. But it's WAY too early in the program's growth to try and schedule themselves into a 4-8 or 5-7 season just to say they played the most difficult schedule they could.

 

[gulcherboy]

Let's just stop, for a moment, and think: Which bowl game would be qualify for if our schedule included, say, Clemson, Alabama, LSU Oklahoma, O$U, Meatchicken, Meatchicken State and PSU?
Because, I'm guessing none. With that schedule, we don't qualify for a bowl. I'm not sure we have many competitive games.
Right now, we are a good football team; we are not a Top Five in the Power Five football team.

 

[mattndallas]

Somehow Indiana-Tennessee has sold close to 60k tickets...in a stadium 13 hours from Bloomington.

And some don't think Memorial would be sold out if we played them here....in September.

 

[mattndallas]

Let's just stop, for a moment, and think: Which bowl game would be qualify for if our schedule included, say, Clemson, Alabama, LSU Oklahoma, O$U, Meatchicken, Meatchicken State and PSU?
Because, I'm guessing none. With that schedule, we don't qualify for a bowl. I'm not sure we have many competitive games.
Right now, we are a good football team; we are not a Top Five in the Power Five football team.

We could mix in one of those every once in awhile...I'm not suggesting going whole hog.

But we could handle (for instance)....

MAC team
Kentucky (home and home)
West Virginia (home and home)

 

[mattndallas]

We're about a 3 - 4 win per season team historically. We're trying to become a perennial 6 - 7 win team that goes to a bowl every year. As many others have pointed out, Indiana doesn't produce a ton of high major talent, and what does get produced typically doesn't come to IU. In order to be able to recruit enough good talent to overcome that issue, we need to be able to sell winning seasons and bowl games. Then every few years when things all come together, we can have that 8, 9 or even 10 win season.

I think you're over-estimating the effect of a recruit visiting Indiana for a 20k attended mauling of UConn or E Illinois (a win),and under-estimating what could be the effect of visiting during a sold out game versus a unique opponent (potentially a loss).

Win or lose, a recruit is going to be more impressed with a packed, raucous double OT loss to a (let's say) Tennessee in Bloomington...than a 52-7 snoozefest in front of 20k against Indiana State....when only around 10k stick around after half. Ask any of them.

They want to play on big stages in front of big crowds against good teams. Ask any of them.

Ask any non-Indiana fan what they remember about this years team. It's not "8-4". It's not "you guys killed UConn".

It's "you guys HAD Penn State. You should have beaten them".

Strange huh. CFB fans think the loss @ Penn State was our defining moment. A good game, against a good team, in a packed house.

But whatever. Keep doing what we're doing.

It's obvious recruiting in on a gigantic upswing after those 20k attended September's in Bloomington.

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

I think you're over-estimating the effect of a recruit visiting Indiana for a 20k attended mauling of UConn or E Illinois (a win),and under-estimating what could be the effect of visiting during a sold out game versus a unique opponent (potentially a loss).

Win or lose, a recruit is going to be more impressed with a packed, raucous double OT loss to a (let's say) Tennessee in Bloomington...than a 52-7 snoozefest in front of 20k against Indiana State....when only around 10k stick around after half. Ask any of them.

They want to play on big stages in front of big crowds against good teams. Ask any of them.

Ask any non-Indiana fan what they remember about this years team. It's not "8-4". It's not "you guys killed UConn".

It's "you guys HAD Penn State. You should have beaten them".

Strange huh. CFB fans think the loss @ Penn State was our defining moment. A good game, against a good team, in a packed house.

But whatever. Keep doing what we're doing.

It's obvious recruiting in on a gigantic upswing after those 20k attended September's in Bloomington.

I don’t think anyone out side Bloomington, Knoxville or West Lafayette care about the IU football season. Why don’t you give it a rest . It does not matter who IU schedules the same 40k loyal fans are going to show up. Hence the 30- 35 k who bought tickets to the Gator Bowl we did not sell 50 thousand as you suggest.
Also the same kids you keep insisting want to play better competition signed here knowing who was on the schedule. They know they are going to play 2 times at Penn State, the Big House, the Horseshoe, East Lansing. Maybe Madison and possibly Lincoln. You can continue to try to spin it that Purdue has such a daunting schedule year in and year but the truth is it not true.

 

[ESalum86]

I think you're over-estimating the effect of a recruit visiting Indiana for a 20k attended mauling of UConn or E Illinois (a win),and under-estimating what could be the effect of visiting during a sold out game versus a unique opponent (potentially a loss).

Win or lose, a recruit is going to be more impressed with a packed, raucous double OT loss to a (let's say) Tennessee in Bloomington...than a 52-7 snoozefest in front of 20k against Indiana State....when only around 10k stick around after half. Ask any of them.

They want to play on big stages in front of big crowds against good teams. Ask any of them.

Ask any non-Indiana fan what they remember about this years team. It's not "8-4". It's not "you guys killed UConn".

It's "you guys HAD Penn State. You should have beaten them".

