be looking to play:
1) Assuming SEC will not do Home/Home series
2) Want travel to be relatively easy from logistic and/or time zone
3) Schools that are power 5 (No UM garbage scheduling going on)
4) No cupcakes, but also may want to avoid scenarios where just splitting would be seen as a big win
With that in mind, here is my top 7 in NO PARTICLUAR ORDER
1) NC State.....Quality football program in an area that would be easy for fans to travel to.
2) Colorado....Power 5, but currently struggling to get on track. Not Vandy or Duke level of perception. Again great place to visit and travel not too difficult.
3) Va Tech....Usually a strong program, but rebuilding. Great gameday atmosphere and not that far away. This would easily be a Saturday night showcase like UW was.
4) Oklahoma State....This would be a match-up that would be getting some national buzz. Not an easy game, but winner would have nice feather in cap. Again, nice gameday atmosphere.
5) Florida State.....Looks like Noels are rending back up. Game would be nationally hyped. The fact that Miami is in ACC makes this game more possible.
6) Notre Dame....Obvious reasons
7) Ga Tech....Only real reason would be so easy to get to and GT does have a decent name even though they have been bad for a while and do not look to be trending upward.
8) UVA/UNC.....They may be in BIG at some point anyway. UVA is a pretty lame atmosphere for football for those that have been there. UNC is much better program and Chapel Hill is decent. NC State is better football atmosphere overall and location is pretty much the same.
FWIW: My personal top 3 in no particular order would be: FSU, Va Tech and Ok State.
Schools to avoid:
1) Clemson too much risk at this point
2) Utah....too far and again too much risk. Same for BYU IMO
3) Vandy/Duke/Kansas no upside to it
4) Iowa State (They already have Iowa and likely would not want it)
5) Kansas State: Too little risk for the reward IMO. They are a solid team, but you would not get much bump for winning and not sure fans would travel to there. I would also kind of put Wake in here. A win over them does not get you any bump, but a loss would hurt.
6) Texas Tech....Ummm No
7) I would avoid some of the teams that are moving up to Big 12 as they are not traditional powers. Some are not great travel options and not a lot of upside if you do win.
BTW right now MSU has the following games scheduled:
Boston College Home and Home (24/25).....I mean Boston is nice city, but program is meh.....
Note Dame 26/27.....Good deal
Oregon 29/30......We have already done this and why?
AT BYU 2032....Second half of Home and Home
I would be dropping Ducks and go FSU and Va Tech 2028-2031...Blacksburg and Tallahassee. All 4 night games woud be great environments.
1) Assuming SEC will not do Home/Home series
2) Want travel to be relatively easy from logistic and/or time zone
3) Schools that are power 5 (No UM garbage scheduling going on)
4) No cupcakes, but also may want to avoid scenarios where just splitting would be seen as a big win
With that in mind, here is my top 7 in NO PARTICLUAR ORDER
1) NC State.....Quality football program in an area that would be easy for fans to travel to.
2) Colorado....Power 5, but currently struggling to get on track. Not Vandy or Duke level of perception. Again great place to visit and travel not too difficult.
3) Va Tech....Usually a strong program, but rebuilding. Great gameday atmosphere and not that far away. This would easily be a Saturday night showcase like UW was.
4) Oklahoma State....This would be a match-up that would be getting some national buzz. Not an easy game, but winner would have nice feather in cap. Again, nice gameday atmosphere.
5) Florida State.....Looks like Noels are rending back up. Game would be nationally hyped. The fact that Miami is in ACC makes this game more possible.
6) Notre Dame....Obvious reasons
7) Ga Tech....Only real reason would be so easy to get to and GT does have a decent name even though they have been bad for a while and do not look to be trending upward.
8) UVA/UNC.....They may be in BIG at some point anyway. UVA is a pretty lame atmosphere for football for those that have been there. UNC is much better program and Chapel Hill is decent. NC State is better football atmosphere overall and location is pretty much the same.
FWIW: My personal top 3 in no particular order would be: FSU, Va Tech and Ok State.
Schools to avoid:
1) Clemson too much risk at this point
2) Utah....too far and again too much risk. Same for BYU IMO
3) Vandy/Duke/Kansas no upside to it
4) Iowa State (They already have Iowa and likely would not want it)
5) Kansas State: Too little risk for the reward IMO. They are a solid team, but you would not get much bump for winning and not sure fans would travel to there. I would also kind of put Wake in here. A win over them does not get you any bump, but a loss would hurt.
6) Texas Tech....Ummm No
7) I would avoid some of the teams that are moving up to Big 12 as they are not traditional powers. Some are not great travel options and not a lot of upside if you do win.
BTW right now MSU has the following games scheduled:
Boston College Home and Home (24/25).....I mean Boston is nice city, but program is meh.....
Note Dame 26/27.....Good deal
Oregon 29/30......We have already done this and why?
AT BYU 2032....Second half of Home and Home
I would be dropping Ducks and go FSU and Va Tech 2028-2031...Blacksburg and Tallahassee. All 4 night games woud be great environments.
