Show us a REAL schedule .. Grow the program

[fortebleedsblue]

You know what the best way to lose fan buzz?

Umass = MAC/d1aa
Buffalo = MAC
Temple = MAC more than big east
Western Michigan = MAC

Nc state/Maryland (snore)


Schedule TCU, WVU, Ohio State, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Cal, Stanford, Oregan, USC, Notre Dame, Clemson, Wisconsin, Penn State ... A rivalry game like BC... Texas, Oklahoma... Give the fans something to care about.

Going towards and becoming big east members uconn played programs that generated buzz and excitement. There was a new stadium on the way ...we had an nfl caliber QB .. Fans had a purpose things were new and on the up swing ... We played teams that at the time were tough opponents at our current standing with lots of upside like BC, Iowa state, Georgia tech, #1 Miami, Indiana, Va Tech, NC Stare, Wake Forest.. Then ND and Michigan. Who remembers huddling around the tube for uconn Georgia Tech? Did we lose.. Yes but there was still up side for our little program.. Then our facilities came ... State of the art!

Where is our buzz now? The program has gone stale, like an old dusted has been that will never be. Are the odds stacked against uconn football? Yes, but haven't they always been? You're not going to generate buzz and support by playing safety games that have no upside and high risk. What needs to be done? I say beef up the schedule with opponents like Michigan who give us an upside. Will we lose... Likely but its all about reaching for the sky. If you settle and play it safe you won't make it. Big risks create opportunity for big rewards. That will get bodies in seats, that will get ESPN exposure, that is how you continue to grow and sell your case. Or do we play it safe on the field and off the field... Play not to lose... Play not to mess up?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I like this perspective. "The program has gone stale, like an old dusted has been that will never be". Well put. . . and an accurate description of the state of affairs since Randy left after the Fiesta Bowl. When we were all saying Randy had build up the program from infancy and maybe had plateau'd. Don't think anyone had in mind, HCPP plateauing the program at a lower level. Shenkman may have seen the handwriting on the wall, too bad we didn't listen.

 

[IMind]

You mean opponents like Michigan and Tennessee who are already on the future schedule?

 

[mattp]

whaaa, whaaa, nobody exciting will play us, whaaaa, whaaaa

 

[JayRU09]

I think the problem has been the losing games thing.

 

[junglehusky]

Here is one topic where we can still kick FHCRE and especially Hathaway. But now it's Warde's time, let's see what a Michigan Man can bring to the plate. FWIW I think we'll still have MAC opponents on the schedule, just not 3 in one year. I'd like to see a series with BC first and foremost, and then a big name at Yankee Stadium, Gillette or MetLife, and some more Tennesee/Michigan type home-and-homes if those guys are willing to come to the Rent.

 

[BlueMAB]

Warde's to do list:
1) Get us in the B1G, ACC, or Big 12
2) Schedule home and homes with teams that everyone else wants to schedule home and homes with.
3) Replace 2nd year coach.
4) Get us on ABC primetime and off ESPN3.
5) Force ESPN to move the Germany Air Force base game because having a nationally televised UConn basketball game before a nationally televised UConn football game is bad for tailgating. Screw the exposure.
6) Move all football home games to 3:30 or 8pm.
7) Expand the rent by 15,000
8) Build a new practice facility
9) Cure cancer

Am I missing anything?

 

[BlueMAB]

Hows that RU recruiting trophy case coming along?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Warde's to do list:
1) Get us in the B1G, ACC, or Big 12
2) Schedule home and homes with teams that everyone else wants to schedule home and homes with.
3) Replace 2nd year coach.
4) Get us on ABC primetime and off ESPN3.
5) Force ESPN to move the Germany Air Force base game because having a nationally televised UConn basketball game before a nationally televised UConn football game is bad for tailgating. Screw the exposure.
6) Move all football home games to 3:30 or 8pm.
7) Expand the rent by 15,000
8) Build a new practice facility
9) Cure cancer

Am I missing anything?

You left out ending poverty & hunger and acheiving World Peace.

