CAA is the SEC of the FCS?

[Bison56]

Well I have watched a few of the CAA games on NBC sports for a couple of years and I am always hearing how the CAA is the SEC of the FCS. Now From what I have seen they have some great offenses, but the D's havent been very impressive or maybe it is just because the O's are so dominate. Im just wondering if this is something they just say on TV or do you really believe it to be true? Because I dont see it.


Be good and have a nice day.

[Longhorn]

Well I have watched a few of the CAA games on NBC sports for a couple of years...


Be good and have a nice day.

That's interesting, because this is the first year of NBCSports coverage of CAA teams. xintx

[UNH Fanboi]

Well I have watched a few of the CAA games on NBC sports for a couple of years and I am always hearing how the CAA is the SEC of the FCS. Now From what I have seen they have some great offenses, but the D's havent been very impressive or maybe it is just because the O's are so dominate. Im just wondering if this is something they just say on TV or do you really believe it to be true? Because I dont see it.


Be good and have a nice day.

Not the past couple of years. The traditional powers like Delaware, W&M and JMU need to step up their games.

With respect to defense vs. offense, this year is an anomaly. The CAA has some great defenses over the years.

[aust42]

Typically, the CAA is as balanced as any 1AA conference from top to bottom with five different 1AA Championship teams coming from the CAA since 1998 to prove the point, and a few big 1AA wins over the years too. I think the conference has been "down" the past couple of years as the Saragin ratings indicate listing the CAA as the 5th stongest 1AA conference. Speaking of which how the hell is the Ohio Valley conference ranked ahead of the CAA?

[ngineer]

I would tend to agree that the CAA's offenses have always seemed to be the calling card. Though there have been exceptions, it seems a great many of the scores are always in the 30 and 40's with occasional forays into the 50's. Not alot of low scoring affairs (i.e. over/under < 45 points).

[Bison56]

That's interesting, because this is the first year of NBCSports coverage of CAA teams. xintx


LOL Couple of months sorry. I was too busy trying to word the post without getting people all worked up.

[Bison56]

I would tend to agree that the CAA's offenses have always seemed to be the calling card. Though there have been exceptions, it seems a great many of the scores are always in the 30 and 40's with occasional forays into the 50's. Not alot of low scoring affairs (i.e. over/under < 45 points).

They are fun games to watch. Saturday I watched ODU and Deleware. ODU's QB is just plain awesome.

[NHwildEcat]

I think the comparison is there not for the defense but from the level of competitiveness and national dominance from the top to the bottom of the league. 4 teams in the playoffs year in an year out backs that up. At least that is how I have thought of that comparison.

[Bison56]

I think the comparison is there not for the defense but from the level of competitiveness and national dominance from the top to the bottom of the league. 4 teams in the playoffs year in an year out backs that up. At least that is how I have thought of that comparison.

I can see that.

[URMite]

Actually in the past, Big Sky=Pass Off, SoCon=Run Off, MVC=Traditional Off, CAA=Def.

But the SEC reference was more about the fact that from 2001-2010 the 4th to 7th place team in the CAA was more impressive than the 4th place team from SoCon, Big Sky or MVC, even when the 1st or 2nd place team in those conferences were more impressive than anyone in the CAA. As well as the revolving door nature of which team was good in the CAA. Before we replaced UMass with GA ST, it seemed that only URI wasn't in the top 15 sometime in each 3 year period.

If you had to play a random team from a BCS conference, the SEC would be the last conference you would pick because your odds of getting a good team were higher. The same was true about the CAA.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

How many "is the (insert name here) the SEC of FCS" are we going to have?

[JSUBison]

Have to give the CAA credit with their NBC tv deal. I've watched a couple games as well, and it is quality.

[caribbeanhen]

CAA had a great run of about 6 to 7 years when they were clearly the best conference in FCS, but the CAA chant started fading after the 2010 season, will be interesting too see how the conference performs in the playoffs this year

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

In my opinion, the CAA is as deep as it has ever been this year. That said, I don't think we have a top level team competing for the National Championship. I think we'll be fortunate to get a team to the semifinal round. ODU is the most likely because they'll be hosting a few games.

Considering the number of young, talented quarterbacks in the league, I suspect we'll be in Title contention again very soon.

[JMUNJ08]

Have to disagree with all the Offense talk. JMU had a crazy run heavy O for the past decade but now our calling card is easily our defense. I wouldn't expect any of our games getting to be a shoot out or else we are bound to lose. I think people are looking at UNH and ODU too much which have been high powered offenses always with defenses that consistently bend and break making the basketball scores we've seen this year.

