2019 CUSA Bowl Lineup

[vpackrats]

Our conference bowl line-up for this year is as follows:

Dec. 20  Bahamas Bowl              1 p.m. (ESPN)       Charlotte vs. Buffalo

Dec. 21 Boca Raton Bowl           2:30 p.m. (ABC)    Florida Atlantic vs. SMU

Dec. 21 Camellia Bowl               4:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Florida International vs Arkansas State

Dec. 21 New Orleans Bowl         8:00 p.m. (ESPN)   UAB vs. Appalachian State

Dec 23  Gasparilla Bowl             1:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Marshall vs. Central Florida

Dec 26  Independence Bowl        3:00 p.m. (ESPN)   Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (FL)

Dec 30 First Responder Bowl      11:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan

Jan 4     Armed Forces Bowl        10:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Southern Miss vs, Tulane

Thoughts?

[letsgiveacheer]

If I recall, CUSA normally rises to the occasion during bowl season (with one exception) but this looks like a particularly tough line-up for the conference.

[vpackrats]

Guess I'll go first since I posted the topic.  haha. 

1)  Clearly Louisiana Tech got the best of the 8 bowls with a date against a big name brand school like Miami (FL).  Makes sense as the date is right after Christmas and that is an easy trip for La Tech fans to make.  Any other conference mates that ended up there would have probably drilled attendance.

2)  Poor Appalachian State.  Top 20 team and you're having to play a team that just got waxed by 40+ points in the CUSA Championship Game.  They deserved a date against a P5 team to showcase what they can do.  New Orleans is great & all but I bet they would rather be playing anywhere they could against a P5 team, even if it ended up with them getting moved around.

3)  Speaking of moved around, it was interesting that CUSA ended up not being in the New Mexico Bowl, which we were contractually tied to.  Instead they put in a MAC team.

4)  Basically all the bowls WE wanted to go to in the past (First Responder, Armed Forces & Independence), THIS is the year they finally all got filled by CUSA teams.  Just our luck.  Ugh.

Edited December 9, 2019 by vpackrats

[Mean Green Matt]

CUSA desperately needs to earn some respect, so we need to be pulling for all of them. Especially FAU. 😉

[Big Z]

18 minutes ago, vpackrats said:

Guess I'll go first since I posted the topic.  haha. 

1)  Clearly Louisiana Tech got the best of the 8 bowls with a date against a big name brand school like Miami (FL).  Makes sense as the date is right after Christmas and that is an easy trip for La Tech fans to make.  Any other conference mates that ended up there would have probably drilled attendance.

2)  Poor Appalachian State.  Top 20 team and you're having to play a team that just got waxed by 40+ points in the CUSA Championship Game.  They deserved a date against a P5 team to showcase what they can do.  New Orleans is great & all but I bet they would rather be playing anywhere they could against a P5 team, even if it ended up with them getting moved around.

3)  Speaking of moved around, it was interesting that CUSA ended up not being in the New Mexico Bowl, which we were contractually tied to.  Instead they put in a MAC team.

4)  Basically all the bowls WE wanted to go to in the past (First Responder, Armed Forces & Independence), THIS is the year they finally all got filled by CUSA teams.  Just our luck.  Ugh.

App State could party all night and beat UAB by 21 if they wanted to.

[Big Z]

27 minutes ago, vpackrats said:

Our conference bowl line-up for this year is as follows:

Dec. 20  Bahamas Bowl              1 p.m. (ESPN)       Charlotte vs. Buffalo

Dec. 21 Boca Raton Bowl           2:30 p.m. (ABC)    Florida Atlantic vs. SMU

Dec. 21 Camellia Bowl               4:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Florida International vs Arkansas State

Dec. 21 New Orleans Bowl         8:00 p.m. (ESPN)   UAB vs. Appalachian State

Dec 23  Gasparilla Bowl             1:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Marshall vs. Central Florida

Dec 26  Independence Bowl        3:00 p.m. (ESPN)   Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (FL)

Dec 30 First Responder Bowl      11:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan

Jan 4     Armed Forces Bowl        10:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Southern Miss vs, Tulane

Thoughts?

Lol Western Kentucky  vs Western Michigan in the first responders bowl....and people on here said that a team’s location matter.

