Which team has surprised the most?
- Mine is Georgia Southern, in theory they could win the SB finish 10-2 and still not be able to go to a bowl due to an archaic rule.

Which Conference Surprised the most?
- Not sure I can say one has stood head and shoulder above each other.


Which Conference disappointed the most?
- I would have to say the AAC, Memphis is a great story but I think with Aresco basically stating that they were the best G5 conference and thought they should be included with the Power Conferences. Giving up a bowl slot to to get BYU for Miami, then BYU basically having a sub-par season after injuries. The AAC appears to have fallen short of there goals.

Bonus Prediction - CFP will consider changing the G5 from Champion only to Champion or Highest Rated G5 team. I think CSU may end being the Best G5 team but locked out because of the Champion Rule.

My opinion is ECU crapped the bed. The rest doesn't matter.

(11-11-2014 09:59 AM)msm96wolf Wrote:  Which team has surprised the most?
- Mine is Georgia Southern, in theory they could win the SB finish 10-2 and still not be able to go to a bowl due to an archaic rule.

Bonus Prediction - CFP will consider changing the G5 from Champion only to Champion or Highest Rated G5 team. I think CSU may end being the Best G5 team but locked out because of the Champion Rule.

GA Southern has a better that average chance of getting a bowl; I can't see all the slots being filled otherwise.

They will not change the champion rule. First, the CFP doesn't care about the G5. Second, they agreed on "champions" for a reason. How does that look for Boise to be the MWC champion and stand idly by as CSU goes to a better bowl than them? If you can't be champion of your own conference, you don't deserve a grand bowl...damn your ranking...LOL! The ranking alone doesn't make you the best...get that championship!

IMHO, there is no G5 worthy of the access bowl bid, unless you give it to Marshall for being undefeated. There should be a mechanism in place to allow for more teams, if they are worthy, and no teams if there isn't one that has distinguished themselves. The old bowl system would have accounted for that to some degree, but after they started doing contracts for both participants, they messed it up. I'd love to see them go back to no playoff and bowls with only an anchor conference under contract.

There's a lot of good G5 teams this year. But the only one that I'm pretty sure would finish in the top half of a P5 conference is Colorado State.

Boise, ECU, Memphis, Nevada, Utah State, would also compete for the upper half of a the ACC or Big 10. UCF, Air Force, Cincinnati, and Marshall might have a chance at being in the upper half of the ACC or Big 10, but if I were a betting man I'd bet against it.

So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

The Mountain West - Mountain division has been the best G5 division by far, and on par with the P5. Colorado State is not getting the credit they deserve

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

What we are finding is the new AAC is CUSA 2.0 performance wise and the MWC is the Boise State WAC. Those two conferences have lost ground to the P5 and have nothing to offer that you can't get in CUSA or the MAC.

SBC still needs some work. Cutting Idaho and NMSU lose would be a start and then going with Missouri State and Wichita Sate for full cost of attendance participation is the way to go. They are still a work in progress IMO until they can land a 9 figure or a high 8 figure TV deal like the other G5's have.

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

Only in the minds of the AAC is there a clear line between the AAC and C-USA. The biggest surprise has to be how C-USA has performed, and the robust record it has produced in head-to-head competition with the rest of the G5.

When Marshall wins the Access Bowl slot, and Louisiana Tech and Rice get promoted into winnable P5 bowl opponents in Heart of Dallas (B1G) and the Independence Bowl (ACC), the off-season dialogue will change.

(11-11-2014 11:55 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

What we are finding is the new AAC is CUSA 2.0 performance wise and the MWC is the Boise State WAC. Those two conferences have lost ground to the P5 and have nothing to offer that you can't get in CUSA or the MAC.

Agree with you on the AAC and C-USA 2.0. The AAC has a solid group of programs at the top that will knock each other off and let the other G5 conferences walk away with the Access Bowl year after year. The AAC also has retained some of the worst performers in the G5 this year, which also plagued C-USA 2.0.

I don't agree with you on the MWC. Programs like Nevada and Utah State have stepped up to join Air Force and Colorado State (and, of course, Boise State). The MWC seems poised to begin to pull away from the rest of the G5 (Fresno State won't stay down) by not having as many bottom feeders. If they pulled BYU back in, and cut Hawaii football loose, it would be huge.

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  There's a lot of good G5 teams this year. But the only one that I'm pretty sure would finish in the top half of a P5 conference is Colorado State.

Boise, ECU, Memphis, Nevada, Utah State, would also compete for the upper half of a the ACC or Big 10. UCF, Air Force, Cincinnati, and Marshall might have a chance at being in the upper half of the ACC or Big 10, but if I were a betting man I'd bet against it.

So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

(11-11-2014 12:02 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

Only in the minds of the AAC is there a clear line between the AAC and C-USA. The biggest surprise has to be how C-USA has performed, and the robust record it has produced in head-to-head competition with the rest of the G5.

When Marshall wins the Access Bowl slot, and Louisiana Tech and Rice get promoted into winnable P5 bowl opponents in Heart of Dallas (B1G) and the Independence Bowl (ACC), the off-season dialogue will change.

