Best is the West??

[Sammy94]

This is a no brainer article.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/index.htm

[CID1990]

I agree with most of the article, but then near the end the author resorts to journalistic laziness. If he followed SoCon football at all, he would not allude to Wofford being the heir apparent to ASU and GSU.

This is also why preseason polls are usually so meaningless in FCS football. Nobody bothers to do their research. They just want to make a deadline, throw together a poll based on last year's results, and then move on.

That said, I agree that the epicenter has shifted west for now, but that has little to do with two SoCon teams leaving for FBS. Neither of them has won a natty in a few years now.

[BEAR]

Central Arkansas? Maybe, just maybe ...xlolx

[Apphole]

but that has little to do with two SoCon teams leaving for FBS.

Do you actually believe that nonsense?

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Do you actually believe that nonsense?

A lot of it has to do with the CAA being unusually down. For the past two years Georgia Southern has been the main power on the east coast. I think it's only a matter of time before the CAA rebounds (even if JMU goes FBS) and the balance of power will shift back to the east.

Another part of it is how the playoff brackets were arranged. Would anyone really question that GSU and Wofford were both better than SHSU last year?

[Sammy94]

Would anyone really question that GSU and Wofford were both better than SHSU last year?

Not sure you can say that since Sam faced neither. I would agree that both GSU and Wofford matched up better with NDSU.

[walliver]

The perceived FCS power center moves around frequently. Every 3-4 years it seems to move from one region to another. How much of this movement is real and not simply perception is debatable. One factor that complicates this is that there is very little inter-regional FCS play, primarily because of financial reasons. Montana-Appy games are quite rare. As a result, for the most part, we judge regions by playoff performance. The playoff field, however, is generally designed to minimize long-distance travel, and frequently does not give a good barometer of regional strengths.

[frozennorth]

i think the addition of NDSU and SDSU did a lot to move the epicenter west, and app and gsu leaving will do more. If not for ndsu, i think GSU wins at least 1 of the last 2 titles

[coover]

He didn't mention Cal Poly. Yes, I am a Cal Poly alum and a fan, but I do pay attention to what is going on, and I believe that Poly, while they lost two of their premier players from last year, will find those replacing them as good or even stronger. With 18 starters returning, a new QB that the coaches believe might be an All-American candidate and a few former starters that were injured last year, Cal Poly will be stronger offensively and defensively this year than they were last year when they shared the Big Sky title. Offensively, they should improve 10 points a game. Defensively, with the same strong line as last year and a much improved secondary, they will be very hard to score upon.

I'm not saying Poly will win the championship in 2013. I suspect that honor will again go to North Dakota State. But if we get into a game with NDSU in the post-season, all bets are off. If major injuries are not a factor, Poly will be very, very good.

[IBleedYellow]

A lot of it has to do with the CAA being unusually down. For the past two years Georgia Southern has been the main power on the east coast. I think it's only a matter of time before the CAA rebounds (even if JMU goes FBS) and the balance of power will shift back to the east.

Another part of it is how the playoff brackets were arranged. Would anyone really question that GSU and Wofford were both better than SHSU last year?


Don't forget that with the teams that are going to FBS, that is pulling away 189 more athletes away from the FCS scholarships and putting them as 255 FBS scholarships. There are just less FCS scholarships going on with just GaState, GaSo and App State leaving.

Let's not forget that they powers of the East have been GaSo for many years, no matter what anyone wants to debate.


Sidenote: I still find it funny that North Dakota and Texas count as West. Midwest.

[Hammerhead]

From the article in the original post: "Eastern Washington, also a national semifinalist last season, has the talent to make another national title run, although its schedule is among the toughest in the FCS."

The Eastern Washington at Sam Houston State game should be an interesting non-conference game since they met in last year's semifinal and SHSU's winning streak vs. the Big Sky. I'm looking for Oregon State to step it up a notch this year so that will be another good test for the Eagles.

[BisonBacker]

A lot of it has to do with the CAA being unusually down. For the past two years Georgia Southern has been the main power on the east coast. I think it's only a matter of time before the CAA rebounds (even if JMU goes FBS) and the balance of power will shift back to the east.

Another part of it is how the playoff brackets were arranged. Would anyone really question that GSU and Wofford were both better than SHSU last year?

I wouldn't I think that was obvious as a fan seeing all of them in person against NDSU. GSU would have owned SHSU but Wofford would have been a closer game but I'd still have given the advantage to Wofford.

[CID1990]

Do you actually believe that nonsense?

Has the balance of power not shifted to the west over the last two years? Yes.

Has ASU had any effect on that? No. (It could be argued that GSU has maintained something of a balance, but they have not made it to the championship game in years.) For the last two years, the championship has been between two western teams. The presence of ASU in FCS has had no effect on that. Maybe it could be argued that GSU has had a shot, but they can't crack the NDSU nut.

So yes, I do believe that nonsense.

[Bisonator]

Best is the West? Blasphemy!

Haven't you heard about that southern speed?? xpopcornx

[Gil Dobie]

Ride the highway West baby
--Jim Morrison

[clenz]

Sidenote: I still find it funny that North Dakota and Texas count as West. Midwest.
Fargo and Huntsville are both actually east of the geographical middle of both the Continental and overall united stats

[CID1990]

I think that for the purposes of the article we are considering west of the Mississippi as west.

[IBleedYellow]

Fargo and Huntsville are both actually east of the geographical middle of both the Continental and overall united stats

That's my point. ;)

[ursus arctos horribilis]

That's my point. ;)

As CID said they are using the age old dividing line but call yourselves whatever you want. West also has a certain culture that divides it from East and I'm sure that's part of it as well.

Cowboy, Rancher, Farming, wide open land etc. You are either East or West as far as this aritcle so I think drilling down on the thing is probably not what they were going for. xlolx

[PaladinFan]

Do you actually believe that nonsense?

I think he's right. App and GSU are fine programs, but they will leave, and schools will likely pick up those wins.

At the end of the 2014 season, the SoCon will likely have three teams finish in the neighborhood of 8-3 or 9-2. They will not be App State or Georgia Southern. Those three teams will make the playoffs, just like they do now. The question is whether they progress in the playoffs.

Ten years ago, the SoCon would routinely put App, GSU, and Furman in the top 10 every season. Five years ago, it was App, GSU, and Wofford. Now it will be Wofford and two other schools that will pick up the torch. One or two deep playoff runs by a team or two, and the balance of power of perception will shift back to the SoCon.

[BEAR]

I think the Southland will actually move up in the conference rankings. Sammy, UCA, and McNeese will be top 15 teams annually with SFA right in that mix. The other schools will rotate in and out. IMO