Judge agrees: Duke football sucks

[Matt1735]

Louisville sued Duke for getting out of the final three games of their football contract. The judge ruled that Duke doesn't owe anything....

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3455278

[Sam Mills 51]

This whole thing has been silly. But how bad is it the attorneys for Duke could claim that any Division I school would be a suitable replacement?

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung up on for scheduling requests ...

[imjustagirl]

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung on for scheduling requests ...

Stupid rule for how many 1-AA teams you can schedule in a period.

Yay! We suck so bad we can break any contract! [/duke]

[Sam Mills 51]

You can schedule all the I-AAs you wish, IJAG. But only so many wins over the subdivision schools count for bowl eligibility.

But with the number of bowls spinning wildly out of control, it won't be long before that rule will have to be reviewed to avoid sending a 4-8 team to the local Toilet Bowl.

[imjustagirl]

You can schedule all the I-AAs you wish, IJAG. But only so many wins over the subdivision schools count for bowl eligibility.

Which pretty much makes it a rule for how many you can schedule.

[KYSportsWriter]

This whole thing has been silly. But how bad is it the attorneys for Duke could claim that any Division I school would be a suitable replacement?

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung up on for scheduling requests ...

Louisville would be too scared to play Appy State this season, especially with an unproven quarterback and, well, just about everything else.

[CollegeJournalist]

This whole thing has been silly. But how bad is it the attorneys for Duke could claim that any Division I school would be a suitable replacement?

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung up on for scheduling requests ...

Louisville would be too scared to play Appy State this season, especially with an unproven quarterback and, well, just about everything else.

I think Cantwell is the least of Louisville's worries. A defense that couldn't stop any of the Big Three Louisville high schools is problem numero uno.

I'm not sure why U of L's so worried about the Duke series. Their non-conference schedule is in need of some serious life. When Kentucky is the best team on your non-conference slate, something is wrong. And it's not like the Cards play a loaded conference schedule. They have three teams (USF, UConn and West By God) to worry about in that conference, unless they're planning on laying Syracuse-sized eggs again this season.

[expendable]

This whole thing has been silly. But how bad is it the attorneys for Duke could claim that any Division I school would be a suitable replacement?

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung up on for scheduling requests ...

Louisville would be too scared to play Appy State this season, especially with an unproven quarterback and, well, just about everything else.

The same could be said for the Tarhosers.  The same day ASU opens its season at LSU, UNC will host McNeese State.  Seems to me to be a lot of needless travel.

[Sam Mills 51]

This whole thing has been silly. But how bad is it the attorneys for Duke could claim that any Division I school would be a suitable replacement?

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung up on for scheduling requests ...

Louisville would be too scared to play Appy State this season, especially with an unproven quarterback and, well, just about everything else.

The same could be said for the Tarhosers.  The same day ASU opens its season at LSU, UNC will host McNeese State.  Seems to me to be a lot of needless travel.

Well, Chapel Hill certainly isn't anxious to get Furman to travel to Kenan Stadium again. And Appalachian State would mop the floor with the Heels.

[ondeadline]

Most of the ACC stinks in football, Duke just stinks more.

[KYSportsWriter]

This whole thing has been silly. But how bad is it the attorneys for Duke could claim that any Division I school would be a suitable replacement?

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung up on for scheduling requests ...

Louisville would be too scared to play Appy State this season, especially with an unproven quarterback and, well, just about everything else.

The same could be said for the Tarhosers.  The same day ASU opens its season at LSU, UNC will host McNeese State.  Seems to me to be a lot of needless travel.

Chapel Hill ain't exactly the hot bed for college football...

[JayFarrar]

Duke football, further proof of Spurrier's genius. He made them ACC champs and 10 game winners.
I'm also surprised some Appy alum state legislator didn't try to force the D-Is in-state to face the Mounties this season.
Does seem like they are willing to go anywhere and play anyone but can't get UNC on the schedule. Or maybe they aren't trying? I'd take a win at Michigan over kicking the crap out of the Tarheels at some neutral site like Charlotte.
No way are they going to get UNC to travel to Appy.

[Mystery Meat]

App used to get Wake Forest on the schedule pretty frequently, and while it was always in Winston-Salem, there's plenty of App grads in the area, and at the time Demon Deacon tickets weren't exactly prized pigs. And App beat them a few times, as I recall.

The state legislature DID step in to force the ACC schools to play East Carolina.

[Sam Mills 51]

App used to get Wake Forest on the schedule pretty frequently, and while it was always in Winston-Salem, there's plenty of App grads in the area, and at the time Demon Deacon tickets weren't exactly prized pigs. And App beat them a few times, as I recall.

The state legislature DID step in to force the ACC schools to play East Carolina.

East Carolina, in general, possesses one of the worst inferiority complexes known to mankind. Appalachian State does not.

[Football_Bat]

App used to get Wake Forest on the schedule pretty frequently, and while it was always in Winston-Salem, there's plenty of App grads in the area, and at the time Demon Deacon tickets weren't exactly prized pigs. And App beat them a few times, as I recall.

The state legislature DID step in to force the ACC schools to play East Carolina.

East Carolina, in general, possesses one of the worst inferiority complexes known to mankind. Appalachian State does not.

We follow Appy State closely because Jerry Moore is from North Texas. They seem to know exactly where they stand (a I-AA powerhouse in a state with 5 I-A programs, 4 in the ACC) and seem content to stay where they are. I haven't sensed a big push to make the jump to I-A. Although that might've changed after the win in the Big House; I don't know.

