Or will the football pendulum eventually swing back in C-USA's favor?
I don't know what the Sun Belt gets paid but they deserve a raise. The pedigree is clear this year but it seems that the conference has demonstrated a strong football prowess for the last few years, thereby leaving C-USA in the dust. This is ironic because just a few years ago, C-USA backfilled vacancies created by Big East/ AAC plunders with predominantly Sun Belt teams, ostensibly asserting its dominance over the Belt.
Was it poor decision making about who to add, bad leadership in general, or just bad luck/ karma that has C-USA looking up at the Sun Belt? Regardless, it is an interesting and unprecedented dynamic for a conference to raid multiple schools from another conference only to have the raided conference immediately usurp the former on the totem pole of CFB.
Yes, I think SBC is on par with MWC. MAC and CUSA are the bottom two of the G5.
Permanently, no. I mean it's still relatively close overall if you look at the entire lineup. I mean, I just watched a Sun Belt Co-champ Louisiana beat UTSA by 7 points in a highly competitive game. UTSA was missing their head coach and several key players, and honestly, you couldn't tell very much difference, if any, in talent levels of the teams. UTSA actually had more yardage than Louisiana.
When you cross the mouse bad things happen
(12-26-2020 07:33 PM)msm96wolf Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, I think SBC is on par with MWC. MAC and CUSA are the bottom two of the G5.
I agree with this, think the pecking order is like this right now:
AAC
MWC
Sun Belt
MAC
CUSA
In football definitely. As mentioned, that pendulum is always swinging. But right now CUSA football is a mess. Basketball-wise both conferences are autobid only and have 2 programs above the rest usually. WKU and Marshall have gained traction in C-USA and it has been a good run. But it looks like we’re running out of pavement in CUSA now.
(12-26-2020 07:37 PM)BraveKnight Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 07:33 PM)msm96wolf Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, I think SBC is on par with MWC. MAC and CUSA are the bottom two of the G5.
I agree with this, think the pecking order is like this right now:
AAC
MWC
Sun Belt
MAC
CUSA
Looks about right.
(12-26-2020 07:49 PM)quo vadis Wrote: [ -> ]One year is not a trend.
The one year trend is that the Sun Belt is rated better than the Mountain West. The Sun Belt has been rated better than CUSA and MAC the last 3 years and 4 of the last 5.
(12-26-2020 07:49 PM)quo vadis Wrote: [ -> ]One year is not a trend.
Agreed. That said, the SBC certainly was the better league of the two this year with TWO teams in the Top 20 entering Bowl season.
I mean nothing is ever permanent. But we're definitely on top for now.
(12-26-2020 07:34 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote: [ -> ]Permanently, no. I mean it's still relatively close overall if you look at the entire lineup. I mean, I just watched a Sun Belt Co-champ Louisiana beat UTSA by 7 points in a highly competitive game. UTSA was missing their head coach and several key players, and honestly, you couldn't tell very much difference, if any, in talent levels of the teams. UTSA actually had more yardage than Louisiana.
You could also look at the UTSA and TXST game and say that it took OT for UTSA to beat the number 8 Sun Belt team.
(12-26-2020 08:21 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 07:34 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote: [ -> ]Permanently, no. I mean it's still relatively close overall if you look at the entire lineup. I mean, I just watched a Sun Belt Co-champ Louisiana beat UTSA by 7 points in a highly competitive game. UTSA was missing their head coach and several key players, and honestly, you couldn't tell very much difference, if any, in talent levels of the teams. UTSA actually had more yardage than Louisiana.
You could also look at the UTSA and TXST game and say that it took OT for UTSA to beat the number 8 Sun Belt team.
Both of y’all should’ve stayed in the WAC, man. We’d still have eleven leagues at the FBS level.
(12-26-2020 08:28 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 08:21 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 07:34 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote: [ -> ]Permanently, no. I mean it's still relatively close overall if you look at the entire lineup. I mean, I just watched a Sun Belt Co-champ Louisiana beat UTSA by 7 points in a highly competitive game. UTSA was missing their head coach and several key players, and honestly, you couldn't tell very much difference, if any, in talent levels of the teams. UTSA actually had more yardage than Louisiana.
You could also look at the UTSA and TXST game and say that it took OT for UTSA to beat the number 8 Sun Belt team.
Both of y’all should’ve stayed in the WAC, man. We’d still have eleven leagues at the FBS level.
Haha thats funny.
(12-26-2020 07:30 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote: [ -> ]Or will the football pendulum eventually swing back in C-USA's favor?
I don't know what the Sun Belt gets paid but they deserve a raise. The pedigree is clear this year but it seems that the conference has demonstrated a strong football prowess for the last few years, thereby leaving C-USA in the dust. This is ironic because just a few years ago, C-USA backfilled vacancies created by Big East/ AAC plunders with predominantly Sun Belt teams, ostensibly asserting its dominance over the Belt.
Was it poor decision making about who to add, bad leadership in general, or just bad luck/ karma that has C-USA looking up at the Sun Belt? Regardless, it is an interesting and unprecedented dynamic for a conference to raid multiple schools from another conference only to have the raided conference immediately usurp the former on the totem pole of CFB.
