[BJWilliams]

As we are early in the new year, I was perusing another board and it looks like just about everyone in FCS has their 2016 slate finalized...any word on who fills our remaining openings in the schedule?

[Sly Fox]

I assume we are waiting to finalize the final home date likely on 9/24. There is no reason to hold anything back once it is ready.

[Sly Fox]

[PAmedic]

wow

well done

[PAmedic]

brutal opening 4 tho (other than JU)

not backin down from anyone ... I dig it

[thepostman]

Very solid. I love it. We have complained for years about scheduling so this is a nice development.

[LUGrad2000]

Great!

[flamesfilmguy]

2-2 in the first four with a win over an FBS is looking doable. 1-3 a very real possibility.overall 8-3 is possible. 9-2 would be incredible, 10-1 would be insane. 6-5 or 7-4 is more likely.

[flamehunter]

Hope we avoid a repeat of this season. Very tough schedule, but let's beat the teams we are supposed to this time.

[BJWilliams]

We got a major shot of adrenaline to the home slate with the Gamecocks coming to town, but they will be bringing in quite a bit of experience when they make the trip to Lynchburg so I expect us to be underdogs for sure in this one

[jbock13]

I'm excited about this game but I'm not sure I get why we're playing these murderers row schedules.

[BJWilliams]

This is just my opinion, but I think it goes back to JB expressing (either directly or indirectly I forget which) a desire to face "anyone, anytime, anywhere", That's why we have 2 FBS on the schedule, that's why he was able to work out a home and home with Montana, that's why we get to go down to Waco in 2017 and probably get beat by 50...

[flamesfilmguy]

This is just my opinion, but I think it goes back to JB expressing (either directly or indirectly I forget which) a desire to face "anyone, anytime, anywhere", That's why we have 2 FBS on the schedule, that's why he was able to work out a home and home with Montana, that's why we get to go down to Waco in 2017 and probably get beat by 50...

yes, perhaps.
I'm not going to complain about this schedule because aside VT and JSU we SHOULD be in every game with a chance to win. HOWEVER, scheduling these games very close without a bye week respite to break it up, can and most of the time will start to hurt more than it helps. There is a very thin line between challenging a team with a schedule and setting a team up for failure with a schedule. I don't think we are the latter yet. which is good. but I dont think we should be be wishing for more.

[jinxy]

I like winnable games. I actually think the best thing for us to do is keep the smu ccu and gast type games. Get rid of the wvu and VT games. I get it but it doesn't help us. The big south is better than ever the last few years. One thing that should help is that coastal will likely redshirt a lot of good players. Kennesaw state will be a tough game. I think 7 and 4 is probably where we end up. I'd be real happy with 8 and 3.

[BJWilliams]

On the upside, 3 of the first 5 are at home this upcoming season which will be good for us, compared to last year, when we started with 5 of our first 7 away from the friendly confines of Williams Stadium

[bluejacket]

I'm excited about this game but I'm not sure I get why we're playing these murderers row schedules.

This is not a murderers' row schedule.

[bluejacket]

yes, perhaps.
I'm not going to complain about this schedule because aside VT and JSU we SHOULD be in every game with a chance to win. HOWEVER, scheduling these games very close without a bye week respite to break it up, can and most of the time will start to hurt more than it helps. There is a very thin line between challenging a team with a schedule and setting a team up for failure with a schedule. I don't think we are the latter yet. which is good. but I dont think we should be be wishing for more.

This is a good schedule; all D-I teams and challenging OOC. This is what we should expect from now on.

[olldflame]

I'm excited about this game but I'm not sure I get why we're playing these murderers row schedules.

This is not a murderers' row schedule.

Not if you are Notre Dame or Ohio State. I doubt if there are many other FCS teams playing a schedule this tough. I like the schedule, but it is bordering on being too ambitious.

[jbock13]

yes, perhaps.
I'm not going to complain about this schedule because aside VT and JSU we SHOULD be in every game with a chance to win. HOWEVER, scheduling these games very close without a bye week respite to break it up, can and most of the time will start to hurt more than it helps. There is a very thin line between challenging a team with a schedule and setting a team up for failure with a schedule. I don't think we are the latter yet. which is good. but I dont think we should be be wishing for more.

This is a good schedule; all D-I teams and challenging OOC. This is what we should expect from now on.

That assumes that we are a national powerhouse program. I know this will be a heresy to most on the forum, but we're not.

[BJWilliams]

Why would it be jbock...its true.

We need to upgrade the schedule, which we are doing. What we need to do now is start finally asserting ourselves instead of playing down to our opponents

[jbock13]

If we can't even beat Gardner Webb or Monmouth, I just don't get what good it does to play a bunch of unwinnable games.

[olldflame]

If we can't even beat Gardner Webb or Monmouth, I just don't get what good does it do to play a bunch of unwinnable games.

First of all, I take issue with your initial statement. The fact that we lost to G-W and Monmouth last year does not mean we "can't beat" them. Lot's of theories as to what happened those 2 weeks, but the bottom line is we played poorly and lost to 2 teams we had dominated in recent years and should have beaten again.

Please enlighten us and reveal which games on this schedule are unwinnable, so we don't need to bother watching or listening.

[BJWilliams]

As I said, we tend to play up or down to our competition, depending on the week. If we can get to the point where we play up for everybody, youll see a lot of 8-10 win seasons and a definite move up in the general consciousness at the FCS level

[krh44]

... yes, perhaps.
I'm not going to complain about this schedule because aside VT and JSU we SHOULD be in every game with a chance to win. HOWEVER, scheduling these games very close without a bye week respite to break it up, can and most of the time will start to hurt more than it helps. There is a very thin line between challenging a team with a schedule and setting a team up for failure with a schedule. I don't think we are the latter yet. which is good. but I dont think we should be be wishing for more.

I agree with you here. I like the tougher competition but it should be scheduled smarter. I know it can't always be done but having three or four games against high level opponents makes it tough on the players to get up every game then you struggle against teams we shouldn't. I would rather see us focus on winning the league and making a run in the playoffs.

[jinxy]

Again get rid of the VT and wvu games which do nothing for us. We lose a game that we could win. Had we have played a Robert Morris and won last year instead of wvu we would've been in the playoffs. I like scheduling up just not those games. Let's be real. We really don't recruit Virginia all that much anymore and for good reason. So what does a VT game do unless we pull off the upset. I used to like these games but the barometer gas changed. Again schedule sunbelt Mac and high level fcs teams all day just leave the power 5 alone.