Why play Chattanooga if they aren't good enough for TV?

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Not even some lame cable network is picking up the game, so here it's the opener, and we are reduced to pay for view...what's Boren's cell phone number?

[aurorasooner]

I don't know that much about it besides what I've read. If I had to guess, it looks like the MTSU pullout from our supposed opener with them was some payback for the UAB cancellation of it's scheduled opener with MTSU when UAB bought-out it's game with MTSU to play us.

Oklahoma miffed at cancellation of ’08 football game vs. MTSU.
By ADAM SPARKS • Gannett Tennessee • June 10, 2008



MURFREESBORO — Middle Tennessee State athletic director Chris Massaro said he seized a prime scheduling opportunity, but regrets if others didn’t see it that way.

Last November, MTSU backed out of an agreement to play Oklahoma in football this season, and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said he didn’t appreciate the means by which it was done.
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In a Tulsa World story on Sunday, Castiglione accused MTSU’s athletic administration of not only making a late withdrawal from the agreement, but also not informing Oklahoma that it was doing so.

“We had an agreement for a long period of time and there was a contract that was written,” Castiglione told the Tulsa World. “What happens is they play games with it and won’t sign it. You get one excuse after the other. And then they just flat out refuse to even answer your call, or return your call. So you know something is up.”

Massaro declined comment about how and when talks broke off with Oklahoma, but said he regretted that Castiglione was upset about the situation.

“Scheduling is always a fluid deal, especially until a contract is in place,” Massaro said. “Your schedule is almost never the same from fall to spring and we all know that.

“... We’re all paid as athletic directors to do what is best for our athletic programs. There were some hard feelings there and you always regret when that happens.”
MTSU had tentatively planned to play Oklahoma in the 2008 season opener. But an opportunity to play Mississippi State presented itself when Central Michigan dropped Mississippi State from its schedule last fall.

MTSU dropped Oklahoma and picked up a home-and-home series with Mississippi State, including a trip to Starkville on Oct. 25 and a visit by the Bulldogs to Floyd Stadium in 2009 (the first SEC team to play in Murfreesboro). MTSU also moved Sun Belt rival Troy to its Aug. 28 season and home opener.

Oklahoma replaced MTSU with Chattanooga for its Aug. 30 season opener.

MTSU announced its Mississippi State deal last November, but Castiglione told the Tulsa World that MTSU officials never personally informed him that they were dropping their game with Oklahoma. He instead learned the news from a third party.
Massaro said MTSU never signed a contract to play the game with Oklahoma, but there was a proposal drawn up by a third party.

Castiglione was unavailable for comment while attending the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention in Dallas this week.
Massaro is also at the NACDA convention, but said he did not plan on talking to Castiglione or playing out any dispute in the media.

MTSU lost at Oklahoma 59-0 in 2006. It was the schools’ only meeting. Massaro said there was no contractual link between that game and the proposed 2008 contest.

The scheduling debate stems from a Rivals.com story that ranked Oklahoma’s season opener against Chattanooga, a Division I-AA opponent, as the most embarrassing matchup of the college football season.

Castiglione shot back, saying he had few choices once MTSU pulled out of their scheduled game.

Massaro acknowledged each school takes lumps in scheduling.

In the last three years, MTSU has lost contracted games with Vanderbilt, Temple and Alabama-Birmingham. Coincidentally, UAB bought out its contracted game at MTSU to instead play at Oklahoma for a larger guaranteed payout.

“I regret that there was any cost associated or hard feelings from Oklahoma, but the same thing has happened to us and we’ve worked through it,” Massaro said. “All three years I’ve been (at MTSU), the schedule has changed almost completely from fall to spring. Television takes care of some of that, like it did when LSU was moved from our (2007) opener to later in the season.

“And then the Temple thing was better for Temple, and I understood that. I understood UAB because Oklahoma made a better financial offer to UAB. ... Those things happen, and you work through them. That’s what we’re paid to do as athletic directors.”
.

[Scott D]

Not even some lame cable network is picking up the game, so here it's the opener, and we are reduced to pay for view...what's Boren's cell phone number?

now now, the ppv status means we get the worst Fox team ever for the game which will be on Fox Sports SW later in the week.

