In regards to Conference USA opponent's

[Herdfan1986]

So let me start off by saying I was bored so I decided to go through all 14 Conference USA football team schedules since football season is quickly approaching and thought it was interesting that Marshall is the only team not playing a Power 5 game this season. At least four teams are playing two Power 5 games and two teams are playing three Power 5 games. I'm not taking anything away from Boise, Cincinnati, or even Ohio. I just thought it was interesting. I wonder if we have been turning down bigger games. I know we have a future game with Notre Dame, Pitt, and VT but seem to me we've been scheduling a lot softer or expecting a lot more in return (2 for 1). Interesting finding, Kent State plays Arizona State, Auburn, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas A&M, Maryland, Iowa, and Georgia all within the next four years.

 

[whf2]

So what would you have to do to fund your program if you got 6 or 7 thousand fans per home game? I imagine that is the Kent State issue. We did the same with South Carolina,, and I bet it happens again if we can't find a way keep getting seven home games at least every other year.

 

[oldeherd]

I read somewhere Charlotte, whose stadium seats well less than half of what the JOAN seats, signed a future game deal to play at Georgia for nearly $2 million. That would go a long way funding some Olympic sports program or programs at UNCC, I'm sure.

 

[Treadmill MUsic]

So do you want to play for respect and garner national attention or do you want to get pimped out and become a trick to a Power 5 school? Kent State’s athletic budget needs a stimulus, level up or step off, Go Herd!

 

[Herdfan1986]

So do you want to play for respect and garner national attention or do you want to get pimped out and become a trick to a Power 5 school? Kent State’s athletic budget needs a stimulus, level up or step off, Go Herd!

I can see where you're coming from, but I just personally see it different. I believe Marshall has the athleticism and potential to not just go into these schools and come home with tails tucked between their legs and a wad of cash. We've had national attention before and believe we could again, but playing a "softer" schedule's compared to every other team won't bat an eye for any national exposure.

"Life is about taking risks. If you never take a risks, then you'll never know what you're capable of"

 

[whf2]

Difference is, very bluntly, those schools offering money to Kent aren't worried about being upset by Kent. With MU, they don't know that.

 

[morons everywhere]

Difference is, very bluntly, those schools offering money to Kent aren't worried about being upset by Kent. With MU, they don't know that.

Kent's last 30 games against P5 schools has yielded two wins.
Marshall's last 30 games against P5 schools has yielded three wins.

Marshall isn't striking fear in any P5, and they definitely aren't doing it enough to keep them off of schedules.

 

[caliherd]

So do you want to play for respect and garner national attention or do you want to get pimped out and become a trick to a Power 5 school? Kent State’s athletic budget needs a stimulus, level up or step off, Go Herd!

So if we play any P5 school we are pimping ourselves out for a check? Because we have no chance to win? Is that what I’m hearing? If it is then our expectations have fallen even farther than I thought as a fan base.

I’m not talking about playing Alabama or Clemson. But honestly I do expect us to compete with bad to good (not great) P5 opponents and win some of those as well. The only time I have no expectations and I look at playing a P5 simply as a big check is when we play the elite schools like Clemson or Bama or Oklahoma etc. I think it’s fun to do that every once in awhile just to see where we are but I definitely wouldn’t make a habit of it, and if we never did it I would be OK with it.

For example I was very disappointed in the way we played against a mediocre Va Tech team on the road last year as well as the home game with NC State. We got blown out by Va Tech who finished the year with a bowl loss to one of our G5 opponents in Cincinnati to go a whopping 6-7. NC State was never seriously in danger in our game with them and that was at the Joan. They finished the season with an 9-4 record and got crushed in their bowl game. If we are going into games with P5 schools expecting a loss or just hoping to not get anybody hurt just because they are a P5 school, then that’s beyond disappointing to me.

I think we need to play at least one P5 every year. If you took out VMI and inserted a Va Tech or someone like them on the road to go along with Boise, Cincinnati and Ohio I think that would be a perfect schedule for us. We would have 6 home games instead of 7 but I can guarantee you what they would pay us would offset what we would make in a home game with VMI. If we go undefeated with a schedule like that then we would no doubt go to the Access bowl. If we had one close loss to any of those teams we would still be in contention.

