2013 Boston College Football Schedule: Options Dwindling For A 12th

The Alabama Crimson Tide has completed its 2013 schedule with Colorado State, leaving just 10 Division I-A programs looking for a game in 2013. That's down seven programs since we last visited possible 2013 opponents. Since that time:

-- Southern Miss scheduled Texas State on 8/31
-- Cal scheduled Portland State on 9/7
-- Temple scheduled Fordham on 9/14 (Addazio Bowl '13 no more)
-- Alabama scheduled Colorado State on 9/21
-- Rice scheduled @ New Mexico State on 10/19
-- UTEP scheduled @ Texas A&M on 11/2
-- Memphis scheduled UT Martin on 11/9

Of the 10 programs still looking for a game or two in 2013, only two -- Arizona and Missouri -- remain from a power conference. The rest: Marshall, Tulane, BYU (x2 if uses the Hawaii rule), Idaho, New Mexico State (x2), Central Michigan, Middle Tennessee State and Texas State. Slim pickings.

Or, in spreadsheet format (yellow = available slot, orange = slot unavailable to BC, gray = N/A).

From the ACC, Georgia Tech recently announced that they were completing the 2013 schedule with Alabama A&M. With Elon already on next year's schedule, the Jackets will double dip into the ranks of Division I-AA to fill the scheduling hole left by the ACC's decision to stick with an eight game conference schedule. N.C. State completed their own 2013 schedule with a home opener against Louisiana Tech while Miami is finalizing a game with Savannah State.

In addition to BC, Duke, Florida State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Wake Forest (x2, actually) are still looking for games to complete next year's schedule.

If Bates isn't going to hit the home run here landing either Arizona, BYU or Missouri, for me it comes down to Tulane and ... err ... Tulane, I guess. Central Michigan would just be OK, but since the Chippewas already have three road non-conference games scheduled, the chances CMU comes to the Heights next year seem remote. At this point, doubling down on I-AA opponents is looking more and more appealing given the remaining options.

The other option is to hit up UMass and move one of the home games up a few years, which would be a W but wouldn't set any Alumni Stadium attendance records.