 

[freescooter]

Can't disagree that this year's schedule lacks juice. On the other hand, Temple came into the Big East to replace West Virginia. Would I rather have the Mountaineers? Of course, but this wasn't a UConn scheduling issue it was a conference re-alignment issue. Apparently so was Western Michigan. They were a replacement for TCU. So if you look at what this year was supposed to be 3 years ago, it was West Virginia, and TCU. We have michigan and Tennessee coming up in future years. Maybe Notre Dame at Fenway. And we're going to have various and sundry ACC teams as a regular feature. Just geographically it makes sense. I believe we have a series with Virginia coming up. We have Maryland. For good or ill, we are in a transition year with the conference situation right now. 3 MACs is essentially the result of that.

 

[JayRU09]

It's going good.

But we're 4-0 with a weak schedule and getting hype.

You're 3-2 with a weak schedule and getting none.

That's the point. Win and hype and excitement come. Lose and it goes away. Not trying to be a d*ck, just telling you the truth. Sorry that it's a harsh truth, but find someone who would disagree with me here. If you were 5-0 would any of this scheduling talk or firing your coach talk be happening? Probably not.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Warde's to do list:
1) Get us in the B1G, ACC, or Big 12
2) Schedule home and homes with teams that everyone else wants to schedule home and homes with.
3) Replace 2nd year coach.
4) Get us on ABC primetime and off ESPN3.
5) Force ESPN to move the Germany Air Force base game because having a nationally televised UConn basketball game before a nationally televised UConn football game is bad for tailgating. Screw the exposure.
6) Move all football home games to 3:30 or 8pm.
7) Expand the rent by 15,000
8) Build a new practice facility
9) Cure cancer

Am I missing anything?

Probably asking too much with #s 5, 8 &9. Other than that . . . work towards #4 & 6. #3 is the first to come off the list (check, completed). #2 is ongoing. #1 & 7 are kind of hand-in-hand. Gotta make inroads in this area.

 

[SubbaBub]

I can't like the OP enough times. This years schedule was always going to suck anyway as it was a 3 BE game schedule that replaced WV/TCU with Temple. I liked the NC St game other than the loss. UM and UT are great home games, but that's two out of four years. Losing Pitt, cuse and Wv from the rotation, WM needs to replace them with more attractive home.games. The NNBE isn't going to cut it for a while.



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[Vowelguy]

6) Move all football home games to 3:30 or 8pm.

Which would pretty much guarantee ESPN3.
The afternoon and evening blocks are stocked with top-notch games.

Play at Noon, develop a winning brand that attracts viewers, THEN you could move to later in the day.

 

[fortebleedsblue]

I can't like the OP enough times. This years schedule was always going to suck anyway as it was a 3 BE game schedule that replaced WV/TCU with Temple. I liked the NC St game other than the loss. UM and UT are great home games, but that's two out of four years. Losing Pitt, cuse and Wv from the rotation, WM needs to replace them with more attractive home.games. The NNBE isn't going to cut it for a while.



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Exactly .. Minus Cuse and Pitt + Boise .... We need beef up OOC to grow exposure cause in conference will go un noticed as it does in Mac and conf USA.

 

[J187Money]

Forte - are you willing to do 2-1/3-1 or games in the Meadowlands/Foxboro/etc to make it happen? You want the serious big dogs they aren't coming to play us 1-1 on our home field. I'm all for it, and I'll travel for those games. But we had a 50 page thread with most of the people declaring it "end of days" if we played USC at the Meadowlands. And they won't play at the Rent. So should we just schedule road games only?

 

[fortebleedsblue]

Forte - are you willing to do 2-1/3-1 or games in the Meadowlands/Foxboro/etc to make it happen? You want the serious big dogs they aren't coming to play us 1-1 on our home field. I'm all for it, and I'll travel for those games. But we had a 50 page thread with most of the people declaring it "end of days" if we played USC at the Meadowlands. And they won't play at the Rent. So should we just schedule road games only?

I am all for 3-1, 2-1 or meadowlands. We are still growing our brand.... PERIOD. Which do you think gains more recognition/exposure for uconn football both nationally and locally.. Uconn vs Buffalo on sny at rent or an out of state game vs ND, Ohio State, Texas on ESPN? Now imagine we win both ... (knowing that none of those teams ever stood foot inside ct) which of buffalo (instate) or Texas is going to pack the rent next game with unpresidented buzz? Beggars can't be choosers.