FFS I'm so sick of reading this nonsense. Look at the teams CUSA beaten OOC. They've basically gotten matched up vs the dregs of the G5.

Marshall - beat Miami (OH), Ohio & Akron
FIU - Lost to Bethune Cookman, no G5 or P5 wins
FAU - Beat Tulsa and Wyoming
WKU - Beat Bowling Green and Navy
MTSU - No G5 wins
ODU - Beat EMU
UAB - Beat Troy
USM - Beat transitional App State by 1
UTSA - Beat Houston, best OOC win for CUSA
Rice - Beat Hawaii and Army
UNT - Beat SMU
UTEP - Beat UNM and NMSU
LA Tech - lost to an FCS

Yeah, so these are the trash wins you're crowing about. Congrats.

(11-11-2014 11:50 AM)dbackjon Wrote:  The Mountain West - Mountain division has been the best G5 division by far, and on par with the P5. Colorado State is not getting the credit they deserve

Thanks, bruddah!

I'm not twisted about the access bowl stuff nor the MW conference championship. My team is playing pretty damn well for the first time in over a decade. We've got the right coaches and administration in place to continue this trajectory for a while.

9-1 is great. If Marshall goes to the access bowl, good for them. If BSU wins the conference, good for them -- we played BSU, and they kicked our heads in. We're in the same division, so we do not have an opportunity for a rematch.

We stand a pretty good chance of winning out, and I'm confident the Mouse will finagle a decent bowl matchup.

(11-11-2014 10:39 AM)Zombiewoof Wrote:  IMHO, there is no G5 worthy of the access bowl bid, unless you give it to Marshall for being undefeated. There should be a mechanism in place to allow for more teams, if they are worthy, and no teams if there isn't one that has distinguished themselves. The old bowl system would have accounted for that to some degree, but after they started doing contracts for both participants, they messed it up. I'd love to see them go back to no playoff and bowls with only an anchor conference under contract.

I'd rather go to a system where there were no guaranteed bowls for anyone and the top 12 teams or whatever played in the top bowls regardless of conference, but that's never happening. There have been plenty of times a BCS champ wasn't actually "worthy" of a bid but got it, so boo hoo cry me a river about the G5 not being worthy.

(11-11-2014 12:32 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 12:02 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

Only in the minds of the AAC is there a clear line between the AAC and C-USA. The biggest surprise has to be how C-USA has performed, and the robust record it has produced in head-to-head competition with the rest of the G5.

When Marshall wins the Access Bowl slot, and Louisiana Tech and Rice get promoted into winnable P5 bowl opponents in Heart of Dallas (B1G) and the Independence Bowl (ACC), the off-season dialogue will change.

FFS I'm so sick of reading this nonsense. Look at the teams CUSA beaten OOC. They've basically gotten matched up vs the dregs of the G5.

Marshall - beat Miami (OH), Ohio & Akron
FIU - Lost to Bethune Cookman, no G5 or P5 wins
FAU - Beat Tulsa and Wyoming
WKU - Beat Bowling Green and Navy
MTSU - No G5 wins
ODU - Beat EMU
UAB - Beat Troy
USM - Beat transitional App State by 1
UTSA - Beat Houston, best OOC win for CUSA
Rice - Beat Hawaii and Army
UNT - Beat SMU
UTEP - Beat UNM and NMSU
LA Tech - lost to an FCS

Yeah, so these are the trash wins you're crowing about. Congrats.

FAU lost to Wyoming.

(11-11-2014 10:39 AM)Zombiewoof Wrote:  IMHO, there is no G5 worthy of the access bowl bid, unless you give it to Marshall for being undefeated. There should be a mechanism in place to allow for more teams, if they are worthy, and no teams if there isn't one that has distinguished themselves. The old bowl system would have accounted for that to some degree, but after they started doing contracts for both participants, they messed it up. I'd love to see them go back to no playoff and bowls with only an anchor conference under contract.

If a team like Texas (7-4), Big 12 champs in 1996, gets an automatic slot into one of the Big Bowls, I see no justification for making a rule requiring the 1 of 5 G5 champs to be "worthy." Especially if an unbeaten team is not considered "worthy." Such a rule would be ridiculous and hypocritical.

(11-11-2014 01:14 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 12:32 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 12:02 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

Only in the minds of the AAC is there a clear line between the AAC and C-USA. The biggest surprise has to be how C-USA has performed, and the robust record it has produced in head-to-head competition with the rest of the G5.

When Marshall wins the Access Bowl slot, and Louisiana Tech and Rice get promoted into winnable P5 bowl opponents in Heart of Dallas (B1G) and the Independence Bowl (ACC), the off-season dialogue will change.

FFS I'm so sick of reading this nonsense. Look at the teams CUSA beaten OOC. They've basically gotten matched up vs the dregs of the G5.

