How Bout That Sunbelt Conference?

FirefightnRick · December 22, 2007

Tying C-USA this year at 4-4 after finishing with a winning record against them last year? Is that right?

Not bad matching C-USA two years in a row after only 6 seasons.

Rick

Edited December 22, 2007 by FirefightnRick

CMJ · December 22, 2007

And 3-3 all time vs CUSA in the NOB.

buff64 · December 22, 2007

Congradulations are in order for FAU.,and they all return next year.

StealthEagle84 · December 22, 2007

Not to mention the Belt had two huge wins this season in Troy over OK State and LA-Monroe over Alabama. These are wins not only over BCS conference schools, but bowl teams from those conferences. Granted OSU and Bama had "down" years but still impressive. Troy has really started something solid with their program and I thought I heard FAU is only losing one starter. With our recruiting class, the Belt looks to continue to gain strenght over the years. Great year for the Sun Belt Conference.

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

And 3-3 all time vs CUSA in the NOB.

That is the sunbelt Champion VS the CUSA #4 or #5 team. The argument really is with the wins and losses during the regular season.

MeanGreen61 · December 22, 2007

That is the sunbelt Champion VS the CUSA #4 or #5 team. The argument really is with the wins and losses during the regular season.

Actually Cincy was the CUSA co-champ in '02 when they lost to the Mean Green :rolleyes:

badgerwolf · December 22, 2007

FFR -- I enjoy your positive posts; keep it up, Guy!!!

Go SBC Football !!!!

ADLER · December 22, 2007

That is the sunbelt Champion VS the CUSA #4 or #5 team. The argument really is with the wins and losses during the regular season.

Well, I guess that's proof enough that North Texas football has been just as good as Southern Mississippi this decade, ya know, since we never met in the regular season and bowl games for some reason don't count. Do you have any other interesting theories to share? Are there any more of these interesting date restrictions that should apply? What about games played on holiday weekends? Do weather conditions also apply to your formulas?

Weren't all the SBC victories this year against bowl teams from CUSA? Since Memphis played against multiple teams from both conferences, wouldn't that be the best measure for league comparisons?

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

Actually Cincy was the CUSA co-champ in '02 when they lost to the Mean Green

Ya'll love this... the CUSA champ goes to memphis. TCU had a better record then Cincy that year (6-1 vs 6-2) so they went to the liberty bowl as the conference champs and won.

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

Well, I guess that's proof enough that North Texas football has been just as good as Southern Mississippi this decade, ya know, since we never met in the regular season and bowl games for some reason don't count. Do you have any other interesting theories to share? Are there any more of these interesting date restrictions that should apply? What about games played on holiday weekends? Do weather conditions also apply to your formulas?
Weren't all the SBC victories this year against bowl teams from CUSA? Since Memphis played against multiple teams from both conferences, wouldn't that be the best measure for league comparisons?

Both Conferences SUCK.... So we really are talking about who sucks the most. Talk all you want to about CUSA and the Sunbelt but the Belt sucks worse. Just look at who is still playing. The Sunbelt sends 1 only 1 team to post season play. only 2 qualified.

untbowler · December 22, 2007

Both Conferences SUCK.... So we really are talking about who sucks the most. Talk all you want to about CUSA and the Sunbelt but the Belt sucks worse. Just look at who is still playing. The Sunbelt sends 1 only 1 team to post season play. only 2 qualified.

Please have your facts correct if your going to rip the conference, there were 3 Sun Belt Teams Bowl eligible.

FAU, Troy, and ULM

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

Please have your facts correct if your going to rip the conference, there were 3 Sun Belt Teams Bowl eligible.
FAU, Troy, and ULM

You are kidding...

really you want to point that out... OK let me go back and rethink.... Nope Didnt change my mind the sunbelt Still SUCKS more...

But I decided to add that 2/3 of your "bowl eligible teams did not go bowling while 100% of CUSA Bowl eligible teams are going bowling.

Yep both conferences still suck.

Ok and someone will start with their useless percentages in 3.....2.......1.......

Mean Green Matt · December 22, 2007

It doesn't really matter which conference has more teams in bowl games. Yeah, CUSA has more connections to bowls, but it really comes down to who wins the games.

The Sun Belt had a WINNING RECORD last year against cusa and tied them this year. Regardless, CUSA is just gonna act like smu did when we beat them in 2006, they are gonna keep talking trash, but 1 on 1 can't back it up.