[soonersn20xx]

I doubt a MTSU matchup would been televised either, so that point is moot.

[SoonerinSouthlake]

does anyone know if Verizon FIOS service offers a pay-per-view option for this game..or do you have to have SAT

[Collier11]

why play utah st, why play baylor(other than we have to)? sometimes you have to play a stinker

[badger]

I don't mind that OU has a tune up game to start the season. I know it would be awesome to play SEC powerhouses like Bama, or at least BCS conference opponents like North Carolina to kick off a season, but sometimes it just doesn't work that way, especially in this era of "undefeated seasons are the best way to get to the title game, unless you're a mid major, in which case, it's your only way to get to the BCS."

Thus, quality mid-major opponents are tough to come by, because they want a winning schedule. Quality BCS conference opponents are tough to come by, because they want a guaranteed undefeated non-conf schedule. Thus, the Baylors out there will have good non-conference schedules, whereas OU will have a middo-majorette (Chattanooga), a lame BCS conferencer (Washington) and a so-so mid-major (Cinci). "So-so" means that they are not a pushover, but at the same time not in contention for the BCS.

[Phantasm]

meh - at least it will be available.... Most of the time OU is on ESPN/ABC it is a regional game and those of us outside of the area are required to buy the game from Gameplan....

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

why play utah st, why play baylor(other than we have to)? sometimes you have to play a stinkerUtah State is a Div 1 school. My sorest point is that the Chattanooga game is the season freakin' OPENER. I agree that middle Tennessee State might not have been televised, either...a disasppointing start to the season.

[The Maestro]

we are reduced to pay for view...

Do you pay for movies and other forms of entertainment? So you might have to shell out some bucks for an OU game. Isn't it worth it?

Besides, I know you will be sipping coffee at the Tilted Kilt, right? Free viewing there and some good food along with decent views.

[Collier11]

Utah State is a Div 1 school. My sorest point is that the Chattanooga game is the season freakin' OPENER. I agree that middle Tennessee State might not have been televised, either...a disasppointing start to the season.

I feel ya there, I would much prefer TCU or Cincy for the season opener

[OUMallen]

Utah State is a Div 1 school. My sorest point is that the Chattanooga game is the season freakin' OPENER. I agree that middle Tennessee State might not have been televised, either...a disasppointing start to the season.

Our admin makes a point to avoid these situations, and sometimes it's foisted upon you by others. No need to complain. This is like complaining about rain on the season opener.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Do you pay for movies and other forms of entertainment? So you might have to shell out some bucks for an OU game. Isn't it worth it?

Besides, I know you will be sipping coffee at the Tilted Kilt, right? Free viewing there and some good food along with decent views.I hope you're right. I have emailed Lindee about the OU club buying the game, but haven't heard from her yet. I will let you know what she says.

[yermom]

it sucks. it burned Allbarn 4 years ago. he have to have a 12th game, and that's all we can do. i'm not too happy with the first AA opponent in the Stoops era, but what are we gonna do?

on the bright side we will get some easy game time for the young secondary

[bri]

it sucks. it burned Allbarn 4 years ago. he have to have a 12th game, and that's all we can do. i'm not too happy with the first AA opponent in the Stoops era, but what are we gonna do?

on the bright side we will get some easy game time for the young secondary

Isn't that what Meatchicken was saying this time last year? ;)

[yermom]

this isn't some 1-AA team that should probably be a 1-A team, i don't even know if they were above .500 last year

it is the school that gave us TO though, so i guess we'll see :)

[birddog]

does anyone know if you can buy individual games on dish network?

[soonerboy_odanorth]

it sucks. it burned Allbarn 4 years ago. he have to have a 12th game, and that's all we can do. i'm not too happy with the first AA opponent in the Stoops era, but what are we gonna do?

on the bright side we will get some easy game time for the young secondary

(psssst. Indiana State.)

[olevetonahill]

does anyone know if you can buy individual games on dish network?

IM sure you can
I can on direct

[yermom]

(psssst. Indiana State.)

ok, this decade :P

[r5TPsooner]

now now, the ppv status means we get the worst Fox team ever for the game which will be on Fox Sports SW later in the week.

That would include Dean the Dream correct?

I'm 60/40 he'll be doing color.

