Back before the 12-game regular season and the annual FCS opponent, BC played their "easiest" game Parents Weekend. It was usually a MAC-level school, Rutgers, Temple or one of the service academies. But now playing Northern Illinois at 1 pm on ESPN3 during Parents Weekend is BC's best non-conference home game.
I thought that this game might make it to one of the ACC Regional Packages, but even with both teams sitting at 2-0, there are better ACC options.
I am not trying to beat the scheduling issues to death, but I just wish Bates and Addazio were a little more forthright when discussing schedules. Bates addressed the issue during the radio broadcast and put a lot of the blame on New Mexico State. Addazio gave more of its out of my hands response when pressed. Here is what is true about scheduling and here is where Bates and Addazio have more ownership than they are implying.
BC's schedules were screwed up by three factors. 1. The ACC retreating from their nine game regular season plan. 2. Losing the Syracuse series as a non-conference game when the Orange joined the ACC. 3. The ACC-Notre Dame deal which restricted how often BC and the Irish could play. But all of those issues took place years ago and forced games like the first New Mexico State game. But now, three seasons into both of their tenures at BC, Addazio and Bates have had ample time to fix the schedule. They are complaining about New Mexico State, yet failing to acknowledge that New Mexico State would have been a horrible home game on its own! They claim their hands are tied, yet they still have not filled their 2016 schedule. Do you think we are going to get Alabama and Texas or two FCS teams?
What I would prefer they say was that "we are still building a program and in light of other scheduling issues, we thought Howard made the most sense for this team in 2015. We are committed to winning and will strengthen our schedule as we grow."
But they won't say that. Instead they will probably keep the non-conference games soft in 2016 too.
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I wouldn't mind playing Army and Navy more often, like we used to during the TOB era. Winnable games (usually), respectable opponents, cool destinations for road trips, great traditions. Better than Howard, Maine, Northern Illinois, New Mexico State, etc.
You were OK until you suggested that they say, "... we thought Howard made the most sense for this team ...". It's hard to envision a scenario other than BC eliminating athletic scholarships, in which that phrase could be viable. I wonder who they considered but rejected before landing on Howard.
Tim
I'm w/ you. I also think Uconn is a no brainer at this point.
I was on a plane and didn't watch the game, and don't have a huge amount of college football knowledge especially outside of the Power 5 conferences. That being said, can someone explain to me why us playing Howard (specifically Howard) was so bad and seems to be treated as such a travesty? I get the general idea that the fans don't like us playing lots of games against FCS teams etc, so I don't mean that.
What I'm asking specifically is what it is about Howard that made this such a meaningless game? The way some people are talking and some of the circumstances (shortening the game to 10 minutes) it sounds as if this is the equivalent if BC had played like a high school team or something. Is Howard a new football program that just started playing D1 FCS football? I skimmed through some of the other MEAC team's schedules and other teams in the conference have played similar games where they got blown out by Power 5 conferences in the first week or two. Would BC fans complaints have been lessened if we were playing like Coppin State or Delaware State or something?
Again, I get that we don't want to play two FCS teams every year, and I get that Howard is not good. Is Howard just known as a historically terrible football team or is there something else I'm missing.
Issue with them being more forthright may have to do with potential bowl implications as well. If they are lobbying for a bowl game with 6 wins or for a better bowl placement with 7+ wins, it may be an easier task sticking with this "hands-tied" claim than admitting to making an easier schedule given the youth of the team and low self-expectations.
Orestus: Howard has been bad by FCS standards for many years and weren't expected to be good this year either. BC knew it was going to be lopsided.
C. Scanz:
I think your explanation makes the most sense. This is prebowl spin so we can go with 6 or more wins. But if they play that card too hard it is going to ring very hollow if our out of conference schedule is a joke next year too.
I would love to see Army, Navy, Air Force... anyone but Howard, Hofstra, Umass or insert horrible NE school here.
