We already play Kentucky, which is a bit of a creampuff game and gives us exposure to that not-so-crucial region for recruiting, so why do we schedule Western Kentucky for an important OOC spot? That does not help our SoS nor aid us in any other way. A stronger OOC opponent would be Louisville, which would strengthen our SoS and gain us support in the coaches polls and AP.
I don't like playing Ohio, either. What is the gain there, other than minor recruiting exposure? It hurts our SoS, which is more important for reaching the BCS game than is exposure to potential recruits. Better choices would be Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, or Northwestern, which would put us squarely in Big-10 recruiting country and help our SoS immensely.
Wyoming is another puzzler. What do they give us that Boise State doesn't? How many star recruits are coming to UT out of Wyoming? No benefit to SoS, either. Instead of Wyoming, we should be playing BYU.
I love playing Cal and UCLA because I relish the chance of poking a big redneck stick in the eyes of those arrogant freaks...unfortunately I've gotten stung a few times lately. But when we win, we gain serious SoS points and exposure to west coast recruits. USC is significantly more of a challenge for an OOC game than any of the others I've mentioned, but I would love to see it on a regular basis. I would also like to see some teams from further north on the Pacific coast on our schedule, like UW or WSU.
In the end, I think UT ought to schedule only OOC teams from major conferences since hotshot recruits are drawn to those teams. No WAC teams, thank you. Only Big-Ten, PAC-10, Big-12, Big-East, and ACC teams. I am more interested in seeing big reputation teams come to Knoxville than I am creampuffs. It becomes a real measuring stick and unlike Notre Dame which is hampered by high academic standards, UT has the facilities and fanbase to pull in the very best players every year. There is no way we can't be two- or three-deep enough to take on much better OOC teams every season. That is why I watch them on TV and what I want to see.
So, regardless of the teams already on future schedules, what five OOC teams would you like to play? Here is my off-the-cuff list, in no particular order:
1. Miami (more Florida exposure never hurts)
2. Washington State
3. Missouri (or Kansas State)
4. Purdue (or Mich State)
5. Texas A&M (crucial Texas recruiting market)