I for one don't think that the scheduling situation is all that bad, and the criticism surrounding that is more likely a reflection of how bad a team WE are, rather than how badly the schedule was put together. If we had a much better team/program very few would be complaining...
Frankly Robert, If those P5 losses you point to had been wins (or more evenly split) the complaints wouldn't be so loud... and since I'm on the west coast (PNW), I would love to see a U-Dub v. Illinois game, as that stadium is just 20 minutes away in traffic.
No, I didn't like Guenther and certainly NOT Thomas. But they are just the tip of the iceberg of the bad hires we've made - Valek, Moeller, Tepper, Turner, Zook, Beckman, Cubit, L.Smith... Come on ! ! ! THIS is the problem...
Until we can have a coach who we will be patient enough with to allow them to build a true program, and who is good enough to build that true program, then we will just be that team that everyone wants on their schedule for THEIR homecoming... I hate it. But that's the reality !
NOTE: Bret Bielema is the 15th head coach since Ray Eliot retired in 1959... Only Mike White, and John Mackovic had winning records...