WKU Football: Finding a G5 Replacement for Indiana Game

Last week it was announced that the Big Ten was going to a conference only schedule for 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That resulted…

Jul 17, 2020

Last week it was announced that the Big Ten was going to a conference only schedule for 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That resulted in WKU’s trip to Bloomington scheduled for September 12 being canceled. WKU athletic director Todd Stewart made repeated comments over the past few days saying that he intends to play a 12 game schedule if possible. During an interview on Wednesday with Birmingham based radio show, the Three-Man Front, Stewart said that the G5 leagues are speaking to each other about filling games should the rest of the P5 decide to exclude the G5 FBS teams from their schedules. That means that WKU could look to fill the Indiana void with a game against teams from the MAC, Sun Belt, American, Mountain West (though unlikely due to distance) or FCS to get the schedule back to 12 games. With that in mind we thought we’d run through the canceled games and tier the potential replacements on WKU’s schedule.

Note, as of 7/17 only the Big Ten and Pac-12 have finalized not playing non-conference games. So at this point, we’ll assume that ACC, SEC, & Big 12 nonconference games are still on though there’s a high likelihood that they’ll be canceled in the coming weeks. We are also counting FCS buy-games from leagues that have (MEAC, Patriot) announced they aren’t playing in 2020
If the team is west of the central timezone we’re not considering due to distance because the costs associated with travel will be tough to overcome for budget-strapped programs (sorry BYU)

Here’s a rundown of the canceled matchups on September 12th thus far:

Eliminated from replacement consideration:

Hawaii, UNLV, New Mexico, Fresno State, Montana State, Cal Poly, Colorado State, UConn, BYU, Norfolk State, Liberty (play them in week 3)

WKU is poised to have a big 2020, with the amount of talent returning, they are expected to contend for a Conference USA title and have the potential of being among the best G5 teams in 2020. With that in mind, they should try to challenge themselves with their schedule and not fill with just any opponent. Not having Indiana on the schedule removed a chance for a statement win and they need to get creative if they want to stand out in 2020. Luckily for the Hilltoppers, there are several contenders that already have games canceled so the potential to inflate their resume is still there (especially if they want to go on the road) Here’s the breakdown of potential opponent tiers, with travel distance included:

Tier 3- Filler Games

These games are used to build towards bowl eligibility and keep the schedule full around 12 games, they’re not sexy but they may make financial/logistical sense

Tennessee Tech (94 miles)

WKU’s former OVC rival went 6–6 in FCS last season. They’re a solid but not spectacular FCS program that isn’t expected to be more than middle of the pack in OVC in 2020. This would be buying a win towards bowl eligibility that would help WKU keep costs down.

Southern Illinois (200 miles)

Anther former conference rival for WKU (Gateway), the Salukis went 7–5 last season including a win over FBS UMass. They’d be an upgrade over Tennessee Tech but wouldn’t exactly garner resume acclaim with an expected win. They’d offer the same upside as Tech with more risk.

Ball State (286 Miles)

WKU recently completed a home and home with the Cardinals in 2017 & 2018 (winning both games despite Mike Sanford) and have another series scheduled in 2025-26 so Todd Stewart should have ample experience working with Ball State’s athletic director. The Cardinals went 5–7 in 2019 and are expected to compete for their first bowl birth since 2013 returning a solid quarterback in Drew Pitt and 1200 yard rusher Caleb Huntley (former WKU commit). This matchup could be a solid challenge for WKU but definitely doesn’t have the wow factor that other potential matchups could pose.

Northern Illinois (476 Miles)

The Huskies have fallen from the top of the MAC to the middle of the pack over the past couple of years as they enter year two of head coach Thomas Hammock. Chicago’s area MAC team returns 14 starters from last year’s 5–7 team. They are probably the longest shot in the tier three games due to the distance and lack of familiarity between the programs (haven’t played since 1969). Should they match up this would be another game that the Hilltoppers should win but won’t get much credit for.

Tier 2- Solid Games

These games are opponents that WKU would be favored to beat heading into 2020. They’re a mix of good regional teams and mid-level AAC opponents. Depending on how the season played out, a win over one of these teams could boost WKU’s resume when compared to other G5 schools.

South Florida (766 Miles)

The Charlie Strong era ended with a whimper as the Bulls fell to 4–8 resulting in Clemson assistant Jeff Scott assuming control of the program. Not a lot is expected of the Bulls in 2020 as they are expected to be in the bottom of the AAC. That normally would be a tier 3 type description but the fact they’re in the best G5 league would give WKU a chance at a statement that they could compare against every AAC team that plays the Bulls. If the Tops won big they could brag about a transitive margin victory against any opponent that plays the Bulls in 2020. WKU is slated for a home and home with USF in 2023 & 2024 but you’d think this is a long shot due to distance between the schools (second farthest on this list).

