Ouch

[starrca23]

Is it okay to say bad things about this guy?
Mike Huguenin
Rivals.com College Football Editor

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=797234

[badger]

Nah, we deserve some heat from that one. I'm okay with it considering the fact that we tried to get someone better. I don't think people realize how hard it is to schedule games now...

However, if we had 2-3 patsies, that would be terrible. We don't, though.

[soonerfan28]

Who cares. At least we're not K-State. We'll have a scrimmage and get some of our new guys broke in (mainly on D) and get our timing down and be ready for the rest of the season.

[SeattleOUstudent]

Once we are 5-0 and eyeing the UT game as No.2 in the country, people will forget. Now, if we LOSE a game, it might come back to haunt. So for now, how bout we just plan on not losing.

[BudSooner]

Screw 'em, it's a tuneup game folks, nothing to see in that article.

If it were the morons team were playing a patsy, he would refer to it as "giving a little team the spotlight and some coin for playing against a more formidable foe"

Writers=asses.

Well, with the no huddle being installed this would be a good game to sort out any question marks some may have of the guys.

[soonerfan28]

Screw 'em, it's a tuneup game folks, nothing to see in that article.

If it were the morons team were playing a patsy, he would refer to it as "giving a little team the spotlight and some coin for playing against a more formidable foe"

Writers=asses.

Well, with the no huddle being installed this would be a good game to sort out any question marks some may have of the guys.

Very true.

[cheezyq]

This guy is a tool. Clemson was originally on the schedule, and they canceled on us. No decent team wants to head into Norman to start their season. Comparing that situation to Rutgers/Fresno State is about the dumbest comparison a guy can make. First off, both of those teams know they have a shot at winning that game because they're similar programs. Neither of those teams is going to come into Norman, where we've only lost 4 times in 10 years, and expect a win.

If anything, he should be picking on teams like LSU and Miami, who have "rivalry" games against teams like Tulane and Florida Atlantic/International.

Idiot.

[soonerfan28]

I think Clemson has other things to worry about.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?cat=178

[cheezyq]

I think Clemson has other things to worry about.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?cat=178

Um....

I knew the Bowden boys were fruits, but that's just plain wrong. Maybe we don't want Clemson coming here to Norman, checking out our players' cup sizes and eye-ing their junk.

[mizzOUstu702]

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=797234


So, without further ado, here are the 12 most embarrassing games this season involving "Big Six" schools and I-AA programs:

1. Chattanooga at Oklahoma, Aug. 30: What in the world is Oklahoma doing playing Chattanooga, which has had just four winning seasons since 1988? The Mocs were 2-9 last season. In the past 20 seasons, the Mocs are 0-19 vs. Division I-A foes, losing those games by an average margin of 34 points per game. Only one of those games was decided by fewer than 14 points. Hey, perhaps OU folks figured a blowout of a bad I-AA team to open the season will erase some of the bad taste still remaining from the Fiesta Bowl beatdown administered by West Virginia.

Thoughts? I think it's a bit of a stretch for that game--out of all the crappy games on that list--to be picked the most embarrassing matchup. When you look at our other OOC games, compared to a team like Tech: Eastern Washington, @Nevada, SMU, and UMass...? There should be a collective award for embarrassing schedule.

But this is just one man's opinion. Yours?

[Paperclip]

Yeah, it's embarrassing that we're playing the Mocs, but it's a safe bet the author of the article never tried to form a schedule for a D-1 football team.

[badger]

I talked to a co-worker who is an Arky alum. He said they played the Mocs last year and Chattanooga scored first. Arky was scared beyond all belief that they would lose to this Div 2 team :D

Now, I'm not saying that it will happen to us. However, keep in mind that R-Kansas beat LSU at LSU last year in a thrilling game and so therefore, we shouldn't take Chatty (or any other opponent) lightly... much less the T-Tech's and Colorados :mad:

[OK2U]

Marshmellow State has got to be better than North Texas, right?

[Sco]

^One could only hope.

I take that as a compliment. We're a team too powerful to be playing a team like Chat.

[SteelClip49]

Maybe I am wrong but did Chattanooga replace a 1A team that backed out of a deal or something? Somehow I thought we were supposed to play Clemson in 2007-2008 but that never happened obviously and Joe struggled to find a replacement and couldn't. Also, isn't there some rule or whatever that playing a 1AA school every certain amount of years counts?