[Aquila_Viridis]

That we can’t beat enough of these crap teams to get in one of these crap bowls is a dismal statement about the state of our program. 

[Matt from A700]

19 minutes ago, Big Z said:

Lol Western Kentucky  vs Western Michigan in the first responders bowl....and people on here said that a team’s location matter.

This game sounds even worse than last year's First Responders Bowl.

[Big Z]

Just now, Matt from A700 said:

This game sounds even worse than last year's First Responders Bowl.

It’s pretty bad 

[Wag Tag]

58 minutes ago, vpackrats said:

Our conference bowl line-up for this year is as follows:

Dec. 20  Bahamas Bowl              1 p.m. (ESPN)       Charlotte vs. Buffalo

Dec. 21 Boca Raton Bowl           2:30 p.m. (ABC)    Florida Atlantic vs. SMU

Dec. 21 Camellia Bowl               4:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Florida International vs Arkansas State

Dec. 21 New Orleans Bowl         8:00 p.m. (ESPN)   UAB vs. Appalachian State

Dec 23  Gasparilla Bowl             1:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Marshall vs. Central Florida

Dec 26  Independence Bowl        3:00 p.m. (ESPN)   Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (FL)

Dec 30 First Responder Bowl      11:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan

Jan 4     Armed Forces Bowl        10:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Southern Miss vs, Tulane

Thoughts?

SMU pisssssed!

[MeanGreenWithEnvy]

App State is going to hate-whip UAB. They deserve better.

Also, SMU delivers this awesome season and gets...Boca Raton? Damn. I can’t imagine they’re very happy about it, but that’s going to be a fun game to watch. My money is on it being the star of the G5 handout games.

[Hunter Green]

1 hour ago, Mean Green Matt said:

CUSA desperately needs to earn some respect, so we need to be pulling for all of them. Especially FAU. 😉

F yes!

[Mean Green Matt]

42 minutes ago, MeanGreenWithEnvy said:

Also, SMU delivers this awesome season and gets...

Exactly what they deserved!

[Christopher Walker]

For having followed the G5 closely this year, I think the only game that is a legitimate toss-up is Charlotte and Buffalo. Everything else is going to turn up a rout of our conference.

[Mean Green Matt]

2 minutes ago, Christopher Walker said:

For having followed the G5 closely this year, I think the only game that is a legitimate toss-up is Charlotte and Buffalo. Everything else is going to turn up a rout of our conference.

Didn't Miami already lose to a CUSA team this year?  I think La Tech has a shot there.  Winning bowl games is what they do.

[Christopher Walker]

Just now, Mean Green Matt said:

Didn't Miami already lose to a CUSA team this year?  I think La Tech has a shot there.  Winning bowl games is what they do.

True Miami is in a bit of disarray both in the locker room and in schema, and Skip Holtz presents the most formidable challenge from a coaching-view. I still don't see the Canes losing this one, though.

[NT93]

0-8?

[Arkstfan]

4 hours ago, vpackrats said:

Guess I'll go first since I posted the topic.  haha. 

1)  Clearly Louisiana Tech got the best of the 8 bowls with a date against a big name brand school like Miami (FL).  Makes sense as the date is right after Christmas and that is an easy trip for La Tech fans to make.  Any other conference mates that ended up there would have probably drilled attendance.

2)  Poor Appalachian State.  Top 20 team and you're having to play a team that just got waxed by 40+ points in the CUSA Championship Game.  They deserved a date against a P5 team to showcase what they can do.  New Orleans is great & all but I bet they would rather be playing anywhere they could against a P5 team, even if it ended up with them getting moved around.

3)  Speaking of moved around, it was interesting that CUSA ended up not being in the New Mexico Bowl, which we were contractually tied to.  Instead they put in a MAC team.

4)  Basically all the bowls WE wanted to go to in the past (First Responder, Armed Forces & Independence), THIS is the year they finally all got filled by CUSA teams.  Just our luck.  Ugh.

Rumor was App was on the Belk Bowl radar but SEC didn't send as many as originally projected to NY6 so the game wasn't open.

The MAC/CUSA, New Mexico/Camellia swap was interesting. When the pool concept kicks in next year, bet CUSA is in Montgomery more often than New Mexico.