It was several reasons. 1.adding appalachain st and Georgia southern 2.only having 10 teams 3.they have rivalries cusa does not have many 4. More fan excitement 5.watch a cusa game and look at the empty seats at the Florida schools,rice,uab,utep. 6.they are hungrier 7.even though cusa schools are in the bigger cities they are not the number 1 attractions for the most part
Sun Belt football has been "better" than MAC and C-USA football for most of the past three to six seasons. I have been very impressed. There are now multiple Belt football programs that are expected to win eight games or more at least once every three or so seasons. Strong.
Now, as to academics, men's hoops, baseball (maybe as this one seems very close at quick glance), markets, endowments, etc., I would assume (and I could be wrong) C-USA maintains a healthy lead over the Sun Belt.
Belt football deserves full credit.
(12-26-2020 08:30 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 08:28 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 08:21 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 07:34 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote: [ -> ]Permanently, no. I mean it's still relatively close overall if you look at the entire lineup. I mean, I just watched a Sun Belt Co-champ Louisiana beat UTSA by 7 points in a highly competitive game. UTSA was missing their head coach and several key players, and honestly, you couldn't tell very much difference, if any, in talent levels of the teams. UTSA actually had more yardage than Louisiana.
You could also look at the UTSA and TXST game and say that it took OT for UTSA to beat the number 8 Sun Belt team.
Both of y’all should’ve stayed in the WAC, man. We’d still have eleven leagues at the FBS level.
Haha thats funny.
It’s just my opinion. Take it for what you will. I’m just glad Texas State is FBS. Y’all should’ve moved up sooner than y’all did, but better late than never.
There's nothing in the fundamentals that says the Sun Belt should be better. CUSA spends more and tends to have bigger schools, but the gap has significantly narrowed.
If you look at out of conference record, the Sun Belt has been last or next to last 16 of the last 19 years. They did well in 2013, 2018 and 2019. That plus 2020 is not enough to indicate a trend.
North Texas won the Sun Belt from 2001-2004 and then collapsed. Troy won at least a share from 2006 to 2009, but only have a share of 2017 since then. Arkansas St. won 6 out of 7 years from 2010 to 2016. They had a losing record this year. Appalachian St. won at least a share from 2016 to 2019. Louisiana has won their division 3 years in a row, but struggled before that.
Its what happens with most of the G5. Schools and conferences rise up and then slip back.
MAC, CUSA and Sun Belt should be similar on average. It takes more than 2 or 3 years to indicate a trend.
(12-26-2020 09:01 PM)bullet Wrote: [ -> ]There's nothing in the fundamentals that says the Sun Belt should be better. CUSA spends more and tends to have bigger schools, but the gap has significantly narrowed.
If you look at out of conference record, the Sun Belt has been last or next to last 16 of the last 19 years. They did well in 2013, 2018 and 2019. That plus 2020 is not enough to indicate a trend.
North Texas won the Sun Belt from 2001-2004 and then collapsed. Troy won at least a share from 2006 to 2009, but only have a share of 2017 since then. Arkansas St. won 6 out of 7 years from 2010 to 2016. They had a losing record this year. Appalachian St. won at least a share from 2016 to 2019. Louisiana has won their division 3 years in a row, but struggled before that.
Its what happens with most of the G5. Schools and conferences rise up and then slip back.
MAC, CUSA and Sun Belt should be similar on average. It takes more than 2 or 3 years to indicate a trend.
I agree with you overall, Bullet. But Belt football as we know today (notwithstanding Coastal) has existed since 2013 if I see the info correctly. So, at least three of the past eight seasons (if your numbers are correct), the Sun Belt has held a slight edge over the MAC and C-USA in football, which is strong given the relative youth of the league since it reinvented itself.
True, C-USA is fairly recently reinvented too but it has more programs that "should be" better in football than have been. And I root for my alma mater, Middle Tennessee State, so I kind of pull for C-USA.
Regardless, it seems (maybe I'm way off base) Belt football has been slightly better, relatively speaking, than C-USA for the past eight years or so.
(12-26-2020 09:00 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 08:30 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 08:28 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 08:21 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-26-2020 07:34 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote: [ -> ]Permanently, no. I mean it's still relatively close overall if you look at the entire lineup. I mean, I just watched a Sun Belt Co-champ Louisiana beat UTSA by 7 points in a highly competitive game. UTSA was missing their head coach and several key players, and honestly, you couldn't tell very much difference, if any, in talent levels of the teams. UTSA actually had more yardage than Louisiana.
You could also look at the UTSA and TXST game and say that it took OT for UTSA to beat the number 8 Sun Belt team.
Both of y’all should’ve stayed in the WAC, man. We’d still have eleven leagues at the FBS level.
Haha thats funny.
It’s just my opinion. Take it for what you will. I’m just glad Texas State is FBS. Y’all should’ve moved up sooner than y’all did, but better late than never.
I cant imagine how horrible it wouldve been for us to have suffered through the WAC after all the schools we were with left. I hope they stay a non FBS conference.