TSN and the FCS Conferences

[IBleedYellow]

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/archive/haley_6_18_2014.htm


Overall, I agree, but there is a wash between the CAA and the MVFC, imo. Once we start to get playing football this could all get (and will) thrown into a hand basket.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I'm not sure I understand the PL being ranked behind the Big South and Ivy League. Fordham is better than Princeton and Lehigh hasn't lost to an IL team since 2009. Maybe from a depth perspective the IL might be a little stronger. Still, the best of the PL is almost always better imo....

CCU has pretty much carried the banner for the Big South. Liberty has been solid but they've yet to make the playoffs. The rest of the league really hasn't done anything recently or in the past....

[RichH2]

Pretty accurate IMO. BigSouth too high tho. PL and IL pretty even . Top of PL better than IL but rest not a toss up for now y. BigSouth a 1 team conference.

[centennial]

I'm not sure I understand the PL being ranked behind the Big South and Ivy League. Fordham is better than Princeton and Lehigh hasn't lost to an IL team since 2009. Maybe from a depth perspective the IL might be a little stronger. Still, the best of the PL is almost always better imo....

CCU has pretty much carried the banner for the Big South. Liberty has been solid but they've yet to make the playoffs. The rest of the league really hasn't done anything recently or in the past....
I expect the PL to improve with the scholarships (if I remember correctly). PL should be better than the ivies. Big South is a wash.

[chattanoogamocs]

Last year was undoubtedly a banner year for the OVC, it will be interesting to see if they maintain, or fall back somewhat.

[rokamortis]

Based on the results from last year I think there is a solid case to put the Big South over the SoCon.

Furman, one of the SoCon playoff reps, lost to 2 Big South teams and was a last second blocked FG away from losing to PC. Neither playoff representative made it past round 2 of the playoffs. The Big South made it one round further.

Overall the Big South was 6-3 over the Socon in 2013. The wins were over PC (2) and VMI who is now in the SoCon. Hopefully 2014 will be similar.

xcoffeex

[DFW HOYA]

Pretty accurate IMO. BigSouth too high tho. PL and IL pretty even . Top of PL better than IL but rest not a toss up for now y. BigSouth a 1 team conference.

Ivy still slightly ahead. The bottom two (three?) of the PL are behind the curve.

[OL FU]

Based on the results from last year I think there is a solid case to put the Big South over the SoCon.

Furman, one of the SoCon playoff reps, lost to 2 Big South teams and was a last second blocked FG away from losing to PC. Neither playoff representative made it past round 2 of the playoffs. The Big South made it one round further.

Overall the Big South was 6-3 over the Socon in 2013. The wins were over PC (2) and VMI who is now in the SoCon. Hopefully 2014 will be similar.

xcoffeex

I actually agree with you but I am guessing they are giving the SoCon the benefit of the doubt for Furman's first of the year start. Not sure they should but it is the only reason we would be ahead last year.

[PaladinFan]

Based on the results from last year I think there is a solid case to put the Big South over the SoCon.

Furman, one of the SoCon playoff reps, lost to 2 Big South teams and was a last second blocked FG away from losing to PC. Neither playoff representative made it past round 2 of the playoffs. The Big South made it one round further.

Overall the Big South was 6-3 over the Socon in 2013. The wins were over PC (2) and VMI who is now in the SoCon. Hopefully 2014 will be similar.

xcoffeex

Even the blind squirrel finds a nut now and again. :)

I imagine you will see that balance of power shift back this season. The SoCon was in transition last year, with no dominant teams. I do think those three Big South Schools caught Furman early in the season, when they were playing with a lot of injuries and players out. GWU was a tough opening opponent for a young team, on the road, against a former coach, no film, with a true freshman at QB.

The PC game was, IMO, one of those flukey games that happen from time to time. No one saw that coming and I dare say it won't happen again. The better team won the game, albeit in a fashion all too unexpected. Coastal was a veteran team playing against a young Furman team at home. Even then, Furman was with them step for step for four quarters.

At the end of the day, both halves of the season count. Still, I imagine those results would have been different had Furman played those games in the second half of the season.

[gotts]

Based on seeing both teams come to Fargo for the playoffs, I thought Furman was a better team than Coastal.

[PaladinFan]

Based on seeing both teams come to Fargo for the playoffs, I thought Furman was a better team than Coastal.

Hard to say, really. The Chants came to Fargo after having already made one cross country road trip. That a team from a southern beach town was able to win on the road in Montana in November is sufficient evidence for me that they were still a pretty dangerous team.

Furman and Coastal played a pretty back and forth affair in week 2 last season. Coastal also took a wild rain soaked game in Greenville the year before that. All four of the games in the series have been closely contested. It would surprise me if this year's game in Greenville wouldn't be as well.

[BEAR]

Swap the OVC and the SLC.

UCA was beat up last year. So was Sam and SFA at critical positions.

SELA, McNeese and UCA will all be top 15 teams by years end with Sam and SFA very close.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Hard to say, really. The Chants came to Fargo after having already made one cross country road trip. That a team from a southern beach town was able to win on the road in Montana in November is sufficient evidence for me that they were still a pretty dangerous team.

Furman and Coastal played a pretty back and forth affair in week 2 last season. Coastal also took a wild rain soaked game in Greenville the year before that. All four of the games in the series have been closely contested. It would surprise me if this year's game in Greenville wouldn't be as well.

You really can't take anything away from last year. Nobody was going to beat NDSU. Last year is a complete outlier in performance.

