2008 Schedule thoughts and musings.

Even though the 2008 Linfield football schedule has not be released there are some heavy rumors floating around that should be dispelled before the next thing you know people will have Linfield playing at App. State to open up 2008.

-Azusa Pacific is not happening. It’s true that if the ‘Cats couldn’t find a D3 game to replace Hardin-Simmons that most likely it was going to be Azusa. If that would have happened it would have meant that the only D3 games on Linfield’s schedule would have been NWC opponents. Thankfully we have avoided that misery and have about 99.99% locked up another D3 opponent with a two-year deal.

-The mystery team is not from California. Obviously we know it’s not Redlands or any of the SCIAC schools. Redlands and Linfield had a perfectly matching open date in 2008 but the Dawgs declined Linfield’s offer (again) and choose to front load their schedule with the Spartans of Dubuque (IIAC). I guess Coach Maynard is still sore from those curbings the ‘Cats put on the Dawgs earlier in the decade. Let’s just face facts people…the SCIAC wants nothing to do with Linfield. It’s been four years since Linfield paired off with a SCIAC school during the regular season and I have my doubts if it will happen again in the near feature. Cowards.

-The mystery team is a name that the Linfield faithful know. That’s all I’ll say about that for now.

-Yup we’re still going to be playing SOU and WOU. If Linfield is struggling so bad to find D3 games then you have to know we’re still going to be playing our in-state/out-of-division rivals. Thankfully we have both at the ‘Catdome in 2008 but these are going to be two of the ‘Cats toughest tests. It does look like we’re going to be playing WOU through 2009 and I wouldn’t think that SOU isn't going anywhere either. I feel rather confident when I say that Linfield has one of the toughest Division III schedules in the country.

-Get ready to reset your calendars. Another nugget of information is that there's going to be massive changes in the order of the games in 2008. It sounds like the ‘Cats are going to be kicking off the year at the mystery team’s home field and then we’re going to catch a bye week. After the bye, the ‘Cats are going right into NWC play. The NWC schedule has also been shuffled so there are going to be a couple of HUGE NWC games right at the jump of 2008.

When I get the green light we’ll pull back the curtain and reveal the mystery team but until then just be thankful there is someone in D3 outside of the NWC who has the testicular fortitude to dance with the ‘Cats.