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Welcome to the party, JMU

Quote:JMU was a big get for the Sun Belt. The Dukes went 70-11 from 2016 to '21, winning the 2016 FCS title and losing close games to North Dakota State deep in the playoffs in 2017, 2019 and 2021. Their investment levels are strong, and they finished second in my FCS SP+ ratings this year with a rating that, adjusted for FBS, would have ranked fifth in the Sun Belt. While they had a number of seniors on the 2021 squad, head coach Curt Cignetti is adding some intriguing players via the transfer portal. James Madison won't be eligible for a Sun Belt title for a while, but it should immediately look like a sturdy FBS team and a midlevel Sun Belt squad. Welcome, Dukes!

Nice article!!

Brian

Midlevel Sunbelt Team.

(01-26-2022 05:33 PM)Dukester Wrote:  Midlevel Sunbelt Team.

Mid level?! Fire the coach!

Gotta make certain schools we know a bit jealous.

That is awesome

(01-26-2022 05:33 PM)Dukester Wrote:  Midlevel Sunbelt Team.

They have you behind App, ULL, Coastal, and Georgia State.

I mean, that's not a major stretch, if you based it on the rosters for this past season. However, ULL is almost certainly going to lose a step this year, and Coastal has a bunch of guys leaving.

Georgia State could easily win the league next year. They are good.

A first-year FCS to FBS FB team (making the full transition in one year) is almost unprecedented. Are there any other examples out there?

As such, the ESPN article’s language and prediction identifying JMU FB as a mid-tier SBC team right out of the chute is (IMO) a compliment. Let’s hope the team lives up to those expectations. QB and OL play will have a lot to say about whether JMU’s first FBS season will be a winner (6+ wins) or simply one marked by growing pains.

Go Dukes!

(01-27-2022 06:33 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  A first-year FCS to FBS FB team (making the full transition in one year) is almost unprecedented. Are there any other examples out there?

JMU would be the first team to do this since they implemented "the Marshall rule" that required the two year transition process. Marshall beat Montana in the I-AA natty in 1996 and played in the MAC in 1997.

JMU would be the only team to do this in the past 25 years.

Side note: Both JMU and Marshall have 2 I-AA/FCS titles with wins over Montana and YSU in national championship games. Marshall won the MAC East with an 8-1 conference record in 1997, their first FBS year.

Media coverage and brand recognition will increase exponentially with the move to D1 football.

It will be a joy to watch.

Good thing we moved to D1 football 42 years ago

(01-27-2022 06:33 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  A first-year FCS to FBS FB team (making the full transition in one year) is almost unprecedented. Are there any other examples out there?

As such, the ESPN article’s language and prediction identifying JMU FB as a mid-tier SBC team right out of the chute is (IMO) a compliment. Let’s hope the team lives up to those expectations. QB and OL play will have a lot to say about whether JMU’s first FBS season will be a winner (6+ wins) or simply one marked by growing pains.

Go Dukes!

I took it as a compliment as well. Most think that a team moving up is going to be a losing program for a while. To suggest that we may actually be middle of the pack to start off is a compliment. Especially when some schools have been FBS for a long time and would love to be considered a middle of the pack team.
I do think the next few years will be a struggle, but I expect it to be just part of the growth, and not our fate in FBS.
When we are full steam ahead, I expect us to compete for a Sun Belt title every year.

The 70-11 with 3 playoff losses to NDSU wording got me thinking and two things really stood out to me.
- Since 2016, JMU is 70-5 when excluding P5 and NDSU losses. 4 of those 5 losses were within a FG.
- Since 2016, JMU has only lost 3 regular season FCS games while NDSU has lost 5 regular season FCS games.

(01-27-2022 06:33 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  A first-year FCS to FBS FB team (making the full transition in one year) is almost unprecedented. Are there any other examples out there?

As such, the ESPN article’s language and prediction identifying JMU FB as a mid-tier SBC team right out of the chute is (IMO) a compliment. Let’s hope the team lives up to those expectations. QB and OL play will have a lot to say about whether JMU’s first FBS season will be a winner (6+ wins) or simply one marked by growing pains.

