Football Schedule is Out....initial thoughts

 

So there it is.  What we will be celebrating this fall, or gnashing our teeth or a combination of both, which it often turns out to be.

We are not playing it easy here.  This is a legit schedule.

For example, we open with Tarleton State, which is an FCS opponent.  The FCS opponent is supposed to be guaranteed win day...but check this out:

The Texans finished the 2025 campaign with a 12-2 record, with the 12 wins matching the most in a single season in program history. The season included an FBS win at Army, a regular season conference championship and the Texans' highest seed ever in the FCS Playoffs. Tarleton State was the first FCS team since 1993 (Troy) to make the quarterfinals in its first two seasons of playoff eligibility (8+ team format in FCS). 

All right then, sir.  We then go to Nebraska and Iowa State...P4 on the road, always tough.  Now, we might very well catch a small break in that Iowa State is big-time rebuilding after they lost significant talent to PSU with Ol' Matt Campbell.  But we will be underdogs.

Then, our G5 game is at home.  It's South Florida.  (BG is scheduled to go back in 2030 when they will have a new, USF-only stadium). Coached by OSU legend Brian Hartline, BG played them in '02 and they administered a solid beating to the Meyer-led Falcons.  They just sent Alex Golesh to Auburn along with their starting QB.  32 other players also left.  Always hard to predict what we will see.

Now to the MAC.  On the easier side of the ledger, BG has Kent, UMass, and Stupidmento State at home. We also host Ball State, who was 4-8 last year.  It is their coach's 2nd season. 

Now, for the road, BG is @UT, @MU, and @WMU.  That will be a difficult set.  We are competing with UT in the last years...we will need to continue to improve because I think everyone will see soon what an average coach Jason Candle was.

And then @UB, who smoked us pretty good at the Doyt last year.

Last year, you had to be 6-2 to make the MAC final.  Which means winning one of those three away games and all the "easy" games.  Winning titles is supposed to be hard.  Let's make it UT and let 'er rip.

Let's look for 6-6.  That's not going to be a picnic...most likely, that includes the Kent, UMass, and Sac State...either UB or Ball State, and Tarleton....or swap UB/Ball State for South Florida.

And as Bowl Games go away, 6-6 does not get you into a bowl game (I would suspect).  So, we get a true chance to see this year if we are ready to compete in year 2 of the George era.  I always want to be the optimist.  We are recruiting HS's well, but that might not be much for this year yet.  I'll say this...I think everything we are doing has to hit for it to work this year.  Little margin for error.