[Salt City Sooner]

Clemson backed out in '04. Joe C. has yet to name the other D-1 team that recently ditched us.

[hOlden caUlfield...]

I think have a good chance against them.

[soonerfan28]

WHO CARES! Look at LSU's schedule and tell me that it's as strong as ours. Oh, I forgot the play in the SEC.

http://lsu.rivals.com/schedule.asp?Team=LSU&Year=2008

[cheezyq]

I made this point in the Ouch thread. Here's my updated opinion:

1. Clemson canceled on us to play a patsy. Why are we taking the heat over them?
2. Earlier in the article he makes the comparison between this situation and the Rutgers-Fresno State recent scheduling. That's ludicrous. Regardless of where RU and FSU play, they are equal programs and each team can expect to win.

Any team that would put OU on the schedule in the first week of the season can expect to play at Norman (OU is already playing at Washington). Considering OU has only lost 4 games in the last 10 years in Norman, you're virtually assured of walking out with a loss. What DECENT/GOOD team wants to start their season with a sure loss?

And in this guy's best case scenario, OU would have to travel to play a good team. Given the BCS and what it takes to win a MNC these days, doing that could have a disastrous effect on any designs for a championship, even before OU has a chance to get in sync and warm up to the season.

3. With Cincinatti, Washington, and TCU all being solid programs, OU already has a decent schedule. There are no North Texases or Utah States in their schedule. Given that they're working some new things into their normal playbook in the offseason, it makes TOTAL sense that they would schedule a patsy to iron out the kinks.

If this guy wants to make a legitimate argument, he needs to follow these leads:

1. KSU canceling the HOME game v. Fresno State to play a patsy.
2. Clemson pulling out on OU to play a patsy because the ACC is too hard? Give me a break.
3. LSU and Miami playing "rivalry" games against the likes of Tulane/SW Louisiana and Florida Atlantic/International.

And if he wants to whine about scheduling, he should start by blaming the BCS and the SEC, not the university scheduling departments. They're only going to do what's best for their school in the interests of winning a championship or getting into the major bowls. The SEC set the precedent by scheduling patsies all off-season so that everyone goes into SEC conference play with undefeated records; and it subsequently inflates their BCS ranking. Then they can use the excuse that the SEC is just SO hard to ward off media that question their OOC schedules. Now, everyone else is just taking notice and following suit.

[Salt City Sooner]

1. Clemson canceled on us to play a patsy. Why are we taking the heat over them?
Again, Clemson backed out in 2004, & Castiglione hasn't named the team that backed out on us recently. If in fact he were to still name Clemson as that team, I personally find it a bit on the weak side that Chattanooga was all he could come up with as a replacement. He had 4 years to do so.

[soonermix]

with many people worried about schools ooc schedule why don't we just take 1 or 2 games away and oh i don't know use those weeks for maybe another round in an end of season playoff

[oupride]

What ticks me off is the writer explicitly infers that the game was scheduled AFTER the Fiesta Bowl. It is my belief that this game probably was scheduled way BEFORE; anyone know the facts on this?

[Phil]

It was scheduled after the Fiesta Bowl. What you guys are forgetting is that an extra game was added to every year's schedule a couple of years back, making it that much harder to get games. I believe Joe Cash talked to a number of teams, including Boise State, to try to get a D-I game for this slot. We only ended up with a I-AA because there wasn't anyone else to get. Remember, this will only be the second I-AA game we've played since Joe and Bob have been here - they don't want to play these guys, but we were left with no real choice to get a game.

[oupride]

It was scheduled after the Fiesta Bowl. What you guys are forgetting is that an extra game was added to every year's schedule a couple of years back, making it that much harder to get games. I believe Joe Cash talked to a number of teams, including Boise State, to try to get a D-I game for this slot. We only ended up with a I-AA because there wasn't anyone else to get. Remember, this will only be the second I-AA game we've played since Joe and Bob have been here - they don't want to play these guys, but we were left with no real choice to get a game.
Thank you Phil, too bad Sam Houston State was not available, huh?

