Dream Schedule if We Were An Independent

[AUght2win 6,836]

I must be football starved. Had a weird dream last night where Auburn spent a couple seasons as an independent (It was a past event in the dream, apparently we took a "break" from the SEC for the 98-99 seasons, in retaliation for something the SEC office did). Regardless, I love a good hypothetical.

If Auburn were to go independent tomorrow, what 12 games would you want to see on the schedule and why?

My schedule:

1. vs. Miss State
2. at Colorado
3. vs. UAB
4. vs. Georgia
5. BYE
6. at Notre Dame
7. vs. Georgia Tech
8. vs. Army
9. at Tennessee
10. vs. Florida State
11. BYE
12. at Florida
13. vs. Kansas
14. vs. Alabama

Colorado, Army, Kansas, and ND would be slots to schedule anyone. Going to Boulder and West Point would be great trips and winnable games. Notre Dame is atop my OOC wish list. Kansas because I'd like to see us face Les Miles again. Other teams I would schedule for home-and-homes: Okie State, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, Wyoming & ECU (Coach Dye's previous stops).

Now to the locks. MSU is a traditional opponent. UAB would be a fun home and home that would allow us a "road" game an hour away. We need to play in state schools. 

Keep UGA. Play them early. Bring back GT as well as our other traditional opponents - Florida and Tenn. Play UF late in the year. At least every other year we'd have a warm November game.

Florida State would be the wild card. Could easily put Clemson or LSU in this slot. But FSU is one of the closest schools to Auburn. And the two have had some battles over the years, so I chose them. Tulane could also go in this slot.

I have no interest in playing LSU anymore. Just not a fun opponent. Same for Ole Miss and the rest of the West. 

Keep Bama game unchanged.

Who you got? 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Only play UAT every 4 to 6 years.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

Sounds like a quick way for AU to go broke.

[AUght2win 6,836]

50 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Sounds like a quick way for AU to go broke.

Worrying about the budget is the most fun part of hypotheticals.

[AUght2win 6,836]

6 hours ago, auburn4ever said:

Only play UAT every 4 to 6 years.

People always say this but they don't mean it. Both schools need that game.

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 hours ago, AUght2win said:

People always say this but they don't mean it. Both schools need that game.

Also, I don't think anyone was saying that in the middle of the 6-win run or really any time after we beat them. 

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

16 hours ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Sounds like a quick way for AU to go broke.

[api1957 1,783]

We'd go 4-8 with that schedule. I'd replace Army with Boston College in Fenway. 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

If Auburn was in C-USA or Independent, Gus MIGHT be able to win as much as 9 games a year.

[AUght2win 6,836]

47 minutes ago, api1957 said:

We'd go 4-8 with that schedule. I'd replace Army with Boston College in Fenway. 

We'd at least make a bowl. Schedule wasn't structured around purely ease though. It'd be interesting to compare it to our upcoming schedule.

Florida, Bama, Miss State, UGA are same. 

Ole Miss, Oregon, Arkansas, LSU, TAMU, Tulane, Kent State, and Samford. 

Vs.

Army, Kansas, Tennessee, GT, UAB, FSU, Notre Dame, and Colorado.

Oregon = Notre Dame

LSU and TAMU are tougher than any of the other 7. Ole Miss = FSU. Arkansas > Kansas. Army and Tennessee would be tough but winnable. GT is worse than Ole Miss.

I think the indy schedule could possibly be easier than this year's schedule.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

On 7/17/2019 at 5:20 PM, AUght2win said:

Worrying about the budget is the most fun part of hypotheticals.

Fair enough.  I am not going to do a whole schedule but some teams I would love home/home games with are places I would make a vacation out of:

Oregon

Washington

Boston College

Colorado

Texas

Northwestern

Temple

Rutgers

Cal-Berkley (scheduled for 2023/2024.  I'll be making a week out of this trip.)

Stanford

 

[AUsince72 11,084]

Per the OP title change, here's my list...

Change all SECW teams to SECE teams w/ LSU as the annual inter-divisional matchup.  (I'm one of the few, I guess, who would NOT miss bammer every year.  That's just a toxic relationship...)

OOC = H&H w/ Blue Bloods from the Big 10 (Mich), Big 12 (Okla) & Pac 12 (Stan) with one cupcake, either for the season opener or homecoming. 

