[terry]

I hate, Hate, HATE series with perennial football also-rans like Duke, Rice, Tulane or Vanderbilt for this reason: there is no upside. Lose and they can claim a recruiting advantage when they really have no ability to claim one right now.

Northwestern is definitely a step above that list. Fortunately, their program seems on a pretty firm foundation with Fitzgerald, but I don't think it's wise to play them more than a few years in a row (they have more potential to be crappy than, say, Michigan State).

I share some of the feelings about playing Northwestern so often. I like playing Northwestern sometimes, but I have a feeling I'll get bored with them when we see them 6 times in 8 years. I like some variety in the schedule. And I agree that playing them so often increases the chance that we will lose a game to them.

On the other hand, I like playing Duke, Rice, Tulane, or Vanderbilt. To me, the advantages of those games are:

- Stanford probably wins. That's a key issue for me. I'd rather play Duke or Tulane and win the great majority of those games, than play Alabama or Oklahoma and win probably fewer than half of those games. That's especially true as long as we have NotreDame on the schedule. Playing ND plus another strong non-conference opponent is too much. I think we need at least one Duke, Rice, Tulane, Vandy type of opponent every year (maybe two such opponents each year, depending on the future of the SJS slot on our schedule).

- Good exposure to recruits in areas that are important to our recruiting strategy -- the south and Texas.

- Good road trips for the fans. We had a great time at Duke this year. We enjoyed poking around the Duke and North Carolina campuses, then we extended our trip and visited Savannah and Hilton Head. Great fun. I plan to make the Army trip next year, and I will make the Northwestern trip at least once for sure. I definitely would make road trips to Tulane, Rice, and Vandy. Any of those is better than a road trip to Tuscaloosa (sorry Redrum), East Lansing, Iowa City, Waco, Norman, or South Bend for that matter (been there once, don't need to do it again). I have found that road trips are more fun when we win, so I like making road trips to see opponents like Duke, Tulane, etc.

- A chance for players from the south and Texas to play in front of their extended families. Chase Thomas had over 20 family members in attendance at Duke last fall.

[terry]

I hate, Hate, HATE series with perennial football also-rans like Duke, Rice, Tulane or Vanderbilt for this reason: there is no upside. Lose and they can claim a recruiting advantage when they really have no ability to claim one right now.

Northwestern is definitely a step above that list. Fortunately, their program seems on a pretty firm foundation with Fitzgerald, but I don't think it's wise to play them more than a few years in a row (they have more potential to be crappy than, say, Michigan State).

I share some of the feelings about playing Northwestern so often. I like playing Northwestern sometimes, but I have a feeling I'll get bored with them when we see them 6 times in 8 years. I like some variety in the schedule. And I agree that playing them so often increases the chance that we will lose a game to them.

On the other hand, I like playing Duke, Rice, Tulane, or Vanderbilt. To me, the advantages of those games are:

- Stanford probably wins. That's a key issue for me. I'd rather play Duke or Tulane and win the great majority of those games, than play Alabama or Oklahoma and win probably fewer than half of those games. That's especially true as long as we have NotreDame on the schedule. Playing ND plus another strong non-conference opponent is too much. I think we need at least one Duke, Rice, Tulane, Vandy type of opponent every year (maybe two such opponents each year, depending on the future of the SJS slot on our schedule).

- Good exposure to recruits in areas that are important to our recruiting strategy -- the south and Texas.

- Good road trips for the fans. We had a great time at Duke this year. We enjoyed poking around the Duke and North Carolina campuses, then we extended our trip and visited Savannah and Hilton Head. Great fun. I plan to make the Army trip next year, and I will make the Northwestern trip at least once for sure. I definitely would make road trips to Tulane, Rice, and Vandy. Any of those is better than a road trip to Tuscaloosa (sorry Redrum), East Lansing, Iowa City, Waco, Norman, or South Bend for that matter (been there once, don't need to do it again). I have found that road trips are more fun when we win, so I like making road trips to see opponents like Duke, Tulane, etc.

- A chance for players from the south and Texas to play in front of their extended families. Chase Thomas had over 20 family members in attendance at Duke last fall.