Marshall - beat Miami (OH), Ohio & Akron
FIU - Lost to Bethune Cookman, no G5 or P5 wins
FAU - Beat Tulsa and Wyoming
WKU - Beat Bowling Green and Navy
MTSU - No G5 wins
ODU - Beat EMU
UAB - Beat Troy
USM - Beat transitional App State by 1
UTSA - Beat Houston, best OOC win for CUSA
Rice - Beat Hawaii and Army
UNT - Beat SMU
UTEP - Beat UNM and NMSU
LA Tech - lost to an FCS

Yeah, so these are the trash wins you're crowing about. Congrats.

FAU lost to Wyoming.

OK... just shows further how CUSA is a garbage league.

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  There's a lot of good G5 teams this year. But the only one that I'm pretty sure would finish in the top half of a P5 conference is Colorado State.

Boise, ECU, Memphis, Nevada, Utah State, would also compete for the upper half of a the ACC or Big 10. UCF, Air Force, Cincinnati, and Marshall might have a chance at being in the upper half of the ACC or Big 10, but if I were a betting man I'd bet against it.

So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

Actually the biggest story is that there isn't a line. I expected one. CUSA has the best record among the G5 against each other.

Sagarin shows little difference between the AAC, MWC, CUSA and Missouri Valley.

(11-11-2014 11:55 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

What we are finding is the new AAC is CUSA 2.0 performance wise and the MWC is the Boise State WAC. Those two conferences have lost ground to the P5 and have nothing to offer that you can't get in CUSA or the MAC.

SBC still needs some work. Cutting Idaho and NMSU lose would be a start and then going with Missouri State and Wichita Sate for full cost of attendance participation is the way to go. They are still a work in progress IMO until they can land a 9 figure or a high 8 figure TV deal like the other G5's have.

Sun Belt has a bunch of relatively new FBS schools along with Idaho and NMSU who have been doormats for the last decade. They had just gotten to the point where their programs had the time to become competitive when realignment stripped them of a bunch of schools and forced them to bring in more new FBS schools.

(11-11-2014 12:32 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 12:02 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  [quote='Captain Bearcat' pid='11360646' dateline='1415720500']

So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

Only in the minds of the AAC is there a clear line between the AAC and C-USA. The biggest surprise has to be how C-USA has performed, and the robust record it has produced in head-to-head competition with the rest of the G5.

When Marshall wins the Access Bowl slot, and Louisiana Tech and Rice get promoted into winnable P5 bowl opponents in Heart of Dallas (B1G) and the Independence Bowl (ACC), the off-season dialogue will change.

FFS I'm so sick of reading this nonsense. Look at the teams CUSA beaten OOC. They've basically gotten matched up vs the dregs of the G5.

Marshall - beat Miami (OH), Ohio & Akron
FIU - Lost to Bethune Cookman, no G5 or P5 wins
FAU - Beat Tulsa and Wyoming
WKU - Beat Bowling Green and Navy
MTSU - No G5 wins
ODU - Beat EMU
UAB - Beat Troy
USM - Beat transitional App State by 1
UTSA - Beat Houston, best OOC win for CUSA
Rice - Beat Hawaii and Army
UNT - Beat SMU
UTEP - Beat UNM and NMSU
LA Tech - lost to an FCS

Yeah, so these are the trash wins you're crowing about. Congrats.
[/quote
Trash wins beat no wins like the AAC.
OOC records vs. FBS schools:
MWC 17-23 42.5%
CUSA 16-26 38.1%
AAC 8-27 22.9%
MAC 8-31 20.5%
SB 4-26 13.3%

By comparison
FCS 8-94 7.8%

(11-11-2014 01:23 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 01:14 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 12:32 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 12:02 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(11-11-2014 10:41 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  So the biggest story in the G5s this year is that there is a clear line between the American/MWC and the little 3. If anything it's an even clearer distinction than the line between the ACC/Big 10 and the American/MWC.

Only in the minds of the AAC is there a clear line between the AAC and C-USA. The biggest surprise has to be how C-USA has performed, and the robust record it has produced in head-to-head competition with the rest of the G5.

When Marshall wins the Access Bowl slot, and Louisiana Tech and Rice get promoted into winnable P5 bowl opponents in Heart of Dallas (B1G) and the Independence Bowl (ACC), the off-season dialogue will change.

FFS I'm so sick of reading this nonsense. Look at the teams CUSA beaten OOC. They've basically gotten matched up vs the dregs of the G5.

Marshall - beat Miami (OH), Ohio & Akron
FIU - Lost to Bethune Cookman, no G5 or P5 wins
FAU - Beat Tulsa and Wyoming
WKU - Beat Bowling Green and Navy
MTSU - No G5 wins
ODU - Beat EMU
UAB - Beat Troy
USM - Beat transitional App State by 1
UTSA - Beat Houston, best OOC win for CUSA
Rice - Beat Hawaii and Army
UNT - Beat SMU
UTEP - Beat UNM and NMSU
LA Tech - lost to an FCS

Yeah, so these are the trash wins you're crowing about. Congrats.

FAU lost to Wyoming.

OK... just shows further how CUSA is a garbage league.

And yet they have a winning record against your league. What does that say about AAC?