There's been a little bit of conversation on this topic on our home board, so I thought I would bring it up here.

Generally speaking, given a situation with a legitimate (or in the current state for that matter) conference title game...what's the number one goal:

Conference Champion, or Bowl Victory/Champion? (excluding both...since that is obviously what is preferred).

I think conference championship has to be the goal, but if you're doing either on a regular basis things are going well for you.

(04-16-2013 10:22 PM)6FlagsOverGeorgiaSouthern Wrote:  There's been a little bit of conversation on this topic on our home board, so I thought I would bring it up here.

Generally speaking, given a situation with a legitimate (or in the current state for that matter) conference title game...what's the number one goal:

Conference Champion, or Bowl Victory/Champion? (excluding both...since that is obviously what is preferred).

I would lean more towards Bowl Champion, since only the conference would be concerned with the conference champ. A bowl puts you on a national stage and gains recognition for the school and the conference.

I'd say conference champion. It's a season long accomplishment versus one bowl game which can have so many external factors.

Having never gone to a bowl when ASU didn't win at least a share of the title, I can't answer from experience but having been to a bowl loss as well as losing a conference title in the finale, losing the league when you are playing a game for all the marbles hurts much worse than losing a bowl, but winning a bowl is a sweet way to the end the year.

(04-16-2013 10:22 PM)6FlagsOverGeorgiaSouthern Wrote:  There's been a little bit of conversation on this topic on our home board, so I thought I would bring it up here.

Generally speaking, given a situation with a legitimate (or in the current state for that matter) conference title game...what's the number one goal:

Conference Champion, or Bowl Victory/Champion? (excluding both...since that is obviously what is preferred).

Bowl game is a reward for fans and players. A bowl championship is taking full advantage of that reward.

Conference championship is what you are shooting for.

Either is great, but a bowl game is the one that gets eyes on your team.

Regardless, I bet I'm the only one on here with one of these:

Seems to me that the Bowl would be just icing on the cake, with the exception of possible BCS bowl game berths etc., which is what people are shooting for from the beginning now. It's a weird question because if you win the conference, you're likely going to get a bowl game. It just seems like the goal would be to win the conference, and then the chips will fall where they fall etc.

Exposure is a big part of it, but I'm thinking that as far as attendance goes etc., that the exposure will increase as well as a higher attendence would be present with a legitimate conference title game.

(04-17-2013 07:38 AM)6FlagsOverGeorgiaSouthern Wrote:  Seems to me that the Bowl would be just icing on the cake, with the exception of possible BCS bowl game berths etc., which is what people are shooting for from the beginning now. It's a weird question because if you win the conference, you're likely going to get a bowl game. It just seems like the goal would be to win the conference, and then the chips will fall where they fall etc.

Exposure is a big part of it, but I'm thinking that as far as attendance goes etc., that the exposure will increase as well as a higher attendence would be present with a legitimate conference title game.

That is only true if the game is played at the home stadium of one of the participants. That has been the universal experience for non-AQ conferences, and even for the ACC and PAC 12.

(04-17-2013 07:49 AM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 07:38 AM)6FlagsOverGeorgiaSouthern Wrote:  Seems to me that the Bowl would be just icing on the cake, with the exception of possible BCS bowl game berths etc., which is what people are shooting for from the beginning now. It's a weird question because if you win the conference, you're likely going to get a bowl game. It just seems like the goal would be to win the conference, and then the chips will fall where they fall etc.

Exposure is a big part of it, but I'm thinking that as far as attendance goes etc., that the exposure will increase as well as a higher attendence would be present with a legitimate conference title game.

That is only true if the game is played at the home stadium of one of the participants. That has been the universal experience for non-AQ conferences, and even for the ACC and PAC 12.

That will be the setup for the upcoming Sun Belt championship games, correct?

In all seriousness, here is how I see it;

First of all, to us, here on this board, the Conference Championship is of the utmost importance. It decides who is top dawg among us.

However, things are different outside our click. To the rest of the country, this is how I see it.

1 Bowl win trumps 1 SBC title. A single Sun Belt title is nothing the average joe considers impressive, but a bowl win seems to carry more weight. However, once your team wins multiple SBC titles in a row, that becomes the more impressive feet. People look at a team that dominates any sports league, as one worthy of some level of respect...even in the Belt.

Troy established our name by winning the Sun Belt over and over, and being a consistent bowl season participant. We built a brand name, one that people recognize, by winning. Even though it's "just the Sun Belt," the fact we win the title regularly secured our name.

I think with the new system that is being implemented, every Go5 program will have an equal opportunity to make it to the top of the pile. That program will undoubtedly have to dominate their given Conference, but that's just one good season away from any one of us.

You focus on winning the Conference Championship first... Once that is done then you can look at a bowl championship.

CLICHE WARNING: I say neither. Your number one goal should be the next opponent. I know it's cliched to say "don't look ahead", but it's true. You really do have to "take it one game at a time".

(04-17-2013 09:33 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  CLICHE WARNING: I say neither. Your number one goal should be the next opponent. I know it's cliched to say "don't look ahead", but it's true. You really do have to "take it one game at a time".

And which position is it that you play?

(04-17-2013 09:37 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(04-17-2013 09:33 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  CLICHE WARNING: I say neither. Your number one goal should be the next opponent. I know it's cliched to say "don't look ahead", but it's true. You really do have to "take it one game at a time".

And which position is it that you play?

I play a pretty important position: "right cubicle"

(04-17-2013 09:33 AM)sidslidkid Wrote:  CLICHE WARNING: I say neither. Your number one goal should be the next opponent. I know it's cliched to say "don't look ahead", but it's true. You really do have to "take it one game at a time".

That's kind of a given. To have a goal be a championship would have to imply that you had to win the games leading up to that championship.

I know what you're saying though...you can't play each week thinking about the championship itself more so than who is in front of you on the field that day.

The OP was just about, as fans, what means more to you personally. Disregarding the ultimate goal of winning the conference, and then winning whatever bowl followed, or even winning all games etc.....

Which would make you happier as a fan: Winning the conference but losing a bowl game, or losing the conference but winning a bowl game?

Conference championships first, and afterwards comes a chance for a bowl championship,

(04-17-2013 11:44 AM)6FlagsOverGeorgiaSouthern Wrote:  Which would make you happier as a fan: Winning the conference but losing a bowl game, or losing the conference but winning a bowl game?

At this point I'd have to say losing the conference but winning the bowl game... Depends on the bowl and opponent i guess. if it were possible for a Sun Belt team to win bowls like the Capitol One or Fiesta bowl without winning the Sun Belt, then I'd say that would be the ideal choice of these 2 scenarios. Consistently beating solid, or better yet ranked OOC teams is quickest way to get the Sun Belt and it's schools the recognition we all want it to have.

However, given the choice between a Sun Belt Championship or a win in the Little Caesars Bowl over Central Michigan. I'd have to pick the Sun belt championship... again, it depends on the opponent and the bowl.

About 50% of all FBS teams go to a bowl. Half of those end up winning. Unless you win a BCS bowl game, you're just 1 of 20 other people who won "a" bowl. Being conference champion puts you in a circle of less than a dozen.