Two Belt teams to go bowling?

[stebo]

According to CFN, they predict Troy to win the Belt and go to the New Orleans Bowl and for the MUTS to get an at large bid to the Motor City Bowl because the Big 10 cannot fill all of their spots and any at large spots must go to a 7 win team over a 6 win team according to NCAA rules

http://cfn.scout.com/2/557866.html

My how the Belt has grown up! 4 bowl eligible teams with 2 going bowling!

Edited November 26, 2006 by stebo

[PlummMeanGreen]

According to CFN, they predict Troy to win the Belt and go to the New Orleans Bowl and for the MUTS to get an at large bid to the Motor City Bowl because the Big 10 cannot fill all of their spots and any at large spots must go to a 7 win team over a 6 win team according to NCAA rules 

http://cfn.scout.com/2/557866.html

My how the Belt has grown up!  4 bowl eligible teams with 2 going bowling!

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If this really happens, this is very good news for the SBC (who can use some good news after yesterday's home attendance figures across the 'Belt).

Of course, the Rice/SMU game didn't exactly pack em' in down at Rice Stadium, either, now did they?

[GrandGreen]

I guess I am the only one that does not think the Belt has significantly improved. Imo there are more teams Bowl eligible due to 12 games and additional conference games than any subtantial overall improvement in the league. Imo the two best Belt teams so far were the 2003 and 2004 NT teams with no others that close. I thought the MUTs may have reached that level but they have come apart at the end.

[shaft]

Yes, your the only one. The SBC has clearly improved, more teams with .500 or better records.

[MeanMag]

I actually count 3 teams according to that link

ULALA is directly above MTSU in the Hawaii Bowl

MTSU is in the Motor City Bowl

and TROY in the New Orleans Bowl

[gksmith]

I would love to see more then one team go bowling. More money for the conference schools.

Just because a team is eligible does not mean they automatically go. There have been a few years SBC eligible schools have been snubed.

[GrandGreen]

Yes, your the only one.  The SBC has clearly improved, more teams with .500 or better records.

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If the Belt has clearly improved how about a little more analysis then your more teams with .500 records. Let me help you out.

Troy 6-5 1-4 non conf record with victory over Tennessee Tech

Muts 7-5 1-4 non conf record with victory over Alabama State

ASU 6-6 2-3 non conf record with wins over Army (sag rating 105), Memphis (sag rating 109)

ULL 6-5 3-2 non conf record with wins over E. Michigan, NC A&T and probably the Belt's most impressive victory over Houston.

The sagarin ratings for the Belt are Muts 78, Troy 104, ULL 118, ASU 119, ULM, FAU 131, ULM 133, NT 155 and FIU 186

As much as I would like to believe that the Belt is getting stronger, I fail to see any support other then self-serving statements made by Belt representatives.

[NT03]

If the Belt has clearly improved how about a little more analysis then your more teams with .500 records.   Let me help you out.

Troy 6-5  1-4 non conf record with victory over Tennessee Tech

Muts 7-5  1-4 non conf record with victory over Alabama State

ASU  6-6  2-3 non conf record with wins over Army (sag rating 105), Memphis (sag rating 109)

ULL  6-5   3-2 non conf record with wins over E. Michigan, NC A&T and probably the Belt's most impressive victory over Houston.

The sagarin ratings for the Belt are Muts 78, Troy 104, ULL 118, ASU 119, ULM, FAU 131, ULM 133, NT 155 and FIU 186

As much as I would like to believe that the Belt is getting stronger, I  fail to see any support other then self-serving statements made by Belt representatives.

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I dont think the rest of the BELT is improving that much , slowly would be more like it , but it's more that we have DECLINED that much.

The Belt reputation ( or lack there of) could take a major hit if we get 3 in and all lose , or could start gaining respect if all WIN.

Edited November 27, 2006 by NT03

[stebo]

The Belt is getting better. Four teams with more then 6 wins. No losses to IAA teams this year. Quality wins over SMU, Memphis, Houston, Army, and E Michigan would not have been there in the past either. To top it off, this past week the attendance was low at a couple of Belt schools but as a whole, we are all averaging MUCH higher attendance (across the board) then in previous years. If we get three teams into bowl games and win one or two, the Belt's reputation will go way up. Things are much better in the Belt, much better.

[Texas Stranger]

Here's a thought.....the MUTS's win over us gets them in a bowl, while SMU's loss to us keeps them out.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

Here's a thought.....the MUTS's win over us gets them in a bowl, while SMU's loss to us keeps them out.

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Since my hatred for SMU is much more than my hatred for the MUTS I somehow take comfort in that after this season.

[FirefightnRick]

It took the MAC 14 years before they would FIRST see two teams go bowling in the same season(1961). It took them nearly 40 years later for it to happen again.

For the Sun Belt to possibly have it happen twice in it's first 5 years is certainly a sign of growth and improvement.

Rick

[LongJim]

The quality of football in the SBC has gone up dramatically. No question. There used to be a real lack of quality skill players in the SBC, but there are now quite a few. Strength and conditioning/quality of athletes is continuing to improve.

[Cowtown]

the horn frogs must be really excited about potentiallly playing ULL.

TCU goes 10-2 and gets the Belts 5th place team.

funny.

[Smitty]

ESPN's Ivan Maisel and Mark Schlabach are projecting two Sun Belt teams to bowls: Troy to the New Orleans Bowl against East Carolina, and Middle Tennesse to the Motor City Bowl against Central Michigan.

Hawaii's opponent in the Hawaii Bowl is expected to be UCLA or Arizona.

Rice, by beating SMU last week, is projected to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl against TCU or Utah.

Schlabach is predicting a Texas-Arkansas game in the Cotton Bowl. That would be amusing.

[Eagle1855]

Schlabach is predicting a Texas-Arkansas game in the Cotton Bowl. That would be amusing.

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Agreed. I think that represents a nightmare of a game for Texas, if thats the case (assuming Arkansas loses to Florida, which Im not convinced Flordia can beat Arkansas).

From what I read, the Gator Bowl may snag Texas leaving the loser of the Big12 game to the Cotton Bowl. Apparently every 4 years the Gator Bowl gets to select a team from the Big 12 ahead of the Cotton in some arrangement they have with the conference, with that agreement falling on this year. That would likely send A&M to the Holiday Bowl and Tech to the Alamo to play Iowa.

Edited November 27, 2006 by Eagle1855