Exactly. Why the hell P5 teams still schedule FCS teams is beyond me. Christ, if you're going to play football, then play against like competition. Games against the likes of KSU are no win situations.
Those FCS teams need that check. That $350K (and sometimes as much as $500K) means a lot to those programs.
Those coaches know the odds are against them in those circumstances. Hell, most of the coaches of the really good teams, deep down, are OK with not winning that game as long as they don't get to banged up and still have a shot at making the FCS playoffs. I've told that story before, here and on TOS, about Bobby Johnson at Furman having just boatraced North Carolina (with a defense loaded with future NFL guys, including Julius Peppers) and whether he'd rather have a win like this over a name school or a national championship. He said national championship without taking a breath. I was stunned by the answer a little. I'd have thought beating an ACC school would have meant more, especially to a good FCS program that recruits the same geographical area. Nope.
sometimes those games are hard to get for FCS programs. Notre Dame does not and will not schedule FCS. They will play Toledo and almost get that ass beat, but they won't play FCS. PJ used to tell me he'd go to the coaches convention when he was at Southern and guys would start running away from him. He'd say, I just want to say hello, and they'd go, hello and hell no we're not playing you.