[yvonne]

OK, I'm going to say this because it's SC week, and this has been bothering me since the schedule was released. Stanford and kal are the only teams to have their rivalry game moved. Last year, Stanford played SC on their homecoming weekend with a stadium full of students and alumni. This year, Stanford plays SC in a stadium that may well have more SC fans than Stanford fans, two weeks before the students arrive. In fact, half of the home schedule will be played before students arrive.

ESPN blogger Ted Miller has attributed the weird scheduling to the California schools' insistence on playing one another, and on Stanford's scheduling of Notre Dame, who insists on being the last game of the year. However, if this were the case, wouldn't SC's schedule be similarly affected?

I can't understand this. The only rationale that makes sense to me is that the Pac-12 -- or mroe likely the TV contracts for the Pac-12 -- have put their thumb on the scale, trying to weigh the advantage to the schools that have a bigger fan base.

Does anyone have another explanation? Please provide it.

[yvonne]

OK, I'm going to say this because it's SC week, and this has been bothering me since the schedule was released. Stanford and kal are the only teams to have their rivalry game moved. Last year, Stanford played SC on their homecoming weekend with a stadium full of students and alumni. This year, Stanford plays SC in a stadium that may well have more SC fans than Stanford fans, two weeks before the students arrive. In fact, half of the home schedule will be played before students arrive.

ESPN blogger Ted Miller has attributed the weird scheduling to the California schools' insistence on playing one another, and on Stanford's scheduling of Notre Dame, who insists on being the last game of the year. However, if this were the case, wouldn't SC's schedule be similarly affected?

I can't understand this. The only rationale that makes sense to me is that the Pac-12 -- or mroe likely the TV contracts for the Pac-12 -- have put their thumb on the scale, trying to weigh the advantage to the schools that have a bigger fan base.

Does anyone have another explanation? Please provide it.

[stupac2]

I've wondered the same thing. I think that ASU might have screwed things up by playing ND last year and this year. Since that meant there were now 3 late-season OOC games, only two teams could play the early conference game and it was ASU@Stanford. I wonder if next year the @USC game will be early. If it's not, then this might have legs.

Big Game in October really did seem like it was intended to punish us, since supposedly Stanford and Cal were two of the more intransigent teams wrt scheduling.

[stupac2]

I've wondered the same thing. I think that ASU might have screwed things up by playing ND last year and this year. Since that meant there were now 3 late-season OOC games, only two teams could play the early conference game and it was ASU@Stanford. I wonder if next year the @USC game will be early. If it's not, then this might have legs.

Big Game in October really did seem like it was intended to punish us, since supposedly Stanford and Cal were two of the more intransigent teams wrt scheduling.

[jacketree]

I'm not sure why anyone would expect the Pac12 to schedule around Stanford's academic calendar, noting that UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington are also on the quarter system. http://www.collegexpress.com/lists/list/colleges-that-operate-on-a-quarter-system/243/

Big Game in October was unusual.  Big Game being the second to last game in the season has not, primarily because of Notre Dame as Yvonne notes.

The home USC date, while most often in October or November, has been in September from time to time, most recently two years ago.  It is not the schedule maker's fault if Stanford cannot fill its own stadium with its own fans.  With TV paying the freight, I'm not sure complaining about any year's individual schedule is going to be particularly productive.

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div...eamid=3035

[jacketree]

I'm not sure why anyone would expect the Pac12 to schedule around Stanford's academic calendar, noting that UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington are also on the quarter system. http://www.collegexpress.com/lists/list/colleges-that-operate-on-a-quarter-system/243/

Big Game in October was unusual.  Big Game being the second to last game in the season has not, primarily because of Notre Dame as Yvonne notes.

The home USC date, while most often in October or November, has been in September from time to time, most recently two years ago.  It is not the schedule maker's fault if Stanford cannot fill its own stadium with its own fans.  With TV paying the freight, I'm not sure complaining about any year's individual schedule is going to be particularly productive.

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div...eamid=3035

[71Bear]

I can't comment on SC/LSJU because I have no idea why the game was scheduled this week. 

I can comment on why no rivalry game has been moved since the 2012 Big Game.  The vagaries of the calendar.  In 2013 and 2014, there was one extra week between Labor Day weekend and Thanksgiving weekend.  Thus, no need to reshuffle any rivalry games.  The will not be the case in any of the next several years.  It will be interesting to see how the Pac12 handles things in 2015, etc...

[71Bear]

I can't comment on SC/LSJU because I have no idea why the game was scheduled this week. 

I can comment on why no rivalry game has been moved since the 2012 Big Game.  The vagaries of the calendar.  In 2013 and 2014, there was one extra week between Labor Day weekend and Thanksgiving weekend.  Thus, no need to reshuffle any rivalry games.  The will not be the case in any of the next several years.  It will be interesting to see how the Pac12 handles things in 2015, etc...

