starting to see a consistent message. hope it resonates

[itgoeslike]

I'm sorry, but UCF is not a national draw. They may be some day and completely deserved everything they earned last year. That being said, no one outside of AAC and hardcore college football fans knew what UCF accomplished last year. If they had beat S. Carolina last year, they would have had a claim to the championship game. Yet, a one loss Auburn team still would have been selected to play FSU.

IMO - Baylor was a bigger draw than UCF the casual college football fan.

Both teams have a limited national following. However, a Boise State (G5) vs. Oklahoma rematch would garner solid ratings, which is contrary to the point that was made earlier.

 

[upstater]

I'm not sure if I can go that far. . .. I think the 8-team conference with WVU et al was much better top to bottom than they were given credit for. But I do agree that UCF, ECU, Navy and an improving Houston and SMU not only routinely beat P5 teams as of late, but play at the same level of many of the teams that departed.

WV was really good back then but UCF played just as well last year. Remember, teams like Pitt and Cuse were sucking up the joint. USF, Cincy and UConn are the holdovers. The question is, can UCF and East Carolina be like WV and Louisville. I am pretty confident that Houston and SMU can do a Pitt and Syracuse at the very least.

 

[Adios]

You are talking about how great the AAC is. So I could only assume you want UConn to stay there forever.

Dude, no schools wants to stay in the AAC together. Expansion is going to happen. We'll land on our feet somewhere. I don't mind staying in the Hockey East.

 

[dayooper]

Just to be clear, most of the fans here feel the ex-CUSA schools are the equals of the old BE teams that left, and that the level of competition hasn't dropped. Much of our perception is based on competition against all these schools, and competition against some B1G schools like Indiana and Michigan, or many of the ACC schools, or Vanderbilt and South Carolina in the SEC, or Iowa St. and Baylor. UConn has lost some and won some, held its own. Which is about what it did in the old BE.

I agree that the AAC has no heavyweights like OSU, but after you get passed the top 2, the rest of the schedule is not all that different.

I believe that The AAC is underrated. That being said, Tulsa, Tulane, Memphis, and Temple are no where near what most of the otherP5 conference teams are. I know UConn should have beat Michigan last year, but they didn't. This team, along with the 2008/09 teams, was widely consider one of the worse teams since 1928/29. Last years Michigan team, like most of the Big10 (sans Purdue, Division II Grand Valley St might have been competitive with that mess) would have beaten those teams.

I understand you think The Big10 is horrific football conference, and I have no problem with that. I completely disagree that the bottom of The AAC is even close to the middle of the Big10. Tulsa had a hard time in The CUSA and Temple's only success were the MAC years (and they never played in a MAC championship in their four year conference affiliation). Even Tulane has been mediocre in CUSA.

The AAC has some good football programs (UCF and Cinci) and I love the ECU add. I believe that UConn, much like Michigan, will improve this year. Houston and SMU have potential to be very good too. The bottom is a mess, though.

 

[dayooper]

Both teams have a limited national following. However, a Boise State (G5) vs. Oklahoma rematch would garner solid ratings, which is contrary to the point that was made earlier.

Agree 100%

 

[dayooper]

WV was really good back then but UCF played just as well last year. Remember, teams like Pitt and Cuse were sucking up the joint. USF, Cincy and UConn are the holdovers. The question is, can UCF and East Carolina be like WV and Louisville. I am pretty confident that Houston and SMU can do a Pitt and Syracuse at the very least.

UCF had a great season. The question is, can they keep it up? They were up and down in C-USA, never quite having the season they did last. They have a good coach in O'Leary and a tremendous recruiting base. Replacing the #3 pick in The NFL Draft will be the key for this year. If they can, they will be fine.

 

[pj]

IMO - Baylor was a bigger draw than UCF the casual college football fan.

Yes, but again, this was UCF's first appearance on the national stage. If they keep coming back, they'll gather more interest, just like Boise State did.

 

[upstater]

I believe that The AAC is underrated. That being said, Tulsa, Tulane, Memphis, and Temple are no where near what most of the otherP5 conference teams are. I know UConn should have beat Michigan last year, but they didn't. This team, along with the 2008/09 teams, was widely consider one of the worse teams since 1928/29. Last years Michigan team, like most of the Big10 (sans Purdue, Division II Grand Valley St might have been competitive with that mess) would have beaten those teams.

I understand you think The Big10 is horrific football conference, and I have no problem with that. I completely disagree that the bottom of The AAC is even close to the middle of the Big10. Tulsa had a hard time in The CUSA and Temple's only success were the MAC years (and they never played in a MAC championship in their four year conference affiliation). Even Tulane has been mediocre in CUSA.