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

Clearly I am not doing a very good job of communicating... This board continues to compare itself to CUSA. Most of the Mid majors are only 10-15 years old. Yet FFR (who I mostly agree with) in his opening thread spoke to the sunblet "only" being 6 years old. Well who cares in the context of CUSA being 12 years old. Both are pups.... Both still suck in Football.

Edited December 22, 2007 by AnotherEagleFan

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

It doesn't really matter which conference has more teams in bowl games. Yeah, CUSA has more connections to bowls, but it really comes down to who wins the games.
The Sun Belt had a WINNING RECORD last year against cusa and tied them this year. Regardless, CUSA is just gonna act like smu did when we beat them in 2006, they are gonna keep talking trash, but 1 on 1 can't back it up.

Ok well.... nanny nanny boo boo to you too.

BTW... If you had the wins then you would also have the bowl games. And believe me as someone does not have a dog in the SMU UNT fight. (well actually I cheer for UNT) UNT acts much worse on the message boards. UNT is usually the instigator.

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

One more thing and I will let it die. The Sunbelt wins (all but 1) came against a very weak Memphis. The other SMU. Memphis only beat one team with a winning record this year. My Southern Miss Golden Eagles. And Southern Miss had a very poor year. So how about this for a "spin".... out of 6 CUSA teams the Sunbelt played the Sunbelt could only beat 2. Of the 6 Sunbelt teams that CUSA played we beat 4. So the Sunbelt is better then Memphis but not better then CUSA.

Do I believe this??? No. it is a load of crap.... Mid Major's as a group are not very good. No matter how you split the group. That is why you cannot compare Mid Major conferances.

Merry Christmas and good luck in Basketball....... I'm sure that I will make a few games.

MeanGreen61 · December 22, 2007

Ya'll love this... the CUSA champ goes to memphis. TCU had a better record then Cincy that year (6-1 vs 6-2) so they went to the liberty bowl as the conference champs and won.

WRONG, you need to check AGAIN in between you blank,blank suxs post. Cincy and TCU both had 6-2 records in conference games. TCU lost to Cincy and ECU. With identical records, they were co-champs and Cincy did defeat TCU 36-29. Liberty gets first pick of CUSA teams, can take who they want and took TCU.

AnotherEagleFan · December 22, 2007

WRONG, you need to check AGAIN in between you blank,blank suxs post. Cincy and TCU both had 6-2 records in conference games. TCU lost to Cincy and ECU. With identical records, they were co-champs and Cincy did defeat TCU 36-29. Liberty gets first pick of CUSA teams, can take who they want and took TCU.

And that changes the argument how??? That you can beat a "CO Champion" once in 6 years. that is much much better then 0 in 6 years.....

It does not change the point of discussion at all...... How about I go ahead and say that The Sunbelt is better then CUSA.... Where does that get you?????

THINK BIG PICTURE.... not little meaningless facts.

FirefightnRick · December 22, 2007

And that changes the argument how???

That you were wrong.

Not to change the subject, but I must have missed it. Why was Bowers forced out/resigned? 14 straight winning seasons and now he's leaving and his wife didn't seem too happy talking about it on the sideline today but still gave the fans a classy thank you. Just curious.

Rick

NT80 · December 23, 2007

That you were wrong.
Not to change the subject, but I must have missed it. Why was Bowers forced out/resigned? 14 straight winning seasons and now he's leaving and his wife didn't seem too happy talking about it on the sideline today but still gave the fans a classy thank you. Just curious.
Rick

She seemed pretty miffed that a man who gave his life to USM as player, asst coach, and coach was forced to resign during a season they are going to another Bowl. Lou Holtz on the ESPN college show said he normally doesn't call out ADs but felt Bowers was wronged on this move. Have to agree, and I think you'll see USM drop off the next couple years, at least with an unproven new coach.

Edited December 23, 2007 by NT80

stebo · December 23, 2007

First of all - we are only comparing the Belt to CUSA - not to the entire football landscape. Why? Because that is the conference that passed us by when we badly wanted in. So - has the Belt passed CUSA by? That depends at how you look at it. I would say in terms of talent - yes. I would say that FAU, Troy, and maybe even ULM could beat pretty much any team in CUSA this year given a home field advantage. The bottom of the Belt is bad but I do not see a huge disparity between UNT and SMU, we will both get better. But the entire conference used to be that bad. There were years when only one team was bowl eligible and we had to cross our fingers that they won the conference. I went into the game last night, not worried about the outcome (I knew that FAU would win) - but about the attendance.