[Sycamore51]

On Saturday, the guy calling the UD @ ODU game said that the "CAA was the SEC of the FCS because they had 7 teams in the top 25." I'm an MVFC guy all the way, but it's hard to argue that the CAA has the most ranked teams just like the SEC does. Now how many are over rated us up for debate. The problem with I-AA is that there aren't a lot of great out of conference games like Montana Vs. Appy this year. We all play our 1 or 2 FBS games and then play a patsy to make sure we get a win in hopes of hitting that 7-8 mark. If we played more good out of conference games, besides the playoffs, it would be easier to see what conferences are the best. The playoffs are the greatest of instruments because at the end of the day it shows that our best team is better than your best team, but the other 2 or 3 teams may have lost first round. I would like to see more cross country FCS games.

[stevdock]

On Saturday, the guy calling the UD @ ODU game said that the "CAA was the SEC of the FCS because they had 7 teams in the top 25." I'm an MVFC guy all the way, but it's hard to argue that the CAA has the most ranked teams just like the SEC does. Now how many are over rated us up for debate. The problem with I-AA is that there aren't a lot of great out of conference games like Montana Vs. Appy this year. We all play our 1 or 2 FBS games and then play a patsy to make sure we get a win in hopes of hitting that 7-8 mark. If we played more good out of conference games, besides the playoffs, it would be easier to see what conferences are the best. The playoffs are the greatest of instruments because at the end of the day it shows that our best team is better than your best team, but the other 2 or 3 teams may have lost first round. I would like to see more cross country FCS games.

I would like to see more OOC good games also. Do like what the Big Ten and the ACC have done in basketball, where the whole conference plays the other conference. I'd love to see a MVFC/Big Sky week full of games. I don't think it would ever happen, unless the playoffs become more regionalized like what D2 and below went to, but it would be fun.

[GannonFan]

I would like to see more OOC good games also. Do like what the Big Ten and the ACC have done in basketball, where the whole conference plays the other conference. I'd love to see a MVFC/Big Sky week full of games. I don't think it would ever happen, unless the playoffs become more regionalized like what D2 and below went to, but it would be fun.

But notice the Big Ten and ACC only do it for basketball. Fact is, even at the FBS level you have only very few big time, OOC games. More often than not you'll have the better teams in one conference try to play the weaker teams in another (think USC versus Syracuse this year) or they just avoid good OOC games, especially on the road, altogether (see most SEC schedules). And they don't even have the playoff equalizer like we do.

[BucBisonAtLarge]

The SEC is... a lil over-hyped. The analogy is supremely annoying.

The GPI has the CAA at #6, just ahead of the Ivy League and Patriot League.

And right behind the OVC. Not so sure the GPI is quite the final calculus answer.

I feel each week CAA teams compete and anyone can win...well maybe not Rhody and Georgia State. The conference is a great football brand and really has brought stability then elevated the upper end of Eastern FCS football, even as whole conferences like the MAAC went extinct.

[Skjellyfetti]

No. There is no SEC of the FCS. No conference has dominated our subdivision the way the SEC has dominated theirs during the BCS era. Nowhere even close.

[stevdock]

But notice the Big Ten and ACC only do it for basketball. Fact is, even at the FBS level you have only very few big time, OOC games. More often than not you'll have the better teams in one conference try to play the weaker teams in another (think USC versus Syracuse this year) or they just avoid good OOC games, especially on the road, altogether (see most SEC schedules). And they don't even have the playoff equalizer like we do.

I agree with you, I just wish it was done in football more often. Everyone knows why it doesn't get done. Look at our non-conference schedule Robert Morris 2 wins, CSU 1 win, and Prairie View 3 wins. Looking back now those are probably pretty close to 3 guaranteed wins for NDSU. I would much rather have a schedule like next years though, where we have a better FBS game K-State, and a couple good FCS games from power conferences.

[DSUrocks07]

If the CAA is the SEC of FCS, that would make the MEAC the Sunbelt.

[heath]

If the CAA is the SEC of FCS, that would make the MEAC the Sunbelt.

+100

[asujch]

No. There is no SEC of the FCS. No conference has dominated our subdivision the way the SEC has dominated theirs during the BCS era. Nowhere even close.

+1

what is it now, 5 or 6 straight titles for the SEC?