Back in the day we used to have some interesting games that I would travel to. BYU, Hawaii etc. We should have scheduled a home and home with Colorado State. So what if we lose. At least it is worth the price of admission or 3 hours of my time.
Orestus - one of the problems with the Howard deal was that it fell on the second week/game, in my opinion. That guaranteed a great deal of fan apathy to start the season = lowest two game attendance in the ACC, or close to it. Fan apathy is tough to reverse, and fans can't be fooled by "Slicky-Boys".
Simply pitiful, but Brad Bates (and maybe Addazio) doesn't get it. We had no history with Howard, and when we scored at will and with ease, it became all the more apparent that Bates screwed up big time. 62 to 0 at half-time? Please.
If your Athletic Director doesn't care that his football attendance figures are plummeting, and the President of the University is not holding him accountable, I guess we'll have crappy OOC scheduling for several years after he is eventually fired.
If your AD can't distinguish between an interesting match-up and one that is just the opposite, I feel sorry for us fans. He almost lost me completely this year - a season ticket holder for over 40 years.
What kept me around was the coaches and players - they deserve fan support. But the AD and the HC had better (in Boston-speak) cut the shit, in terms of scheduling.
If you are going to schedule two FCS, at least have the courtesy to bury the second one late in the season when the players need the rest. Not back to back!!!
Go BC - beat FSU.
Crestus
Watch the replay of the first quarter on ESPN3 and you'll have your answer.
Hoop
I like the idea of BYU. The fact that they are an independent would make it easier to schedule them I would think.
There is no spin that can justify scheduling Howard. This is all on Brad Bates. He makes way too much money for this kind of nonsense. You take this and all the other rainbow and unicorn drivel he spouts and his lack of significant progress/achievement in so many other areas in need of improvement - and you conclude the guy is an empty suit. He is not earning his hefty paycheck - they need a new AD who will.
The scheduling is an embarrassment. No question. I am willing to give them a little more of a leash to see what comes for the rest of 2016 and 2017, but I am not optimistic.
according to a BCI post and some good comments there, as of this May 2015 there were still quite a few options for scheduling a good team - Miss State, Kentucky, Missouri, Vandy, Stanford, Ore State, Tulane. BCI post
Now it looks like that window is closing fast, if not closed already. Seems like only Stanford and Ore State still are possible. See www.fbschedules.com
I do wonder if Bates and Daz are making life easier for themselves (at the expense of the fans) by insuring that BC at least gets to 6-6 and gets a bowl - even the worst bowl.
Daz and Bates both have a wormy excuse-making side to their management style. Not good.
Stanford has an opening in 16&18 Non ND years for us. Would be great home and away deal IMO.
In BB's defense, it's not like he can unilaterally schedule whomever he wants. The other program must agree to it. Come to Boston, play in our small stadium in a fallow recruiting region, and you'll get no real respect if you beat us because we haven't been ranked in years. Tough sell.
Tim
It's a tough sell, but you still have to ask for the order, as Doc O'Brien said.
Tim, let hope BB has not been infected with New England pessimism.
BC is a great sell and has tons to offer. Would you rather visit, Syracuse, Iowa, Kentucky, Idaho?
If BB can't sell BC, we need a new AD.
Look how Fenway sold ND for a stadium smaller than Alumni?
'16 looking awful. Teams left:
SEC - Florida and Arkansas need a game each but it will be FCS
Big 12 - Kansas State - they play 5 Big 12 road games then home vs SE Missouri State and Florida Atlantic
PAC 12 - 5 PAC 12 road games, at Notre Dame, home vs Rice
C-USA - FIU, Middle Tennessee, Marshall, LA Tech
AAC - UCF and SMU
Sun Belt - ULM
MW - Utah St and UNLV
MAC - Eastern Mich, Western Mich, Ohio U
Matty
Bring on UCF, we can relive the halftime punchout!
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