2015 Football Schedule

[BGSU SID]

In terms of the conference schedule, mathematically it is impossible for a 13-team league to all play the same number of divisional games and crossover games (with 7 teams in one division and 6 in the other). The math goes something like this:

If the 7 East teams all play 6 Divisional games, then they would each have two cross divisional games for a total of 14 games
If the 6 West teams all play 5 Divisional games, then they would each have three cross divisional games for a total of 18 games

The West teams can't play 18 games against East teams when there are only 14 openings to be had. So 4 of the 7 East Division teams have to play only 5 divisional games so that there are an equal number of cross over games available for the West and the East.

That might be awful convoluted, but a 13-team conference makes the math impossible. Once the divisions are no longer unbalanced, the math will change.

[MarkL]

Right on SID. UMass is out the door after this upcoming season. The balanced divisions will return for the first time since 2006. First it was Temple causing imbalance, then it was UMass. It will be nice playing all of our east opponents every year.

[Falconfreak90]

Welcome Dr ACTV! Good to have you on the site. The schedule is what it is. I think we can not only hang with every non conf opponent but beat them. I'm not saying we will win all 4 but if we're gonna take the next step, beating teams like MD and Purdue is a must. TN will be a challenge as they return a ton from a 7-6 bowl team last year and Memphis is very solid. 7 road games isn't ideal but SID has a very valid point. We had to pick up another game and it isn't even at TN's home stadium.

I am tired of the mid week games as well...wish every game was on Saturday but I can't change it. I can get my butt in a seat and intend to do that for every home game and the Kent Road game. Long road trips this season will force me to watch half of the games on TV but that's OK. For years I was at 10-12 games a year but I can't do that at this time.

Just get spring ball underway and the spring game is 4/11. FALCON FOOTBALL ROCKS!!!!!!

GO BG

[bgsufalcon24]

I actually like the schedule...other than the fact that we go 3 in a row against the West to finish. That's a little strange. I actually don't like it because we have gone 5 for 5 against the East each of the past 2 seasons, and 14 of 15 dating back to 2012, the only defeat coming in a nailbiter against a Kent State team that nearly made the BCS that year. Putting those 5 games back to back to back to back to back with no byes is going to make running the table against the East tougher. That means we might actually have to beat Western Michigan or Toledo for once to get to Detroit, and that makes me somewhat uneasy.

Outside of that minor defect, the schedule is great. We miss Northern Illinois again, which is good. We have 4 quality out of conference opponents, and no throwaway boring-ass 1-AA opponent. I understand that we lose a home game there, but at this point with a mature team that has a strong track record in recent years, even though we kinda lucked into it...I'll take my chances against a mediocre SEC team in an NFL stadium. Truthfully I think we should beat Purdue, and Maryland is not out of reach either. Memphis might be better than both of them honestly. In all seriousness, none of our OOC games are impossible to win, but none are gimmes either. That's what's going to make this season so interesting right at the start.

I'm with Freak...6 months to go...tee the ball up!

[zete]

Just saw a tweet the full schedule will be released Friday - February 27 at 3:00 PM!

September 5 - @ Tennessee
September 12 @ Maryland
September 19 - Memphis
September 26 - @ Purdue

Wondering what uniforms we will be wearing in Knoxville. Is this the first meeting? Lots of orange on the field that day.

[Indiana4]

Looking forward to Tennessee game........they may be looking past us as they host Oaklahoma the following week.

[Falcon137]

Long time reader, first time poster. I am the parent of a current player and I'm ticked, to be honest. This schedule is incredibly unfair to the team, particularly the seniors, and unfair to fans who hit the road every weekend. The non-conference schedule could have the team mentally and physically beat up before the conference schedule begins, and make chances of earning a bowl bid a slim. I understand the need for money but three money games in one season? It's ridiculous. I'd like to say a lot more, but I think I've made my point.

Agreed, 100%. From a purely entertainment perspective this is the most appetizing schedule in a long time.

No idea why people think Tennessee is going to be mediocre, they are a going to be a preseason top 25 team and will be a trendy pick in the SEC East. NFL stadium or not, there are going to be 68,500 Tennessee fans and 500 BG fans. It's a road game.

Maryland is a Big Ten bowl team, Memphis is the AAC champ, and then after those 3 games you have to go to Purdue. Who I would feel optimistic about beating, if that game wasn't coming after the 3 game gauntlet to open the season. So after starting the season playing 3 of 4 on the road against a SEC team and 2 Big Ten teams, you get to travel on the road to open the conference season.

BG has to make their run from Buffalo to OU and get at least 5 wins out of that 6 week stretch.