As far as CUSA, they are on the decline. They have been picked off and the teams that are left are kind of like the new WAC teams, cellar dwellars that never seem to get above water. The Florida schools just have so much damn money that it is scary how good they could get. And yes, you can buy a good football team in this age - more than ever.

USM officials are complete morons forr letting Bower go. With RV's ties to USM, if this had happened a year ago - we would be welcoming him as our new coach. People forget how bad USM was for so long. They also forget that we used to be conference mates together.

Back to the CUSA/Sun Belt comparisons - Finally - if you don't believe me (about the talent) - just look at the rankings. The Belt is ranked over CUSA. If our provisional member of WKY was counted this year then we would be ranked even higher over them. I do not see the trend going back. FAU is not losing anyone - they have the majority of their team coming back. Troy is always going to be good. ULM is finally competitive, they have now been bowl eligible for two seasons. MTSU had so many problems this year that it is a miracle they won as many as they did - they will come back strong. ASU is a solid program with a great coach and they will be better as always. Western has a great plan and will be the next Troy, they are scary good for being a IA provisional member. NT is going to get better... as soon as we stop giving up all the points we will win, we scored enough to win every game this year except the two money games. ULL and FIU are question marks in my head - but FIU has the money factor on their side. Guess who has the highest athletic budget in the Belt? That would be FIU. ULL has made another commitment to Ricky Bustle... I have no idea why. Maybe they cannot afford to buy him out of his contract, maybe they really believe that he can win there. All that I know is that the Cajuns are a GREAT conference mate and I am proud to be in the Sun Belt with them. There is so much infighting within CUSA - nobody really likes each other. Nobody really wants to be there.... they just don't have any other options at the moment. I think thatthe majority of the Belt is oroud of what we have built and wants to see this thing through. A couple of our younger fans don't understand our affection for the Belt; but I don't expect them to... they were not around when the Big West dissolved and left us as an orphan.

UNTLifer · December 23, 2007

One more thing and I will let it die. The Sunbelt wins (all but 1) came against a very weak Memphis. The other SMU. Memphis only beat one team with a winning record this year. My Southern Miss Golden Eagles. And Southern Miss had a very poor year. So how about this for a "spin".... out of 6 CUSA teams the Sunbelt played the Sunbelt could only beat 2. Of the 6 Sunbelt teams that CUSA played we beat 4. So the Sunbelt is better then Memphis but not better then CUSA.
Do I believe this??? No. it is a load of crap.... Mid Major's as a group are not very good. No matter how you split the group. That is why you cannot compare Mid Major conferances.
Merry Christmas and good luck in Basketball....... I'm sure that I will make a few games.

Thanks for coming to our board with bad facts, a bad attitude and for telling us we are worse than SMUt fans. I'm sure there is a USM board waiting for your words of wisdom that would be more welcoming.

untgeorge · December 23, 2007

That is the sunbelt Champion VS the CUSA #4 or #5 team.
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Memphis was 6-2 in conference and that record tied for 2nd best conference record. 4th pick does not necessarily mean 4th place.

CajunNation · December 23, 2007

ULL has made another commitment to Ricky Bustle... I have no idea why. Maybe they cannot afford to buy him out of his contract, maybe they really believe that he can win there

We gave him one more year. That's all. We had the money to buy him out, but decided to not do it due to the fact that we are getting a new university president next spring and thought it would be best if the AD and the president were on the same page as far as who the new coach would be.

Bustle has one year. That's it. Winning season, or he's gone.

There are also a lot of new faces in the athletic department with a lot of new ideas. You people have absoultely no idea how much our president of the last 30 years has held us back athletically. There are A LOT of things going on in Lafayette behind the scenes right now that are changing the face of the university. Big time money is flowing in and Big time changes are being made to the way the athletic department does business.

We are tickling the dragon's tail........

Edited December 23, 2007 by CajunNation

stebo · December 23, 2007

Out of all of the conference mates, UL is the one that I absolutely want to stay alligned with. When it comes to Univ Presidents holding us back, we TOTALLY understand.