[Christopher Walker]

2 hours ago, Christopher Walker said:

True Miami is in a bit of disarray both in the locker room and in schema, and Skip Holtz presents the most formidable challenge from a coaching-view. I still don't see the Canes losing this one, though.

ESPN seems to agree with you concerning LaTech, but still only quick projects CUSA with two wins this bowl season.

[97and03]

Rooting for CUSA in all but New Orleans. 

[UNTLifer]

13 hours ago, vpackrats said:

Our conference bowl line-up for this year is as follows:

Dec. 20  Bahamas Bowl              1 p.m. (ESPN)       Charlotte vs. Buffalo

Dec. 21 Boca Raton Bowl           2:30 p.m. (ABC)    Florida Atlantic vs. SMU

Dec. 21 Camellia Bowl               4:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Florida International vs Arkansas State

Dec. 21 New Orleans Bowl         8:00 p.m. (ESPN)   UAB vs. Appalachian State

Dec 23  Gasparilla Bowl             1:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Marshall vs. Central Florida

Dec 26  Independence Bowl        3:00 p.m. (ESPN)   Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (FL)

Dec 30 First Responder Bowl      11:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan

Jan 4     Armed Forces Bowl        10:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Southern Miss vs, Tulane

Thoughts?

My early predictions:

Bahamas: Charlotte has been on a roll since beating us.  I look for them to win.

Boca Raton: SMU will win in front of less than 5,000 as the Lane Train heads west after the game.

Camellia: FIU in a toss-up.

NOLA: Appalachian State should win big.  Will they be effected by their HC leaving for Mizzou?  I will stick with App State big.  UAB is not good.

Gasparilla: UCF will hammer Marshall

Independence Bowl: Going out on a limb and picking La Tech.  If FIU can beat the U, so can La Tech.

First Responder: In front of less fans than the SMU/FAU fiasco, WKU wins.

Armed Forces: Just don't think Southern Miss can hang with Tulane. Give me the Green Wave.  Hope I am wrong.

[untjim1995]

15 hours ago, vpackrats said:

Our conference bowl line-up for this year is as follows:

Dec. 20  Bahamas Bowl              1 p.m. (ESPN)       Charlotte vs. Buffalo

Dec. 21 Boca Raton Bowl           2:30 p.m. (ABC)    Florida Atlantic vs. SMU

Dec. 21 Camellia Bowl               4:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Florida International vs Arkansas State

Dec. 21 New Orleans Bowl         8:00 p.m. (ESPN)   UAB vs. Appalachian State

Dec 23  Gasparilla Bowl             1:30 p.m. (ESPN)   Marshall vs. Central Florida

Dec 26  Independence Bowl        3:00 p.m. (ESPN)   Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (FL)

Dec 30 First Responder Bowl      11:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan

Jan 4     Armed Forces Bowl        10:30 a.m. (ESPN)  Southern Miss vs, Tulane

Thoughts?

Damn, now I see why y’all are against a G5 playoff system...when you get Bowl matchups like this, why would anyone think the G5 players, coaches, and fans want any other setup that could earn them a moniker known as National Champions??

[NorthTexasWeLove]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

Damn, now I see why y’all are against a G5 playoff system...when you get Bowl matchups like this, why would anyone think the G5 players, coaches, and fans want any other setup that could earn them a moniker known as National Champions??

A G5 playoff would be disastrous on many levels, the money making fairy tale many thinking it would/could be being one of them. 

[untjim1995]

Just now, NorthTexasWeLove said:

A G5 playoff would be disastrous on many levels, the money making fairy tale many thinking it would/could be being one of them. 

Its not about being a money making machine, its about giving your team a chance to be what ever other level of football (from Pee Wee to the NFL) provides--the opportunity to be a national champion.

You all want the Power Leagues to be forced into giving the G5s a shot. They don't have to do that. This isn't a communist setup. Why should Florida State be forced to have the equal access to FAU when they built their program up to the point of huge success on and off the field over these decades, while FAU can't even get 5000 people to attend a game? Why should UT or A&M have to provide equal footing to them when they get 100k at a game and huge TV ratings and the SBCUSA Texas teams combined cant reach those numbers if you combined all of the attendance for those 5 schools?