With the schedule we have now if we do well and start making some noise the fact we play no P5’s and a terrible FCS team will hurt our chances if we have a great season. Playing no P5’s means no margin for error so we either go undefeated and hope we don’t get passed by a G5 that has a good record and played multiple P5 teams.

 

[HerdyGurdyMan]

Interesting finding, Kent State plays Arizona State, Auburn, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas A&M, Maryland, Iowa, and Georgia all within the next four years.

Man, that’s an interesting way to pay the bills.

2019, at Arizona St, at Auburn, at Wisconsin.
2020, at Arkansas, at Kentucky, at Alabama.
2021, at Texas A&M, at Iowa, at Maryland


https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/kent-state/

 

[Herd In the Plains]

So if we play any P5 school we are pimping ourselves out for a check? Because we have no chance to win? Is that what I’m hearing? If it is then our expectations have fallen even farther than I thought as a fan base.

I’m not talking about playing Alabama or Clemson. But honestly I do expect us to compete with bad to good (not great) P5 opponents and win some of those as well. The only time I have no expectations and I look at playing a P5 simply as a big check is when we play the elite schools like Clemson or Bama or Oklahoma etc. I think it’s fun to do that every once in awhile just to see where we are but I definitely wouldn’t make a habit of it, and if we never did it I would be OK with it.

For example I was very disappointed in the way we played against a mediocre Va Tech team on the road last year as well as the home game with NC State. We got blown out by Va Tech who finished the year with a bowl loss to one of our G5 opponents in Cincinnati to go a whopping 6-7. NC State was never seriously in danger in our game with them and that was at the Joan. They finished the season with an 9-4 record and got crushed in their bowl game. If we are going into games with P5 schools expecting a loss or just hoping to not get anybody hurt just because they are a P5 school, then that’s beyond disappointing to me.

I think we need to play at least one P5 every year. If you took out VMI and inserted a Va Tech or someone like them on the road to go along with Boise, Cincinnati and Ohio I think that would be a perfect schedule for us. We would have 6 home games instead of 7 but I can guarantee you what they would pay us would offset what we would make in a home game with VMI. If we go undefeated with a schedule like that then we would no doubt go to the Access bowl. If we had one close loss to any of those teams we would still be in contention.

With the schedule we have now if we do well and start making some noise the fact we play no P5’s and a terrible FCS team will hurt our chances if we have a great season. Playing no P5’s means no margin for error so we either go undefeated and hope we don’t get passed by a G5 that has a good record and played multiple P5 teams.

You do understand that three of our out of confetence games are against teams projected as G 5 conference champions. If we go undefeated and those projections happen, I dont see how anyone jumps ahead of us. Well, maybe if the Sun Belt Champion is undefeated and picks off two or three P5s.

 

[caliherd]

Honestly it doesn’t matter what they are picked to do. From a national perspective they are G5’s. Other than Boise State, neither Cincinnati or Ohio raises anybody’s blood pressure if they are your stand alone OOC schedule. Pair those 3 with a solid P5 and it ratchets up considerably. I’m not saying I agree with it or that it’s fair but in college football more than any other sport perception matters.
The first thing anybody from a national perspective will say if we are having a great year is they didn’t play any P5 schools. They won’t say they played a great schedule of VMI and three schools who were pre season favorites to win their G5 conference one of those being the MAC. They will say they didn’t play any P5s period, and it will hurt us. The only way I could see that not happening is if Boise, Cincinnati and Ohio all have great years and we were their only loss.

 

[Bankerreturns]

Honestly it doesn’t matter what they are picked to do. From a national perspective they are G5’s. Other than Boise State, neither Cincinnati or Ohio raises anybody’s blood pressure if they are your stand alone OOC schedule. Pair those 3 with a solid P5 and it ratchets up considerably. I’m not saying I agree with it or that it’s fair but in college football more than any other sport perception matters.
The first thing anybody from a national perspective will say if we are having a great year is they didn’t play any P5 schools. They won’t say they played a great schedule of VMI and three schools who were pre season favorites to win their G5 conference one of those being the MAC. They will say they didn’t play any P5s period, and it will hurt us. The only way I could see that not happening is if Boise, Cincinnati and Ohio all have great years and we were their only loss.

