It was a glorious day, no matter how measured. The weather was perfect. 50,000 people were in attendance. The Citrus Bowl was vibrating then as much as the Bounce House vibrates today. I was so lucky to be able to attend. I came the day before and walked the UCF campus talking to some of the students. The students knew UCF was going places, not only athletically but academically. The two gentlemen next to me at the game were from Alabama, one an Auburn fan and one a Alabama Tide fan. Everyone got into the hard fought game. What an enjoyable and exciting day it was!

Anyone who attended the game that day came back with the realization that UCF, Tulsa, and CUSA were going forward with a bright future.

UCF won two CUSA Championships and Tulsa won two CUSA Championships. No other CUSA school won two football championships. But 2005 was fifteen years ago, a time too far past for our fast moving society to be remembered. I cannot speak for old time UCF fans from 2005 and those early years. But I can say that for many of us old time Tulsa fans, our primary rival in CUSA was not a Texas school but UCF. There was respect between UCF and Tulsa. That got lost the past few years. But it appears it has been found again and this time, I hope it does not ever get lost.

As a Tulsa fan, I am very proud of our 9-3 record against UCF. But I would trade that record in an instant for UCF's NY6 victories.

To ECU and USF fans, hang in there. I don't know what it is in human nature to ridicule those that struggle. But ECU and USF have too many positives. Things will get better. Tulsa proved that.

If Tulsa, ECU, and USF are designated the doormat schools by the many of the posters on this board, then AAC is one helluva conference. No one can assume a win on Saturday.

Classy post. +2

East Carolina won Two. Did I miss something?

(10-06-2020 06:28 AM)Starfox207 Wrote:  East Carolina won Two. Did I miss something?

I have the "Back to Back C-USA Champs" banner in my office. (2008-2009)

[quote='Starfox207' pid='17027750' dateline='1601983701']
East Carolina won Two. Did I miss something?
[/quote

My bad! You are absolutely correct. ECU also won 2 CUSA Football Championship games! UCF and Tulsa played each other 3 times in the CUSA Football Championship game so it became a rivalry for many Tulsa and UCF fans in those earlier CUSA years. Tulsa appeared in 4 CUSA Football Championship games in the 8 years while in CUSA.

Two Time CUSA Football Champions
2005. Tulsa 44, UCF 27
2007: UCF 44, Tulsa 25
2008: ECU 27, Tulsa 24
2009: ECU 38, Houston 32
2010: UCF 17, SMU 7
2012: Tulsa 33, UCF 27

AAC Football Championship Game
2015: Houston 24, Temple 13
2016: Temple 34, Navy 10
2017: UCF 62, Memphis 55 (2OT)
2018: UCF 56, Memphis 41
2019: Memphis 29, Cincinnati 24

Prior to the 2015 season, when AAC split into two six-team divisions and created a conference championship game, the AAC awarded its championship to the team(s) with the best conference overall record.

2013: UCF
2014: UCF, Cincinnati and Memphis (all with 7-1 records)

Houston also won 2 C-USA Championships -

1996 (co-champs)
2006

Should've been 3 (2011).

(10-06-2020 09:50 AM)J Coog Wrote:  Houston also won 2 C-USA Championships -

1996 (co-champs)
2006

Should've been 3 (2011).

The data I used was for only those years Tulsa was in CUSA.

(10-05-2020 04:42 PM)Tulsa Guy Wrote:  It was a glorious day, no matter how measured. The weather was perfect. 50,000 people were in attendance. The Citrus Bowl was vibrating then as much as the Bounce House vibrates today. I was so lucky to be able to attend. I came the day before and walked the UCF campus talking to some of the students. The students knew UCF was going places, not only athletically but academically. The two gentlemen next to me at the game were from Alabama, one an Auburn fan and one a Alabama Tide fan. Everyone got into the hard fought game. What an enjoyable and exciting day it was!

Anyone who attended the game that day came back with the realization that UCF, Tulsa, and CUSA were going forward with a bright future.