What this continues to boil down to is that people are embarrassed of being fans of their alma mater (like ours) that aren't included in the top level of college football. UNT fans have ALWAYS been embarrassed at parties or work when football gets brought up. Back in the SWC days, we were never allowed into the party. We then gave up and dropped down to 1-AA, killing off generations of fans. Laughed at hard by so many fellow Texans for going to a school that didn't care or matter in the one sport that unifies the state. When we moved back up, we were in a league with teams out West that nobody had heard of cared about, all while the SWC leftovers made sure we weren't in their conferences, so again, more embarrassment here. Then, the Big West disbands and we are forced to join the Sun Belt, a conference made up of startups and programs nobody around here had heard of or cared about AGAIN. And now, being in CUSA, we play Rice, UTEP, UTSA, and La Tech, teams people have heard of and care about, but we suck again just like the other Texas teams do, so again, we are just embarrassed. All this does, in my mind, is reinforce why we should be at a lower level of play than the NFL-lite programs in the Power Leagues, which also contain schools that don't belong, either. Can we play against the funding and talent combination of the AAC and MWC? Of course we can. And G5s do beat P5s enough to know it CAN happen, but if it was week in and week out, their incredible advantages of revenue streams will win out 99% of the time. They know it and our G5 administrators know it.

We can't make our embarrassment of being alumni of a school that has overwhelmingly been inept or purposefully spiteful towards football go awy by forcing UT or OU to make us even. It isn't up to them, that's on us.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

Just now, untjim1995 said:

Its not about being a money making machine, its about giving your team a chance to be what ever other level of football (from Pee Wee to the NFL) provides--the opportunity to be a national champion.

You all want the Power Leagues to be forced into giving the G5s a shot. They don't have to do that. This isn't a communist setup. Why should Florida State be forced to have the equal access to FAU when they built their program up to the point of huge success on and off the field over these decades, while FAU can't even get 5000 people to attend a game? Why should UT or A&M have to provide equal footing to them when they get 100k at a game and huge TV ratings and the SBCUSA Texas teams combined cant reach those numbers if you combined all of the attendance for those 5 schools?

What this continues to boil down to is that people are embarrassed of being fans of their alma mater (like ours) that aren't included in the top level of college football. UNT fans have ALWAYS been embarrassed at parties or work when football gets brought up. Back in the SWC days, we were never allowed into the party. We then gave up and dropped down to 1-AA, killing off generations of fans. Laughed at hard by so many fellow Texans for going to a school that didn't care or matter in the one sport that unifies the state. When we moved back up, we were in a league with teams out West that nobody had heard of cared about, all while the SWC leftovers made sure we weren't in their conferences, so again, more embarrassment here. Then, the Big West disbands and we are forced to join the Sun Belt, a conference made up of startups and programs nobody around here had heard of or cared about AGAIN. And now, being in CUSA, we play Rice, UTEP, UTSA, and La Tech, teams people have heard of and care about, but we suck again just like the other Texas teams do, so again, we are just embarrassed. All this does, in my mind, is reinforce why we should be at a lower level of play than the NFL-lite programs in the Power Leagues, which also contain schools that don't belong, either. Can we play against the funding and talent combination of the AAC and MWC? Of course we can. And G5s do beat P5s enough to know it CAN happen, but if it was week in and week out, their incredible advantages of revenue streams will win out 99% of the time. They know it and our G5 administrators know it.

We can't make our embarrassment of being alumni of a school that has overwhelmingly been inept or purposefully spiteful towards football go awy by forcing UT or OU to make us even. It isn't up to them, that's on us.

That's all great and dandy. 

But we are ALL FBS division 1 programs. WE did not set that up. The NCAA did. Therefore, we should ALL have the same real opportunity to compete for national championships. Eventually, if we don't concede, we will have the same opportunity to compete. 'G5' fans are clearly fed up with the antics of acting like real programs whether their administration treats it as a real program or not. Attendance for 'G5' football is cut and dry. The model, as it sits, is clearly not working. There are 2 choices... 1) Go full on demanding inclusion and set clear expectations to what needs to happen to the NCAA until there is a reasonable avenue for all 129 teams having a real path to a national championship, however hard that path may be OR 2) Cut the charades and all of the media made 'G5' programs needs to cut bait and go to the FCS. This teetering in between is a waste of time and not logical to continue to do. 

I, for one, will lose interest and will NEVER respect a national champion from some BS setup.