We have won three games, ever, against current P5 teams in a year where they finished with an above .500 record. We have played competively in many other games, but the bottom line is we have historically show that we have less than a 10% chance of winning any game against a P5 opponent.

I think this year's schedule is very smart. If we win our non-conference games and those schools have the type seasons they are projected to have, we are sitting pretty.

 

[herd66]

Why would anyone sign with a team like Kent that is guaranteeing they will have losing seasons for my future.

 

[Herdmeister]

I hope we can get the access bowl spot but honestly, we have the 15th weakest schedule in America per ESPN. Even winning out, a solid UCF or Memphis or maybe other AAC team gets in over us. We would have to win out and have a lot of help to get in.

 

[The Real SamC]

Anybody who has envy of KENT STATE"S position in the college athletics world really needs a reality check.

KSU is paying for a program that really not that many people, be they locals, students, or alumni, really give a flying f*** about by playing at three P5 teams per year, and of the nine listed at least six are true elite teams. Get pounded, get back on the bus, eat your box lunch, repeat.

At the end of the day, if you have to do THIS to be I-A, maybe you don't need to be I-A.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Honestly it doesn’t matter what they are picked to do. From a national perspective they are G5’s. Other than Boise State, neither Cincinnati or Ohio raises anybody’s blood pressure if they are your stand alone OOC schedule. Pair those 3 with a solid P5 and it ratchets up considerably. I’m not saying I agree with it or that it’s fair but in college football more than any other sport perception matters.
The first thing anybody from a national perspective will say if we are having a great year is they didn’t play any P5 schools. They won’t say they played a great schedule of VMI and three schools who were pre season favorites to win their G5 conference one of those being the MAC. They will say they didn’t play any P5s period, and it will hurt us. The only way I could see that not happening is if Boise, Cincinnati and Ohio all have great years and we were their only loss.

The same would be said if MU played someone like Indiana or Wake Forest...MU didn't play any GOOD P5 schools.

It is possible all three do have good years but all would have a loss to MU who, say, doesn't lose and wins their conference.
MU would have a good case for being the top G5 school.

 

[RhinoD]

Kent State can take the checks, fund their athletic dept and start the season 0-4 every year and no one will bat an eye... Can you imagine the uproar if we scheduled like that and opened the season 0-4? Fire Everyone! Hamrick's an Idiot! Shut down football!

The key for G5 schools that actually care about putting a good product on the field, being competitive on a regular basis and possibly competing for conference titles is to find a balance... One average or better P5 team, one top-level G5 or bad P5, and two average G5s or geographical rivals... I would point to our schedule next year as being almost perfect – Pitt (average P5), Boise State (top tier G5), East Carolina (average G5) and Ohio (geographical rival).

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

We have won three games, ever, against current P5 teams in a year where they finished with an above .500 record. We have played competively in many other games, but the bottom line is we have historically show that we have less than a 10% chance of winning any game against a P5 opponent.

I think this year's schedule is very smart. If we win our non-conference games and those schools have the type seasons they are projected to have, we are sitting pretty.

Also, this season sets MU up nicely for future OOC opponents from the top of the G5 and from the P5 as well.
Hamrick has made it clear he's going to work 1:1's with P5 schools. So that means we may not get them every year but when we do, expect a home game in return.
The USC game was a huge payout which he didn't want to turn down.

 

[CarolinaZilla69]

I can see where you're coming from, but I just personally see it different. I believe Marshall has the athleticism and potential to not just go into these schools and come home with tails tucked between their legs and a wad of cash. We've had national attention before and believe we could again, but playing a "softer" schedule's compared to every other team won't bat an eye for any national exposure.

"Life is about taking risks. If you never take a risks, then you'll never know what you're capable of"

I recall not many years ago.....Herd Football played at schools like Tenn, Georgia, Va Tech, S. Carolina, CLEMSON....when you are a member of CUSA...you can not demand 1-1 with any school of notoriety.

