Quote:C-USA stole some programs from the Sun Belt back during conference realignment, but it was pretty easily inferior on the field last year. For one thing, it stole the wrong programs (maybe should have gone after App. State!); for another, the bottom of this league was absolutely horrible. Four of the nine worst teams in FBS are projected to play in the C-USA this year.

That said, the worst conference could also have the best conference race. C-USA has six teams projected between 71st and 90th and seven with a projected conference win total between 4.6 and 5.8. Hell, there are four between 5.7 and 5.8! Just about every week of conference play will feature an important game. You can't ask for much more than that.

Well, I guess you could ask for better overall quality. But still.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/st...-using-sp+

This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

(08-28-2019 09:52 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

I understand that being in denial is currently helping you cope with the fact that CUSA is a total embarrassment. Try not to let that denial affect your personal life.

The only programs you could reasonably say haven't lived up are UTSA and Charlotte. But Charlotte seems to be on the rise and San Antonio is a pretty large market.

Number 14 was Western Kentucky, I would rather have Western Kentucky hands down over any of the sun belt schools. Western Kentucky has actually proven themselves as a brand, and has had a top 25 team.

(08-28-2019 09:56 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:52 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

I understand that being in denial is currently helping you cope with the fact that CUSA is a total embarrassment. Try not to let that denial affect your personal life.

You're right, it is a total embarrassment, but at least we aren't in the Sun Belt.

(08-28-2019 09:52 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

I wouldn't say they're the voice of reason per se, but ESPN is a substantial part of college football analysis and opinion, without a doubt.

FWIW, CUSA has finished last place previously. CUSA was an almost unanimous pick as last place in 2016.

Sagarin: Last place in 2016, 2018
NPI: Last place in 2012, 2015, 2016
ELO Chess: Last place in 2012, 2015, 2016

(08-28-2019 10:07 AM)EagNBran Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:56 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:52 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

I understand that being in denial is currently helping you cope with the fact that CUSA is a total embarrassment. Try not to let that denial affect your personal life.

You're right, it is a total embarrassment, but at least we aren't in the Sun Belt.

I guess you didn't read the article.
Here's the word of the day for you. Trend: a general direction in which something is developing or changing.

As in, CUSA has way too many members that are spread too far apart, with no money. The conference is trending towards irrelevance.

(08-28-2019 09:56 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:52 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

I understand that being in denial is currently helping you cope with the fact that CUSA is a total embarrassment. Try not to let that denial affect your personal life.

You did say you were a Texas State fan right? I mean ODU has hit hard times on the grid iron lately but at least we're not Texas State, am I right? You've won 10 games combined in he last 4 years. Make sure you hold on tight to those coat tails.

(08-28-2019 10:01 AM)rileylives Wrote:  The only programs you could reasonably say haven't lived up are UTSA and Charlotte. But Charlotte seems to be on the rise and San Antonio is a pretty large market.

Number 14 was Western Kentucky, I would rather have Western Kentucky hands down over any of the sun belt schools. Western Kentucky has actually proven themselves as a brand, and has had a top 25 team.

The two worst football teams in this conference for going on three years joined the conference in 2005.

To steal Appy from the Sun Belt, would they not need to actually have been in the Sun Belt? They did not join until after C-USA "stole" WKU, MTSU, NT and FAU. The Sun Belt reached down into the SoCon to grab that one-sport program to shore up its depleted ranks.

If you read the article in its entirety, here is what they say about the Mountaineers:

Quote:SP+ is not (yet) programmed to take coaching changes into account, so the view of Appalachian State is as if Scott Satterfield were still in charge there. You tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach, so it's probably going to be pretty hard for the Mountaineers to maintain top-30 status.

(08-28-2019 10:27 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 10:07 AM)EagNBran Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:56 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:52 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

I understand that being in denial is currently helping you cope with the fact that CUSA is a total embarrassment. Try not to let that denial affect your personal life.

You're right, it is a total embarrassment, but at least we aren't in the Sun Belt.

I guess you didn't read the article.
Here's the word of the day for you. Trend: a general direction in which something is developing or changing.

As in, CUSA has way too many members that are spread too far apart, with no money is trending towards irrelevance.