[oupride]

with many people worried about schools ooc schedule why don't we just take 1 or 2 games away and oh i don't know use those weeks for maybe another round in an end of season playoff

Hello, Big 10? Pac 10? Anyone there? Guess not. Silence is deafening isn't it?

[cheezyq]

Again, Clemson backed out in 2004, & Castiglione hasn't named the team that backed out on us recently. If in fact he were to still name Clemson as that team, I personally find it a bit on the weak side that Chattanooga was all he could come up with as a replacement. He had 4 years to do so.

When you consider what I stated in points 2 and 3, the onus is still on Clemson and not OU. Why do you think it took 3 years to get a replacement? Do you think the scheduling dept. was just sitting on their thumbs?

Again, no decent school is going to come to Norman in week 1 to take a loss. It's the first game of the season, and it takes a game or two to see if the offseason changes you make are going to work. The same goes for OU's scheduling dept. They'd be vilified by Stoops if they scheduled a tough game on the road for their FIRST game. The only fools that I can think of who did this recently are oSu, and look what happened to them at UGA.

That makes his case for OU/Chatt. as the #1 worst matchup a weak one, when you go by his own criteria. Games against pansies at the end of the year should be falling in that #1 spot, not OU/Chatt.

[Salt City Sooner]

When you consider what I stated in points 2 and 3, the onus is still on Clemson and not OU. Why do you think it took 3 years to get a replacement? Do you think the scheduling dept. was just sitting on their thumbs?

Again, no decent school is going to come to Norman in week 1 to take a loss. It's the first game of the season, and it takes a game or two to see if the offseason changes you make are going to work. The same goes for OU's scheduling dept. They'd be vilified by Stoops if they scheduled a tough game on the road for their FIRST game. The only fools that I can think of who did this recently are oSu, and look what happened to them at UGA.

That makes his case for OU/Chatt. as the #1 worst matchup a weak one, when you go by his own criteria. Games against pansies at the end of the year should be falling in that #1 spot, not OU/Chatt.
It didn't take 3 years, because they already had a D-1 replacement that backed out not named Clemson. Just before the UT-Chatt. game was announced, Castiglione was quoted in the DOK (I'm sure it's in the archives if you feel like paying) as saying that a D-1 team had RECENTLY (IIRC it was around a couple of weeks between this announcement & the announcement of the UTC game) backed out on OU. Clemson (again, 4 years ago) doesn't qualify as recent regardless of one's stance on this.


That makes his case for OU/Chatt. as the #1 worst matchup a weak one, when you go by his own criteria.
Agreed. As far as the article itself, IMO, it was nothing more than an attempt to spark discussion, which it's more than accomplished, although I will say that I'd have had much less of a problem with it had he left out the WVU cheapy at the end. To be fair though, at least the guy has OU/UC as one of his top OOC's as well.

[rainiersooner]

Blame the BCS - if we had a playoff it would most likely come at the expense of these weak OOC games. But, that's another thread I guess!!

[cheezyq]

It didn't take 3 years, because they already had a D-1 replacement that backed out not named Clemson. Just before the UT-Chatt. game was announced, Castiglione was quoted in the DOK (I'm sure it's in the archives if you feel like paying) as saying that a D-1 team had RECENTLY (IIRC it was around a couple of weeks between this announcement & the announcement of the UTC game) backed out on OU. Clemson (again, 4 years ago) doesn't qualify as recent regardless of one's stance on this.

Pay? For the DOK? :) I wasn't aware of a recent cancelation.

Clemson doesn't qualify as recent, but I still think their excuse was a joke. They touted the toughness of the ACC as the reason. Until then, I was unaware that they were having such a tough time competing against basketball players.

But seriously, I think Chatt. is a decent game just for the simple fact that we need a warm-up game. I think UW is likely a tougher opponent this year. UC has come out of nowhere to field a solid team, and TCU is always tough. For once it will be nice to play a reasonably tough OOC schedule and see what we're made of before conference play.

[kevpks]

Is it okay to say bad things about this guy?
Mike Huguenin
Rivals.com College Football Editor

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=797234

Everyone schedules a cupcake or two. It just seems to be how schedules work these days and whether it is North Texas, Utah State or whoever the heck we are playing I know two things: 1) We'll win by 50-60 and 2) I'll be buying PPV that week.