Appy State (their program is equal to Marshall's) receives nice paydays going to Penn State, Michigan, N Carolina & S Carolina. NICE PAYDAY$.

Since joining the Sunbelt Conf...the Mountaineers have WON or Shared Conference Championships! Marshall has but ONE!

I appreciate we are going to South Bend & Blacksburg in a few years.....but, going to Boise State compares little to going to places The HERD used to venture.

Just my opinion.

Beat VMI...now that's a killer team!

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Kent State can take the checks, fund their athletic dept and start the season 0-4 every year and no one will bat an eye... Can you imagine the uproar if we scheduled like that and opened the season 0-4? Fire Everyone! Hamrick's an Idiot! Shut down football!

The key for G5 schools that actually care about putting a good product on the field, being competitive on a regular basis and possibly competing for conference titles is to find a balance... One average or better P5 team, one top-level G5 or bad P5, and two average G5s or geographical rivals... I would point to our schedule next year as being almost perfect – Pitt (average P5), Boise State (top tier G5), East Carolina (average G5) and Ohio (geographical rival).

MU did that. When Snyder became head coach, MU scheduled (in my opinion) beyond its ability. I won't entirely blame Snyder for the losses, because he wasn't head coach material to begin with and sentience in this regard wasn't made till after MU fired him, but those OOC games were absolutely brutal.

 

[GreenDuke]

Kent State can take the checks, fund their athletic dept and start the season 0-4 every year and no one will bat an eye... Can you imagine the uproar if we scheduled like that and opened the season 0-4? Fire Everyone! Hamrick's an Idiot! Shut down football!

The key for G5 schools that actually care about putting a good product on the field, being competitive on a regular basis and possibly competing for conference titles is to find a balance... One average or better P5 team, one top-level G5 or bad P5, and two average G5s or geographical rivals... I would point to our schedule next year as being almost perfect – Pitt (average P5), Boise State (top tier G5), East Carolina (average G5) and Ohio (geographical rival).

Makes one wonder which is more grounded in reality. -)

 

[CarolinaZilla69]

So if we play any P5 school we are pimping ourselves out for a check? Because we have no chance to win? Is that what I’m hearing? If it is then our expectations have fallen even farther than I thought as a fan base.

I’m not talking about playing Alabama or Clemson. But honestly I do expect us to compete with bad to good (not great) P5 opponents and win some of those as well. The only time I have no expectations and I look at playing a P5 simply as a big check is when we play the elite schools like Clemson or Bama or Oklahoma etc. I think it’s fun to do that every once in awhile just to see where we are but I definitely wouldn’t make a habit of it, and if we never did it I would be OK with it.

For example I was very disappointed in the way we played against a mediocre Va Tech team on the road last year as well as the home game with NC State. We got blown out by Va Tech who finished the year with a bowl loss to one of our G5 opponents in Cincinnati to go a whopping 6-7. NC State was never seriously in danger in our game with them and that was at the Joan. They finished the season with an 9-4 record and got crushed in their bowl game. If we are going into games with P5 schools expecting a loss or just hoping to not get anybody hurt just because they are a P5 school, then that’s beyond disappointing to me.

I think we need to play at least one P5 every year. If you took out VMI and inserted a Va Tech or someone like them on the road to go along with Boise, Cincinnati and Ohio I think that would be a perfect schedule for us. We would have 6 home games instead of 7 but I can guarantee you what they would pay us would offset what we would make in a home game with VMI. If we go undefeated with a schedule like that then we would no doubt go to the Access bowl. If we had one close loss to any of those teams we would still be in contention.

With the schedule we have now if we do well and start making some noise the fact we play no P5’s and a terrible FCS team will hurt our chances if we have a great season. Playing no P5’s means no margin for error so we either go undefeated and hope we don’t get passed by a G5 that has a good record and played multiple P5 teams.

I CONCUR WITH YOUR POST 100%.....

I won't spend $$$ to come to the VMI game. In fact, for the first time in years, I did not order season tickets.

I support I am not the ONLY one that did not renew based on the daily messages I receive to purchase season tickets!

Plan to attend Homecoming (WKU)......

