Maize Wrote:Rutgers and East Carolina, Tulsa, Rice, SMU and UCF=Advantage Rutgers, as bad as the Scarlet Knights have been the 4 C-USA schools are in even worse shape right now. At least Rutgers beat Michigan State last year on ABC TV.

Well East Carolina might give us a run for the money under Skip Holtz, but I'd still say we come out on top. As for the other guys, there's finally something about this team that makes me wonder if our favorite saying Wait Till Next Year takes on a different meaning. I think that we definitely beat any of these guys in CUSA might not necessarily be blowouts but certainly will be Ws.

brista21 Wrote:

Maize Wrote:Rutgers and East Carolina, Tulsa, Rice, SMU and UCF=Advantage Rutgers, as bad as the Scarlet Knights have been the 4 C-USA schools are in even worse shape right now.  At least Rutgers beat Michigan State last year on ABC TV.

Well East Carolina might give us a run for the money under Skip Holtz, but I'd still say we come out on top. As for the other guys, there's finally something about this team that makes me wonder if our favorite saying Wait Till Next Year takes on a different meaning. I think that we definitely beat any of these guys in CUSA might not necessarily be blowouts but certainly will be Ws.

brista a honest question, why has Rutgers not been a solid program. You are in a very good recruiting area-(believe or not C-USA fans but NJ has very strong HS football).

You have the money and the facilities, it really doesn't make sense.

Maize Wrote:Going into 2005 Football Season let look at the Top 8 team in C-USA and the Big East IMO.

USF and Houston=Even, huge talent infusion in Tampa with back to back solid recruiting classes.  Houston has some very good players coming back.

USF will be a wait and see while Houston will be a legitimate threat to win CUSA.  Don't forget the Cougars played one the toughest schedules in college football last year.  If USF finds a QB they may be able to win a few games.  Houston basically has everyone returning and their defense get better and better as the season went along.

Rutgers and East Carolina, Tulsa, Rice, SMU and UCF=Advantage Rutgers, as bad as the Scarlet Knights have been the 4 C-USA schools are in even worse shape right now.  At least Rutgers beat Michigan State last year on ABC TV.

I give you ECU and UCF at the moment but Tulsa and Rice can play with and probably beat Rutgers.

Had to disagree with you on USF/Houston. Houston is by far the more talented team at the moment. I know USF has recruited some nice kids the past two years but Houston is loaded on offense and return most of their defense.

I not so sure about Houston and the C-USA West. Houston has always had solid talent but they really haven't done much with it. That is why I called it even, I can see your point but USF has won more on the field the past few years then the Coogs.

This was the first bad season in Tampa this past year.

Quote:Who do you mean by nobody in the BE? Posters?

Are you really arguing otherwise? I seriously doubt anyone in any position of authority to make expansion decisions within the Big East really desires UAB. I know that you aren't trying to appear insulting, but it's a tad bit obnoxious and unnecessary to say 'Well UAB would never go to the Big East, Big East teams don't draw well here' when nobody in the league even wants you. As for who I mean by 'nobody' I mean the posters, fans, school ADs (according to the Big East minutes), etc.

Quote:Wow that is just mean! U suckNFL!

My apoligies for trying to bring a little bit of reason and logic to somebody proposing a 25 team merger as an alternate, better solution to the Big East's current set up. It doesn't make much sense to me that the schools bringing in the money and the schools with significantly larger athletic budgets (WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, UConn) would want to split their earnings so many ways with so many programs not bringing in nearly the amount that the big schools are.

Quote:All this talk about who the BE can take from CUSA or any other conference is so hypothetical its stupid.

About as stupid as discussing whether or not UAB would accept that invitation, yes.

nflsucks Wrote:

Quote:Who do you mean by nobody in the BE? Posters?

Are you really arguing otherwise? I seriously doubt anyone in any position of authority to make expansion decisions within the Big East really desires UAB. I know that you aren't trying to appear insulting, but it's a tad bit obnoxious and unnecessary to say 'Well UAB would never go to the Big East, Big East teams don't draw well here' when nobody in the league even wants you. As for who I mean by 'nobody' I mean the posters, fans, school ADs (according to the Big East minutes), etc.

BE teams wouldn't draw well here in Birmingham. And it has been explain. UL would be the only school that would garner any interest in Birmingham. And I don't think I said UAB would never go to the BE or that the BE would be interested in UAB. I definitely said UAB would never be invited. And how about posting those minutes.