The AAC has some good football programs (UCF and Cinci) and I love the ECU add. I believe that UConn, much like Michigan, will improve this year. Houston and SMU have potential to be very good too. The bottom is a mess, though.

I don't think the B1g is a horrific conference. You must be confusing me with someone else. I think you have 4 heavyweights, and a Nebraska school that will struggle mightily to stay out of the middle because college football has changed.

But you're a 14 team conference, and at most, teams will play 2 or 3 of the heavy weights.

As for Iowa and Minnesota and Indiana and Purdue and Northwestern and the like, I don't see a great deal of difference.

That was my entire point.

I said the power conferences have differences at the very top, but beyond that, things even out.

 

[dayooper]

Yes, but again, this was UCF's first appearance on the national stage. If they keep coming back, they'll gather more interest, just like Boise State did.

What is Boise St's interest now? UCF has to dominate The AAC and win multiple games against big programs. They had one win against a known school, one that was dealing from sanctions. If they can do that, they will garner attention from a larger area. Being 3rd in Florida (with a very difficult path to be higher) will hinder their national recognition.

 

[dayooper]

I don't think the B1g is a horrific conference. You must be confusing me with someone else. I think you have 4 heavyweights, and a Nebraska school that will struggle mightily to stay out of the middle because college football has changed.

But you're a 14 team conference, and at most, teams will play 2 or 3 of the heavy weights.

As for Iowa and Minnesota and Indiana and Purdue and Northwestern and the like, I don't see a great deal of difference.

That was my entire point.

I said the power conferences have differences at the very top, but beyond that, things even out.

I agree, to a certain point. The middle tier teams are similar in team strength. The bottom teams aren't. I believe that Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, and Rutgers are quite a bit better than Temple, Tulsa, Tulane, and Memphis.

 

[kibblesnbits]

I'm sorry, but UCF is not a national draw. They may be some day and completely deserved everything they earned last year. That being said, no one outside of AAC and hardcore college football fans knew what UCF accomplished last year. If they had beat S. Carolina last year, they would have had a claim to the championship game. Yet, a one loss Auburn team still would have been selected to play FSU.

IMO - Baylor was a bigger draw than UCF the casual college football fan.

It is typical of the P5 apologists that they blame everything on UCF. However, as recently as 5 years ago Baylor was considered one of the lost causes of major college football. They are hardly a traditional team of interest for casual fans. As a private school in a region of public football powers, if they remain a player in major college football they should place a statute of RG3 in the center of campus.

 

[B1GOSU]

Another point to consider in all of this --- while UCF won the Fiesta Bowl and certainly deserved to win that game --- there is no way UCF would have ever been the handpicked opponent for Baylor if the BCS wasn't contractually obligated to give the AAC a spot in one of the BCS Bowls. If there could have been a handpicked opponent, it would have been a school from the Power 5.

That's kind of how I view the "Best team of the Group of 5" scenario. That team will get the game due to a contractual obligation that was simply hush money to the Group of 5 to let the Power 5 have what they want.

 

[pj]

I agree, to a certain point. The middle tier teams are similar in team strength. The bottom teams aren't. I believe that Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, and Rutgers are quite a bit better than Temple, Tulsa, Tulane, and Memphis.

upstater is comparing the bottom of the B1G to the top of the AAC. You are comparing the bottom of the B1G to the bottom of the AAC. Yes, if you paired up 1 to 1, 2 to 2, etc, the B1G would win every contest. But if you paired 1 in AAC with 6 in B1G, 2 in AAC with 7 in the B1G, etc through 9 in AAC and 14 in B1G, the AAC might win half or more.

 

[dayooper]

It is typical of the P5 apologists that they blame everything on UCF. However, as recently as 5 years ago Baylor was considered one of the lost causes of major college football. They are hardly a traditional team of interest for casual fans. As a private school in a region of public football powers, if they remain a player in major college football they should place a statute of RG3 in the center of campus.

Are you saying that UCF has a larger following nationally than Baylor?

 

[kibblesnbits]

Are you saying that UCF has a larger following nationally than Baylor?

No, but I am saying that Baylor is hardly more relevant on a a national scale than many up and coming G5 schools. The implication from the beginning was that the drop in ratings was due to UCF, when it was equally as likely to have been the result of featuring a small, private P5 school that most casual fans in this country couldn't place on a map and really don't care about.

 

[B1GOSU]

You also have to consider that the Fiesta Bowl is a major BCS Bowl. That will bring in X number of viewers every year no matter who the teams are. That game could have been Lafayette vs. Lehigh and still had a decent rating due to the fact that it is a New Years Day Bowl and isn't up against dozens of other games at the same time.


The P5 teams with huge followings are the difference between a decent rating and an outstanding rating for these bowl games.