Is Sun Belt already becoming Group of 5’s best? Should AAC expectations be reset?

[Greenrex]

"It’s undoubtedly true that the AAC has been the top dog in the Group of 5 since the formation of the College Football Playoff and the guaranteed New Year’s Six spot for the G5. The AAC has earned six of those eight NY6 spots, and Cincinnati broke through as the first G5 team to make the CFP.

But I don’t really think there will be a clear No. 1 conference post-realignment. I expect we’ll have a lot of schools from different leagues contending for what will eventually be an automatic CFP berth. Some years that could be the AAC, or Mountain West, or Sun Belt, or MAC, or even Conference USA perhaps. The reality is that UCF, Houston and Cincinnati have taken five of those eight NY6/CFP spots, and they’ll move to the Big 12. There isn’t a clear No. 1 in the AAC to replace them, and the other leagues have had plenty of depth and parity."

Do you reset expectations? A bit, yes. It means the other conferences have a greater shot at getting that NY6 bid. It also opens up the AAC race a lot more, especially if SMU shows something against Maryland and TCU. Conference play will be interesting because it ultimately might serve the AAC’s future if teams like SMU, Memphis or Tulane end up near the top of the league and ahead of the future Big 12 schools. That could create some momentum for the new-look conference next year.

The article:

https://theathletic.com/3597205/2022/09/15/sun-belt-mountain-west-aac-football/?source=freedailyemail&campaign=601983

[PlummMeanGreen]

Yes, the SBC is for now, but like another poster said & I liberally paraphrase: “In this era of NIL & transfer portals such continuity among schools in the G5 may not be possible.”       
I would add conferences to the above, too.

GMG!
 

Edited September 16, 2022 by PlummMeanGreen

[El Paso Eagle]

You don't reset the goals of the conference you put steps in place to improve the teams in the conference.

[NT93]

The Sun Belt is the best G5 this week because of the high profile upsets, but I don’t think they’ll sustain it over a full season.  

[helix]

I dont know if there is enough to definitely say the top, but Sun Belt is up there.

For example, UTSA can beat Texas this weekend and maybe another upset.  Does the conversation change to the American (who UTSA joins next year) being the best.

With how much conferences and teams will be in flux over the next few years, there are too many variables to determine the best. 

[El Paso Eagle]

I think the Sun Belt has done a great job. Around the time we left many thought the Belt would fold. A good Commissioners who can get the buy in of the University Presidents is invaluable. Who knows, if CUSA get serious and actually replaces their Commissioner who knows...

Here's my take -

• App State a good win for the Belt. They are a solid program year-in and year-out (Sort of like Boise)
• Marshall's success has nothing to do with the Belt. They (Belt) get the credit but the Herd just joined this past Spring - Sort of like when Bussey transferred to Hawaii, never really played, and when he signed the UofH got the credit
• Georgia Southern beating Nebraska is sort of like when we beat Arkansas. Sounds better than it actually was because of the "name" of the school that was beat.
• James Madison - They picked up a team ready to move up that looks to have the pieces in place to be a top G5 program. Before joining the Belt they already had an Athletic Budget over 58 million

[Green Otaku]

All I know is we better have our asses ready by the time the expanded playoff starts. If you can stream a couple of appearances back to back you can really start to build a brand up. 

[NTSU52]

2 hours ago, Green Otaku said:

All I know is we better have our asses ready by the time the expanded playoff starts. If you can stream a couple of appearances back to back you can really start to build a brand up. 

The speed things move around here we’ll be ready in about 2035.

[meanJewGreen]

4 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

I think the Sun Belt has done a great job. Around the time we left many thought the Belt would fold. A good Commissioners who can get the buy in of the University Presidents is invaluable. Who knows, if CUSA get serious and actually replaces their Commissioner who knows...

Here's my take -

• App State a good win for the Belt. They are a solid program year-in and year-out (Sort of like Boise)
• Marshall's success has nothing to do with the Belt. They (Belt) get the credit but the Herd just joined this past Spring - Sort of like when Bussey transferred to Hawaii, never really played, and when he signed the UofH got the credit
• Georgia Southern beating Nebraska is sort of like when we beat Arkansas. Sounds better than it actually was because of the "name" of the school that was beat.
• James Madison - They picked up a team ready to move up that looks to have the pieces in place to be a top G5 program. Before joining the Belt they already had an Athletic Budget over 58 million

Sun Belt prioritized winning programs over metro areas too. App State, Marshall, GA Southern, James Madison, So Miss (for about 30 years) all have a solid history of winning.. and ODU has won big in other sports.  They all have hugely supportive fanbases (when winning) too. They know their niche and capitalize. 

