In hindsight should we every play a Nicholls type game again? (POLL)

[Harry]

I have been pondering this question a lot this week. It's like the great performance we watched against Nicholls didn't really happen. It doesn't exist. Yes it was a win but at what cost? We hope that this team is better heading into the Indiana game but do we really know. I'm not saying bring in a stalwart opponent, but perhaps require it to be a IA FBS team (like Idaho) in the minimum. Thoughts?

[untjim1995]

At our level right now, any game against a FCS team, especially a bad one that won't bring a soul to the game and won't register even a blip on the radar for college football fans or media, shouldn't get played. For one, it does nothing for the fans, who are the lifeblood of the program. Coaches and players come and go, but its the fanbase that keeps the thing rolling. It isn't a reward to your supporters when you give them Texas Southern or Nicholls State. Secondly, a bad FCS team doesn't really give you anything to help prepare you against your main conference competition, since they don't have the talent to mimic anyone on the schedule. And lastly, a good FCS program can actually beat you, which is the absolute worst thing a G5 team can have happen. Watching La Tech lose to NW State just tells everyone that they aren't very good and their conference must really suck if they win it and still couldn't beat a FCS team at home.

Edited October 2, 2014 by untjim1995

[pastorgrant]

Nicholls was exactly what we needed at that point in the schedule. Now we go into IU healthy and DW got some good practice.

Lots of people don't know the difference between Nicholls and Idaho so a blowout win is always a good thing.

[Cerebus]

Six wins is six wins. Every home game is a chance to get students to buy in. Would I rather play someone else at Apogee? Sure. An FCS home game is better than any away game.

[GOMG2013]

Nicholls was exactly what we needed at that point in the schedule. Now we go into IU healthy and DW got some good practice.

Lots of people don't know the difference between Nicholls and Idaho so a blowout win is always a good thing.

This. Considering our circumstances with our QB situation, it was a perfect time to make a change.

[NT03]

Six wins is six wins. Every home game is a chance to get students to buy in. Would I rather play someone else at Apogee? Sure. An FCS home game is better than any away game.

This

Give me Grambling or PV A&M any day

[foutsrouts]

Most everyone else at least occasionally plays an FCS team, so why not North Texas? Besides, I kind of enjoyed that game.

[bstnsportsfan3]

You could beat Ohio or Nicholls and the average fan would only see 77-3. That is what matters. I didn't have anyone come up to me last week and say wow North Texas really beat up a small time school, no i had people come up and say Wow, North Texas put up 77 and dominated, you guys are really becoming a good program. That is what matters.

[Harry]

I want to make sure that I am clear -- I am ok with a lower level FBS team -- I just don't want to play the FCS anymore especially bottom tier FCS.

Was it a fun game for us to watch HELL YES. Does it give us ANY idea where we stand as a program Hell no!

I am 100% ok with Idaho or other lower rung FBS schools. I just would prefer not playing FCS games anymore and if we have to let it be a mid tier team so we can truly gauge ourselves.

[UNTFan23]

I want to make sure that I am clear -- I am ok with a lower level FBS team -- I just don't want to play the FCS anymore especially bottom tier FCS.

Was it a fun game for us to watch HELL YES. Does it give us ANY idea where we stand as a program Hell no!

I am 100% ok with Idaho or other lower rung FBS schools. I just would prefer not playing FCS games anymore and if we have to let it be a mid tier team so we can truly gauge ourselves.

When we scheduled this game did we know Nichols was going to be that bad?

[Harry]

When we scheduled this game did we know Nichols was going to be that bad?

I do not know that for sure. I think they were pretty bad last year but you raise a valid point. Again, I would like to see lower level IA in the future.

[forevereagle]

I want to make sure that I am clear -- I am ok with a lower level FBS team -- I just don't want to play the FCS anymore especially bottom tier FCS.

Was it a fun game for us to watch HELL YES. Does it give us ANY idea where we stand as a program Hell no!

I am 100% ok with Idaho or other lower rung FBS schools. I just would prefer not playing FCS games anymore and if we have to let it be a mid tier team so we can truly gauge ourselves.

So beating a bad FCS is different than beating a bad FBS school? Not sure how they are really any different. Both just tell us we can beat bad teams. I think that we learn where our program stands by playing a lot of different levels of teams and seeing where we fall. A win is a win and the more of them we get, the better off we are.

[pastorgrant]

I want to make sure that I am clear -- I am ok with a lower level FBS team -- I just don't want to play the FCS anymore especially bottom tier FCS.

Was it a fun game for us to watch HELL YES. Does it give us ANY idea where we stand as a program Hell no!

I am 100% ok with Idaho or other lower rung FBS schools. I just would prefer not playing FCS games anymore and if we have to let it be a mid tier team so we can truly gauge ourselves.

Actually, the ones I would want to avoid are the good FCS teams. NDSU would probably be a bowl team in FBS, and a loss is still rough on public perception.

If we are going to buy a win, let's buy a win.

[untcampbell]

With a name like foutsrouts, you "kind of enjoyed that game?"

Fake Jerry asks: Did you like those 11 touchdowns? "Did you enjoy those? I hope you did. I hope you did very much."

I have been on the other side of that score too many times not to enjoy it.