 

[J187Money]

I am all for 3-1, 2-1 or meadowlands. We are still growing our brand.... PERIOD. Which do you think gains more recognition/exposure for uconn football both nationally and locally.. Uconn vs Buffalo on sny at rent or an out of state game vs ND, Ohio State, Texas on ESPN? Now imagine we win both ... (knowing that none of those teams ever stood foot inside ct) which of buffalo (instate) or Texas is going to pack the rent next game with unpresidented buzz? Beggars can't be choosers.

I'm with you. Most of the BY wouldn't go for any of that. I'm for the go anywhere / play anybody thing. That's how Boise built a brand.

 

[businesslawyer]

It's going good.

But we're 4-0 with a weak schedule and getting hype.

You're 3-2 with a weak schedule and getting none.

That's the point. Win and hype and excitement come. Lose and it goes away. Not trying to be a d*ck, just telling you the truth. Sorry that it's a harsh truth, but find someone who would disagree with me here. If you were 5-0 would any of this scheduling talk or firing your coach talk be happening? Probably not.

You are so wrong. If we were 5-0, people here would still find a dozen things to be miserable about.

 

[JayRU09]

Well, of course. Our fan bases are more than similar in that regard. Northeast hardcore fans are terrible. But at least the casuals would be excited.

 

[Waquoit]

That's the point. Win and hype and excitement come. Lose and it goes away. Not trying to be a d*ck, .

So it comes naturally?

 

[Waquoit]

You are so wrong. If we were 5-0, people here would still find a dozen things to be miserable about.

So that's where you are now, bl? Swapping spit with Rutgers trolls?

 

[RMS25CT]

It's going good.

But we're 4-0 with a weak schedule and getting hype.

You're 3-2 with a weak schedule and getting none.

That's the point. Win and hype and excitement come. Lose and it goes away. Not trying to be a d*ck, just telling you the truth. Sorry that it's a harsh truth, but find someone who would disagree with me here. If you were 5-0 would any of this scheduling talk or firing your coach talk be happening? Probably not.

Where'd all that hype get you in whatever year it was.....the Insight.com bowl on NFL Network!!

 

[freescooter]

I've been saying right along that winning is more important than who you beat. You want to have some "big" name games of course, but really if you look at the 3 ranked Big east teams at this point, Cincinatti plays 2 FCS teams, Fordham and Del State, and two MACs, Toledo and Miami of Ohio. They got a 2nd level name team in VaTech, which is good, but the rest of the non-conference schedule ain't nothing to write home about.
Louisville got Missouri State, Kentucky (one of the weaker SEC teams but a rival so it probably has at least some juice), Southern Miss, and Florida International, and North Carolina. They have won them all but the last 3 have all been close games. Not sure that schedule is all that much better than UConn. Kentucky being a rivalry game probably gives it a little more juice. But Missouri St=Umass. UNC=NCSt. Southern Miss=Westerm michigan FIU=Buffalo. Ky=Maryland.
Then let's look at the Ruts Non-conference...They got a Name win Arkansas, and that victory got them ranked, despite the fact that Arkansas's only win comes over a 1AA team. And they have been thoroughly pounded by Bama and A&M. The rest of their non-conference is Army, Howard, Tulane, and Kent State. Given that Army just got embarassed by a pretty good, though hardly great, Stonybrook squad, and Tulane is 0-4 having been absolutley crushed by Tulsa, Old Miss and Louisiana Monroe, I think one could argue that the Ruts don't exactly have murder's row on the schedule this year either. But they haven't lost. And they did beat a name. Bottom line is that you don't have to have a great schedule, but you absolutely must win most or all of your non-conference games to generate some buzz. Our problem isn't the quality of the non-league games. it is that we lost to Westerm Michigan...

 

[junglehusky]

If McMurphy's reporting is accurate our division mates would be Louisville, USF, SDSU, SMU, Navy and Memphis, and our crossover rivalry game would be Rutgers. Then you have the rotating crossover game, so that's four NNBE home games. Hopefully we'd have a home slate that avoided having both SMU and Memphis at home in the same years, so that we'd have only one guaranteed "dud" in the buzz department. (SMU might be better equipped to be competitive in the conference, and I'm assuming SDSU will be competitive pretty quickly). If we can get the OOC schedule right and get the program pointed towards 9+wins, I would be cautiously optimistic about some buzz generating in CT about the program. I just hope it doesn't take 4+ years to get there.