[yvonne]

UCLA plays one home game before students arrive.
Oregon, like Stanford, plays three home games before students arrive, but has four additional home games.
Oregon State plays two home games before students arrive.
Washington State, like Oregon and Stanford, plays three home games before students arrive, but like Oregon, has four additional home games.

Stanford is the only team to play half of its home schedule before its students arrive on campus.

[yvonne]

UCLA plays one home game before students arrive.
Oregon, like Stanford, plays three home games before students arrive, but has four additional home games.
Oregon State plays two home games before students arrive.
Washington State, like Oregon and Stanford, plays three home games before students arrive, but like Oregon, has four additional home games.

Stanford is the only team to play half of its home schedule before its students arrive on campus.

[CrazedZooChimp]

I thought there was some other thing where Stanford and Kal refused to play Big Game Thanksgiving weekend, like U$C and UCLA did last season (when they had to deal with the mid-season ND game messing up their schedule).  U$C actually played a conference game the second week last season (and in 2011, both at home), where this is the first time we have since 2010.  So maybe the schedule makers hate them too? 

Also, I don't believe the non-conference schedule is made by the Pac-12 schedule makers, I think that's made by the schools, which is why the date for our non-conference games in 2016 are already known, as are the dates for the two known non-conference games next season.  So, you can't complain about 2/3 home games happening before students show up unless you're complaining about our AD (correct me if I'm wrong).

[CrazedZooChimp]

I thought there was some other thing where Stanford and Kal refused to play Big Game Thanksgiving weekend, like U$C and UCLA did last season (when they had to deal with the mid-season ND game messing up their schedule).  U$C actually played a conference game the second week last season (and in 2011, both at home), where this is the first time we have since 2010.  So maybe the schedule makers hate them too? 

Also, I don't believe the non-conference schedule is made by the Pac-12 schedule makers, I think that's made by the schools, which is why the date for our non-conference games in 2016 are already known, as are the dates for the two known non-conference games next season.  So, you can't complain about 2/3 home games happening before students show up unless you're complaining about our AD (correct me if I'm wrong).

[rudruff]

Root for another Stanford-UCLA CCG and the schedule makers will probably move some things around. Having a rematch in consecutive weeks for the second time in three years would force their hands.

[rudruff]

Root for another Stanford-UCLA CCG and the schedule makers will probably move some things around. Having a rematch in consecutive weeks for the second time in three years would force their hands.

[stupac2]

Also, I don't believe the non-conference schedule is made by the Pac-12 schedule makers, I think that's made by the schools, which is why the date for our non-conference games in 2016 are already known, as are the dates for the two known non-conference games next season.  So, you can't complain about 2/3 home games happening before students show up unless you're complaining about our AD (correct me if I'm wrong).

Well, the Davis and Army games are on the AD, the question is does USC need to be this week? I'm not sure but it's not obvious to me that there's another way to do it.

[stupac2]

Also, I don't believe the non-conference schedule is made by the Pac-12 schedule makers, I think that's made by the schools, which is why the date for our non-conference games in 2016 are already known, as are the dates for the two known non-conference games next season.  So, you can't complain about 2/3 home games happening before students show up unless you're complaining about our AD (correct me if I'm wrong).

Well, the Davis and Army games are on the AD, the question is does USC need to be this week? I'm not sure but it's not obvious to me that there's another way to do it.

[martyup]

I think we are at the advantage in playing the Trojans this week.  They have a new coach and a lot of young players.  Plus, they are in our house.  IMO, this might be a tougher game for us if it happened later in the season.

[martyup]

I think we are at the advantage in playing the Trojans this week.  They have a new coach and a lot of young players.  Plus, they are in our house.  IMO, this might be a tougher game for us if it happened later in the season.

[Leftcoast]

At the rate the Troj.ans are shedding players they might not be able to field a team by the time November rolls around.

Right now their first string is formidable but most experts are predicting a late season swoon as injuries mount.  It's happened before.  We sure enjoyed playing against their third string center a couple of years ago.

I see a close game on Saturday and a UCLA blow out in November.  Are you sure you wouldn't swap dates?

[Leftcoast]

At the rate the Troj.ans are shedding players they might not be able to field a team by the time November rolls around.

Right now their first string is formidable but most experts are predicting a late season swoon as injuries mount.  It's happened before.  We sure enjoyed playing against their third string center a couple of years ago.

I see a close game on Saturday and a UCLA blow out in November.  Are you sure you wouldn't swap dates?

[stupac2]

At the rate the Troj.ans are shedding players they might not be able to field a team by the time November rolls around.