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

 

[CarolinaZilla69]

I hope we can get the access bowl spot but honestly, we have the 15th weakest schedule in America per ESPN. Even winning out, a solid UCF or Memphis or maybe other AAC team gets in over us. We would have to win out and have a lot of help to get in.

AMEN...our schedule will cause more out of town folks to NOT drive to Huntington & $pend $$$$ to watch a VMI, etc.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

 

[CarolinaZilla69]

Anybody who has envy of KENT STATE"S position in the college athletics world really needs a reality check.

KSU is paying for a program that really not that many people, be they locals, students, or alumni, really give a flying f*** about by playing at three P5 teams per year, and of the nine listed at least six are true elite teams. Get pounded, get back on the bus, eat your box lunch, repeat.

At the end of the day, if you have to do THIS to be I-A, maybe you don't need to be I-A.

Sad Sam...perhaps Marshall should not be 1-A in football? Just asking!

HerdZilla22

 

[TwentyTen]

So if we play any P5 school we are pimping ourselves out for a check? Because we have no chance to win? Is that what I’m hearing? If it is then our expectations have fallen even farther than I thought as a fan base.

I’m not talking about playing Alabama or Clemson. But honestly I do expect us to compete with bad to good (not great) P5 opponents and win some of those as well. The only time I have no expectations and I look at playing a P5 simply as a big check is when we play the elite schools like Clemson or Bama or Oklahoma etc. I think it’s fun to do that every once in awhile just to see where we are but I definitely wouldn’t make a habit of it, and if we never did it I would be OK with it.

For example I was very disappointed in the way we played against a mediocre Va Tech team on the road last year as well as the home game with NC State. We got blown out by Va Tech who finished the year with a bowl loss to one of our G5 opponents in Cincinnati to go a whopping 6-7. NC State was never seriously in danger in our game with them and that was at the Joan. They finished the season with an 9-4 record and got crushed in their bowl game. If we are going into games with P5 schools expecting a loss or just hoping to not get anybody hurt just because they are a P5 school, then that’s beyond disappointing to me.

I think we need to play at least one P5 every year. If you took out VMI and inserted a Va Tech or someone like them on the road to go along with Boise, Cincinnati and Ohio I think that would be a perfect schedule for us. We would have 6 home games instead of 7 but I can guarantee you what they would pay us would offset what we would make in a home game with VMI. If we go undefeated with a schedule like that then we would no doubt go to the Access bowl. If we had one close loss to any of those teams we would still be in contention.

With the schedule we have now if we do well and start making some noise the fact we play no P5’s and a terrible FCS team will hurt our chances if we have a great season. Playing no P5’s means no margin for error so we either go undefeated and hope we don’t get passed by a G5 that has a good record and played multiple P5 teams.

Couldn’t like this post more. We need to play and beat P5s. We haven’t been playing P5s that are great teams. We just haven’t been good ourselves. The fact we were beaten soundly last year against 2 mediocre P5s speaks volumes to me about the state of our program. Competitive against our crap hole conference mates but any team with a pulse is just white flag territory. It has to change.

 

[Chris McLaughlin]

AMEN...our schedule will cause more out of town folks to NOT drive to Huntington & $pend $$$$ to watch a VMI, etc.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

People should have zero issue with the VMI game. Would you rather Jon Elmore not gotten a year back? Plus, it's a freebie home game of sorts being that we have 7 this year.

Our 2019 home schedule is solid. We get OU, UC, WKU, La Tech and FIU at the Joan.

In 2020 we will host Boise State, Pitt, MTSU and FAU.

 

[CarolinaZilla69]

Couldn’t like this post more. We need to play and beat P5s. We haven’t been playing P5s that are great teams. We just haven’t been good ourselves. The fact we were beaten soundly last year against 2 mediocre P5s speaks volumes to me about the state of our program. Competitive against our crap hole conference mates but any team with a pulse is just white flag territory. It has to change.

I AGREE with your post....But, the fact The HERD plays well & wins our Bowl Games is a good thing for the program! I wish they would play that well in the regular season!

HerdZilla22 in HERD NATION

 

[CarolinaZilla69]

People should have zero issue with the VMI game. Would you rather Jon Elmore not gotten a year back? Plus, it's a freebie home game of sorts being that we have 7 this year.