Well after the 2017 football season for the Sun Belt it would have been kind of impossible for you not to be trending upward. No where to go but up.

(08-28-2019 10:28 AM)Tintin Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 10:01 AM)rileylives Wrote:  The only programs you could reasonably say haven't lived up are UTSA and Charlotte. But Charlotte seems to be on the rise and San Antonio is a pretty large market.

Number 14 was Western Kentucky, I would rather have Western Kentucky hands down over any of the sun belt schools. Western Kentucky has actually proven themselves as a brand, and has had a top 25 team.

The two worst football teams in this conference for going on three years joined the conference in 2005.

UTEP and Rice, yes. But they have had pretty good success in the past. UTEP is a sleeping giant.

(08-28-2019 10:27 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:56 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:52 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(08-28-2019 09:50 AM)jj1180 Wrote:  This makes my day.
Full disclosure, I'm a Texas State fan.

When will the AD's and commissioners get over themselves, and realign the Sun Belt and CUSA? That's what I would like to see.

Yes because ESPN is the voice of reason for college football....CUSA has never finished last and doubt it will this year....But whatever makes your feel better, me personally tired of all the preseason talk, ready for the actual games to begin...

I understand that being in denial is currently helping you cope with the fact that CUSA is a total embarrassment. Try not to let that denial affect your personal life.

You did say you were a Texas State fan right? I mean ODU has hit hard times on the grid iron lately but at least we're not Texas State, am I right? You've won 10 games combined in he last 4 years. Make sure you hold on tight to those coat tails.

Did you read the article?
"Most interesting name here: Texas State. The Bobcats enjoy massive continuity and were close to a breakthrough under former head coach Everett Withers. Can that breakthrough come anyway with Jake Spavital now in charge?"

Was ODU mentioned? Enjoy that ride into irrelevance. Texas State is finally working out of their irrelevance.

Where the hell is Texas State even, LOL.

As bad as Conference USA is, there is no question it is a much more appealing situation than the Sun Belt.

(08-28-2019 10:56 AM)rileylives Wrote:  As bad as Conference USA is, there is no question it is a much more appealing situation than the Sun Belt.

Most Texas State fans would love to be in the Mountain West. Don't sit there and think CUSA doesn't have a negative perception issue within the FBS.

(08-28-2019 10:55 AM)rileylives Wrote:  Where the hell is Texas State even, LOL.

San Marcos, TX
https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/...small-city

Go ahead, try and talk $hit about the town?

Look man, this is not smack. It's legitimate feedback.

You do you, but Texas State will never be a viable option for the Mountain West.

(08-28-2019 10:29 AM)Nugget49er Wrote:  To steal Appy from the Sun Belt, would they not need to actually have been in the Sun Belt? They did not join until after C-USA "stole" WKU, MTSU, NT and FAU. The Sun Belt reached down into the SoCon to grab that one-sport program to shore up its depleted ranks.

If you read the article in its entirety, here is what they say about the Mountaineers:

Quote:SP+ is not (yet) programmed to take coaching changes into account, so the view of Appalachian State is as if Scott Satterfield were still in charge there. You tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach, so it's probably going to be pretty hard for the Mountaineers to maintain top-30 status.

This is where Karl Benson showed his true genius.

The incompetent CUSA inexplicably took the Sun Belts lowest performing programs (and some medium ones), and he turns around and makes the best two football invites he possibly could have, while also cutting outliers in the conference.

App and Ga Sou have ushered in a Renaissance (or more realistically an establishment) of high quality Sun Belt football, and have started an athletic arms race from Sun Belt programs to keep upping the competitive nature of the conference.

Meanwhile, perception has changed and most outlets and models are consistently putting Sunbelt over CUSA for the product on the field. The Sunbelt is positioned nicely from a conference stability standpoint.

Sure, basketball hasn't buttoned up as nicely, but basketball is easier to fix than football.

Edit to add RE: Karl Benson conference moves, I think the Sunbelt ended up with the better of the "big market" potential teams (GSU over UNCC), the better of the Texas potential teams Texas State over UTSA (this is more of a tossup than definitive) but CUSA got the better of the "mid market" potential teams imo (ODU over USA).