[Scott D]

That would include Dean the Dream correct?

I'm 60/40 he'll be doing color.

that it would, with that stellar lack of information on the sidelines in Emily whatsherhorseface.

[r5TPsooner]

that it would, with that stellar lack of information on the sidelines in Emily whatsherhorseface.


Oh goodie. Maybe I should buy the PPV for my neighbor and keep my tickets and go myself. If it wasn't such a shiattay season opening opponent, it wouldn't even be an issue.

[Blue]

I look forward to seeing us score 70. Find something else to bitch about, now.

[douxpaysan]

Bob's other openers: North Texas UAB TCU Bowling Green North Texas(the sequel) Tulsa North Carolina UTEP Indiana State. Chattanooga isn't our first opening stinker and won't be our last(sounds like a bowl....err bowel problem)

[Crimson Kid]

Sounds like he was trying to payback OU for stealing UAB from there schehdule a few years back.

[RedstickSooner]

I really hated this game 'til listening to, of all people, Tommy Bowden, talking about the season opener and how mistake-filled it invariably is.

Maybe having a pre-season game, like we've got, isn't such a bad idea.

If every other major team is gonna play 1-AA teams during the season, maybe we should always try to open the season with one -- and then make sure the rest of our OOC matchups are reasonably good.

[badger]

Joe C. got bailed out by Chatty (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/article.aspx?articleID=20080608_202_B1_spancl39525 1) after Middle Tenn bailed on us. We needed a 12th game (as per NCAA "Football season is now 12 games instead of 11" rules) and UT-Chatt gave us our necessary 12th game at the last moment. Of course, they're getting paid a lot too, as a Moc fan pointed out, so it's not like we aren't scratching each other's backs in this situation.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

with the lack of experience in the OU LB corp and somewhat in the D backfield, I for one am glad that its a team like this...Even though they won't be going against top notch talent, it will allow the first game jitters(playing in front of 84000 can make one nervous) to not be as costly and allow them to have a game under their belt

[JohnnyMack]

Rush, MTSU bailed on us in November of last year. Do you get how hard it is to schedule someone with only 9 months notice? They didn't do it on purpose.

And Yermom, they went 2 - 9 last year.

[shaun4411]

warmup games are good

[goingoneight]

Well, I'm not a fan of having that "oh, they're playing patsies" on OU's resume at season's end... but think about this.

If we opened against... say Arkansas... would Sam Bradford have gotten out the jitters he did in the UNT game? If you remember, we started out doing nothing but running the ball and bubble screens. Once Kelly saved his Bacon on a low ball, he caught fire and never let up really. Colt McCoy did the same thing against the same team.

I'm not ever going to get all super excited about playing glorified high school teams. However... you won't find me complaining about a confidence builder. The limitations of 2-a-days are off on gameday. You can hit the quarterback, the star running back isn't hands off... you don't have to "watch out" for so-and-so's knee brace or anything like that. In essence... it's a tuneup that weeds out all the busts and jitters the first-year guys get in front of 85,000+.

OUr MNC in 2000 didn't have one high-profile game until Red October.

Miami, the supposed "greatest team EVAR" in 2001, played a laughable schedule, but whipped the snot out of Nebraska. Was it because their patsy schedule kept them healthy? Were they just confidence builders? The BIG 12's own KU did this last year.

[snp]

now now, the ppv status means we get the worst Fox team ever for the game which will be on Fox Sports SW later in the week.

http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/082608aas.html



Tim Brando (play-by-play), former Oklahoma running back Spencer Tillman (analyst), former OU quarterback Paul Thompson (sideline reporter) and FSN Southwest's Emily Jones (sideline reporter) call the action.


I think that's about as good as a lineup as you can ask for.

[tommieharris91]

Umm, are RLIMC and 20xx agreeing with each other?

http://funnyhub.com/content_images/4287_2144_hell-freezes-over.jpg

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

It's CAN'T be a bigger mismatch than UNT last year can it?

As bad as we beat A&M 77-0 in 03 I think we tried even harder not to score in the 4th quarter of the UNT game last year. It took a big effort not to score 100.

I don't think it does our SOS any favors but I'm not worried about us going undefeated and NOT going to the BCS championship because we played UT-Chattanooga in week 1.