UCF won two CUSA Championships and Tulsa won two CUSA Championships. No other CUSA school won two football championships. But 2005 was fifteen years ago, a time too far past for our fast moving society to be remembered. I cannot speak for old time UCF fans from 2005 and those early years. But I can say that for many of us old time Tulsa fans, our primary rival in CUSA was not a Texas school but UCF. There was respect between UCF and Tulsa. That got lost the past few years. But it appears it has been found again and this time, I hope it does not ever get lost.

As a Tulsa fan, I am very proud of our 9-3 record against UCF. But I would trade that record in an instant for UCF's NY6 victories.

To ECU and USF fans, hang in there. I don't know what it is in human nature to ridicule those that struggle. But ECU and USF have too many positives. Things will get better. Tulsa proved that.

If Tulsa, ECU, and USF are designated the doormat schools by the many of the posters on this board, then AAC is one helluva conference. No one can assume a win on Saturday.

Best post I've seen in a while. I came along at TU in 2010, so by the end of 2012 it was beginning to feel like a rivalry with UCF, for me. Then conference realignment, and our downhill slide happened and it was lost, but now revived again. If Tulsa keeps improving and UCF keeps to it's new standard, this could become a real rivalry, and in a great conference no less.

(10-05-2020 04:42 PM)Tulsa Guy Wrote:  It was a glorious day, no matter how measured. The weather was perfect. 50,000 people were in attendance. The Citrus Bowl was vibrating then as much as the Bounce House vibrates today. I was so lucky to be able to attend. I came the day before and walked the UCF campus talking to some of the students. The students knew UCF was going places, not only athletically but academically. The two gentlemen next to me at the game were from Alabama, one an Auburn fan and one a Alabama Tide fan. Everyone got into the hard fought game. What an enjoyable and exciting day it was!

Anyone who attended the game that day came back with the realization that UCF, Tulsa, and CUSA were going forward with a bright future.

UCF won two CUSA Championships and Tulsa won two CUSA Championships. No other CUSA school won two football championships. But 2005 was fifteen years ago, a time too far past for our fast moving society to be remembered. I cannot speak for old time UCF fans from 2005 and those early years. But I can say that for many of us old time Tulsa fans, our primary rival in CUSA was not a Texas school but UCF. There was respect between UCF and Tulsa. That got lost the past few years. But it appears it has been found again and this time, I hope it does not ever get lost.

As a Tulsa fan, I am very proud of our 9-3 record against UCF. But I would trade that record in an instant for UCF's NY6 victories.

To ECU and USF fans, hang in there. I don't know what it is in human nature to ridicule those that struggle. But ECU and USF have too many positives. Things will get better. Tulsa proved that.

If Tulsa, ECU, and USF are designated the doormat schools by the many of the posters on this board, then AAC is one helluva conference. No one can assume a win on Saturday.

This is true, during our C-USA days, Tulsa was our main rival from the west (the way Memphis is to UCF right now), and ECU was our main rival in the east. Tulsa and ECU have been replaced by Memphis and Cincy, but that bad blood with Tulsa still remains. In 2005 we (UCF) were on a high, 8-3 (7-1) coming into this game, having one of the best turn-arounds in college football history coming off a winless 0-11 season in 2004. This game in 2005 was the first ever Conference USA Championship Game, and was in Orlando at a rockin' Citrus Bowl, and was the highest attended game in UCF history (will continue to stand until the Bounce House is expanded). That was not our day, and Tulsa won the day, but we got our revenge in 2007. 2010 UCF's C-USA title was over SMU, but in 2012 Tulsa got us again (twice) late in the season to secure their second title. C-USA 2.0 was dominated by UCF and Tulsa with solid runs from ECU and Houston as well (Southern Miss was a force to be reckoned with in those days too). I was always surprised when we got to the AAC to not see Tulsa and ECU have the same level of success, but Tulsa has been on the cusp for several years now. They come so close in so many big games and come up short. For whatever reason UCF cannot beat Tulsa (guess this is how Memphis fans feel towards UCF). I have much respect for Tulsa and their fans, and now a unique viewpoint living in Oklahoma myself and regularly traveling to the city of Tulsa for various things.

