Question for Mike

[nashvillegoldenflash]

"Our biggest problem right now is support for the FB team. It's the one thing that really stands out. Yes the performance on the field has been up and down but we simply must find a way to get more support and solving this has to do with things inside the program and a lot outside the program, it's complicated and it needs to have tempered expectations."

Mike, I agree with you that support of the football team needs to have tempered expectations. So what do you honestly believe are realistic attendance expectations for a Conference USA team given the conference's low power ranking (see link)?

http://realtimerpi.com/college_football/ncaaf_conf_Men.html

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

"I think Memphis success has a lot to do with a really good QB. No slight on Fuente, he did well. But I think he is getting out right in time. There is no reason why they can't continue to be a 7 or 8 win a season team, the AAC is weak like all G5 conferences."

Mike, based on the Real Time RPI Conference rankings, there may not be much difference between Conference USA, ranked last among the Group of 5 conferences, and the Sunbelt, ranked second to last among the G-5 conferences. But to assume that the AAC, MAC, and Mountain West are as equally weak as the bottom two G-5 conferences is an unsound assumption. Since this ranking is real time, it tends to change a little from week to week, for example the MAC has been ranked second and third among the G-5 conferences this season but is currently ranked second behind the AAC going into the post-season bowl games. However, the Sunbelt and Conference USA have always been the bottom two of the G-5 conferences this year so your statement that "the AAC is weak like all G-5 conferences" seems unsubstantiated based on the RPI rankings. In the most recent AP poll, the AAC has three members in the Top 25. Houston is ranked 17, Temple is at 20, and Navy is ranked 22. Despite Toledo losing its #24th ranking, I believe the Rockets are an excellent football team having defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. But when the coach interviews at Iowa State right before Toledo plays Western Michigan, it tends to have a negative effect on the team. We tend to see this every year when P-5 schools poach the MAC for its best coaches and consequently the teams lose their bowl games.

http://www.landgrantholyland.com/20...ball-coaching-hot-seat-rutgers-idaho-virginia

http://realtimerpi.com/college_football/ncaaf_conf_Men.html

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Are you trying to get me back in this forum?

Last year, CUSA was the 2nd ranked G5 conference, this year we are lower. We will go up and down. I think CUSA has as much potential as anyone due to location. But I will respectfully disagree with you about MAC, AAC and MWC - they have some good teams at the top but weak at the bottom. Not one team really stood out this year in the MAC or MWC - you mention Toledo, nice win against Arkansas, they didn't make their Conf championship game. AAC ultimately had Houston stand out, with Temple, Navy and Memphis having good years but not dominant years. So yes, this year the AAC seems to be the best by far this year and seem to have a edge on the other 4 but I just don't buy there is really that much difference on the field.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

And the way College FB works most on the G5 team will play each other in bowl games.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Mike, I appreciate your response. According to the Real Time RPI rankings, Conference USA was the third best among the Group of 5 conferences last year with the Mountain West and AAC finishing ahead of Conference USA. The MAC, with its worst season ever, was fourth and the Sunbelt finished last among the G-5 conferences a year ago. I agree that Conference USA has potential but the reality is the conference is currently last this season and was last in the 2013-2014 rankings, as well as the 2012-2013 rankings. So when a G-5 conference is last 3 out of the last four years, I don't see how fans of that conference can make disparaging comments about the other conferences that are ranked higher. With respect to attendance, I don't understand why fans of Conference USA schools expect attendance to be better than most G-5 conferences since the majority of fans are only interested in the present and not the potentiality of a conference in the distant future nor the success of former conference members in the past.