I tend to react similarly to games like this. HOWEVER, scheduling an FCS school rather than an FBS team is pretty advantageous for a median-revenue athletics program like OSU.
If OKST were to bring in, say, an FBS cupcake like San Jose State, they would have to pay them twice (or more) the amount of McNeese. As a fan, I’m happy to take an FCS opponent while letting some revenue that would have been used on an FBS opponent to go into the recruiting budget.
As for the fact of scheduling a “cupcake” team at all… I think OSU practically has to. They play a 9 game round robin schedule in one of the two top conferences in college football. Only 9 other schools in the country do that! It’s the least risky play to schedule an easy team or two in order to preserve your team’s health and police its mistakes in low-leverage situations.
There’s also the matter of top tier opponents like a Notre Dame or Michigan or Florida are still likely demanding 2-1 deals with OSU… if they’ll even agree to come to Stillwater at all. It’s a no win situation for them to come play us because we don’t have the name cache (another issue of poor marketing on the part of sports information), but we will probably win those games.
I think always having an Oregon State, Minnesota, Purdue, Virginia, type opponent on the schedule is really important for us… and I would certainly rather give a team like SMU or Georgia State a 2-1 than play an FCS team… but I understand the FCS teams that we schedule.
I think our scheduling is headed in the right direction. Love the long term home and home games with Tulsa and Arkansas. Most of these games are scheduled 5-10 years in advance so complaining about them is moot.
@kyleboone@kyleporterCBS Excellent question for Mike Holder- are blue bloods requiring a 2 for 1 for a series against the Pokes? I saw a Nick Saban rant come across my twitter feed today - granted he could have said it 5 years ago - that they can’t get any good teams to play them. How fun would a series against them be?
Here’s a legitimate medical question: where is Blake Barron? I follow him on Twitter and he made mention of not having played football in two years. Is he hurt again this year or…?
Jake Ross did quit, yes. Too many injuries. As for Blake Barron, nothing has gotten out … but I’ve heard he suffered another season-ending injury in camp. He tore his ACL and MCL last year.
Barron said on Twitter he’s ready to get back and even revived encouragement from Patric Macon. I don’t believe he’s done, just had another injury setback.
Fun thing from practice today: Mike Scott said Deondrick Glass is acting as TU running back Shamari Brooks on the scout team. He said they are similar-styled backs, so it’s giving OSU’s defense a good look.