I don't even begin to know how to try and rank our teams. Here's my attempt:
East:
1) Marshall
2) MTSU
3) UAB
4) WKU
5) FIU
6) ODU
7) FAU
West:
1) La Tech
2) Rice
3) UNT
4) UTEP
5) UTSA
6) USM
# 3-7 in the East are essentially interchangeable to me at this point. I also think the East is much stronger than the West.
I don't know if I'd put us anywhere close to 3, but we're not last..
FIU'S D is good. They can win more games.
There is no way to rank 'em with all that's happened. Parity is exciting... outside of Marshall.
I'll take a shot:
1. Marshall
2. MTSU
3. La Tech
4. FIU
5. UAB
6. WKU
7. Rice
8. FAU
9. UNT
10. UTSA
11. ODU
12. USM
13. UTEP
Really hard to rank the east - ODU is not a bad team at all maybe Marshall is just really good
We have a lot of talent but it doesn't always show up... Rest of the season should be fun
ODU beats Rice at Rice...then gets caught in that buzzsaw of playing the top 2 teams. Marshall will make a lot of teams look bad.
(10-04-2014 11:34 PM)DaBigBlue Wrote: [ -> ]ODU beats Rice at Rice...then gets caught in that buzzsaw of playing the top 2 teams. Marshall will make a lot of teams look bad.
This is true. ODU can salvage itself with a solid win in a meeting against UTEP next week. With such a small sample size, it is a great deal of speculation. I have been impressed with ODU's offense, but is their defense good enough to make the necessary stops to win a tight football game?
1. Marshall
2. La Tech
3. MTSU
4. FIU
5. UAB
6. WKU
7. Rice
8. FAU
9. ODU
10. UNT
11. UTEP
12. UTSA
13. USM
Major shake up this week. FIU earning cred. La tech bounced back after a dominating performance. MTSU slips after a close one vs USM. Rice gaining ground
(10-04-2014 11:41 PM)Fish Wrote: [ -> ] (10-04-2014 11:34 PM)DaBigBlue Wrote: [ -> ]ODU beats Rice at Rice...then gets caught in that buzzsaw of playing the top 2 teams. Marshall will make a lot of teams look bad.
This is true. ODU can salvage itself with a solid win in a meeting against UTEP next week. With such a small sample size, it is a great deal of speculation. I have been impressed with ODU's offense, but is their defense good enough to make the necessary stops to win a tight football game?
I believe I read that ODU was missing 2-3 starters on defense today. Tough for any team to endure that. I've seen a few of their games and I think their defense is better than it was today, and their offense as well. Every team gets bumps and bruises or worse and has a crappy game. They'll rebound I believe. FIU and LaTech's defenses looked great this week, both can shut down anyone. MTSU is good and physical, especially on defense. UAB beat a pretty tough WKU, so no one should sleep on them as well. Just a bunch of talented teams, albeit somewhat inconsistent performances. And now Rice, reigning conf. champs, beat a very underrated Hawaii team. Way too early to call anything. Any of the top teams get major/key injuries everything will flip upside down. Really enjoying this new configuration of CUSA, lots of upside for the foreseeable future for a bunch of teams.
West is wide open. Looks like La Tech is up and UTSA, Rice, and NT have regressed.
Really too bad the Marshall AD did not have any meaningful OOC game(s) on schedule. Really hurts national credibility of both C-USA and Herd. Most Herd fans would agree that Herd would beat ECU this season and publicity ECU is getting is exponentially greater b/c of signature wins. AD cannot shoot himself with his own gun again. Need to schedule 1-2 games each season against P5..even if it is not a home/home arrangement. Unfortunately scheduling vs. what happens on field will likely hurt both Herd and C-USA in the pocketbook if ECU gets the at-large bid to a big boy Bowl Game and the multi-million $$ payout.
For the Homer comment...Injuries on D decimated Rice against ODU as Owls were playing w/out their all-CUSA guys, their back-ups were hurt, and forced to play third string guys (e.g,. a RB was playing DL, etc) as seven defensive starters were out. Third string guys both in secondary and at DL got exposed badly by a good ODU QB just as ODU's injuries on D got exposed by a good Marshall QB yesterday. No disrespect to Monarch fans as what ODU has done in short amount of time is impressive, but ODU/Rice game was an anomaly.
Now healthier, the Hawaii game was a better datapoint of where Owls are at. Hawaii will win more MWC games than ODU or USM wins C-USA games. They are decent as evidenced by how tight they played against three Pac-12 teams. We will stub our toe somewhere as we usually do but team much improved and healthier than what happened against ODU. Should see us gradually work way up the rankings. Game in Ruston looking much bigger now than before season started.
(10-04-2014 11:34 PM)DaBigBlue Wrote: [ -> ]ODU beats Rice at Rice...then gets caught in that buzzsaw of playing the top 2 teams. Marshall will make a lot of teams look bad.