Our 2019 home schedule is solid. We get OU, UC, WKU, La Tech and FIU at the Joan.

In 2020 we will host Boise State, Pitt, MTSU and FAU.

2020 Chris is rock solid.......2019 is questionable! Cinny is not big-time football. WKU will lose most of their contests. FIU will most likely win CUSA East. ONE solid game (FIU) at home plus Homecoming game draws alumni.

Out of town folks face lots of expenses that you locals do not!

HerdZilla22 in HERD NATION

 

[Chris McLaughlin]

2020 Chris is rock solid.......2019 is questionable! Cinny is not big-time football. WKU will lose most of their contests. FIU will most likely win CUSA East. ONE solid game (FIU) at home plus Homecoming game draws alumni.

Out of town folks face lots of expenses that you locals do not!

HerdZilla22 in HERD NATION

UC should be very good this year and Ohio is favored to win the MAC. Those are two very good home games.

I agree WKU will probably stink but they are one of our biggest rivals and we host them on Homecoming.

And FYI, I live further away from Huntington than you do.

 

[CarolinaZilla69]

UC should be very good this year and Ohio is favored to win the MAC. Those are two very good home games.

I agree WKU will probably stink but they are one of our biggest rivals and we host them on Homecoming.

And FYI, I live further away from Huntington than you do.

Chris, My bad...I thought you were LOCAL.

Once upon a time I rarely missed a HERD football game....about 1989----2010.

Getting Up in years is not for sissys! Not many Mike Duncans in Herd Nation [he has not missed a MU football since about 1983!]

Perhaps, I will return for the Cincy game? I will buy you an adult beverage!

HerdZilla22 in HERD NATION

 

[RhinoD]

This year was actually an easy one for me to pick games to attend (I buy season tickets but usually only make 3-4 games coming from NC)... I always go to the first home game of the year. Am I disappointed its VMI, a little sure, but Im still going to go out of tradition... Then give me Cincy a month later in Huntington, homecoming against WKU and Thanksgiving on a long weekend against FIU and I get four home games. I'll also drive the 3 hours to Charlotte for that road game.

 

[The Real SamC]

AMEN...our schedule will cause more out of town folks to NOT drive to Huntington & $pend $$$$ to watch a VMI, etc.

Sad Sam...perhaps Marshall should not be 1-A in football? Just asking!

Pick a story and go with it. Either it is beneath you to watch MU play a I-AA, or MU should BE a I-AA. Just pick one.

First, of course, I will be at the stadium, like every week, to watch M A R S H A L L play. Not VMI or whoever. M A R S H A L L . But second, and much more importantly, so will thousands more. A huge difference between this program and something like Kent State, which can prostitute itself with the kinds of schedules about which this thread is about, and in fact MUST do so, because it draws about 20% of its stadium's capacity, most of those students (who do not need a ticket) and this is the only way it can play pretend it belongs at the top level.

 

[oldeherd]

Yes, it is apparent that everyone on here has a crystal ball that is a lot clearer than the one the Mike Hamrick uses. Guess, then, that you all can tell me exactly how good a team Notre Dame will be in 2022 when the Herd visits South Bend. Or what Virginia Tech teams will the Hokies field when we play again in 23 and 24.

Did Mike Hamrick know how good or bad NC State would be in 2018 when he signed that home and home a few years back? What about our home and home with Pitt? I'm sure Mike was certain kind of team the Panthers would bring to Huntington in 2020!!

Do we want, as HERD fans, to go down that road that schools like Kent State and perhaps another MAC school, Bowling Green, follow? In the next 3 season the Golden Flashes play NINE power oppenents ON THE ROAD! Their home OOC opponents in said 3 years, surely to greatly elevate the blood pressures of Kent's fans, are: Kennesaw State, Kennesaw State, and (gasp), VMI!!!!!! The BG Falcons play 2 Power opponents a season on the road, from the Big 10, Big 12, PAC 12, SEC, over several of the next seasons, 10 or 11 foes overall, with only one, Iowa State, slated to play AT Bowling Green.

