2016 Schedule

[connsinfonia]

We've got Louisville, Pitt, and Akron on the schedule for next year in football, but we still have an open date. From what I can tell, UCF, Buffalo, and WMU are the only FBS schools with open dates in 2016 that we can schedule. Coastal Carolina, who are moving to FBS in 2017, also has open dates.

What do you think? Which one of these would you like scheduled, if we don't go the likely route of scheduling a random FCS?

I like WMU for being a decent MAC team, but we already have Akron on the schedule. I like UCF for the rivalry and conference, but they were an absolutely terrible team last year. CCU wouldn't be a bad choice - they're a good FCS team about to make the transition to FBS, haven't missed the FCS playoffs since 2011 - but it could be a huge trap game, which you absolutely don't want in an FCS team.

UCF is probably the front runner for me, since we already have two ACC teams on the schedule, and what could be a very good Akron team, so we wouldn't have to worry much about SOS. They also carry a bit more name recognition than the other possibilities.

 

[jt56]

UCF would be my choice.

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

Tosh.0 U in The Georgia Dome for the first of two Chick Fil A classic games on A Thursday night. Come visit the College Football Hall of Fame , check out our newest add ex star QB Michael Payton and then tailgate.

Somebody call Hambone!

 

[Gochneaur645]

I'm pretty sure Hamrick said it will be FCS. The game on 9/10 will probably be at FIU.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Hamrick has said for the last three years that this season was going to feature 7 home games. It will be an FCS.

 

[andy4theherd]

I like WMU for being a decent MAC team, but we already have Akron on the schedule.

decent?

they finished the season ranked 3 spots higher than us by Sagarin despite being 8-5 to our 10-3. they also beat MTSU 45-31 (we lost 27-24) and beat Ohio 49-14 (we lost 21-10)...


so yea, they were decent....lol

 

[connsinfonia]

Regardless of their status of "decent" or "good," they're still a MAC team when we already have Akron on the schedule. I don't know how you feel, but I'm not particularly excited about the possibility of playing multiple MAC teams in OOC - even if they happened to be the best possible representatives from there.

And yeah, we'll likely see a home date against an FCS team, I don't think anyone doubts that! Especially since all three have two away games scheduled alongside one home game, so it would probably be an away game if they were scheduled. Not to mention that ODU will be the only fairly close away conference game (plus Pitt in OOC) if the conference schedule just flips home/away. I'd just like to see who everyone would like to see us play out of the possible FBS opponents.

 

[caliherd]

We have already convinced ourselves that next years OOC schedule is murderers row including making Akron out to be a top 25 team, so yes without a doubt it will be a FCS school we have to have a breather for our 4th OOC game considering we are playing Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State errr Pitt, Louisville, and Akron.

 

[pintcan]

Yeah we should blow out Akron and beat the other two by 3 TDs. We get it.

 

[caliherd]

Yep that's what I said pintcan thanks for your riveting comment

 

[31Herd55]

We love to hate UCF...but we would love to beat them even more.

 

[Always The Herd]

Of the ones you mentioned.....to me it is a no brainer.....choose UCF (even if it is an away game).

 

[Herd Fever]

2 games in Florida is better than a 7th home game against 1-10 sisters of the poor 1AA school

 

[pintcan]

Except for the money....which is in short supply. Dig? Everybody wants undefeated and the Access but prob not gonna happen next yr without adding another toughie. Louisville, Pitt, WKU, MT and USM(maybe twice) a full plate. We aint Bama.

 

[oldeherd]

Hamrick has said for the last three years that this season was going to feature 7 home games. It will be an FCS.

Which, given Hamrick's track record with the Herd, means we'll play the lowest bottom feeder in FCS that he can get for the cheapest price!! No chance he'll pay to get one of the top level FCS teams at the Joan who would be a somewhat attractive opponent, or some team that would make sense geographically, say a JMU, or a "name", like Villanova, Richmond, Wm & Mary. The 3 VA schools would give us some additional exposure in a state where we have traditionally recruited over the years.

 

[Herd Fever]

When you think peanuts. You get peanuts

 

[pintcan]

Hamrick one of the best things to happen for Marshall in a very long time.

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

Hamrick gets balance. I think opening with an FCS is fine. Knocks the rust off, our qb will still only be a sophomore too. It was a bad year to lose Scott Sinclair to UGA but extremely successful mid majors are going to be the poaching grounds of the majors, and UGA with 92,000 seats , so,d out every week is a major. Still Chase needs to find 20 pounds of muscle somewhere.

 

[islandherdfan]

If we have to go FCS, Coastal Carolina might be a choice. They will move up to FBS 2017 and enlarge stadium by then. Work out a 3 for 1 and how many Marshall fans would like a trip to Myrtle Beach in Sept. some year for some football?

 

[mubaseballking]

I thought Texas Tech, Kansas, K-State and Iowa State had open dates in 2016 that match our open dates? I'm not saying we could get one of them at this point but a home and home with any of them sound good to me.

 

[connsinfonia]

Texas Tech - Stephen F Austin, Arizona State, La Tech
Kansas - Rhode Islans, Ohio, Memphis
K State - Stanford, FAU, Missouri State
Iowa State - Northern Iowa, Iowa, San Jose State

Big12 plays 9 conference games, 3 OOC.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

Coastal Carolina for me (a win for The Herd)....would prefer the game be played on the road in Myrtle Beach. Go down early & play some golf, stay @ Avista Resorts (North Myrtle)...then some shagging at Ducks or Fat Harolds at night.

HerdZilla22

 

[mubaseballking]

Conns, thanks for the information. The last time I looked at the schedules for those schools it was several months ago, if not early summer 2015. So my recollection was a little off.

CCU is a very good FCS school that has gotten better over the past few seasons. Not sure I want to play them. If we are going with a FCS school, I would rather play someone like Elon, ETSU, Indiana State, Wofford, Liberty...