Raider_ATO Wrote:I'm sorry about theboro's comments. I would like to advance our series to starting in December in New Orleans.

BTW: I believe it was myself that said on the SBC board the SBC would be equal to or better than C-USA in 5-10 years. C-USA is going down (I think you would say the same) and the SBC is rising. 10 years is a long time in college football.

Hope to see you in Nawlins. If not, See you in Memphis in a bit.

In C-USA's 9 years of existence, sun belt teams have a grand total of TWO wins against teams in C-USA. TWO. Sun belt recently had a year in which they lost EVERY ooc game against a 1A - 100% losses. I doubt the sun belt has ever had more than 5 wins in a single season against ooc opposition. 75% of the league has never played in a bowl game.
They are nowhere close to c-usa and will not be.

If they ever get one team that could even sniff a win bigger than a 4-7 Missiouri team or Vanderbilt or Baylor in the past. Maybe if even one of your teams could even get close to the the top 25 you would have some (albeit flemsey) argument.

Heck the Sun Belt champ in year one was a 5-6 N. Texas team. A 5-6 BOWL team, come on no matter how bad CUSA fall two we will never send a team below .500. Some years you guys even have trouble going .500 against D1aa teams.

I don't disagree that the Sun Belt will improve becoming a more regional conference, but there is a glass ceiling. Maybe you close in on the WAC or MAC a little more but the bottom line is if we did drop to where you say we would we would just add some more WAC, MAC, or Sun Belt teams.

The pecking order is clear college football.

Middy Tech Football since being 1A

1999- 3-8
2000- 6-5
2001- 8-3
2002- 4-8
2003- 4-8
2004- 5-6



Sparky The Clown's overall record is 30-38

Biggest win is Vanderbilt.
Losses to Southeast Missouri State, Florida Atlantic (twice), Temple and the usual power Sun Belt teams like Arkansas State, Louisiana Laffayette, etc.

Shared one Sun Belt title in 2001, but UNT got the bowl game.
Bowl games = ZERO

Yes sir, Memphis is just shaking in their boots over this powerhouse.

Isn't MTSU's coach the one that shows up for games in a blue jumpsuit? That might be the goofiest thing I've ever seen.

greekwolf Wrote:Sorry bud, I didn't mean for my post to sound like a slam against your school.  On the contrary, I have an incredible amount of respect for your program.  In fact, I think North Texas would be quite competitive in Conference USA. 

You guys have just won the damn league so many times, it's like a running punchline.  How about taking a year off and giving someone else a chance?    :laugh:

Unfortunately, this may be the season that happens. 2005 was already going to be a rebuilding year with only a few returning starters, and then quarterback Andrew Smith was killed in an automobile accident days before the '04 season. Andrew had started his fresman season, including the bowl win over Cinci, and this was to have been his senior season. Last season's starting QB graduated, and his backup screwed around in school and didn't stay eligible.
We don't have a single quarterback on the roster that has thrown a pass since high school, and right now it looks like the starting job will go to one of our freshmen.
Our defense lost 7 starters to graduation, including the front 4, both safeties, and a cornerback.
Our offensive line returns only 2 of last years starters.

Inexperience abounds.

I always try to remain optimistic when it comes to Mean Green football, but I doubt this young team will be able to get into any kind of form by playing at LSU in week 1. North Texas travelling to Murphysburo that following week could be the edge that Middle Tennessee needs for the upset, and speculation is that MTSU coach Andy McCullem's job security rides on the outcome of that game.

We do have two outstanding running backs, but something else must develop for North Texas to continue the bowl streak.

StillJonesing Wrote:If they ever get one team that could even sniff a win bigger than a 4-7 Missiouri team or Vanderbilt or Baylor in the past. Maybe if even one of your teams could even get close to the the top 25 you would have some (albeit flemsey) argument.

Heck the Sun Belt champ in year one was a 5-6 N. Texas team. A 5-6 BOWL team, come on no matter how bad CUSA fall two we will never send a team below .500. Some years you guys even have trouble going .500 against D1aa teams.

I don't disagree that the Sun Belt will improve becoming a more regional conference, but there is a glass ceiling. Maybe you close in on the WAC or MAC a little more but the bottom line is if we did drop to where you say we would we would just add some more WAC, MAC, or Sun Belt teams.

