(02-16-2018 09:00 PM)Longhorn Wrote: (02-16-2018 08:48 PM)Dukeman2 Wrote: Houston has one critical advantage Mickey did not have - all the good teams have now left FCS for FBS, so the path for Houston is much easier.
Montana has left? The team that upset JMU in 2008? NDSU has left? The team that beat JMU in 2012? YSU has left? The team that beat JMU in 2006? Not to mention several teams in the CAA...they’ve left FCS FB too?
Wow, I must have fallen asleep. Glad you’re on duty to tell us how much easier it is to win now.
I agree with LH there- all the good teams haven't left, and other programs have stepped up, #1 example being NDSU.
2 things though that did work against MM.
One- Back 2003 through 2010 or so the CAA was a tougher league, clearly the tops in I-AA. I don't know if MH would have gone 8-0 in the CAA in back to back seasons during that time period like did in 2016-2017. Maybe the 8-0 would have been 7-1. Remember UD won the NC in 2003, JMU won it in 04'. RU won it in 08', VU won it in 09'. None went undefeated. UD, JMU, and VU had one loss in conference play. RU had 2.
Secondly, call it bad luck or BS playoff bracketing in 3 of MMs last 4 playoff seasons, with terrible Round of 16 draws as I already mentioned in my previous post:
-2006 (1st round/round of 16) @ #4 seed YSU. Again, JMU probably would have been the #5 seed if they had then seeded more than 4 teams. Meanwhile, UNH, whom JMU had thumped earlier in the season & had a lesser record, ((8-3/5-3) to JMU's 9-2/7-1)), got an easy draw with Hampton. The plane ride should have been UNH to YSU, and the bus ride should have been Hampton to JMU.
-2007 (1st round/round of 16) @ ASU. ASU (9-2/6-2), had beaten Michigan. ASU probably would have been the #5 seed if they had then seeded more than 4 teams. I remember Armanti Edwards had been injured for at least 1 of their So-Con losses. ASU went on to win the NC. Meanwhile RU drew a way lesser EKU, UD got Del State..
-2011
(1st round/round of 20) @ EKU because Bourne lowballed the bid.
(2nd round/round of 16) @ #2 seed NDSU, lost 26-12. NDSU rolled everyone else on their way to the NC. Good chance JMU that year could have beaten any of the other seeds.
That said, MM teams underperformed in his last 5 seasons, and IMHOP he should have been let go when he was. Not earlier, not later.