Strange huh. CFB fans think the loss @ Penn State was our defining moment. A good game, against a good team, in a packed house.

But whatever. Keep doing what we're doing.

It's obvious recruiting in on a gigantic upswing after those 20k attended September's in Bloomington.

Matt, if you think any non-IU college football fans are thinking about IU football and a "...defining moment..." for our season, you are woefully mistaken. Whether we like it or not, IU football is not regarded by anyone other than our fans and our opponent for that week.

Have you ever heard any announcers on a national radio show when the discussion is IU? Or the announcers on a non-B1G Network broadcast football game? It is clear they know nothing about IU except what they see in the media notes.

I always respected the way you traveled to B-town from Dallas for the IU games and I respect your passion for the team. Simply put, you are wrong and way off base on the OOC schedule. Our schedule is strong enough as it is.

You also fail to consider the harsh reality; Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, USC, Oregon, etc., will most likely only agree to play in Bloomington if we do a 2 for 1 at their place. Just say no.

 

[mattndallas]

Looking at the schedules I originally posted, can you explain which years you think are light years apart?

Hell, take 2020 for example...

Memphis is ranked and playing in the Cotton.
Air Force is 10-2.
The weakest game/team, BC, is still a bowl eligible Power 5, and offers a cool trip to Boston for a game.

 

[BayernFan]

Indiana mid major (ISU, BSU)
Ohio/ILL/Michigan/Kentucky mid major.
Power 5 team.

 

[Crimson Crush]

Somehow Indiana-Tennessee has sold close to 60k tickets...in a stadium 13 hours from Bloomington.

And some don't think Memorial would be sold out if we played them here....in September.

That’s because it is a bowl game. Believe it or not, people in B-town find a whole plethora of excuses in September not to go to games:

• The weather is too nice.
• The kids have a soccer game.
• The wife and husband have a pottery class they have to attend.
• There is a mid evil renaissance fair in Dunn Meadow.
• I’m still working on my tan.
• The boat needs one last outing at Lake Monroe.
• My quilting class takes priority.

People eat up bowl games to warm destinations in January. They aren’t in football mode in Bloomington in early September.

 

[Daydreamer]

That’s because it is a bowl game. Believe it or not, people in B-town find a whole plethora of excuses in September not to go to games:

• The weather is too nice.
• The kids have a soccer game.
• The wife and husband have a pottery class they have to attend.
• There is a mid evil renaissance fair in Dunn Meadow.
• I’m still working on my tan.
• The boat needs one last outing at Lake Monroe.
• My quilting class takes priority.

People eat up bowl games to warm destinations in January. They aren’t in football mode in Bloomington in early September.

I would never skip a football game for a mid evil renaissance fair. It would have to be completely evil for me to even consider it.

 

[UncleMark]

I would never skip a football game for a mid evil renaissance fair. It would have to be completely evil for me to even consider it.

IU has such halfassed fans.

 

[IUninethree]

• The kids have a soccer game.

I finally had to miss a game this year for this very reason. Sometimes you have to sort your priorities. Kid is more important than IU football. Plus I hope she remember all the soccer games and school events I attended in future years when I need eldercare.

 

[BayernFan]

If the product is worth the cost of attending they will
Attend. Let’s not forget that it’s a lot more convenient and a lot cheaper t watch on TV.

 

[Crimson Crush]

I would never skip a football game for a mid evil renaissance fair. It would have to be completely evil for me to even consider it.

Lol....I did botch that one. If it’s only “mid evil” that means it is kid friendly because it’s not full evil.

 

[76-1]

Oh the place would be sold out alright.......with Clemson fans.

We have done all of this before and it’s not conjecture. I will list some of the non-con teams we played in the 70s and 80s:

• Nebraska
• Utah
• NC State
• Washington
• LSU
• Vanderbilt
• Kentucky
• Colorado
• Duke
• USC
• Syracuse
• Louisville
• Navy
• Missouri
• Notre Dame

In many of these games, IU was drawing 36k to 42k in a 52,000 seat stadium.

This past September, on a clear day, 75 degrees at Kickoff, against the then #6 ranked team in the nation Ohio $tate, the official attendance (on the Indiana official site, box score) was 47950 in a 52,656 capacity stadium. Given that the O$U fans most likely brought 10,000 (at minimum) that means we only had 37,950 there (3-5 thousand most likely never getting up from their lawn chairs to bother to come inside the stadium)...

If we can't fill it for that game (that counts in the Big Ten standings) which teams do you "we've got to make the OCC tougher and the fans will come" guys suggest will pack the place?

Our OCC is fine the way it is and the future scheduling of Louisville to get a basketball game and Cincinnati because it's a short drive are both mistakes I hope we don't pay for by missing a Bowl game that year...

 

[mattndallas]

If we can't fill it for that game (that counts in the Big Ten standings) which teams do you "we've got to make the OCC tougher and the fans will come" guys suggest will pack the place?

I dunno...Notre Dame, Tennessee, WVA, Texas or A&M, Ole Miss, S Carolina...plus we get at least one "bowl game road trip" in return via the home and home.

