The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(10-29-2018 12:26 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(10-29-2018 08:29 AM)owynn Wrote:  What's with the obsession of the "We don't belong in the FBS" crowd?

My gut instinct (and I have a hell of a gut so bear that in mind) is that ODU's out-of-the-gate success has been a blessing and a curse.

The conventional wisdom was that a third-year program entering the CAA, lauded as the SEC of FCS, would take years to get their sea legs underneath them, much less make the postseason. In their two years, they lost a combined three games in conference, a total many probably thought they'd reach by the fourth week of their first season. Made the FCS playoffs both times, won a game both times. Villanova in the second season was the only lopsided loss; the others were a back-and-forth game at Delaware in their CAA debut, and 4th And 29. Record against JMU and Richmond: 4-0. Pretty heady stuff for a newbie program.

First full FBS schedule and ODU goes 6-6 with wins against the two best teams in the West Division. Third season and ODU goes 10-3 with a bowl victory. Until this year (barring a miracle), ODU has always won at least five games. For perspective: UMass, with more of a history (including a I-AA championship and two other appearances in the I-AA title game) than ODU, has never won five games in an FBS season despite two more years at that level.

You can make the case that I'm taking an overly optimistic view of the program, and perhaps I am, but unless you're Appalachian State or Marshall, moving up takes a toll. Western Kentucky struggled. UTSA struggled. Georgia State struggled. Hell, Georgia Southern struggled. ODU, by the standards of move-ups, has had a pretty good go of it. But, because fans were accustomed to outperforming expectations, accepted that as the new normal and expected more and more. For them, 5-7 was reason to panic. This, which outside the VT win will go down in the books as ODU's worst season ever, is like the eighth circle of hell.

So that explains the appeal of FCS: ODU never struggled there; even in their first two seasons, they won at least eight games, albeit against poor competition. There's a sense of comfort because we assume that since the Monarchs were dominant at that level before, they would go right back to it, and losing records would not — could not! — happen.

To me, that's reductive thinking, almost like wanting to drop out of college in a tough sophomore year to go back to high school where you got straight As and boinked the head cheerleader or quarterback on the regular. Whether ODU was ready as a program to move to FBS when it did is a reasonable debate to have, but I think if it comes down to moving up earlier than expected or not moving up for a long time, I'd take the former.

**** sucks now and maybe it will in the short-term or even mid-term future, but if you want guaranteed success and you're not following Boise State, then maybe G5 football isn't your game.

True.

I don't think the problem fans are having with this year is do to a down season. They happen. The problem is that we were supposed to be good this season. 22 Seniors, rah rah out of practice on how much bigger, stronger, faster, and more focused we were, etc.

I was expecting a down year next year. But the 2018 team not only sucks, but sans the VT game, has grossly underperformed.