The pecking order is clear college football.

5-6 was a champ? Are you serious? I don't even see how that's possible unless they have a champ game I don't know about.

TrUmEm Wrote:

StillJonesing Wrote:If they ever get one team that could even sniff a win bigger than a 4-7 Missiouri team or Vanderbilt or Baylor in the past. Maybe if even one of your teams could even get close to the the top 25 you would have some (albeit flemsey) argument. 

Heck the Sun Belt champ in year one was a 5-6 N. Texas team. A 5-6 BOWL team, come on no matter how bad CUSA fall two we will never send a team below .500. Some years you guys even have trouble going .500 against D1aa teams. 

I don't disagree that the Sun Belt will improve becoming a more regional conference, but there is a glass ceiling. Maybe you close in on the WAC or MAC a little more but the bottom line is if we did drop to where you say we would we would just add some more WAC, MAC, or Sun Belt teams. 

The pecking order is clear college football.

5-6 was a champ? Are you serious? I don't even see how that's possible unless they have a champ game I don't know about.

Yeah it was the first year of the conference 2001. North Texas started the season 1-6 and ran the table and beat Mid Tenn State who was 8-3 and had a win over Vanderbilt. North Texas overall was 5-6 an MSTU was 8-3 both with one loss in the conference, but since NTexas won the head to head the Sun Belt sent the real champ a 5-6 team to the New Orleans Bowl.

I well say that was pretty ballsy of the Sun Belt you have to respect that, cause you know who had the sexier record and they would have rather sent. MSTU had some serious skill players a couple are in the NFL right now I think, and they were putting up lots of points. N. Texas was more of a grind them out boring ball as well so that made it all that much less attractive to bowls. The Sun Belt had a pair to send them.

N Texas lost and finshed the season 5-7. They said they were only like the 2nd team to go to a bowl with a losing record. I have no clue who the other team was??

MichiganTiger Wrote:

StillJonesing Wrote:N Texas lost and finshed the season 5-7. They said they were only like the 2nd team to go to a bowl with a losing record. I have no clue who the other team was??

Sure you do. They're expected to finish 3rd in C-USA east...

??? CUSA will never send a 5-6 losing team to a bowl. I don't even know how the Sun Belt did in 2001. There are all kinds of restrictions and you have to be Bowl Eligible I guess unless you are the conference champion, and again how often does that happen. Not very often unless you are in the Sun Belt which was the point we were getting at.

theboro Wrote:So right now you are (marginally) better than us in football.

Is that a joke? Then I guess Tennessee is marginally better than Vandy in football?

I understood your point. I was just pointing out the only other team I know of to go to a bowl with a losing record.

Raider_ATO Wrote:C-USA is going down (I think you would say the same) and the SBC is rising.

Louisville and TCU had become regular contenders, but are replaced by Marshall and UTEP just fine in football. Louisville might have become a power house in C-USA, but since they only played at that level for one season you can't count them that way when considering what we lost. I believe that C-USA's current line-up is as strong as any except last year's (which Louisville made great). I think that UNT, MTSU, and Troy will all improve, but the Sun Belt is as likely to catch C-USA in the next ten years as C-USA is to catch the SEC.

Luckyshot Wrote:

Raider_ATO Wrote:C-USA is going down (I think you would say the same) and the SBC is rising.

Louisville and TCU had become regular contenders, but are replaced by Marshall and UTEP just fine in football. Louisville might have become a power house in C-USA, but since they only played at that level for one season you can't count them that way when considering what we lost. I believe that C-USA's current line-up is as strong as any except last year's (which Louisville made great). I think that UNT, MTSU, and Troy will all improve, but the Sun Belt is as likely to catch C-USA in the next ten years as C-USA is to catch the SEC.

Agreed. Not only is CUSA still far more potent on the football field than the Sun Belt but we also have larger fan bases and better facilities. This leads to us having more lucrative tv contracts, greater exposure, and more bowl tie-ins. We also have the added revenue stream of NCAA tournament money. In basketball we also have better facilities and better fan support than the Sun Belt and of course we're not a one-bid league like they are. We just have too many advantages that aren't going to go away for the Sun Belt to ever match or surpass CUSA.