[yngwie1995 2,229]

SEC schedule: Arky, MSU, OM, UK, USCe, UT, Mizzou, Vandy

OOC: Citadel, Ga Southern, Alcorn State

SECCG: Vandy

Playoff semi: Purdue

NCG: Notre Dame

EDIT: Oops, missed the independent part. 

[AU64 10,122]

Interesting proposal but if all those other teams were in their respective conferences,  likely that NONE of them would want to play AU as an OOC game.  Check most of the independents and they have an awful time getting really good games.  Even ND has to commit to playing five ACC games in order to get a reasonable schedule.

I'm good with not playing bama every year ….and I don't agree that we "need" that bama game every season...... but we would need most of those SEC quality teams to put more than about 50,000 in the stadium for our home games and generally it's being proposed to play home and home with teams that draw 40,000 at their place. 

Whoever said the program would go bankrupt without the SEC money was on spot..    

[Auburn06 76]

In no particular order of when the games are played

 

Alabama

UGA

Florida

Jacksonville State (JSU alumni here, we had that game won...smh)

UAB/Troy on a rotating basis

Tennessee

Georgia Tech

Oklahoma State

Penn State

Mississippi State

LSU

Florida State

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 hours ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Fair enough.  I am not going to do a whole schedule but some teams I would love home/home games with are places I would make a vacation out of:

Oregon

Washington

Boston College

Colorado

Texas

Northwestern

Temple

Rutgers

Cal-Berkley (scheduled for 2023/2024.  I'll be making a week out of this trip.)

Stanford

 

I like the way you think. 

 

[AUght2win 6,836]

On 7/18/2019 at 5:41 PM, AU64 said:

Interesting proposal but if all those other teams were in their respective conferences,  likely that NONE of them would want to play AU as an OOC game.  Check most of the independents and they have an awful time getting really good games.  Even ND has to commit to playing five ACC games in order to get a reasonable schedule.

I'm good with not playing bama every year ….and I don't agree that we "need" that bama game every season...... but we would need most of those SEC quality teams to put more than about 50,000 in the stadium for our home games and generally it's being proposed to play home and home with teams that draw 40,000 at their place. 

Whoever said the program would go bankrupt without the SEC money was on spot..    

Why both schools need the game has nothing to do with money. The Iron Bowl is why sport exists. It's a melding of culture, value systems, tradition, stories, power and people. It unites the state (even if it's through a bitter rivalry) and gives Alabamians a common language. 

It's also a championship game unto itself. Back in the years where Auburn and Bama weren't making title runs every single year, it was a season-definer. It will be again when this era passes. 

If Auburn stopped playing Alabama, I don't know why we would play anyone, ever. If the object is to win, I want to win against them more than anyone else. And if the larger goal is to prove you're the best, you have to start with being the best in your own state.

[AU64 10,122]

3 hours ago, AUght2win said:

Why both schools need the game has nothing to do with money. The Iron Bowl is why sport exists. It's a melding of culture, value systems, tradition, stories, power and people. It unites the state (even if it's through a bitter rivalry) and gives Alabamians a common language. 

It's also a championship game unto itself. Back in the years where Auburn and Bama weren't making title runs every single year, it was a season-definer. It will be again when this era passes. 

If Auburn stopped playing Alabama, I don't know why we would play anyone, ever. If the object is to win, I want to win against them more than anyone else. And if the larger goal is to prove you're the best, you have to start with being the best in your own state.

Don't fully agree.... but we'll stated....

[DAG 33,982]

59 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Don't fully agree.... but we'll stated....

Very great response. I need to start using this more often when warranted, TBH.

[SaltyTiger 7,795]

We have always played a tough schedule and embraced it. Love the way Dye coined the "Amen Corner". Doing away with the Auburn/Bammer game on a yearly basis and at the end of season would be akin to omitting a major holiday from the calendar, JMO.

Sure wish we could play Notre Dame some day. A huge Auburn fan base would travel anywhere to be a part of that.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Not that Auburn will ever leave the SEC, but if they ever did, I think the Tigers would be a great fit for the ACC.

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

Playing hard schedules has gotten us zip, zero, nadda over the last 5, 10, 20 and 30 years. In 2004 we beat 5 (five) top 10 teams while going undefeated and didnt get squat. (For comparison, media darlings FSU, UF and Miami have never beaten more than 3 top 10 teams in a season). AU 1983 etc etc. The FSU/Bear Bryant/Notre Dame formula still works - schedule 2 hard teams and have a public relations dept w/ great networking pump up Rutgers when u struggle against them.