All I know is that it is better to be the one who eats the cupcake (OU) than to be the cupcake (OSU).

[Ruuuuuufus]

What I don't understand is if we absolutely had to schedule a DI-AA team, why not at least a half-way decent team? Clemson backed out in 2004, no one else had signed a contract for that spot. There really is no excuse to be playing the worst of DI-AA.

[sooner n houston]

This article is now front page on yahoo.com!!! With a picture of Stoops and a player.

[KingBarry]

What I don't understand is if we absolutely had to schedule a DI-AA team, why not at least a half-way decent team? Clemson backed out in 2004, no one else had signed a contract for that spot. There really is no excuse to be playing the worst of DI-AA.

Ummmm.... Google "michigan appalachian 2007" and see what hits you get.

Look, we have a very reasonable ooc schedule. It won't win any "toughest schedule" trophies or anything, but have nothing to be ashamed of.

On the other hand, Chattanooga is a pretty easy game. It is clearly meant to be a "bought" win, and so be it. There's nothing wrong with one or two a year.

It's the balance of your schedule that matters. This guy was just being a tool too drum up controversy. It's the offseason, whatever.

[King Crimson]

This article is now front page on yahoo.com!!! With a picture of Stoops and a player.

pretty amazing isn't it? we've played a lot of good team in the last half decade OOC--MIami, Alabama, Oregon, Washington....but we are poster boy Tech, KU, SEC OOC schduling.

[Beef]

I have no problem with this guy listing this game as the biggest mismatch in football next year.I think Stoops and the boys should theoretically have a very hard time keeping Chatanooga within 70 of us. And I'm sure Stoops doesn't want to have to deal with the backlash of beating another team by 70+. Especially a 1-AA team. It's a no win game for OU, regardless of how the game came about being scheduled.

[Scott D]

Hello, Big 10? Pac 10? Anyone there? Guess not. Silence is deafening isn't it?

The Pac-10 took the opportunity to schedule an extra conference game with that 12th game. So last season was the first time since they expanded from 8 to 10 teams that every team played each other in the same season. Knock them for not having a CCG, but at least every team faced each other on the field.

Also, while this is pure fodder for pro-playoff types. Find a way to separate the Big-10/Pac-10 from the lucrative Rose Bowl teat, and you might find a way to make that playoff work.

[soonerfan28]

I have no problem with this guy listing this game as the biggest mismatch in football next year.I think Stoops and the boys should theoretically have a very hard time keeping Chatanooga within 70 of us. And I'm sure Stoops doesn't want to have to deal with the backlash of beating another team by 70+. Especially a 1-AA team. It's a no win game for OU, regardless of how the game came about being scheduled.

It's not a game, it's a warm-up and we will have a chance to get our timing down and some playing time for players who haven't played in front of 85,000 people before. Who cares, it's not like we're the first team to schedule a cream puff.

[hgarmorer]

WHO CARES! Look at LSU's schedule and tell me that it's as strong as ours. Oh, I forgot the play in the SEC.

http://lsu.rivals.com/schedule.asp?Team=LSU&Year=2008

Wow that is pretty week overall. I hope App St. pulls another one out this year.

[Beef]

It's not a game, it's a warm-up and we will have a chance to get our timing down and some playing time for players who haven't played in front of 85,000 people before. Who cares, it's not like we're the first team to schedule a cream puff.

I didn't say I had a problem with us playing the game. I also don't have a problem with a sportswriter saying it's the biggest mismatch of the season.

[the_ouskull]

Ummmm.... Google "michigan appalachian 2007" and see what hits you get.

None from the linebackers... (cue rim shot)

:D

the_ouskull

[OU_Sooners75]

Screw 'em, it's a tuneup game folks, nothing to see in that article.

If it were the morons team were playing a patsy, he would refer to it as "giving a little team the spotlight and some coin for playing against a more formidable foe"

Writers=asses.

Well, with the no huddle being installed this would be a good game to sort out any question marks some may have of the guys.

Honestly, how is this going to be a good game for anything?

If it were say Delaware or Appy State, then we could say something like that. But it is the worst of the worst in D-1AA football. Nothing good will come from this. It would be better for OU to play Jenks or Tulsa Union.

[josh09]

Its just a tune up game. I wouldnt worry about what this guy has to say.