CUSA perception - ESPN poll

[jdennis82]

Granted, there are only 1500 votes or so, but an ESPN Sportnation poll currently ranks the CFB conferences as follows (you have to vote to see results, I think):

1.SEC

2.Pac-12

3.Big Ten

4.Big 12

5.ACC

6.AAC

7.Mountain West

8.Conference USA

9.Mid-American

10.Sun Belt

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/11369294/college-football-conferences

I wouldn't rank things the same but I thought it an interesting barometer of the league's reputation. I was a bit surprised to see us ranked ahead of the MAC largely because of Jordan Lynch and Northern Illinois' recent success. I'd love to see R. Cato carry the CUSA flag similarly in 2014.

[oldguystudent]

1500 is more than enough for a confident sample. It's a perception poll, not a hard numbers statistical performance poll. I think it's just about right. Thing about the MAC is that even though it's certainly enjoying some success, it's just not a conference that many people have heard of. The Sun Belt is the Sun Belt. I perceived that conference as little more than a halfway house for nearly dead transients back in the 90s. My perception hasn't improved much other that it simply outlasting the hapless WAC. Of course, now that they've got the craptastic touch of Karl Benson, they could be on their way.

[meaniegreenie]

Yeah, an interesting follow-up question to those polled is to name 5 teams in C-USA.

[untjim1995]

I actually think its surprising that CUSA ranked above the MAC, even though I think we are better than them. The MAC is the B1G-lite, slower, rust belt schools that are located in a lot of struggling states.

I'm just so thankful that SMU left to go the AAC. WIthout their leaving, we are still stuck in the SBC, albeit a watered-down version. Just imagine playing in the SBC today, but with teams like Georgia State, South Alabama, and Idaho as conference mates instead of MUTS, WKU, or UTSA, who I'm sure would have still gotten invited even if SMU stayed behind. SMUs situation improved and so did ours--not often you get to say that about two schools in the same market.