How Much Better Is The Belt.

GrandGreen · September 18, 2007

How much better is the Belt? I don't doubt that the Belt continues to improve, but one factor that needs to be considered is the effect of the schedule. I am sure most noticed that the Belt's big victories last week were all played at home. Has there ever been another weekend were two BCS teams and a CUSA team played at Belt sites. I do think there would be a substantially greater number of wins if the ratio of home to away games improves for lower rated conference members.

SouthBendGreen · September 18, 2007

I don't know if the rate of wins would go up substantially with many more home games. I just think these teams are much improved. I really hope we catch these schools soon and help to move the belt out of the cellar of the 1-A conferences.

KingDL1 · September 18, 2007

I don't really see the improvement that the hype is suggesting. Yes I know who the conference has played.

Fla. Atlantic 1-0 2-1

Arkansas St. 0-0 1-1

Troy 0-0 1-2

Fla. International 0-0 0-3

La.-Lafayette 0-0 0-3

La.-Monroe 0-0 0-3

M. Tenn. St. 0-1 0-3

North Texas 0-0 0-2

Conference Record 4 - 18

Louisiana-Monroe got thumped by aTm 54 - 14

Middle Tennessee was destroyed by LSU 44 - 0

La.-Lafayette was embarrased by McNeese State(1AA) 38 - 17

SouthBendGreen · September 18, 2007

I don't really see the improvement that the hype is suggesting. Yes I know who the conference has played.
Fla. Atlantic 1-0 2-1
Arkansas St. 0-0 1-1
Troy 0-0 1-2
Fla. International 0-0 0-3
La.-Lafayette 0-0 0-3
La.-Monroe 0-0 0-3
M. Tenn. St. 0-1 0-3
North Texas 0-0 0-2
Conference Record 4 - 18
Louisiana-Monroe got thumped by aTm 54 - 14
Middle Tennessee was destroyed by LSU 44 - 0
La.-Lafayette was embarrased by McNeese State(1AA) 38 - 17

Not saying it's the greatest, but better. Ark State played Texas close and got screwed. MTSU got thumped by LSU but so did VA Tech and the Blue Raiders also played Louisvill real tight. Troy lost to Florida, but they still might be the best team in the country and then killed Okie State. Not to mention FAU over Minnesota. I'm just saying the teams are better than they have been. Granted that might not be saying much.

NT80 · September 18, 2007

How much better is the Belt? I don't doubt that the Belt continues to improve, but one factor that needs to be considered is the effect of the schedule. I am sure most noticed that the Belt's big victories last week were all played at home. Has there ever been another weekend were two BCS teams and a CUSA team played at Belt sites. I do think there would be a substantially greater number of wins if the ratio of home to away games improves for lower rated conference members.

Good point about the home games. I'll also point out the teams that the SBC beat (Minn, OSU, and SMUt) are not Top25 programs this year. Minnesota's (1-2) only win was in 3 OTs to Miami of Ohio. OSU is 1-2 and SMUt is 1-2.

Edited September 18, 2007 by NT80

FirefightnRick · September 18, 2007

A list of WHO GOT EMBARRASSED, THUMPED or DESTROYED BY:

#5 Michigan lost to App St a 1-AA program, just like ULL lost to McNeese.

.......................39-7 to Oregon

Notre Dame lost 33-3 to Georgia Tech

.........................31-10 to #14 Penn St.

.........................38-0 to Michigan

Miami lost 51-13 to oU

Virginia Tech lost 48-7 to LSU

Duke lost to 45-14 to U Conn

Baylor lost 24-0 to tcu

Iowa St. lost 23-14 to Kent State, yeah, ISU is not suppose to be that good, they then turned around and beat Iowa this past weekend.

Ok state lost to Georgia 35-15, then to Troy 41-23

Oregon St lost to Cincy 34-3.

#16 Auburn lost to South Florida 26-23 in overtime.

Syracuse lost 42-12 to Washington

....................35-0 to Iowa

....................41-20 to Illinois

Maryland lost 34-14 to W. Virginia.

Minnesota lost 32-31 to Bowling Green

....................41-35 to Miami(OH)

.....................42-39 to FAU

UCLA lost 42-6 to Utah.

Washington lost 33-14 to Ohio St.

Wazzu lost 42-21 to Wisconsin

Ol Miss lost 31-17 to Vanderbilt

Miss St lost 45-0 to LSU, then turned around and beat Auburn two weeks later.