If any school can make the transition successfully, they could, but it would have to be at the Sun Belt/MAC level.

[GB-Hack]

This is exactly the same story, only from Yahoo Sports. I only bring it to attention because it lists one of the Cardinals non-conference games last season as Syracuse.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/rumors/post/Judge-Duke-football-stinks?urn=ncaaf,89496

How long has Louisville been in the Big East now?

[CollegeJournalist]

To be fair to Yahoo, I'm pretty sure the Big East spent most of last year trying to convince everyone that Syracuse wasn't really a member.

[Jake_Taylor]

App used to get Wake Forest on the schedule pretty frequently, and while it was always in Winston-Salem, there's plenty of App grads in the area, and at the time Demon Deacon tickets weren't exactly prized pigs. And App beat them a few times, as I recall.

The state legislature DID step in to force the ACC schools to play East Carolina.

ASU played at N.C. State in what, I believe, was Amato's last year there. Mountaineers gave 'em a good game, but didn't have the team speed to hang with the Wolfpack.

That was what stunned me so much about the Michigan game. They had played at N.C. State, Kansas and LSU the previous years and hung in there, but just didn't have the athletes. Then they go to the Big House and make the Wolverines look slow.

[JayFarrar]

Just goes to show that the Big 10 isn't known for its speed.
Covered a kid who was looking at SEC schools and some of the Big 10 schools because of some family connections.
He was in the 4.5 range as a linebacker and the SEC schools didn't think he had the speed to make the switch to safety. The Big 10 schools said he would be one of the five fastest players on the team.
This isn't to bash the Big 10, but you can tell, from top to bottom, the speed isn't there like it is in the SEC or the Pac 10.

[Hammer Pants]

This whole thing has been silly. But how bad is it the attorneys for Duke could claim that any Division I school would be a suitable replacement?

Shoot, there are better I-AA programs. Starting with one in Duke's state of origin, Appalachian State. Wanna schedule the Mountaineers, Louisville? Bet that school is getting hung up on for scheduling requests ...

Louisville would be too scared to play Appy State this season, especially with an unproven quarterback and, well, just about everything else.

Louisville's not the only team scared of Appy, especially considering Armanti Edwards has two more seasons.

[Stoney]

That judge is kinda missing what makes Duke such a rare and desireable opponent, a rare double combo: it gives you both a guaranteed win AND, at least statisically, credit for having scheduled a major BCS conference school.

Schools that satisfy that combo are scheduling gold in today's college football world, not easy to replace at all, which is probably why Louisville fought this so fiercely.

[Appgrad05]

Just noticed this thread has moved over to a discussion of ASU, so thought I would throw in my two cents.

UNC: Dick Baddour will not return Charlie Cobb's calls.

N.C. STATE: Yeah, ASU got worked in that game. It has since been pointed out that was before Armanti Edwards was the starter. He came in late and led the team to a touchdown.

WAKE FOREST: Jim Grobe will not return Jerry Moore's calls. When Grobe came to WFU, he said the series was over because it made no sense to play ASU every year (and lose quite a bit).

SCHEDULING: Almost impossible. The LSUs of the world, who feel like they can beat anywhere at any time, will still return calls. But outside of the top 20, it seems schools are saying it is not worth the risk.

SPEED: Recruiting. When I was in school, Moore and company were running a power-I offense that occasionally had the QB drop back and heave it as far as he could. With the switch to the spread, coaches started looking for speed everywhere. Overall team speed has improved to the point that Dexter Jackson and a few others are faster than the sprinters on the track team (which routinely dominates the Southern Conference, so it's not like they are slouches).

[Sam Mills 51]

It's a no-win situation for Appalachian State's opponents, AppGrad. You know that.

Appalachian State is getting hung up on in football just like Gonzaga is getting hung up on in men's basketball. Davidson's men's basketball program will suffer the same fate for two more years with Stephen Curry there.

It's no surprise that Dick Baddour won't return a call (he's a good man, but the fun was blasting him in print, prompting his Napoleanic brother to respond ... good times!). NCSU won't be calling because the Mountaineers would beat the Wolfpack by at least 10 in Raleigh, Boone or the Dark Side of the Moon. I'm also not surprised in the least that Jim Grobe and Wake Forest are avoiding ASU, too.

That last one is a shame. Between Wake Forest's awakening in football and the number of Appalachian State fans not far away, Groves Stadium could actually be full for once.

[BYH]

This is why...this is why...this is why you suck.

[CollegeJournalist]

That judge is kinda missing what makes Duke such a rare and desireable opponent, a rare double combo: it gives you both a guaranteed win AND, at least statisically, credit for having scheduled a major BCS conference school.

Schools that satisfy that combo are scheduling gold in today's college football world, not easy to replace at all, which is probably why Louisville fought this so fiercely.

Exactly. It boosts the SOS because the team that wallops Duke gets partial credit for everyone Duke plays, which usually includes Miami, FSU and Boston College, so playing a bottom-feeding ACC school helps a lot.

Appy doesn't do that. It's a very risky opponent that offers zero benefits. I know Appy fans won't want to hear it, but it says a lot about a program when major conference D-1 schools won't return the calls. It'd be nice to see big games happen, but if a team with big bowl hopes schedules a losable out of conference game, it's to a natural rival it can't avoid (a la Florida-Florida State) or to a big-time school that no one is going to bash them for losing to.