[Squid]

The comments about the schedule have some merit, but I think exFootballer was closest to the right answer. Ashland should schedule a home and home with one of the northern Kentucky teams, just to get used to the speed and style that they play.

If anyone thinks that the quality of football played in northern and northeastern Kentucky is equal, then they simply don't know football. Football is (and always has been) a numbers game. If you pick your team from 400 kids, and I pick mine from 200 kids, you have an advantage. Simple. The overall quality of coaching is better in NKY, in my opinion. We have some solid coaches in this end of the state, but from top to bottom, NKY has an advantage there, as well. This isn't just true of head coaches, but entire staffs. The result is that, if you play only eastern Kentucky teams, they will not be as prepared (week in, and week out) as your opponents would if you played in NKY.

In my opinion, Ashland's schedule really isn't that weak. Three conference games are dictated, and Ashland played Belfry, Russell, and Ironton - all of which are quality opponents 95% of the time. This season, Waverly, OH, was supposed to be a very solid opponent, but they did not live up to their billing. That leaves three games, and over the last five years, Raceland has been all Ashland wanted (and more). If you commit to a home and home against someone like Dixie, it would only leave you with it would definitely be an upgrade, and would help the staff determine the true strengths and weaknesses of the team.

Boyd County and Greenup County were the two games that could be considered "upgradable" (for lack of a better term). I know that Boyd is down, and they really don't show anything bright on the horizon - but it looks like that rivalry has been supplanted by Russell, Johnson Central, and Ironton. Maybe it's time to look at that as a chance to upgrade, until the program gets back on its feet.