Herd schedule watered down?

[Harry]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Marshall fans are going to hear it all autumn, especially if their team enjoys its best overall record in 11 years.

And they'll hear it if the Thundering Herd shakes its eight-year history of bouncing between 3-5 and 5-3 in Conference USA games. They'll hear it even louder if the Herd plays for the league championship.

In light of the latest realignment plate-shifting, the phrase already reverberates around the college football world.

Watered down. As in C-USA. As in Marshall's schedule.

To hear some tell it, the Herd's path to league contention is not only watered down, it's waterlogged. MAC-like, even.

With youthful programs such as Texas-San Antonio, Florida International and Florida Atlantic, the supposedly improved Marshall team has an eight-game cakewalk after September, right?

If a few preseason polls and prognostications are to be believed - and that's all we have until the first kickoff - the Herd's league schedule rates about the same, if not a teensy bit tougher than it otherwise would be.

Believe it? Read on and you make the call.

After eight years of stability, C-USA bid farewell to defending East Division champion Central Florida, Southern Methodist, Houston and Memphis, now residents of the American Athletic Conference. Coming on board are UTSA, FIU, FAU, Middle Tennessee, North Texas and Louisiana Tech.

Of course, Marshall can't play everybody in a 14-team league, and it won't play five teams in what seems to be an inferior West Division. Then again, the Herd plays prohibitive West favorite Tulsa, on the road with a short week to prepare.

To compare, let's look at the schedule that might have been, had there been no realignment. The schedule to peruse is not that of 2012, but rather 2009.

Why? The 2013 league matchups would have followed the C-USA rotation set in 2005 and renewed in 2009. In the 12-team setup, each team had three cross-division games per year, neatly rotated so that all East teams would face all West teams twice in a four-year span, home and away.

In 2009, Marshall played division rivals UCF, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham and East Carolina as usual. From the West Division, the Herd played SMU at home and Texas-El Paso and Tulane on the road.

This fall, the East Division includes Southern Miss, UAB and ECU, along with newbies Middle Tennessee, FIU and FAU. MU's cross-division foes are UTSA at home and Tulsa on the road.

Read more: http://www.wvgazette.com/Sports/201308010194?page=1

[NM Green]

While I do expect the Herd to be tough this year I really do think they are taking the South Florida twins a bit lightly. They will pummel the dirty birds from South Texas nicely but they might be tested more than they think they are going to be.

I could see them playing in the championship game. Get there NT and it will be reminiscent of those playoff days in the 80's!

GMG

[10Eagle10]

in what seems to be an inferior West Division.

WHAT?!? Every time I look at the divisions, I consider the East to be the inferior side. What gives? Am I taking crazy pills?

Tulsa is probably the best and they reside in the West, Rice is possibly the hottest, and they reside in the West. LaTech usually has some salty teams and should have a really explosive offense despite losses on both the roster and coaching staff.

In the East, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, and UAB are gimme wins whereas the only gimme in the West is UTSA, and I think the roadrunners are going to be better than Atlantic and UAB. True, UTEP and North Texas are probably considered less than par by other teams in the east, but we know that we're better than the Florida's and UAB without a doubt. we're gonna beat muts this year too and southern miss