A very down year for C-USA

[Salsa_Verde]

So Georgia Southern recieved 62 top 25 votes. GSU is one year removed from finishing 2-6. Their only big win was against Appalachian St. honestly this stings but it’s true, CUSA is in a down year, to say the least. This conference has to have a good showing come bowl season. 

http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll

[NorthTexan95]

13 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

So Georgia Southern recieved 62 top 25 votes. GSU is one year removed from finishing 2-6. Their only big win was against Appalachian St. honestly this stings but it’s true, CUSA is in a down year, to say the least. This conference has to have a good showing come bowl season. 

http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll

I guess that win over powerhouse App St. was really convincing. 

[RiseUNT]

It's our fault. If we played better durning 2 very winnable games we would be are #18.

[DentonLurker]

I don't get the logic... App State/GSU being ranked/receiving votes = C-USA is having a down year?

Edited October 29, 2018 by DentonLurker

[Salsa_Verde]

1 hour ago, DentonLurker said:

I don't get the logic... App State/GSU being ranked/receiving votes = C-USA is having a down year?

Is UAB or another CUSA team getting top 25 votes? Western Kentucky losing to Maine and UTEP and Rice are a combined 1-16. FAU is in a down year. So yeah I’m going to say CUSA as a whole isn’t doing too well. My point is how does Georgia Southern get so many votes when they’ve only played App State. I’m just curious.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Salsa_Verde

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

This is the cusa every year. 

[Green Lantern]

51 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

Is UAB or another CUSA team getting top 25 votes? Western Kentucky losing to Maine and UTEP and Rice are a combined 1-16. FAU is in a down year. So yeah I’m going to say CUSA as a whole isn’t doing too well. My point is how does Georgia Southern get so many votes when they’ve only played App State. I’m just curious.

UAB got 17 in the AP and 24 in the Coaches Poll. CUSA is fine. 

[keith]

56 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

Is UAB or another CUSA team getting top 25 votes? Western Kentucky losing to Maine and UTEP and Rice are a combined 1-16. FAU is in a down year. So yeah I’m going to say CUSA as a whole isn’t doing too well. My point is how does Georgia Southern get so many votes when they’ve only played App State. I’m just curious.

They are 7-1 and beat a team that was ranked in the top 25...25th, but still in the top 25.  Do that and you deserve to get votes.

[golfingomez]

17 hours ago, Salsa_Verde said:

So Georgia Southern recieved 62 top 25 votes. GSU is one year removed from finishing 2-6. Their only big win was against Appalachian St. honestly this stings but it’s true, CUSA is in a down year, to say the least. This conference has to have a good showing come bowl season. 

http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll

This is actually a really interesting topic that i was looking at yesterday. I don't know if CUSA is in a down year, or just being perceived as a down year.

One of the problems CUSA has is that it doesn't have consistent leaders atop the conference FIU and UAB are the two division leaders and have a combined 3 losses.

FIU - to Indiana by 10 and Miami by 14

UAB - to Coastal Carolina by 23 (I honestly do not understand this at all.

I think the perception of a down year comes from 2 games and one team.

IF UAB had beaten CC, they would be undefeated and would have a win over a AAC and Sun Belt team. It would have also made their matchup with us a much higher profile game. The fact that they didn't have a program two years ago doesn't look great from an outsiders point of view, so they need to be really good to justify their position and getting smacked by a middle of the pack sun-belt team doesn't do that

IF Marshall had beaten MTSU, they would be sitting at 6-1 with their only loss being a 17 point deficit to NC State. For good or bad, Marshall is one of the flagship programs of our conference and their success is the conference's success. it would almost certainly set them up at 9-1 heading into their last game against FIU

Lastly, the fact that the Lane Train has slowed considerably. Like it or not, Kiffin was bringing a TON of credibility/publicity to our conference, and he has had none of that this year. The team averages 28 points a game, and outside of Singletary, doesn't appear to have much going on.

 

I think if these are the 3 main factors that have CUSA looking meh this year

 

[untjim1995]

The Belt made two nice pickups when they left Georgia Southern and Appy State move up. Both had been FCS powers for years. It was certainly a better move than adding in Old Dominion and Charlotte just to appease a school (ECU) that everyone knew was going to jump ship ASAP. 

[DentonLurker]

15 hours ago, keith said:

They are 7-1 and beat a team that was ranked in the top 25...25th, but still in the top 25.  Do that and you deserve to get votes.

This. When you look at the body of work, it makes sense. Plus, their loss is Week 1 to No. 2 Clemson.

 

1 hour ago, golfingomez said:

One of the problems CUSA has is that it doesn't have consistent leaders atop the conference

Agreed. CUSA goes deeper than the Belt. The Belt is top heavy.

[Greendylan]

15 hours ago, Green Lantern said:

UAB got 17 in the AP and 24 in the Coaches Poll. CUSA is fine. 

I don't necessarily think the AP and Coaches Poll are the only (or even the best) evaluative tool for comparing G5 conferences, but if we are to use that metric, then CUSA is not doing well at all.  Only the MAC is receiving fewer votes.  

Of course, this all could change with some important games left to be played.

[MeanGreenTexan]

8 minutes ago, DentonLurker said:

...CUSA goes deeper than the Belt. The Belt is top heavy.

Are you sure?
CUSA is "bottom heavy".  ODU has that inexplicable win VS VATech.  Other than that, them, WKU, Charlotte, Rice & UTEP are just plain awful.

[Salsa_Verde]

1 hour ago, golfingomez said:

This is actually a really interesting topic that i was looking at yesterday. I don't know if CUSA is in a down year, or just being perceived as a down year.

One of the problems CUSA has is that it doesn't have consistent leaders atop the conference FIU and UAB are the two division leaders and have a combined 3 losses.

FIU - to Indiana by 10 and Miami by 14

UAB - to Coastal Carolina by 23 (I honestly do not understand this at all.

I think the perception of a down year comes from 2 games and one team.

IF UAB had beaten CC, they would be undefeated and would have a win over a AAC and Sun Belt team. It would have also made their matchup with us a much higher profile game. The fact that they didn't have a program two years ago doesn't look great from an outsiders point of view, so they need to be really good to justify their position and getting smacked by a middle of the pack sun-belt team doesn't do that

IF Marshall had beaten MTSU, they would be sitting at 6-1 with their only loss being a 17 point deficit to NC State. For good or bad, Marshall is one of the flagship programs of our conference and their success is the conference's success. it would almost certainly set them up at 9-1 heading into their last game against FIU

Lastly, the fact that the Lane Train has slowed considerably. Like it or not, Kiffin was bringing a TON of credibility/publicity to our conference, and he has had none of that this year. The team averages 28 points a game, and outside of Singletary, doesn't appear to have much going on.

 

I think if these are the 3 main factors that have CUSA looking meh this year

 

I think you explained it way better than I did. Yes completely agree. It just seems off this year, weather perceived or real. As it stands now, CUSA is 2-3 against the Sun Belt this year. 

Edited October 30, 2018 by Salsa_Verde