#Schedulinggods

Photo Attribution: KT King

It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of the schedule OSU has been handed this year. Every week when ABC or FOX or FX announces their time slots for the upcoming week, I honestly can’t believe what I’m reading. OSU seems to be handed easy morning or afternoon games on the road and given great home night games when they need them most.

I think luck (not Andrew) is a big part of having the kind of year OSU has had, and scheduling definitely plays into that. Let’s take a look back at what has been a fortuitous first eleven games.

Louisiana (Home – 6PM) – You could have played this game at 6PM, 6AM, 6:06AM, on the moon, whatever, and it wouldn’t have mattered. For whatever it’s worth, though, it was nice to get a full day of “if we get past A&M, Texas, and Missouri I’m booking a hotel in New Orleans” talk in at the tailgate…

Arizona (Home – 7PM) – It’s tough to get excited about Craig James being anywhere near your stadium and I know these are terrible for attendance, but Thursday night home games are always fun to watch from home. Can we maybe not schedule ours at the same time as opening day for the most popular sport in America next year though?

Tulsa (Away – 1AM) – Okay, it wasn’t ideal, but what if this had happened on the road at Texas or against Mizzou? A lot more difficult, right? If it was going to have to happen, I’m glad it happened against Tulsa.

A&M (Away – 2:30PM) – You will never be able to convince me that OSU would have won that game had it been played at 7PM at Kyle Field rather than at 2:30.

Kansas (Home – 2:30PM) – Again: 2:30AM, moon, Mars, whatever.

Texas (Away – 2:30PM) – I don’t think DKR Stadium is as raucous as Kyle Field (or anywhere close really) but when you’re going on the road against one of the best defenses in the conference, 2:30 is always > 7.

Missouri (Away – 11AM) – Herbstreit used this start time against OSU on Gameday citing how tough it is to get yourself going that early in the morning, but I think the opposite is true. Remember what Pinkel and Sunshine did to OU’s title dreams last season in the ABC 7PM game? Yeah, I bet you do.

Kansas State (Home – 7PM) – I don’t think OSU loses this game in the 11 AM or 2:30PM time slot but what a scene BPS was that night with Collin Klein and Weeden going at it for four hours on national television. This might be my favorite memory from this season. So far.

Texas Tech (Away – 11AM) – The issue might have been that Tech thought this game was at a time other than what it actually was.

Iowa State (Away – 7PM) – Not that it’s the reason they lost, but this was the first night road game this team played all year. I hate that we agree to schedule games like this.

Oklahoma (Home – 7PM) – It was supposed to be the coronation of an undefiled slate, instead we might have to settle for the quiet slipping on of a conference ring and a simple trot over to Tempe, Arizona. Hopefully.