Dan Guerrero Ignores UCLA’s Best Interest, Schedules Texas at Cowboy Stadium

I’m getting my second BS in mechanical engineering at NAU in Flagstaff, AZ. We are about 2.5 hours from ASU and 4.5 hours from U of A. Those two schools NEVER come up to NAU and play in our stadium, and from the rumors I’ve heard, it sounds like we are paid by these schools to always travel to them, and lose. It gives U of A and ASU an OOC win, and helps boost their morale.

I fear that UCLA is moving in that direction. Sounds like DG is starting to take the highest bid for us to play somewhere ‘cool,’ and then not doing squat with the money to improve the football program. Maybe he is already projecting his next big bonus or raise with the extra money made from a game at Cowboy stadium.

Ya, I’ll put my boots on, but they’ll be my steel toed boots, and I’ll use them to stomp you out of office.

when you consider the issue of raising money, spending money etc. Morgan Center just sent out an e-mail with “exciting news”, basketball season tickets holders and Wooden Fund donors can now buy up to 4 more seats in the New Pauley before public ticket sales. This doesn’t sound good, it means tickets sales have been below expectation (no kidding given the donor costs). UCLA could have a great BBall team and still not sell out Pauley. Attendance is already embarrassing at the Rose Bowl. Check the Pauley seat selection guide to see what is still available.

At least play a “neutral site” game against someone who also is far away from the site. If we played Florida or FSU there it’s a neutral site. This is playing a road game at texas without a home game in return

Game against USC at the sports arena this year

is there an NCAA or Pac12 rule regulating the # of home and away games teams are allowed? Hearing about this made me go compare our potential schedule that year to Oregon and LSU’s this year (for obvious reasons!). This year Oregon plays 7 home games, 4 road games (all conference games), and the 1 neutral site vs LSU. How is that allowed? Not only do they split their schedule 7 home vs 4 away, they get 5 conference home games vs 4 away. Aside from the challenge of playing LSU….that sounds like a pretty advantageous way to schedule to me.

LSU’s OOC schedule looks similar to what ours could that year (aside from their 2 cream puffs due to only playing 8 conf games). They played Oregon in Dallas, and scheduled a road game against then top-20 WVU. If we had any reason to believe we would be competitive nationally in 2014, this is how you schedule to ensure that if your team can take care of business, you don’t get screwed by the BCS. The question is, why are WE scheduling this way?

We could really boost our recruiting in TX with consistent games there. The exposure great, and it will bring a lot of $$ into the program. Also, a win against Texas early in the season, would put us on the fast track for an early national ranking and the attention that garners.

Texas is the number 1 grossing program in the country (or was up till last year, not sure what the current status is.), which means a lot of eyeballs will be on UCLA as well. We are starting to develop some history with them. I agree with GoBruin – it would be a nice to see it to develop into a bit of a rivalry.

As far as having UVA already on the schedule… meh. I equate them with an average PAC-12 team, not easy by any means, but very beatable. Schedule 1 more easy one and it will be a tough, but not brutal OOC schedule, probably a bit easier than this year’s schedule. All in all, I think it is worth the risk, and as a fan, fun as hell to watch.

there are no Thursday night ESPN games at the Rose Bowl.Just got stuck in monumental traffic (by Hotlanta standards, anyway) near GA Tech. Imagine the clusterf@ck in Pasadena on a Thursday afternoon.

Scheduling Texas in Dallas is not in UCLA’s best interests. Even if we were to somehow win the game at Cowboy Stadium, such scheduling reveals a lack of understanding on his part, as to how to build a winning football program.

OOC scheduling is a critical factor in determining the national perception of your program. Go easy when you’re building. Go hard when you’re winning.

Why is this so hard for Dan to understand?

I do think there’s a silver lining in this game. I agree with Nestor, Tasser, and the gang that this doesn’t look to pan out too well as of right now. And I also believe that not to schedule a return game is wrong.

But, a soft (or even mild) OOC schedule never looks good to recruits or voters late in the season. Neither does losing, and I’m not saying load it up with all top-five teams. But I’m actually okay with this move, because if we win or even perform well in a loss, it battle-hardens the team early in the season (and there’s no evidence about injuries, as someone stated above). It also counts so much more in polling if the team gets better later in the season. Personally, I subscribe to Pat Hill’s, “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere.”
 
And BTW, I played against UT in college and they were one of our biggest rivals. I absolutely hate them. But I still support us playing them. And I still hate Guerrero.

I like that term. But it can also backfire on you, though. Texas Tech (my undergrad) usually schedules softies OOC and then pays for it dearly in the polls later in the season, even when they win big. They’re rebuilding right now post-Leach, and just beat OU in Norman, then lost to Iowa State in Lubbock. UCLA beat UT in Austin and then imploded. Just goes to show you absolutely never know in college football. Here’s to hoping for another Route 66, either way!

And did I mention I still hate Guerrero?

but this only would have been a good deal if Texas agrees to play us at Farmer’s Field. We deserve to have a realistic opportunity at going 3-0 in conference play for once.