MTSU of CUSA plays 3 Power Schools this season, all on the road, IIRC, Believe that they have played nearby SEC Vanderbilt at home as a part of a multi game deal. As some have noted on this site or elsewhere, its not uncommon for a local high school game in Murphfreesboro to draw as many, or sometimes more, fans than a home Blue Raiders' game.

As for Cincinnati not being some kind of quality opponent, well, guess again. Open at home with UCLA, go next to Ohio State then play long time and nearby rival, Miami (O). After an off week , they come to the JOAN. Go home the next FRIDAY for a showdown with UCF followed by a trip to HOUSTON to face Holgy's Cougs. By early October, UC could be in the catbird seat for the Access Bowl.

Anyone can nitpick and find fault with HERD football schedules. Certainly ESPN has no reason to promote and praise MU and certainly will bad mouth, downplay the HERD at every opportunity. "They play no power opponents", or they played weak teams, when we did play, and beat, South Carolina, Clemson, Purdue, etc. Again, could the Herd know what kind of teams those schools would field when the games were scheduled?

Personally, I'm glad Mike Hamrick works to try and get home and home deals with potential Power foes. As a student I watched HERD football in a decaying Fairfield Stadium on an uneven grass field laden with sinkholes against the likes of Morehead State, Dayton, now D-3 schools, and Xavier (O) who no longer has a football program. So I appreciate the efforts of those who as of 2019 enable me to watch my HERD play home games in one of the better G5 venues in FBS go up against an occasional Power school as well as the likes of East Carolina, Boise State, Army, Navy, in Huntington, West Virginia!!!!

 

[Herd228]

Well put Oldeherd! I’m with you on that!!! MH is the best AD in Marshall history. When he pulls off the baseball facility it will be his biggest accomplishment. Notice I said “when” and not “if.” My money is on MH and the Herd Rises campaign! Go Herd!!!

 

[ohio herd]

I hope we can get the access bowl spot but honestly, we have the 15th weakest schedule in America per ESPN. Even winning out, a solid UCF or Memphis or maybe other AAC team gets in over us. We would have to win out and have a lot of help to get in.

phil steele has us at #92. Not saying that is great but tougher than #120.

 

[Bankerreturns]

I hope we can get the access bowl spot but honestly, we have the 15th weakest schedule in America per ESPN. Even winning out, a solid UCF or Memphis or maybe other AAC team gets in over us. We would have to win out and have a lot of help to get in.

If we were to go undefeated, which is extremely unlikely, and Boise wins the MWC (which is projected), Ohio wins the MAC (which is projected), and Cincinnati can finish no worse than second behind UCF, we will be in great position if UCF trips up a time or two. In Cincy beats UCF we would be in the driver's seat.

 

[i am herdman]

People should have zero issue with the VMI game. Would you rather Jon Elmore not gotten a year back? Plus, it's a freebie home game of sorts being that we have 7 this year.

Our 2019 home schedule is solid. We get OU, UC, WKU, La Tech and FIU at the Joan.

In 2020 we will host Boise State, Pitt, MTSU and FAU.

wait, i thought this game was scheduled way before Elmore was playing college ball?

 

[Bankerreturns]

phil steele has us at #92. Not saying that is great but tougher than #120.

The whole "toughest schedule" thing is a meaningless discussion in the preseason. It is based solely on how teams performed in 2018. For example, if Boise or Cincinnati (or both) goes 11-1 this year, with the only loss to us, what happens to our SOS? What if they go 1-11 with their only win against us?

The other part that makes it pointless is that we play 8 opponents we don't control with scheduling. If the conference can over-perform 2018, the SOS will be better. If they don't, it won't. Can't control it, can't worry about it.

 

[Herdmeister]

wait, i thought this game was scheduled way before Elmore was playing college ball?

it was

 

[Herdmeister]

If we were to go undefeated, which is extremely unlikely, and Boise wins the MWC (which is projected), Ohio wins the MAC (which is projected), and Cincinnati can finish no worse than second behind UCF, we will be in great position if UCF trips up a time or two. In Cincy beats UCF we would be in the driver's seat.

As I said, we would need a lot of help. You are describing just how much we would need