Here's the 2008 FIU football schedule just released a few hours ago. Looks like another tough one, but the first three games will help when Sun Belt plays rolls around.
Was working on the last part of the new stadium tour when I got word of the schedule. I will have the stadium tour on here real soon as well as 
a more in-depth blog on the schedule and 2008 record thoughts.
2008 FIU Football Schedule
Date Opponent
Aug. 30 at Kansas (12-1)
Sept. 6 at Iowa (6-6)
Sept. 20 SOUTH FLORIDA (9-4)
Sept. 27 at Toledo (5-7)
Oct. 4 at North Texas (2-10)
Oct. 11 M. TENNESSEE (5-7)
Oct. 18 at Troy (8-4)
Nov. 1 at Louisiana-Lafayette (3-9)
Nov. 8 ARKANSAS STATE (5-7)
Nov. 22 LOUISIANA-MONROE (6-6)
Nov. 29 Florida Atlantic* (8-5)
Dec. 6 WESTERN KENTUCKY (7-5)
HOME GAMES IN CAPS; Home games begin at 7 p.m.
* at Dolphin Stadium
gpantera's prediction:
worse case scenario - 3 wins, 9 opportunities for improvement
best case scenario - 7 wins, 5 opportunities for improvement, Sun Belt Bowl Birth and a Victory Parade Down 8th Street
If we win anywhere between 3 and 7 games, I propose we hold the parade down 8th Street anyway.
your turn...what do you predict?
Posted by: gpantera | February 15, 2008 at 09:42 PM
Season predictions already? It's too early... but what the hell.
(takes baton from gpantera)
I'll say 4 - 8 wins should be the margin, but I'll angle towards the low end. Kansas is definitely a L... not as bad a beat as last year. Iowa should be a good game, but they had a down year in '07. They're usually good at least once every 4-5 years. I'll say an L.
USF is the X factor game. On paper, should be a Bull rush. Atmosphere should heavily favor FIU... this could rival the St. Peter's game in '02. But those Peacocks didn't have the fan base USF has, and I could see that stadium full of green and gold if tix sales and student support suck for FIU. It will be a sell-out... question is, by who?
As for the game... FAU played them very close at Lockhart last season. USF could overlook this game, but after FAU last season, I don't think they will. I'll say another L.
Toledo is a W. Should be, anyway. They SUCKED last season. And they're a MAC team. Any Sun Belt team worth a darn can beat a MAC school.
North Texas is a W. I smell karma coming from that 7 OT loss. Middle is a L, as will any game where we have to play against a running QB. They just murder us. So add Troy and (probably) LA-Lafayette to that L list. And ASU owns us, for some reason, so L there, too.
The rest of the slate is winnable... and I think we will do so.
So... 5-7.
It really IS too early for this... but it is fun.
Who wants the baton?
Posted by: Messod Bendayan | February 15, 2008 at 11:48 PM
Good analysis...too early, but hey.....I'll say 3-9 overall....with a one game swing for good or bad it would go 2-10 or 4-8. Other than that, it's either too good, or too bad....(1-11 again?..No please..)
Posted by: FIU Fanatic | February 16, 2008 at 09:14 AM
Toledo, NT, ULL, and L Monroe should be wins. This team will be stronger and faster and obviously more mature. The key is O-line and D-Line. We need to give our QB and RB time and space. On D, we need pressure from the ends and runs stoppers up front.
We cannot have special teams blunders this season, ie. balls snapped over the punter and fumbles on punts.
The USF game will be interesting. I expect MC to use any and all speed available to make sure Grothe is under pressure.
I say 4 - 8, but maybe we pull off an upset and sneak past Troy and FAU ?? Either way, we should be in more games this season.
Posted by: FIUBlueandGold | February 16, 2008 at 09:49 AM
I agree with most of you...way to early for predictions...but it's all in good fun!!!
4-8 is my prediction. I can see us beating Toledo, NT, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Western Kentucky.
You guys brought up that USF game. I think you will be surprised at FIU support for that game. I believe many FIU fans will show up for that home opener. Hopefully we can hang with USF.
I'm just pumped up about spring football beginning March 8. The biggest factor determining how are season will go will be the QB play. Who will it be??? McCall, Wayne Younger, C. Anderson, D. Hughes or even Troy Dannehower.
Posted by: FIUJM | February 16, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Messod, I'll take the baton!
This is a much easier schedule than last year. Kansas will be an obvious beating (why are we playing them twice at Kansas btw?). But th rest of our out of conference schedule isn't too shabby. We should be able to win one OOC bowl game, at the very least!
Concerning our SunBelt conference schedule, I think we can break even. I liked what I saw towards the end of the season last year, although the MTSU and FAU games were a huge disaapointment. Let's hope for a six win season.
Posted by: Quijote | February 16, 2008 at 12:51 PM
We play at Kansas back-to-back because we're FIU. We don't yet have either the facility or the fan base to make the trip Miami attractive to the bigger boys. I was at FSU when their program began to develop and Bowden played all the top-flight programs on their turf because they wouldn't come to Tallahassee. That's no longer a problem.
The overall success of this year's team is going to depend an awful lot on who we get as an OC, and how quickly we find him. I think you can count on a number of the incoming kids being call on to be contributers immediately. The extent of that contribution, the level of their maturity and how quickly they achieve both will greatly impact the team's record.
This team will be better. It will be much better.
Posted by: E-Man | February 16, 2008 at 04:15 PM
my turn w/ the baton... almost beating ASU last year (damn special teams) and getting better speed i can see wins against ASU, ULL and ULM, NT and possibly toledo. its still to early to tell but im sure we can take 1 ooc game and 4 Conf. Games... of course 1 game over/under. cant wait till spring game
Posted by: CJ | February 18, 2008 at 09:19 AM
0-12
Posted by: CrazyCane | February 18, 2008 at 02:37 PM