Right now their first string is formidable but most experts are predicting a late season swoon as injuries mount.  It's happened before.  We sure enjoyed playing against their third string center a couple of years ago.

I see a close game on Saturday and a UCLA blow out in November.  Are you sure you wouldn't swap dates?

I've been saying for a while now that I'd rather play USC later. Then again, what if they get lucky and stay healthy? Might end up being a quite formidable team in November. It all depends on that.

[stupac2]

At the rate the Troj.ans are shedding players they might not be able to field a team by the time November rolls around.

Right now their first string is formidable but most experts are predicting a late season swoon as injuries mount.  It's happened before.  We sure enjoyed playing against their third string center a couple of years ago.

I see a close game on Saturday and a UCLA blow out in November.  Are you sure you wouldn't swap dates?

I've been saying for a while now that I'd rather play USC later. Then again, what if they get lucky and stay healthy? Might end up being a quite formidable team in November. It all depends on that.

[Papa John]

I think the 2014 Stanford schedule is a combination of two things:
1. The Pac-12's nine game conference schedule. We get four, instead of five, home games during even-numbered years.
2. Notre Dame

If we had only eight conference games, we would have four OOC games and could schedule three home and one away. Thus we would have seven home games every year. But that's not the way we do it in the Pac.

The Notre Dame game, as far as I can tell, will always be scheduled for late November (home) or late September/early October (away). So we have to play a conference game in the early part of the season to make up for that.

I only went back to Harbaugh's first year, but we've always played at least one conference opponent in weeks 1-3:
2007: UCLA week 1, UO week 3
2008: OSU week 1, ASU week 2
2009: WSU week 1
2010: UCLA week 2
2011: UA week 3
2012: USC week 3
2013: ASU week 3

As for me, I would much rather play USC at home this Saturday than any of our non-Big-Game opponents on the road. Our OL still needs time to come together, and this is best accomplished in friendly environs. So I actually consider it a positive that our first road game will not be until week five (week four is a bye week). The offense is good right now, but it's going to be great come October.

[Papa John]

I think the 2014 Stanford schedule is a combination of two things:
1. The Pac-12's nine game conference schedule. We get four, instead of five, home games during even-numbered years.
2. Notre Dame

If we had only eight conference games, we would have four OOC games and could schedule three home and one away. Thus we would have seven home games every year. But that's not the way we do it in the Pac.

The Notre Dame game, as far as I can tell, will always be scheduled for late November (home) or late September/early October (away). So we have to play a conference game in the early part of the season to make up for that.

I only went back to Harbaugh's first year, but we've always played at least one conference opponent in weeks 1-3:
2007: UCLA week 1, UO week 3
2008: OSU week 1, ASU week 2
2009: WSU week 1
2010: UCLA week 2
2011: UA week 3
2012: USC week 3
2013: ASU week 3

As for me, I would much rather play USC at home this Saturday than any of our non-Big-Game opponents on the road. Our OL still needs time to come together, and this is best accomplished in friendly environs. So I actually consider it a positive that our first road game will not be until week five (week four is a bye week). The offense is good right now, but it's going to be great come October.

[Farm93]

Schedules are all about TV now.  I am sure that Thursday SEC match-up was not popular on either campus, and yet the SEC network felt the need to provide a good game early to improve distribution.  ACC had a similar showcase game on MONDAY!!!

Stanford's problems relating to casual fans, non-local students, sunny skies and cold nights are not the Pac-12's problem.  My guess is the Pac-12 schedulers are tired of fans of the 2 time Pac-12 champion Stanford complaining about sub-optimal scheduling.  My guess is most of the other teams in the conference, and their fans, would happily take our problems if it enabled them to become Pac-12 champs.

[Farm93]

Schedules are all about TV now.  I am sure that Thursday SEC match-up was not popular on either campus, and yet the SEC network felt the need to provide a good game early to improve distribution.  ACC had a similar showcase game on MONDAY!!!

Stanford's problems relating to casual fans, non-local students, sunny skies and cold nights are not the Pac-12's problem.  My guess is the Pac-12 schedulers are tired of fans of the 2 time Pac-12 champion Stanford complaining about sub-optimal scheduling.  My guess is most of the other teams in the conference, and their fans, would happily take our problems if it enabled them to become Pac-12 champs.

[82 Card]

I like our odds playing BajaU this week better than playing them right after Oregon.

[82 Card]

I like our odds playing BajaU this week better than playing them right after Oregon.

[fullmetal]

I like our odds playing BajaU this week better than playing them right after Oregon.

True that.  Let's spread out our difficult games.

[fullmetal]

I like our odds playing BajaU this week better than playing them right after Oregon.

True that.  Let's spread out our difficult games.