Doesn't even have to be that extreme...try Colorado, Vandy, Va Tech, Arkansas, Arizona...a solid home game for the fans that pay (versus a FCS scrimmage), with a bowl-like destination trip for the fans the next September.

You know, someone we don't see every other year?

Is the scene at AH better when MSU, Wisc, Mich, or OSU come in....or when Duke or Kentucky do? Same concept.

I guess I'm different in that I would prefer the risk of going 5-7, and missing out on Detroit, San Fran, or Detroit bowls...for the opportunity to have a home and home with a cool, name, unfamiliar program. I also don't assume we lose those games. We went 2-0 vs Virginia on the recent run. Split with Mizzou. Split with Wake.

Look at Maryland/Texas. Maryland gets to open in Austin in front of 90k....and WINS. That win alone is better than ANY we have chalked up since when....maybe Madison with ARE?

Then, they run it back in DC (at arguably the worst NFL stadium in the league) draw 15k more than their on campus average....and win again.

Perfect example of how a mid-level B10 team can schedule interestingly, and still win.

And I agree about Louisville and Cincy...schedule better than that, so at least the risk of loss is rewarded with a "September Bowl road return" to someplace other than cities that border our state.

 

[76-1]

I dunno...Notre Dame, Tennessee, WVA, Texas or A&M, Ole Miss, S Carolina...plus we get at least one "bowl game road trip" in return via the home and home.

Doesn't even have to be that extreme...try Colorado, Vandy, Va Tech, Arkansas, Arizona...a solid home game for the fans that pay (versus a FCS scrimmage), with a bowl-like destination trip for the fans the next September.

You know, someone we don't see every other year?

Is the scene at AH better when MSU, Wisc, Mich, or OSU come in....or when Duke or Kentucky do? Same concept.

I guess I'm different in that I would prefer the risk of going 5-7, and missing out on Detroit, San Fran, or Detroit bowls...for the opportunity to have a home and home with a cool, name, unfamiliar program. I also don't assume we lose those games. We went 2-0 vs Virginia on the recent run. Split with Mizzou. Split with Wake.

Look at Maryland/Texas. Maryland gets to open in Austin in front of 90k....and WINS. That win alone is better than ANY we have chalked up since when....maybe Madison with ARE?

Then, they run it back in DC (at arguably the worst NFL stadium in the league) draw 15k more than their on campus average....and win again.

Perfect example of how a mid-level B10 team can schedule interestingly, and still win.

And I agree about Louisville and Cincy...schedule better than that, so at least the risk of loss is rewarded with a "September Bowl road return" to someplace other than cities that border our state.

Maryland is a Great example of exactly why you don't do that: early key injuries...

We used to schedule KY and even when we won, we'd regularly lose a couple of guys to injury that we'd need to win against Big Ten teams down the stretch (which is Exactly why I prefer playing the smallest, slowest, least interesting teams we can find for the OCC)...

 

[Bowlmania]

with a bowl-like destination trip for the fans the next September.

at least the risk of loss is rewarded with a "September Bowl road return" to someplace other than cities that border our state.

News Flash: There are no bowl games in September. Repeat: There are no bowl games in September.

A bowl game is a post-season event. We're in a bowl game this year, a really good one. In Florida. It's a nice reward for the players - - and fans. A lot of people are even making a little vacation out of it. You should go.

 

[mattndallas]

So 76-1, as a hypothetical....if the IU Athetic Department called you and said they were awarding you an all-expenses paid weekend for two IU football weekends in consecutive years, and you had two options:

Option #1
vs E Illinois @ Bloomington this year
vs S Illinois @ Bloomington next year

OR

Option #2
vs Texas at Bloomington this year
@ Texas in Austin next year

You would opt for Option #1, simply because it might improve our chances to play Syracuse in the Detroit Bowl?

And I'll add, just for fairness, that I get your arguments.

When I lived in Dallas, contributed little to the Varsity Club, didn't buy season tickets, would hit one or two games a year, and just watch on TV....I was just like a lot here. Schedule as many patsies as possible to get to a bowl game. I wasn't paying for tickets for the wasted weekends, so who cares? 20k in the seats in a lifeless stadium for (insert MAC of FCS team here)? Who cares, I'm watching on TV. Just get a bowl game that I would probably travel to. Nothing else mattered. I get that.

That said, when you choose to invest (whatever your level of comfort is)/year to "support the programs", as some of us do, the onsite entertainment value portion becomes more important. The quality of the competition you are paying to see becomes more important. Low level bowl games, and 8-9 seed tournament appearances are great and all, but what you get in Bloomington as far as game quality (and a cool September destination game in return) trumps that...at least for me.

 

[mattndallas]

News Flash: There are no bowl games in September. Repeat: There are no bowl games in September.

A bowl game is a post-season event. We're in a bowl game this year, a really good one. In Florida. It's a nice reward for the players - - and fans. A lot of people are even making a little vacation out of it. You should go.

Don't be obtuse.