Go Dukes!

Marshall went I-AA to I-A the very next season, but that was also before they implemented the current transition rules. JMU is the only team to do it in the post-transition change era.

(01-27-2022 09:46 AM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  The 70-11 with 3 playoff losses to NDSU wording got me thinking and two things really stood out to me.
- Since 2016, JMU is 70-5 when excluding P5 and NDSU losses. 4 of those 5 losses were within a FG.
- Since 2016, JMU has only lost 3 regular season FCS games while NDSU has lost 5 regular season FCS games.

That last point is more reflective of NDSU playing in a much better conference.

(01-27-2022 09:27 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  Good thing we moved to D1 football 42 years ago

Just think, in a little over 5 months, Dukebot will be complaining about how we are not in D1 because we are not in a P5 conference...

(01-27-2022 09:46 AM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  The 70-11 with 3 playoff losses to NDSU wording got me thinking and two things really stood out to me.
- Since 2016, JMU is 70-5 when excluding P5 and NDSU losses. 4 of those 5 losses were within a FG.
- Since 2016, JMU has only lost 3 regular season FCS games while NDSU has lost 5 regular season FCS games.

Really drives home just how out of place JMU and NDSU were/are in FCS football.

(01-27-2022 10:20 AM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 09:46 AM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  The 70-11 with 3 playoff losses to NDSU wording got me thinking and two things really stood out to me.
- Since 2016, JMU is 70-5 when excluding P5 and NDSU losses. 4 of those 5 losses were within a FG.
- Since 2016, JMU has only lost 3 regular season FCS games while NDSU has lost 5 regular season FCS games.

Really drives home just how out of place JMU and NDSU were/are in FCS football.

And only one of us was able to escape. NDSU may be trapped in FCS for a long, long time. At least they'll be raking in more titles that their fans are losing more and more interest in.

(01-27-2022 10:29 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 10:20 AM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 09:46 AM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  The 70-11 with 3 playoff losses to NDSU wording got me thinking and two things really stood out to me.
- Since 2016, JMU is 70-5 when excluding P5 and NDSU losses. 4 of those 5 losses were within a FG.
- Since 2016, JMU has only lost 3 regular season FCS games while NDSU has lost 5 regular season FCS games.

Really drives home just how out of place JMU and NDSU were/are in FCS football.

And only one of us was able to escape. NDSU may be trapped in FCS for a long, long time. At least they'll be raking in more titles that their fans are losing more and more interest in.

Waning interest by NDSU fans could be the start of their decline. Delaware, Montana, and YSU are 3 examples of other FCS teams that won championships, peaked, and then their programs declined. Schools like Marshall and App St that moved to FBS have continued their forward progress.

I am very happy that we are following the pattern of successful schools like Marshall and App St. The SBC is a tough conference and loaded with talent, but we are on an upward path.

(01-27-2022 10:45 AM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 10:29 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 10:20 AM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 09:46 AM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  The 70-11 with 3 playoff losses to NDSU wording got me thinking and two things really stood out to me.
- Since 2016, JMU is 70-5 when excluding P5 and NDSU losses. 4 of those 5 losses were within a FG.
- Since 2016, JMU has only lost 3 regular season FCS games while NDSU has lost 5 regular season FCS games.

Really drives home just how out of place JMU and NDSU were/are in FCS football.

And only one of us was able to escape. NDSU may be trapped in FCS for a long, long time. At least they'll be raking in more titles that their fans are losing more and more interest in.

Waning interest by NDSU fans could be the start of their decline. Delaware, Montana, and YSU are 3 examples of other FCS teams that won championships, peaked, and then their programs declined. Schools like Marshall and App St that moved to FBS have continued their forward progress.

I am very happy that we are following the pattern of successful schools like Marshall and App St. The SBC is a tough conference and loaded with talent, but we are on an upward path.

In many ways, we got really lucky with the timing. We are transitioning while we are still moving upwards. I don't think we ever peaked.
I believe Jeff Bourne when he said he truly believed our best days are ahead of us. FCS isn't the end... it's the end of the beginning.