(09-06-2013 09:20 AM)Lou_C Wrote:  Ludicrous decision by Syracuse to schedule Maryland in years where they already have either Notre Dame or Northwestern on the schedule. Already playing FSU, Clemson and Louisville of course.

All the "positives" of playing this game are offset by the very real potential of a 5-win season.

This is stupid scheduling, and for the life of me I wish we could get ACC teams to stop doing it. NCSU and Duke seem like they might finally get it. But UVA, BC, and Syracuse doing this is murder for the conference (and themselves).

It's not that hard...1 FCS, 1 MAC/Sunbelt, 1 MWC/AAC

For the fourth game, it's either Notre Dame, or a WINNABLE BCS (Ole Miss, Illinois, Baylor) team or high level non-BCS (Boise, BYU).

It's not an open point anymore. It's been establish what kind of schedule allows you to build a program, and is better for the conference. It's been played out over and over. Continuing to do the same stupid stuff year after year and expect different results is insane.

Watch and wonder why NCSU runs away from programs that it should be pretty much equal to over the next few years like Virginia and Syracuse. And then look at the schedule that will probably send them into Tallahassee late in the year with one loss, and possibly ranked.

In the last 25 years NO team has built themselves into a quality program by playing multiple underdog games a year out of conference. While many have done so by scheduling cupcakes until the program is an established top-25 calibre program. KSU, South Carolina, Rutgers, Boise, Oklahoma State, etc, etc.

Here's the Syracuse schedule for 2014 (OOC)
08/30 - Villanova
09/13 - at Central Michigan
09/20 - Maryland
09/27 - Notre Dame (at E. Rutherford, NJ)

The thing is that our AD (Darryl Gross) is quite the networker and has a fairly large ego. He won't schedule weak teams unless he is forced to. I can see Northwestern and Illinois on the schedule in future years. Chicago is where the coaching staff have a lot of connections. Maryland and Rutgers will also most likely be on the schedule in future years. The deal with Metlife Stadium means that 1 big time team will be on the schedule every couple years (i.e.- PSU, Michigan, Ohio State).
I think these teams are all decent mid-level teams.
I do not forsee too many SEC teams on the schedule as the AD has a lot of friends in the B1G and Pac12.