(05-14-2018 03:18 PM)macgar32 Wrote: (05-14-2018 02:46 PM)mrwigglesby2121 Wrote: Going the Boise St. route (early years) might not be the worst if getting into a P5 is the long term goal.
Otherwise the focus should be scheduling P5 schools from the north that would be interested in creating a footprint in the south for recruiting. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn St. Although those would most likely be losses, they would give UofM much needed exposure. In order for that to work w/ those schools, most likely we would need to give 2 away games for every one home game. We might also need to look at a neutral site (Nashville - Titan's stadium) to accommodate the excess crowd and make it more attractive, although the Liberty Bowl isn't too shabby. The four teams mentioned average 100k per home game and the Liberty Bowl can't accommodate that.
Realistically, they should target Michigan St, Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illionois, etc; the tier 2/3 of the north P5 schools. Improve SOS and perhaps get a win.
What does any tier 2/3 team gain by playing Memphis?
It has been proven the past 3 years that we beat good teams @ home. No P5 schools really need a SOS boost and it won't be a big TV game
In my OP I stated a northern team would be interested in creating a recruiting footprint into the south; the location of Memphis permits this, Nashville permits this. I assume you are aware that a majority of elite college football players reside in the south. Expanding further, it allows the northern teams to escape the cold Oct/Nov.
Can Memphis alone create a footprint into the south for Wisconsin? No. But if the AD's in the AAC approached Wisconsin with the opportunity to play in Memphis, Houston, UCF, USF over a 4 year period... well, that just might be fairly attractive to them. Do the same with Iowa, Indiana, Syracuse, Boston College, etc. Memphis could have one tier1a or tier 2/3 P5 team on the schedule every year. Ole Miss needs to stay on. Mississippi State, Arkansas, Auburn, go, go schedule them too.
As for Nashville, that would need to be an elite northern opponent for Memphis to make it happen and be worthwhile for the game. Notre Dame, OSU, Michigan, Penn St., I'm willing to bet 20,000 UofM fans can show up for that, and of course those elite programs travel well, so the TV would be there. In exchange Memphis would most likely not be paid to travel to their home stadiums. And again, 2 for 1. Two games at the shoe over the next 10yrs and 1 game in Nashville. If you can get a home game in Memphis too, well, icing on the cake.
I recall UofM beating UCLA at home when ranked top 25, #25 I believe, but I don't recall UofM beating any top 15 P5 opponents at home since Tennessee back in the late 90's, I could definitely be wrong though.
Two kinds of people in this world: those that find ways to make things happen, and those that finds reasons for things not to happen. Which one are you/we/UofM?