Good thread, wish others was as informative and civil as this one. Thanks Tulsa Guy. +3

Great post. I still have nightmares about Garrett Mills.

(10-05-2020 04:42 PM)Tulsa Guy Wrote:  It was a glorious day, no matter how measured. The weather was perfect. 50,000 people were in attendance. The Citrus Bowl was vibrating then as much as the Bounce House vibrates today. I was so lucky to be able to attend. I came the day before and walked the UCF campus talking to some of the students. The students knew UCF was going places, not only athletically but academically. The two gentlemen next to me at the game were from Alabama, one an Auburn fan and one a Alabama Tide fan. Everyone got into the hard fought game. What an enjoyable and exciting day it was!

Anyone who attended the game that day came back with the realization that UCF, Tulsa, and CUSA were going forward with a bright future.

UCF won two CUSA Championships and Tulsa won two CUSA Championships. No other CUSA school won two football championships. But 2005 was fifteen years ago, a time too far past for our fast moving society to be remembered. I cannot speak for old time UCF fans from 2005 and those early years. But I can say that for many of us old time Tulsa fans, our primary rival in CUSA was not a Texas school but UCF. There was respect between UCF and Tulsa. That got lost the past few years. But it appears it has been found again and this time, I hope it does not ever get lost.

As a Tulsa fan, I am very proud of our 9-3 record against UCF. But I would trade that record in an instant for UCF's NY6 victories.

To ECU and USF fans, hang in there. I don't know what it is in human nature to ridicule those that struggle. But ECU and USF have too many positives. Things will get better. Tulsa proved that.

If Tulsa, ECU, and USF are designated the doormat schools by the many of the posters on this board, then AAC is one helluva conference. No one can assume a win on Saturday.

Great post. Tulsa has always had UCF's number but this year Tulsa has a really good team shown by the OSU game. This could be Tulsa's year for the AAC top Dog.

While Tulsa was in conference USA we exchanged the western divisional title with Houston, SMU snuck in for a tie and the championship game once but otherwise we just handed it between us. That was the west year in year out. UCF and ECU did something similar in the east. One of the reasons I think the AAC has even more room to grow is schools who have not traditionally been good (Memphis, Temple, to a lesser extent Tulane) have become competitive programs on a national stage. Houston has bounced around, Tulsa and ECU are down. Cincinnati just got back to their previous BE level of play. If Houston becomes an 8+ win stable program again and the new coach of ECU finishes his turn around the conference will start fulfilling it's real potential with every program having fertile recruiting grounds to sustain them. Tulsa will just need to get it together and we will be firing on all cylinders in a bored out big block that we cut.the dead weight of UConn out of and looking at some sub 10 sec quarter miles street legal.

(10-09-2020 02:27 PM)Foreverandever Wrote:  While Tulsa was in conference USA we exchanged the western divisional title with Houston, SMU snuck in for a tie and the championship game once but otherwise we just handed it between us. That was the west year in year out. UCF and ECU did something similar in the east. One of the reasons I think the AAC has even more room to grow is schools who have not traditionally been good (Memphis, Temple, to a lesser extent Tulane) have become competitive programs on a national stage. Houston has bounced around, Tulsa and ECU are down. Cincinnati just got back to their previous BE level of play. If Houston becomes an 8+ win stable program again and the new coach of ECU finishes his turn around the conference will start fulfilling it's real potential with every program having fertile recruiting grounds to sustain them. Tulsa will just need to get it together and we will be firing on all cylinders in a bored out big block that we cut.the dead weight of UConn out of and looking at some sub 10 sec quarter miles street legal.

The one that pops out to me the most is ECU. That fan base is a sleeping giant just waiting for their team to wake them up. Lots of potential in that program. USF is similar. This conference has the potential to compete on an A5 level for sure.