Rice has a history of making September opponents look good, and we did have several injuries after the Notre Dame and A&M games. Owls are working through other issues, but I don't think we'll challenge Marshall this year.
I found the Sagarin ratings VERY surprising:
46. Marshall
49. La Tech
77. North Texas
87. WKU
92. Rice
97. MTSU
100. UTSA
107. UAB
111. FIU
132. UTEP
139. FAU
143. ODU
152. USM
(10-05-2014 04:48 AM)owl40 Wrote: [ -> ]For the Homer comment...Injuries on D decimated Rice against ODU as Owls were playing w/out their all-CUSA guys, their back-ups were hurt, and forced to play third string guys (e.g,. a RB was playing DL, etc) as seven defensive starters were out. Third string guys both in secondary and at DL got exposed badly by a good ODU QB just as ODU's injuries on D got exposed by a good Marshall QB yesterday. No disrespect to Monarch fans as what ODU has done in short amount of time is impressive, but ODU/Rice game was an anomaly.
I wasn't dishing Rice as much as saying, some just don't understand how good this Marshall team is. They are the most complete team we have ever played in our short history. I just don't see any weaknesses. ODU like many teams is also having to start several freshman due to injuries, and many are on the DL and OL. The ODU offense can get it going if Taylor has time. We put up about the same yardage over 500yds on Nc St as Fla St. I do think ODU is a low mid pack CUSA team, with above avg offense and below avgerage defense and special teams.[/b]
(10-05-2014 08:04 AM)T_Won1 Wrote: [ -> ]I found the Sagarin ratings VERY surprising:
46. Marshall
49. La Tech
77. North Texas
87. WKU
92. Rice
97. MTSU
100. UTSA
107. UAB
111. FIU
132. UTEP
139. FAU
143. ODU
152. USM
I see nothing surprising.
(10-05-2014 10:04 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote: [ -> ] (10-05-2014 08:04 AM)T_Won1 Wrote: [ -> ]I found the Sagarin ratings VERY surprising:
46. Marshall
49. La Tech
77. North Texas
87. WKU
92. Rice
97. MTSU
100. UTSA
107. UAB
111. FIU
132. UTEP
139. FAU
143. ODU
152. USM
I see nothing surprising.
Saga? What Saga?
Fairly tough to make any distinctive comparisons, but some things are coming into focus. Tough to choose on a lot of these.
East: the top 2 were easy for me. The other 5 had arguments for any one of them being in another spot. FIU beat UAB and FAU; UAB beat WKU; FAU beat UTSA, ODU beat Rice. The last 5 seem somewhat interchangeable and capable of beating each other up.
1. Marshall
2. Middle Tennessee
3. FIU
4. UAB
5. FAU
6. Western Kentucky
7. Old Dominion
West: LaTech seems to be in charge of the West with a monstrous win over UTEP and two other very solid wins they were predicted to lose. That Northwestern State loss is a puzzler. Rice is coming into their own and will have a say. I see this as a 2 team race, as well.
1. LaTech
2. Rice
3. North Texas
4. USM
5. UTSA
6. UTEP
(10-05-2014 08:04 AM)T_Won1 Wrote: [ -> ]I found the Sagarin ratings VERY surprising:
46. Marshall
49. La Tech
77. North Texas
87. WKU
92. Rice
97. MTSU
100. UTSA
107. UAB
111. FIU
132. UTEP
139. FAU
143. ODU
152. USM
SAGARIN IS A STEAMING PILE OF
(10-05-2014 10:04 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote: [ -> ] (10-05-2014 08:04 AM)T_Won1 Wrote: [ -> ]I found the Sagarin ratings VERY surprising:
46. Marshall
49. La Tech
77. North Texas
87. WKU
92. Rice
97. MTSU
100. UTSA
107. UAB
111. FIU
132. UTEP
139. FAU
143. ODU
152. USM
I see nothing surprising.
Tech basically equal with Marshall after losing to an FCS team at home? North Texas #3? That surprises me a great deal.
(10-05-2014 10:40 AM)T_Won1 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-05-2014 10:04 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote: [ -> ] (10-05-2014 08:04 AM)T_Won1 Wrote: [ -> ]I found the Sagarin ratings VERY surprising:
46. Marshall
49. La Tech
77. North Texas
87. WKU
92. Rice
97. MTSU
100. UTSA
107. UAB
111. FIU
132. UTEP
139. FAU
143. ODU
152. USM
I see nothing surprising.
Tech basically equal with Marshall after losing to an FCS team at home? North Texas #3? That surprises me a great deal.
Nothing ever surprises me from a ranking system that had non-scholarship Harvard 37th in the final poll in 2004.
Harvard wasn't even the FCS champion, they went 10-0 against all non scholarship opponents and Sagarin said they were the 37th best team in the country.
Massey looks more realistic to me:
31. Marshall
66. La Tech
72. MTSU
81. Rice
82. WKU
88. UAB
90. North Texas
92. FIU
95. ODU
96. UTSA
98. FAU
103. UTEP
111. USM