3 P5 opponents, when you trade out a home game with one for an away game against a blue blood certainly doesn't happen every year. If this was Joe's first year I wouldn't even feel so strongly about it, but year 3 could very well be a make or break year. We'll have to go 5-3 in the MAC just to make a bowl game.
I hope for some grace if we only win 4 or 5 games considering the circumstances, but you never know.