Let me start off by saying that this is my first post on TN, so if it is full of glitches and what not, please forgive me.  I am DutchFSU on the web, but also an avid Seminole alum and supporter in life.  Hopefully I will be able to contribute to this community of 'Noles.

Recently I wrote a rather lengthy email.  I did it mostly out of angst that I feel towards the other athletic departments around the nation.  More specifically, though, would be the two that I love to hate.  Florida and Notre Dame.  As we 'Noles know, the Gators aren't exactly the scheduling stalwarts that we are.  But I wasn't wholly aware of the fact that there is actually a fairly well known "format" used to describe what Florida does.  It is known simply as "The 7-4-1."  Seven home games, four away games, and one neutral site game.  Annually.  Florida has used it with great success in recent years.  (Every season since 2006.)  Now Notre Dame is going to start.  Or so I hear.

Most of us may recall when, back in 2006, Florida State actually hosted an eight game home slate.  That was a singular incident, however, We hosted seven teams in one season since (08) with five and one neutral in 2007 and an even six this season.  Plus, anyone who thinks they are anyone (ESPN) usually ranks us as a number one BCS out-of-conference stregnth of schedule type of team.  So its not like we shy away from stiff competition.  But Florida does, and they haven't suffered for it like we have.  In my opinion, anyway.

And whats worse is that Florida does it by scheduling the likes of FIU... IN NOVEMBER!  They also beefed up their home game cash cow with pre-season games against Charleston Southern and Troy.  But I am particularly irked by FIU.  IN NOVEMBER. 

Now Notre Dame, with their incredibly flexible schedule, is trying to accomplish the same feat.  Simply put, its for the money and the help from the home crowds, folks.  And Florida State could use a little bit of both if we want our new coach to have a greater chance of success.  Again, in my opinion.  So I say that, as much as us Seminoles will hate doing so, we need to adopt "The 7-4-1" and make it our very own.  Or at least a 7-5 annually.  But I would prefer the split revenue of the 7-4-1.  (And so would the other BCS team we would likely schedule for it.)  And to help beef up the home game profits, we may need to start scheduling some cream puffs.  At least for now, while we're still rebuilding.  I mean, come on... Florida did it as defending champs!  What do we have to lose?

So I wrote a letter to the athletic department at Florida State.  The entire athletic department.  It went something like this:  (NOTE: This letter was typed last week, prior to the conference title games and such.  And please pardon the typos and spelling errors.  I do most of my typing at 3 a.m, apparently.)

To Whom It May Concern-  

I am sending this message to a variety of individuals simply because I am not sure who is responsible for scheduling Seminole athletic events.  But of this much I am sure... It is either one of you to whom this message has been sent, or it is someone who reports to you.  I ask only that you entertain one small suggestion that I have in regards to FSU's football schedule in 2010 and in seasons to come, and possibly acknowledge with a small reply.  

There has been an unsettling trend in college football the last few years.  Many fans of the sport were not necessarily fans of the selection process for a national champion, and this eventually led us into the equally unsatisfying Bowl Championship Series.  But this, too, is a process many see as flawed simply because so much weight is based on opinionated rankings and win-loss records.  As a result, college football powerhouses have more or less always filled their schedules with "cupcake" teams.  But now something else is happening.  BCS powerhouse teams like Florida, Alabama, and others are now starting to schedule "cupcake" home games and "bye" weeks in November.  Late November.  I suppose the logic here is that there is too much at stake when playing in Rivalry Weekend to get caught looking ahead the week before and lose to, say, Maryland.  Well, you know what?  They might be correct.  Maybe they're not right, per se.  But maybe they are correct.  

In case you haven't noticed, the University of Florida football program hasn't played a conference game the week before Rivalry Weekend since 2004.  And going back to 2002, they have only played one season with any game against a SEC team scheduled the week prior to Florida State (2004).  Since 2005 and the Urban Meyer era Florida must have decided they needed they "bye" week more for conference play, and the Gators have instead scheduled out-of-conference (henceforth "OOC") home games against the likes of Western Carolina, Florida Atlantic, The Citadel, and Florida International, in that order.  FAU managed to keep the game within five touchdowns, which was the smallest spread against this field of teams.    And you know what?  They aren't alone.  

Of the current top ten schools in this week's BCS standings, four BCS schools (including Florida) either scheduled non-BCS OOC games, or had no games scheduled at all.  (Non-BCS schools like TCU or Boise Statewill not be considered for the sake of this discussion.)  Number two Alabama steamrolled over Chattanooga this season, had a bye week in 2008, and eeked out a win against Louisiana-Monroe in 2007.  I'm not sure if number five Cincinnati considers Illinois to be a "rival," but they had the week of the 21st off.  Georgia Tech even took the week off for the first time since 2002, but it apparently didn't turn out so well for them as they were perhaps "looking ahead" to Clemson.  

Rounding out the BCS top 25, number 16 Oregon State has no issues taking the week off before playing Oregon.  They did so this season as well as in 2007.  Number 18 Southern Cal had the week off prior to thumping UCLA this year and in 2005.  Number 20 Oklahoma State took a Thursday night game against Colorado to give them a long week to prep for Oklahoma.  Apparently that didn't work out too well for them, either.  But they took the week prior off in 2008.  And I can assume that number 22 Nebraska has a thing against Colorado, because with 2009 being the exception, they haven't played anyone the week prior since at least 2001.    Please keep in mind that these are just the BCS teams with established "Rivalry Weekend" series games that are currently listed in the BCS top 25.  And I have named eight BCS schools so far.  That is roughly one third of the BCS top 25, non-BCS schools included.  

I have already discussed Florida's scheduling as well as Alabama's.  Bama's rival Auburn is worse than the Tide, with a bye every season since 2007.  South Carolina had two weeks to prepare for Clemson this season as well as in 2007 and 2008.  And Georgia has some kind of even-year rotation with a "bye" the week prior to Georgia Tech in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008.  Yet no one questions the superiority of the SEC in football, even when these huge games are routinely played on two weeks of preparation.  

In conclusion, I would argue that public perception of "strength of schedule" is not quite as vital to the critical perception of a football program as it once was.  I would argue that a 12-0 team with Florida's schedule would go farther than a 11-1 team with Florida State's schedule.  I would argue that television contracts and big money deals are more easily dealt to teams with winning records and a huge following, no matter who they play each week.  And I would argue that young recruits want to play for these successful programs more than they might wish to play for a program with a strong schedule but several losses.   And right now, with the gaps in FSU's recruiting, that is not a shortcoming that we can afford.  This program has to act now while there is still a glimmer of "reputation" left to it.  Which is why I find myself proposing the unthinkable.  

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  

Perhaps its time that we evaluate how we structure our schedule.  We don't need to run out and schedule the Southern Louisiana VoTech and Hairstylist Academy for Homecoming weekend, but perhaps a decent FBS team wouldn't be a horrible idea to consider for the week before Miami with a "bye" the third week in November.  The Gators are obviously not going to stop scheduling like this.  They've been doing it for years, right alongside other BCS powerhouse teams.  And it hasn't hurt them at all.   

So I submit to you... Why don't we?   

Thank you very much for your consideration and your reply.

So far I have heard back from Gary Huff.  But I have yet to hear who is in charge of creating the schedule or get any further input.  So I submit my rant to you folks.  If you agree, I ask that you consider submitting similar requests to the athletic department so we can get some change started.  With that, I await your comments.