First of all, belated Thanksgiving wishes to you all. Hope you had a great time. I ate like a horse this year, I got my appetite back big time! Definitely have to walk those meals off!
Anyway, the thread title speaks for itself. Which conference impressed you the most with its' improved quality of football play this year, and who just let you down with their less than stellar performance on the gridiron as a whole in 2012?
Here are mine:
Most improved/impressive: The Mid-American Conference (MAC)
Most Disappointing: Is anyone going to be surprised at my answer? Conference USA. I really expected more than I saw from it this season, especially from UAB and Marshall.
You guys are bowl eligible, congratulations, I hope y'all get a real nice bowl invite somewhere. Anywhere in particular you'd like to see the Pirates go bowling this year?
Before I head out, I'd also like to ask you all to keep a good thought for the family of Hector "Macho" Camacho and former NBA great/current Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale...Mr. McHale lost his daughter over the weekend, she was 23 years old. There is never a "good time" to lose anyone you love or care about, but something about this time of year seems to convey an even lasting impact on all concerned. Thanks for your input on this thread. Of course, I'll be rooting for ECU wherever they choose to bowl in the postseason...NQG!
I think CUSA really took it on the chin this year. But you would almost have to say the WAC as it will cease to exist.
(11-25-2012 10:54 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote: [ -> ]I think CUSA really took it on the chin this year. But you would almost have to say the WAC as it will cease to exist.
True, the Western Athletic Conference is pretty much on borrowed time now, that's more than enough of a handicap to keep its' football teams from flourishing at all this year. But, given the more stable of the conferences in existence today, the Sun Belt and MAC have made significant strides in gaining respect and recognition for what their representatives have done on the football field this season. Conference USA should have been in that conversation in 2012, but a number of teams did not deliver on expectations, both out of conference and in conference play. Southern Miss's collapse is probably the most surprising and profound of the conference's shortcomings this year, from an 11-12 win season and conference champion last year to winless this year, that's incredulous.
Had it not been for UCF's "stay of execution", how many Conference USA teams would have gone to a bowl this season? 2? 3 at best? As it stands, Central Florida, East Carolina and Tulsa are the only representatives guaranteed a post season berth of some kind. Odds are the MAC and Sun Belt are going to have more going bowling. Nothing against these conferences at all, matter of fact, I find their games very entertaining and fun to watch, but Conference USA should have evolved into this and more by now. Instead, it has regressed, but hopefully, the new breed coming in will serve to fortify and improve its' prowess in the near future. Long Live Conference USA!
(11-26-2012 09:15 AM)Matrix Wrote: [ -> ]Had it not been for UCF's "stay of execution", how many Conference USA teams would have gone to a bowl this season? 2? 3 at best? As it stands, Central Florida, East Carolina and Tulsa are the only representatives guaranteed a post season berth of some kind. Odds are the MAC and Sun Belt are going to have more going bowling. Nothing against these conferences at all, matter of fact, I find their games very entertaining and fun to watch, but Conference USA should have evolved into this and more by now. Instead, it has regressed, but hopefully, the new breed coming in will serve to fortify and improve its' prowess in the near future. Long Live Conference USA!
Well, Rice and SMU got in by the skin of their teeth. Marshall got out by the skin of their teeth.
Most improved conference. MAC - hands down. Big victories over BE teams, 2 teams in Top 25 with one having the chance to hit a BCS bowl. Pretty solid Top 6 or 7 teams this year.
Most disappointing. CUSA. 4 teams leaving for BE and of the 4, one playing in CUSA championship, one barely got bowl eligible, no bowls for the other two. USM goes winless. UAB and Tulane struggled. OOC record of entire conference pretty pitiful with really no signtures wins.
(11-27-2012 08:31 PM)ECUPirated Wrote: [ -> ]Most improved conference. MAC - hands down. Big victories over BE teams, 2 teams in Top 25 with one having the chance to hit a BCS bowl. Pretty solid Top 6 or 7 teams this year.
Most disappointing. CUSA. 4 teams leaving for BE and of the 4, one playing in CUSA championship, one barely got bowl eligible, no bowls for the other two. USM goes winless. UAB and Tulane struggled. OOC record of entire conference pretty pitiful with really no signtures wins.
CUSA OOC record stank this year.
Marshall earned this years disappointment last year when they roll their helmets across the field....... that's something the EC players didn't forget.
USM going winless beats anything I've ever seen. How can such a proud program fall so quickly...?
(11-27-2012 10:09 PM)belmont Wrote: [ -> ] (11-27-2012 08:31 PM)ECUPirated Wrote: [ -> ]Most improved conference. MAC - hands down. Big victories over BE teams, 2 teams in Top 25 with one having the chance to hit a BCS bowl. Pretty solid Top 6 or 7 teams this year.
Most disappointing. CUSA. 4 teams leaving for BE and of the 4, one playing in CUSA championship, one barely got bowl eligible, no bowls for the other two. USM goes winless. UAB and Tulane struggled. OOC record of entire conference pretty pitiful with really no signtures wins.
CUSA OOC record stank this year.
Marshall earned this years disappointment last year when they roll their helmets across the field....... that's something the EC players didn't forget.
USM going winless beats anything I've ever seen. How can such a proud program fall so quickly...?
Marshall did what with their helmets?! Really? As for Southern Miss, I am as aghast at what happened with them as their most ardent fans. Glad they showed Johnson the door, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, he was "instant garbage".
Word to the wise, stop hiring these "career good ole boy" SEC assistants. We at UAB endured 5 years of gridiron torture at the hands of Neil Callaway. Kudos for Southern Miss for not tolerating that and eliminating the chance of this happening to them immediately. I'm very curious to see who they're going to hire in Johnson's place.