I will let my argument die, but check this out.
I see that Southern Miss has dropped Auburn from its schedule in 2005. They [AU] have replaced them with Western Kentucky, a I-AA school and a member of the Gateway Football Conference.
http://www.gatewayfootball.org/
Can you say deja` vue ??
==================================================
New league schedule forces Southern Miss to ask for delay in resumption of
series
Friday, January 14, 2005
By EVAN WOODBERY
Sports Reporter
AUBURN -- Auburn is scrambling to find a replacement for Southern
Mississippi on its 2005 football schedule after the Golden Eagles pulled out
of a scheduled game.
Auburn was scheduled to host USM on Sept. 24 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. But
Southern Miss asked to delay the series for several years, and Auburn
agreed, according to Auburn and Southern Miss officials.
"Southern Miss had to make some changes because of their new conference
schedule," said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "It's something that
happens sometimes. It's not anybody's fault."
Now Auburn is searching for another opponent for the same date. Although
Tuberville would prefer a Division I-A team, he said that might not be
possible.
"We're looking for somebody to fill it," he said. "It's kind of a late date.
We'll look for a I-A or I-AA -- it depends on what we can get."
In 2004, Auburn played The Citadel, a lightly regarded Division I-AA team,
after Bowling Green pulled out of a scheduled game. Auburn's weak
non-conference schedule was one of the reasons given by critics who didn't
believe the Tigers deserved a No. 1 or 2 ranking.
Auburn, riding a 15-game winning streak, will have at least one tough
non-conference opponent on the schedule in 2005, as the Tigers open against
Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
USM athletics director Richard Giannini said the game would be rescheduled
in the future, possibly 2008.
He said there was no buyout, and the decision was a "mutual agreement."
"We asked that we delay the game and play it down the road, not play it next
year," he said. "We'll play the game, but it won't be next year."
Auburn leads the series against USM 16-5. The teams last played in 1993,
when the Tigers won 35-24.
eace: [/quote]