GMG

[LongJim]

Prefer to have FBS teams. Why? Because playing FCS devalues the season ticket. I really only want to see FCS if the rest of the home slate is pretty interesting.

[LongJim]

So beating a bad FCS is different than beating a bad FBS school? Not sure how they are really any different. Both just tell us we can beat bad teams. I think that we learn where our program stands by playing a lot of different levels of teams and seeing where we fall. A win is a win and the more of them we get, the better off we are.

Yes, it's different. Unless something has changed recently, FCS schools get about 64 schollies. FBS gets 85. Big difference in talent level and even the amount of talent the schools can recruit. Big difference.

[untjim1995]

So beating a bad FCS is different than beating a bad FBS school? Not sure how they are really any different. Both just tell us we can beat bad teams. I think that we learn where our program stands by playing a lot of different levels of teams and seeing where we fall. A win is a win and the more of them we get, the better off we are.

Well if that's true, then we made a mistake leaving the SBC. We could be playing Texas State, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Appy State, South Alabama, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette, Troy, Arkansas State, New Mexico State, and Idaho right now. Certainly, we'd be able to get to 8+ plus wins against that bunch, plus a game against FCS Nicholls State, FBS worst SMU, Texas, and Indiana.

I personally don't like FCS opponents for our program. Its impossible to get any fan excited to join you for these opponents--hell its hard enough against SBCUSA teams. And I don't think they help your program accomplish what we need to do badly--raise our profile. Last years' schedule in OOC was a solid one to me. Play a low-level FBS team at home, play a bodybag game on the road to pay the bills, then two games against G5 teams, home and away.

In the future, we will get SMU and Army for home-and away against G5s, plus a bodybag game or two each year. One thing that is gonna hurt this, though, is that the bodybag game forces you to have to either play 5 games at home like we will next year or buy a game against someone. Unfortunately, though, for me, unless a team like Idaho is gonna continue to let us play them only in Denton without a return game, a FCS opponent is just a reality. I just don't think they help a G5 team very much. A P5 school can use the tuneup or the break on the schedule since they get thousands of people to support them anyway (usually)--those of us in the G5 don't get that luxury.

I will say this-- If Dajon goes out and kills it against IU and UAB, then I will be proven quite wrong on this. But when we played Texas Southern at home in 2012, that game didn't help Derek Thompson get any better during the rest of the year. We just don't know anymore about Dajon or the rest of the team today than we knew after the La Tech game. We find out a lot more about the whole thing after these next two road games.

[untjim1995]

Prefer to have FBS teams. Why? Because playing FCS devalues the season ticket. I really only want to see FCS if the rest of the home slate is pretty interesting.

This.

[UNTexas]

Ever notice even teams like Alabama play games they know full well they'll destroy the opponent no matter what? Of course these games are ok.

[NT03]

Guess I didn't realize that we were such a prestigious program that we could look down our noses at " smaller schools" . It's not like RV has exactly knocked it out of the park with our home scheduling. He's done some good things , but Our Options are already limited. Besides, when the P5 officially break off we are all the same anyway..

Edited October 2, 2014 by NT03

[UNTnewbie]

I like these once a year games with FCS teams. I like them due to the fact it should always allow us to empty our benches. Some guys sit on the sidelines for 1-4 years without ever getting a reward for working their butts off. They may only be scout or special team players without games like this and they deserve to take the field and feel like they contribute on the field. All the Rudy's out there deserve to see the field in regular action and these games provide for that.

[LongJim]

Ever notice even teams like Alabama play games they know full well they'll destroy the opponent no matter what? Of course these games are ok.

Yeah, and look at the rest of their home schedule, and tell me it's comparable to who UNT plays at home. Look, I'm not complaining about scheduling an FBS every now and then. But try to make sure it's not because we're out of options for better opponents.

[BillySee58]

As long as we insist on playing a big program in a money/bodybag game every year, here's what I want our schedule to look like.

- Away at top 25 school paying us big $

- Home and home with SMU or a similar school

- Home and home with a winnable, lower-tier P5 (i.e. Iowa State, Kansas, Oregon State)

- Home game against a team we should thrash. Either bottom of the barrel FBS or an FCS school.

UNT90 brought up a really good point. We caught Idaho at a good time last year, with them being independent. Other than that, it's hard to avoid that game being against an FCS school, which isn't a problem.

Edited October 2, 2014 by BillySee58

[NT03]

As long as we insist on playing a big program in a money/bodybag game every year, here's what I want our program to look like.

- Away at top 25 school paying us big $

- Home and home with SMU or a similar school

- Home and home with a winnable, lower-tier P5 (i.e. Iowa State, Kansas, Oregon State)

- Home game against a team we should thrash. Either bottom of the barrel FBS or an FCS school.

UNT90 brought up a really good point. We caught Idaho at a good time last year, with them being independent. Other than that, it's hard to avoid that game being against an FCS school, which isn't a problem.

Agree

[BillySee58]

Yeah, and look at the rest of their home schedule, and tell me it's comparable to who UNT plays at home. Look, I'm not complaining about scheduling an FBS every now and then. But try to make sure it's not because we're out of options for better opponents.

Because they play in the SEC? Their OOC was a neutral site game at Atlanta against WVU. Their home OOC was Southern Miss, FAU, and Western Carolina. Very comparable, considering those are two teams we play at home.