Tennessee lost 59-20 to Florida

Those are some major money programs in the major money conferences with surprising losses and outright asswhippings. You can't judge a conference simply by it's losses in order to get a read on it's growth. The belt has grown by leaps and bounds in it's 6 1/2 years of infancy. To say otherwise is incorrect.

Rick

KingDL1 · September 18, 2007

Except the Belt has only won 3 games this season outside the conference.

As a conference the belt has by far the worst record, least wins, and some of the worst loses.

Michigan? I don't think there is a team in the Belt that could come close to beating them even this year.

Florida International lost to Miami 9 - 23.

Not sure what your point is? Just because there are some other teams that are not having a particularly good year that means the Belt has massively improved.

I don't know how much if any the belt has improved. But the reasons listed are kind of a hollow argument and are not real proof of anything.

FirefightnRick · September 18, 2007

Except the Belt has only won 3 games this season outside the conference.
As a conference the belt has by far the worst record, least wins, and some of the worst loses.
Michigan? I don't think there is a team in the Belt that could come close to beating them even this year.
Florida International lost to Miami 9 - 23.
Not sure what your point is? Just because there are some other teams that are not having a particularly good year that means the Belt has massively improved.
I don't know how much if any the belt has improved. But the reasons listed are kind of a hollow argument and are not real proof of anything.

My point is, if your talking to me, is that there is positives to look at with the belt. Sure, you can point to all the negatives and ignore the positives all you want, I did the same with the BCS conferences in pointing out all of their negatives. If you were at their level, at one of those schools, say from Syracuse, you would have hung yourself by now?

Rick

KingDL1 · September 18, 2007

My point is, if your talking to me, is that there is positives to look at with the belt. Sure, you can point to all the negatives and ignore the positives all you want, I did the same with the BCS conferences in pointing out all of their negatives. If you were at their level, at one of those schools, say from Syracuse, you would have hung yourself by now?
Rick

Rick,

I am not trying throw the Belt under the bus, and I think some teams have become better as others have slid. I hope the belt does better, but if you get a way from us homers it will be a tough argument to make.

Personally I am a bit bias because if the belt has not become much better, the more likely I can cheer TD and company on in the NO Bowl this year.

NT80 · September 18, 2007

I see more parity in 1-A this year than most. Sure, you still have your 10 best mega-teams and 10 worst cellar-dwellers, but the other 100 teams are more even than most years. Don't forget Nichols State over Rice and New Hampshire over Marshall recently.

Edited September 18, 2007 by NT80

foutsrouts · September 18, 2007

A list of WHO GOT EMBARRASSED, THUMPED or DESTROYED BY:
#5 Michigan lost to App St a 1-AA program, just like ULL lost to McNeese.
.......................39-7 to Oregon
Notre Dame lost 33-3 to Georgia Tech
.........................31-10 to #14 Penn St.
.........................38-0 to Michigan
Miami lost 51-13 to oU
Virginia Tech lost 48-7 to LSU
Duke lost to 45-14 to U Conn
Baylor lost 24-0 to tcu
Iowa St. lost 23-14 to Kent State, yeah, ISU is not suppose to be that good, they then turned around and beat Iowa this past weekend.
Ok state lost to Georgia 35-15, then to Troy 41-23
Oregon St lost to Cincy 34-3.
#16 Auburn lost to South Florida 26-23 in overtime.
Syracuse lost 42-12 to Washington
....................35-0 to Iowa
....................41-20 to Illinois
Maryland lost 34-14 to W. Virginia.
Minnesota lost 32-31 to Bowling Green
....................41-35 to Miami(OH)
.....................42-39 to FAU
UCLA lost 42-6 to Utah.
Washington lost 33-14 to Ohio St.
Wazzu lost 42-21 to Wisconsin
Ol Miss lost 31-17 to Vanderbilt
Miss St lost 45-0 to LSU, then turned around and beat Auburn two weeks later.
Tennessee lost 59-20 to Florida
Those are some major money programs in the major money conferences with surprising losses and outright asswhippings. You can't judge a conference simply by it's losses in order to get a read on it's growth. The belt has grown by leaps and bounds in it's 6 1/2 years of infancy. To say otherwise is incorrect.
Rick

Agreed. There's no doubt in my mind that The Belt is improving. If we followed the lead of some of the BCS schools and played some of the Woffords, Charleston Southerns, and Northern Iowas of the world our record would be much better at this point. Unfortunately, all of the SBC wallets require a couple of 500k paydays right off the bat to pay the bills. I doubt that will change much anytime soon.