Central Michigan (550 Miles)

WKU’s two-time bowl opponent had a very solid debut season for former Florida Coach Jim McElwain making the MAC title game before losing to Miami of Ohio. He returns 14 starters in 2020 and should be towards the top of the MAC West. This is another opponent that doesn’t make alot of sense logistically but would definitely be more appealing than an FCS squad. I’d be shocked if Todd Stewart paired with the Chippewas over closer MAC schools but you never know.

Arkansas State (322 Miles)

Another former conference rival, the Red Wolves are coming off of another upper-level performance in the Sun Belt (8–5 in 2019). Head Coach Blake Anderson overcame the death of his wife last year to lead Arkansas State to a bowl for the sixth time (in six chances) and should have another solid team back in 2020 as they return 9 starters on offense. They’re the 3rd closest FBS opponent on this list so travel-wise they meet that much-needed criteria and Todd Stewart is familiar with the Red Wolves from the Sun Belt days. While not the sexiest matchup they may be one of the more realistic games if some of the more high profile teams turn the Hilltoppers down.

Tulane (597 Miles)

The Green Wave are entertaining offensively and would pose a great contrast in styles compared to WKU’s defensive-oriented approach. Tulane went 7–6 last year but only returns 11 starters. Similar to South Florida, they’re from the best G5 league in the AAC and the margin comparison game would be a big factor in their appeal as they’re predicted to be a middle of the pack team in that league this year. WKU has very minimal history with the Green Wave and their distance poses another challenge. They’re another long shot but the potential for a series that included a trip to New Orleans always has appealed to the traveling fan in me.

Houston (841 Miles)

Houston is a name brand program at the G5 level having played in a New Years' Six bowl in 2015 and annually has one of the better programs in the AAC. They basically packed it in last season, redshirting players and going 4–8 in Dana Holgerson’s debut season. They should be much improved in 2020 with 16 starters returning. This game has the potential for a sizzle factor that would play well with the G5 resume game at the end of the season. The fact they’re coming off a down year would take some initial buzz off of the matchup but it could be a game that looks better and better at the end of the year. Another highly unlikely matchup due to distance (longest on this list), the only way I see this game being played is if G5 leagues strategically try to find the best matchups for their contenders.

Tier 1- Sexy matchups

These matchups would instantly become the top games on WKU’s schedule and would be the barometer between a good season and a potentially great season.

Navy (713 Miles)

Navy is coming off one of their best seasons in the past 40 years as they finished 11–2 and #20 in the country. The Midshipmen have experience with the Hilltoppers having played 4 times between 2009 and 2014. Ken Niumatalolo in an institution in Annapolis who regularly has Navy towards the top of the talented AAC. The triple-option would pose a statement opportunity for WKU’s talented defensive front and all the AAC transitive stuff applies to this matchup as well. While they’re not expected to be as good as last season they’ve got the name brand buzz that most of the other opponents don’t have on this list. Travel would be a huge factor in this matchup’s possibilities but the Naval Academy never really cares about regionality like most G5 schools. I wouldn’t rank this one high on the probability level but it would be alot of fun if it did happen.

Memphis (266 Miles)

The best combination of buzzworthy matchup and travel considerations is WKU’s opponent from the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl. The Tigers peaked last season earning the G5’s access bowl spot in the Cotton Bowl against Penn State after going 12–2 over the course of the season. They’ve got a new head coach in Ryan Silverfield who was on the staff during last year’s heights and return 13 starters including quarterback Brady White and 1400 yard rusher Kenneth Gainwell who would both pose a great challenge for the WKU defense. They are the closest FBS team on this list too which makes a bus ride to either stadium very doable. Todd Stewart would be wise to parlay a potential game with Memphis into a series in both football and basketball (Penny Hardaway is recruiting an elite level). A win over Memphis would be a statement that WKU is a contender for the best G5 team in the nation. Let’s hope this matchup happens.

The September 12th list could easily grow in the coming weeks as regional programs such as App State (Wake Forest), Ohio (Boston College), Georgia State (Alabama) could have their buy games canceled and also need to fill their schedule. WKU could also have to fill the Louisville game as well (despite being less than 2 hours apart) but we’ll cross that bridge when it comes. If Todd Stewart pulls off a football season, it will be fascinating to see his scheduling philosophy during these unique times.

What do you think? Who would you like WKU to play as a replacement for Indiana? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or the comments below.