If the Vegas over / under win total was 6.5. Would you take, the over or under? Realistically, I think 6 is the number.

I think this years team will be better than last years and finish with a worse record.

[Redwingtom]

Living 2 hours away from BG, I absolutely love the ESPN3 broadcasts on the web...but if you think they achieve the same or nearly the same exposure that games on ESPN2 or even on ESPNU do, you're dreaming.

The ESPN3 broadcasts get next to no billing outside of the markets of the two teams playing. Very few folks are just going to happen by the game and stick and stay as they would by seeing the game actually on their TV.

[hammb]

I should say, I'm frustrated by the home schedule, but I actually love the schedule in totality. I have no issues at all with taking on the Tennessee game to replace the game we lost, and I love those tough OOC games. It's a ballsy as hell schedule, but if they find a way to win those games they're going to make some national noise and get some serious publicity.

My frustration is just the same as it's always been. I hate those late season weeknight games, and when you are playing a 5 home game schedule it really hurts.

[mscarn]

This schedule is incredibly unfair to the team, particularly the seniors, and unfair to fans who hit the road every weekend. The non-conference schedule could have the team mentally and physically beat up before the conference schedule begins, and make chances of earning a bowl bid a slim. I understand the need for money but three money games in one season? It's ridiculous.

100% agree. South Carolina State put us in a bind but other options could have been pursued and simply were not in favor of financial considerations. They are an FCS team that dropped us. OK...things happen. How about doing some legwork and finding another FCS team to do the same thing to somebody else? Tennessee happened to be the most convenient and lucrative option but the worst one for the actual football program for all the reasons you've described.

At its core scheduling comes down to putting your program and team in the best possible position to succeed. The schedule we have now does not do that, and as a BG football fan that upsets me.

[zete]

At its core scheduling comes down to putting your program and team in the best possible position to succeed. The schedule we have now does not do that, and as a BG football fan that upsets me.

Being a Division I program we should be able to compete in these preseason games. It seems we are getting a little closer at times, but then I think back to games like our bout with Wisconsin last season and wonder.

[MarkL]

At its core scheduling comes down to putting your program and team in the best possible position to succeed. The schedule we have now does not do that, and as a BG football fan that upsets me.

Being a Division I program we should be able to compete in these preseason games. It seems we are getting a little closer at times, but then I think back to games like our bout with Wisconsin last season and wonder.

We came limping into the Wisconsin game. We had several big injuries, especially on defense. Combine that with several new defensive starters learning the pace of games, some big tackling problems, a young quarterback's first road start, and a style of football that we generally struggle against and you've got a recipe for disaster. A few weeks later we were at Ohio and the defense looked like a new unit.

[zete]

We came limping into the Wisconsin game. We had several big injuries, especially on defense. Combine that with several new defensive starters learning the pace of games, some big tackling problems, a young quarterback's first road start, and a style of football that we generally struggle against and you've got a recipe for disaster. A few weeks later we were at Ohio and the defense looked like a new unit.

We usually struggle against " a style of football" that's Power 5. As for looking like a new unit vs. Ohio, well Bobcat football doesn't translate to Badger football.
Playing a tough preseason schedule is lucrative but often times costly. It bothers me our conference programs need put themselves into such positions time and time again knowing what the results will be. Scheduling games you can't win does little for building a fan base. Now on the other hand, if the MAC collectively would win a good number of those games, or even be competitive into the 4 th period it would change everything.

[Flipper]

I think we're competitive in the games against P5 schools as often as we aren't...unless we're historically bad like we were in 2010. last year we got drilled by the Badgers, but we beat Indiana. This year's games with Tenn and Maryland will be tough, but I think we can compete. I think we have a very good shot at beating Purdue (and Memphis). I think we can go 2-2 preseason.

[hammb]

I think we're competitive in the games against P5 schools as often as we aren't...unless we're historically bad like we were in 2010. last year we got drilled by the Badgers, but we beat Indiana. This year's games with Tenn and Maryland will be tough, but I think we can compete. I think we have a very good shot at beating Purdue (and Memphis). I think we can go 2-2 preseason.

Agreed.

I love the games against the P5 and Memphis is a great home OOC game, IMO. I know that we lose most of these games against the P5, but we're at least competitive a lot of the time, and when you pull out those wins it does more for your program than anything you do in MAC season. That Purdue game in '03 is still my favorite memory of Falcon football, and we had OSU fans sweating bullets in the 'shoe a couple weeks later.

This team can win any of those preseason games, but winning all of them will be VERY difficult.