(02-24-2016 10:04 PM)RonBurgundy Wrote: Western Kentucky has a chance to be really good IF they can maintain Doughty's production at QB. Ask Marshall how hard it was to replace Cato though. I think that CUSA is gonna be a toss up next year between Southern Miss, Tech, WKU, Middle Tennessee, and Marshall. Every team has it's warts so everyone will have a window of opportunity except for Charlotte, UTSA, and North Texas.
I hope you guys all see what I see... Those are 5 SOLID teams with (mostly) solid coaching plans in place, with a dedication to improving and not just maintaining,most of whom have name recognition (with Marshall leading the pack in that respect), and whose fan bases are all starting to hate each other (including an established rivalry with a name, that has transcended 3 conferences).
I'm VERY excited for next season. People talk a lot about wanting to be "The next Boise", but none of us are going to be able to do that. They were playing in a league where competition-wise it was just them and SJSU and LT, and for one or two seasons Hawaii (bulldogs please correct me if I'm mistaken). But they were for a good long stretch at the top of a lonely mountain.
None of us get that luxury. It's a bloodbath at the top. And I KNOW it's about to get a lot more crowded: FIU is going to break through, no questions asked. Everything is in place for them. FAU showed they have what it takes to compete with every team in the league, they just need to stop making the same mistakes.
What is happening here is EXACTLY what happened to Mountain West pre 2010 realignment: it's crowded at the top, and teams are getting ranked. People can poo-poo C-USA's market strategy (guilty), but that's one of the things MWC didn't have, aside from San Diego, Vegas, SLC. All west coast, hard for East Coast fans of the game to buy in.
The only other thing I'd like to see next season are those pretty stadiums in Texas packed, on tv.
2016 is going to be fun!