JulesFIU07

I wish we'd make it to the NC game. I'd be fine getting killed, ala Clemson in the Orange Bowl, if it meant making it to the big game in only our sixth year of FBS football.

No they aren't. Fact is Les Miles doesn't have Nick Saban's football IQ. That, combined with Bama recruiting equal talent, and several key players returning, would lead me to believe they are still number one.

Let me be clear, I don't think Louisville will be in th BE in two year's time.

When did I say Louisville has an issue with ECU? Also, Louisville will leave the BE, it is not a question of if but when. Also, I am not sure you'd hang your hat on Rice or Tulane when it comes to the autobids, football is still king and AQ's are going away.

It really depends on the following. If Louisville, BSU and SDSU leave, then the remaining BE schools would need to see if they can bring in other schools from C-USA. The question is who would they take? SMU will fight UNT, Houston will fight Rice. USF and UCF would fight FIU, so realistically what large markets are you left with? Ruston and NOLA? San Antonio, Charlotte and Norfolk? They don't like ECU because the market isn't large enough, ditto for Marshall and SoMiss. I mean realistically they could add six schools to get to 16, but what 6? Logic would dictate you pick six out of the following schools; UNT, Rice, Tulane, FIU, ECU, Marshall, SoMiss, Tulsa or UTEP.

I could see JMU and UD, but what do you gain by adding New Mexico and FAU? Better off adding MTSU and Richmond.

And if the rumors about a much smaller media deal are true, a media deal closer to that of the MWC and C-USA, then there is virtually no reason to join the BE. Crossing my fingers for a BE meltdown that could realistically see USF, UCF, SMU, UH and Memphis back in C-USA.

Exactly. The stadium is for the fans, the other facilities are for the players.

They don't need to. The Big East turned down a new deal that would have continued to pay them AQ type money. Instead they are looking at getting a contract closer to what those of C-USA and the MWC are valued at. I hope this causes the BE to break up with USF, UCF, SMU, Houston, and Memphis going to C-USA, Rutgers, Cincy, Temple and UConn going to the MAC, BSU and SDSU going to the MWC, and Louisville going to the Big 12, though I'd much prefer them coming back to C-USA but that isn't realistic.

The SBC is so volatile though that one never knows. ULL and ASU could fall flat next season, or could repeat their success from last season.

Mid-majors are non-AQ schools. The SEC is a major, the SBC is considered a mid-major.

What is it about Germans and Germany that brings the "uber-freak" out?

Scheduling schools like LSU is never good. Those schools tend to have much more depth than schools like us, and more often than not our teams leave those games horribly banged up. You need to develop depth and a certain level of overall talent before taking on a school like LSU.

TCU and BSU, before becoming BCS busters, played relatively easier FBS opposition. That doesn't mean play schools that are perceived as worse than you, but it means playing more beatable schools from more highly regarded conferences. Beating Louisville and UCF last year was huge for us for a number of reasons. Both schools are perceived as better programs, both schools are seen as being in better conferences, and both schools recruit heavily in South Florida. Unfortunately we hit a mid-season slump, but the wins over UCF and Louisville got us a lot of early attention. UNT could probably schedule lower tier Big 12, ACC and BE schools, and a win against those would be worth that much more in extra publicity.

Yeah I am going to chalk that up to the traditional bias Orlando has against Miami, a very serious case of jealousy on their part. They will end up ranking UCF much higher than they should be. 75 seemed a bit low coming off of two winning seasons and having brought in a few solid recruiting classes, ten spots higher would have made more sense in my opinion.