re: Future sched news - '24 M&W game on 4/20

Do you have any idea if the SECE road game will be on 09/12, 09/26, or 10/03?

I figure we might still push for 09/12 to be a road SEC game just to have a little more time to ensure Kyle gets finished. It's possible they could do an away OOC there but I doubt we will have two BCS/P5 teams in one year. At least not right now anyway.

If that is indeed the case we can start trying to figure out who the 4th OOC will be.

First off, here are the remaining schools that still need to add a game to complete their schedules. The info goes school, dates open, number of their assured home games, # of P5 opponents, # FCS games set up, and how many games they need to complete their schedule.

ACC
Georgia Tech - 09/26, 10/03, 6 home games, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 game needed
Miami - 09/12, 09/26, 5 home games, 1 TBA @/FIU, 1 BCS, no FCS, 1 game needed
NC State - 10/03, 5 home games, no BCS, no FCS, 1 game needed
North Carolina - 09/26, 10/03, 5 home games, 2 BCS, no FCS, 2 games needed
Syracuse - 09/12, 10/03, 6 home games, 1 BCS, no FCS, 2 games needed
Pitt - 09/26, 10/03, 5 home games, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 game needed
Wake Forest - 09/12, 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 game needed

American
Houston - 10/03, 5 home games, 1 BCS, no FCS, 2 needed
East Carolina - 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
UConn - 09/26, 10/03, 6 home, no BCS, 1 FCS, 1 needed
Tulane - 09/26, 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 2 needed
SMU - 10/26, 10/03, 6 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
South Florida - 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, 1 FCS, 1 needed
Central Florida - 09/12, 10/03, 4 home, 1 BCS, no FCS, 2 needed
Tulsa - 10/03, 5 home, 1 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed

Big 10
Penn State - 10/03, 6 home, no BCS, no FCS, 1 needed

CUSA
Charlotte - 10/26, 6 home, no BCS, 1 FCS, 1 needed
Florida Atlantic - all OOC TBA, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Florida International - 09/26, 5 home, 1 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Middle Tennessee State - 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
La Tech - 10/26, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
North Texas - 10/03, 4 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Rice - 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed

Independent
BYU - 10/03, 5 home games, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed

MAC
Central Michigan - 09/12, 10/03, 5 home, 3 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Western Michigan - 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Bowling Green - 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Buffalo - 09/26, 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, 1 FCS, 1 TBA, 1 needed

MWC
Air Force - 09/12, 5 home, 1 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Colorado State - 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, may play Bama
New Mexico - 09/26, 6 home, 1 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Hawaii - 10/03, 5 home, 3 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
San Diego State - 10/03, 4 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 2 needed
San Jose State - 09/12, 09/26, 5 home 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed

Pac 12
Arizona - 09/26, 10/03, 5 home, no BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Stanford - 09/12, 09/26, 10/03, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed

Sun Belt
Arkansas State - 10/3, 5 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 1 needed
Texas State - 09/12, 10/03, 4 home, 1 BCS, no FCS, 2 needed
ULL - 09/12, 5 home, no BCS, no FCS, 2 needed
ULM - 09/12, 10/03, 4 home, 2 BCS, no FCS, 2 needed

(obviously not all of these teams would be able to set up a game w/A&M as I doubt we'd ever go to somewhere like ULL for an away game, I just listed them all since its possible one of the G5 schools go nuts chasing money and decide just 5 home games is worth the money they'd get paid for a rent a win)

We know 3 games are set w/Arizona State 09/05, Ball State 09/19, and our FCS late season snack Western Carolina 11/14.

In my mind this leaves 09/12, 09/26, and 10/03 as the most likely landing spots for our 4th OOC matchup.

W/Ball State set for 09/19 we know that A&M feels confident new Kyle will be ready to go by that date.

There are a few things that might lead to how A&M decides the last OOC opponent.

First and foremost, do they want one more week to ensure Kyle is done? If so, do we simply request to the SEC that we start conference play on the road 09/12?

If not are we willing to do a second P5 team in a H&H? It would be quite amusing to go ahead and requests a game with Stanford after their HC David Shaw was talking noise.

IMO we will probably end up with a rent a win to be played on either 09/26 or 10/03 (one of those dates will likely be Arkansas).

I'm hoping that having one game set up with Ball State means we are done with MAC matchups for next year.

There are really only three schools I can see that I believe would give us a 1 off game while still ending up with 6 home games of their own. Those are New Mexico, ULL, and Charlotte. I highly doubt any of the American schools are going to be willing to do one offs anymore so this is why I am leaving off SMU, Tulane, and Houston. While I personally wouldn't mind H&Hs with them I do not see our administration feeling the same way. There is a tiny chance that perhaps we might do that with Tulane just to be in Louisiana every year but I doubt it.

While Stanford staff was talking noise I doubt they would actually be willing to give A&M a home and home starting in '15 since they already have 2 BCS OOC games.

My guess is the P5 schools that would potentially give A&M a H&H are Penn State, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, UNC, NC St, and Miami. (I believe Arizona, Stanford, Pitt, and Wake will all use that last game for an FCS opponent) I'll also toss in BYU there just to make TMC happy.

Of those I really think PSU is the most realistic option since they will still be on a bowl ban and need good games to keep their fanbase excited.

At the end of the day though, I expect a rent a win and believe New Mexico is probably our most likely opponent since Bob Davie will probably be the most willing to work with our scheduling.