2016 Football Schedule

[BGSU33]

Our non-conference schedule is already set for next year (posted below), and the MAC will be releasing the conference schedule in several weeks (in February). The real question will be does Miami just roll onto our schedule next year in place of UMass with the MAC at 12 teams now? And who are the other MAC West teams BG will face? The schedule would be easy to figure out if we just roll Miami on it in place of UMass, however - there cold be a new rub this year with MAC scheduling - read on.

If Miami simply rolls onto our schedule and we simply flip our East schedule, that would give us East home games vs Buffalo and Kent State and East road games at Ohio, Akron and Miami. But here's the rub....

Because of the unbalance number of teams in the MAC in past years with 13 teams (7 in the East, 6 in the West), schedules in past years saw some MAC East teams playing only 5 East teams (such as BG not playing Miami), while others played all 6 East foes (such as Akron, Kent State and Buffalo last year). Teams like BG, OU, Miami and UMass all played three MAC West opponents while UA, KSU and UB played just two. Similar to what the MAC did in the mid-1990's when reconfiguring the conference, the MAC could essentially reshuffle the home and away schedule for division members and we could potentially see a couple repeat home and away games vs the same East teams like we had this year. This is going to be very interest to see what the MAC does with this. I am actually hoping the MAC does in fact reshuffle the East matchups.

As for our crossover games, since we'll be playing all 5 East teams which will complete the East slate as opposed to missing a team like we've had the last two years with Miami, everyone should be playing their entire division and three crossover games to give us all 8 conference games (5 vs your division, 3 cross division). BG will be playing at Toledo. We already know that. Assuming the MAC doesn't also reshuffle crossover games like they could division ones, that would essentially take WMU and BSU off our schedule since we played them both twice the last two years. My top guess as who one of our West opponents will be is CMU, since they're the team we have not played the longest (not since 2010 on the road). That leaves NIU as the other potential crossover opponent because despite having played them each of the last three times, each time was in the MACC and we haven't played them since 2011 in the regular season. So my guess is is could be a home game vs CMU and likely also a game vs NIU.

So in short, here's what we do know, the non-conference will be this:

Sept 3 at Ohio State
Sept 10 vs North Dakota
Sept 17 vs Middle Tennessee
Sept 24 at Memphis

That also means we won't be playing an early season MAC game like we did at KSU a few years ago. I'm also hopeful that the MAC will finally give us a conference opener at home as the last five consecutive years BG has had to open conference play on the road.

If our schedule is just a flip with Miami in place of UMass (but as I stated above, I hope it's not and that we see a reshuffle with the altered alignment of 12 teams now in 2016), should see this for the MAC East:

vs Buffalo
vs Kent State
at Ohio
at Akron
at Miami

And our crossover games should likely go something like this vs the MAC West:

at Toledo
vs Central Michigan
vs Northern Illinois

[zete]

Most of these games look winnable...would like to see a bowl rematch with GaSo.

[apollo]

If those are our 3 cross over games, it may be a little bit of a disappointing season. I think Western will be the best team in the MAC next year, but UT, NIU, and CMU will all be quality opponents. Part of BGs success has been a very weak MAC schedule....having 3 crossover games with no Ball State or EMU would hurt

[Flipper]

It seems like we haven't crossed over with EMU in ages.

[Falcon137]

Balanced divisions means 2 crossover games. Toledo is 1 game.

BG played EMU home and away in 2012 and 2013.

My money would be on CMU. Last time they played them at home was 09, I believe.

[kdog27]

Balanced divisions means 2 crossover games. Toledo is 1 game.

12 teams, 8 games. Has to be 3 crossovers right?

[BGSU33]

Balanced divisions means 2 crossover games. Toledo is 1 game.

BG played EMU home and away in 2012 and 2013.

My money would be on CMU. Last time they played them at home was 09, I believe.

We played CMU in 2010 (longest stretch between any MAC opponent). I also think one of them will be CMU.

[BGSU33]

It seems like we haven't crossed over with EMU in ages.

We played EMU just two years ago in 2013. It was a really windy and freezing cold day at EMU with only about 250 people there. But I stayed start to finish. It was right before the game we played vs Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

[BGSU33]

Balanced divisions means 2 crossover games. Toledo is 1 game.

12 teams, 8 games. Has to be 3 crossovers right?

Yep. But I'm really hoping the MAC reshuffles the East matchups with a balanced league - finally. Otherwise we're looking at only East home games vs UB and KSU.

[Flipper]

It seems like we haven't crossed over with EMU in ages.

We played EMU just two years ago in 2013. It was a really windy and freezing cold day at EMU with only about 250 people there. But I stayed start to finish. It was right before the game we played vs Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Oh yeah...I remember that now....EMU had that freshman QB from Toledo, Roback, that they were trying to get killed . That was an ugly game.

[BGSU33]

On the topic of schedules, aside from the MAC releasing the 2016 schedule in the coming weeks, we should also see something soon from BG about the rest of our 2017 non-conference schedule soon. We still only have two games filled, both on the road (at Michigan State and at Middle Tennessee). I hope both open slots will be home games and if so, I'm expecting a home Group of Five team and the other an FCS team. Looking ahead, our 2018 and 2019 non-conference slates have three games lined up for each. I'm guessing since both years already feature a pair of Power Five schools and a Group of Five teams that we'll be seeing an FCS home game in there too.

[jpfalcon09]

CMU and NIU make the most sense for crossover opponents this year. Both may come to BG depending upon if the Miami game is home or not.

Outside of that, I like the way the OOC schedule sets up. The Ohio State game will be a good opener for the guys to see how they stack up against premier talent, and I imagine there will be a lot of good will built up from Urban before that game to make an inevitable loss a bit easier to swallow. The remaining games are winnable as Memphis loses Fuente and Lynch next year. Much like BG, they'll be a team in transition. Regardless, it'll be good to get back to six home games a year and to bring Miami back into the fold.

[Falconfreak90]

Getting Miami back on the sked is welcomed. I really didn't like playing UMess every year and not playing a long time rival...that and the fact we could be on a dominant run against the RedHawks.

Good OOC Sked...BiG name and $$ with osu, North Dakota, MTSU and Memphis. Solid.

[BGSU33]

Getting Miami back on the sked is welcomed. I really didn't like playing UMess every year and not playing a long time rival...that and the fact we could be on a dominant run against the RedHawks.

Good OOC Sked...BiG name and $$ with osu, North Dakota, MTSU and Memphis. Solid.

Agreed. I really disliked not playing Miami the last two years. Their the only school in the MAC with a winning record vs BG and of course, the last two years no way we would have lost to them the last two seasons. Now that they're back on our schedule, you know they'll be better next season. LOL. I actually like Miami a lot. I know a lot of people don't but I like the school, campus, etc. Always enjoy playing them in anything.

[BGSU33]

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Very tough road schedule. And yet, still no game with CMU.