You really cant say the same for the CUSA team going to the AAC. And yes, I include us in there too. I keep hoping we're going to break through 

 

[ttunt1970]

Calm down all ratings are cyclical and can change in a moment notice with all the crap going on!

[Mean Green 93-98]

6 minutes ago, meanJewGreen said:

Sun Belt prioritized winning programs over metro areas too.

I don't know that they did.  They just took whatever fell into their lap.  And it just so happened that C-USA, who has historically been a tier above the Sun Belt, prioritized metro areas over winning programs; so teams like App State and Louisiana-Lafayette fell into the Sun Belt's lap.

[untjim1995]

9 minutes ago, meanJewGreen said:

Sun Belt prioritized winning programs over metro areas too. App State, Marshall, GA Southern, James Madison, So Miss (for about 30 years) all have a solid history of winning.. and ODU has won big in other sports.  They all have hugely supportive fanbases (when winning) too. They know their niche and capitalize. 

You really cant say the same for the CUSA team going to the AAC. And yes, I include us in there too. I keep hoping we're going to break through 

 

This is so on point.

And of course, we would leave them and they would immediately get better and our conference would immediately go into the toilet.

Winning matters, attending fans matter, donating fans matter. Not media markets, not gigantic enrollments where very, very few care, not schools that look like they should be good but aren't.

When CUSA hired Judy to be their commissioner, it was completely a sign that winning didn't matter first. Instead, it was about a symbol to the rest of the CFB world that we were more interested in other stuff, i.e., having the first female commissioner. Never mind that she thought things like Facebook, BeIN, and Stadium were all awesome outlets for media deals, while the other leagues were playing on ESPN or CBSSports. She has been absolutely terrible--yet hasn't nor will be fired, because it will look regressive to the college Presidents in that league and the CFB media, who will then all of a sudden care about CUSA.

The SBC decided that programs like Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, and Georgia Southern would be good fits, in part, because they won big before at FCS and had solid followings. Granted, they also chose Georgia State, which looks like a school that CUSA would have, but the others have been great..

[Monkeypox]

No, because with UT-OU gone, the Big12 is now the best of the G6.

BOOM!

 

[meanJewGreen]

8 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

This is so on point.

And of course, we would leave them and they would immediately get better and our conference would immediately go into the toilet.

Winning matters, attending fans matter, donating fans matter. Not media markets, not gigantic enrollments where very, very few care, not schools that look like they should be good but aren't.

When CUSA hired Judy to be their commissioner, it was completely a sign that winning didn't matter first. Instead, it was about a symbol to the rest of the CFB world that we were more interested in other stuff, i.e., having the first female commissioner. Never mind that she thought things like Facebook, BeIN, and Stadium were all awesome outlets for media deals, while the other leagues were playing on ESPN or CBSSports. She has been absolutely terrible--yet hasn't nor will be fired, because it will look regressive to the college Presidents in that league and the CFB media, who will then all of a sudden care about CUSA.

The SBC decided that programs like Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, and Georgia Southern would be good fits, in part, because they won big before at FCS and had solid followings. Granted, they also chose Georgia State, which looks like a school that CUSA would have, but the others have been great..

Criticize her for her business dealings in CUSA, but she was more than qualified- she was an AD at Tulsa for 10 years and spent 9 years at CUSA

[El Paso Eagle]

10 minutes ago, Monkeypox said:

No, because with UT-OU gone, the Big12 is now the best of the G6.

BOOM!

 

So you think the Pac-12 is better then the Big 12 with the changes?

 

6 minutes ago, meanJewGreen said:

Criticize her for her business dealings in CUSA, but she was more than qualified- she was an AD at Tulsa for 10 years and spent 9 years at CUSA

Not sure anyone's questions her getting the job. The questions have come on the results since she has been at the head of the league. Anyway you look at it they have not been successful

[Monkeypox]

10 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

So you think the Pac-12 is better then the Big 12 with the changes?

Well, it was a joke, but no. I mean, maybe I just wasn't even including CUSA in the G-whatever anymore, and putting them in their own garbage tier.

P2, P4, G5, G12.... meh. We gotta worry about ourselves and actually beat most of what's on our schedule over a period of time.