Quote:Wow that is just mean! U suckNFL!

My apoligies for trying to bring a little bit of reason and logic to somebody proposing a 25 team merger as an alternate, better solution to the Big East's current set up. It doesn't make much sense to me that the schools bringing in the money and the schools with significantly larger athletic budgets (WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, UConn) would want to split their earnings so many ways with so many programs not bringing in nearly the amount that the big schools are.

My point was why did you feel the need to point UAB, SMU or Rice out?

Quote:All this talk about who the BE can take from CUSA or any other conference is so hypothetical its stupid.

About as stupid as discussing whether or not UAB would accept that invitation, yes.

Didn't think we discussing whether or not UAB would get an invite. You took offense to what I said about BE would not help UAB problems. If you didn't you're sure acting like it.

Not arguing with you. Really not even disagreeing. I'm just questioning you.

But you can drop it or keep insulting UAB. Your choice.

Maize Wrote:I not so sure about Houston and the C-USA West.  Houston has always had solid talent but they really haven't done much with it.  That is why I called it even, I can see your point but USF has won more on the field the past few years then the Coogs.

This was the first bad season in Tampa this past year.

Houston did last year in football what Memphis did in basketball this year; overschedule in their OOC games. The Coogs played both Miami and Oklahoma last year. Why? I guess for the money although the Miami game was in Houston. I think they would have had a much better record with a manageable schedule.

USF will get worst before getting better. Houston will win at least 7 games this year. But we'll see how it shakes out and I will have no probs saying I was wrong about USF.

Maize Wrote:

brista21 Wrote:

Maize Wrote:Rutgers and East Carolina, Tulsa, Rice, SMU and UCF=Advantage Rutgers, as bad as the Scarlet Knights have been the 4 C-USA schools are in even worse shape right now.  At least Rutgers beat Michigan State last year on ABC TV.

Well East Carolina might give us a run for the money under Skip Holtz, but I'd still say we come out on top. As for the other guys, there's finally something about this team that makes me wonder if our favorite saying Wait Till Next Year takes on a different meaning. I think that we definitely beat any of these guys in CUSA might not necessarily be blowouts but certainly will be Ws.

brista a honest question, why has Rutgers not been a solid program. You are in a very good recruiting area-(believe or not C-USA fans but NJ has very strong HS football).

You have the money and the facilities, it really doesn't make sense.

Basically until Greg Schiano came to Rutgers the money wasn't being invested, the facilities were awful, some high schools like Don Bosco and St. Joe's of Montvale had better facilities. Doug Graber while a good gameday coach couldn't recruit, Terry Shea thought to be the big time answer for us in our big time conference, was neither a good coach nor a good recruiter. With all this the program went from Decent to Mediocre in most years to horrible. Greg came in demanded money be spent to upgrade the facilities to top notch. That's finally been done. Greg has been a great recruiter since he came getting the best talent he could with the sobering results of Terry Shea and his first two years as Head Coach (with Terry Shea's recruits). Last year's class was excellent, this years is decent. Greg's only problem thus far has been getting the exact Team Chemistry and the gameday coaching together. The roster is finally deep with talent and experience and maturity. The gameday mistakes hopefully are worked out with the newest incarnation of the coaching staff. Lastly, many say that the team chemistry has finally gelled. Essentially because we were mediocre at best most years since the late 70s we haven't been able to keep recruits home instead going to the regional powers like Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, and since the 90s Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Big Ten schools. So Greg has had to build us a program from the ground up and thus until recently we haven't been able to get any of the biggest recruits to stay home and come to Rutgers. On top of the negative perception of Rutgers Football, Rutgers as a school in New Jersey is looked down upon. People don't realize that its ranked #44 in the World/#35 in North America by one poll and #58 in the Country by the US News and World Report. I was just as guilty of the "Jersey stigma" until I visited campus and researched the school. And now at the end of my sophmore year I love it here, definitely have been 2 of the happiest years of my life. Back to the football team, many legitimate signs point to this finally being the year we get over the hump and into a Bowl Game. If we do this, next year's recruiting class will be insanely good with the NJ, NY, PA, and FL talent we can pull in with a good program. As Greg said when he took over, "Its time."

And yes C-USA fans, NJ has excellent high school football, we produce in the Top Ten in terms of D-1 talent every year, some years in the top 4 behind Florida, California, and Texas. Louisville even got a few of our better recruits this year.