[citdog]

Hard to say, really. The Chants came to Fargo after having already made one cross country road trip. That a team from a southern beach town was able to win on the road in Montana in November is sufficient evidence for me that they were still a pretty dangerous team.

Furman and Coastal played a pretty back and forth affair in week 2 last season. Coastal also took a wild rain soaked game in Greenville the year before that. All four of the games in the series have been closely contested. It would surprise me if this year's game in Greenville wouldn't be as well.


The chants and vermin will have something else in common this year. You are both leaving General Johnson Hagood, CSA, Stadium with losses.

[OL FU]

The chants and vermin will have something else in common this year. You are both leaving General Johnson Hagood, CSA, Stadium with losses.


Has there ever been a year that THE Citadel wasn't going to beat Furman before they played the gamexeyebrowx

[citdog]

Has there ever been a year that THE Citadel wasn't going to beat Furman before they played the gamexeyebrowx

54-51

[OL FU]

54-51

58-32-3;)

[rokamortis]

I actually agree with you but I am guessing they are giving the SoCon the benefit of the doubt for Furman's first of the year start. Not sure they should but it is the only reason we would be ahead last year.

I'm sure it is more historical performance vs one good year - which is probably the correct call. Just thought I'd toss it out there but then you guys have to be all reasonable and stuff.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I'm sure it is more historical performance vs one good year - which is probably the correct call. Just thought I'd toss it out there but then you guys have to be all reasonable and stuff.

Sucks when that happens rok...I tried lobbing a bomb earlier today that just got covered up with reasonableness also.

fricken blows.

[Lehigh'98]

I thought GW shoulda been in the playoffs last year. Didn't they spank CCU? Cost them a 2nd round home game probably. Who is the new coach for Citadel this year? They are sticking with the T.Option I assume?

[Red & Black]

This list seems about right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rokamortis]

I thought GW shoulda been in the playoffs last year. Didn't they spank CCU? Cost them a 2nd round home game probably. Who is the new coach for Citadel this year? They are sticking with the T.Option I assume?

Coastal spanked GWU 42-7. CSU beat Coastal but it wasn't a spanking.

[Lehigh'98]

You are right. I mixed up GW and CSU. I thought CS was a playoff team. Had they scheduled a bit better, probably would have been in. Lehigh knows all about that issue. I watched some of that CCU CS game, it was pretty quality.

[OL FU]

I'm sure it is more historical performance vs one good year - which is probably the correct call. Just thought I'd toss it out there but then you guys have to be all reasonable and stuff.


I humbly apologize. The Big South is awful.:)

[Catatonic]

- - - Updated - - -


Swap the OVC and the SLC.

UCA was beat up last year. So was Sam and SFA at critical positions.

SELA, McNeese and UCA will all be top 15 teams by years end with Sam and SFA very close.

SLC will have to prove itself at the top and the bottom before moving up in my opinion. If, as you speculate, UCA joins SELA and McNeese in the top 15, it will help. At the other end of the spectrum, newcomers ACU, UIW and HBU will have to demonstrate their "FCS worthiness." All three made strides last year but may be a year away from competitiveness.

[walliver]

I humbly apologize. The Big South is awful.:)

CCU doesn't really represent the Big South, just like FSU doesn't really represent the ACC.
CSU had a break-out year with signature wins against CCU and ASU and a win over the Citadel, but collapsed down the stretch.
Liberty went 8-4, but its only signature win was a blow-out of CSU.
Gardner-Webb started out hot with 3 big OOC wins, but faded down the stretch and lost to VMI.
VMI is no longer their problem:(
And PC is PC.

Going forward, CCU will be good.
Liberty, GW, and CSU may be good.

The new improved SoCon has three teams with playoff appearances in the last 2 years (and in my opinion Chatty got screwed last year - an opinion confirmed by Sammy's playoff disapointment).
An argument could be made that there was parity between the two last year. In the coming year, it will be hard to say, since the only teams from the 2 conferences that routinely play each other are from the Carolinas.

[OL FU]

CCU doesn't really represent the Big South, just like FSU doesn't really represent the ACC.
CSU had a break-out year with signature wins against CCU and ASU and a win over the Citadel, but collapsed down the stretch.
Liberty went 8-4, but its only signature win was a blow-out of CSU.
Gardner-Webb started out hot with 3 big OOC wins, but faded down the stretch and lost to VMI.
VMI is no longer their problem:(
And PC is PC.

Going forward, CCU will be good.
Liberty, GW, and CSU may be good.

The new improved SoCon has three teams with playoff appearances in the last 2 years (and in my opinion Chatty got screwed last year - an opinion confirmed by Sammy's playoff disapointment).
An argument could be made that there was parity between the two last year. In the coming year, it will be hard to say, since the only teams from the 2 conferences that routinely play each other are from the Carolinas.

Last year was a little skewed by Furman's atrocious start. Unfortunately, that start counts.

Not saying we shouldn't have been in the past, but I think FU has a little more motivation against the BSouth in '14. Revenge against an embarrassing loss to GW, an embarrassing win against PC and, since we are after a long absence back in the top 20 discussion, CCU is a huge game going into the last half of the season.

[PaladinFan]

Last year was a little skewed by Furman's atrocious start. Unfortunately, that start counts.

Not saying we shouldn't have been in the past, but I think FU has a little more motivation against the BSouth in '14. Revenge against an embarrassing loss to GW, an embarrassing win against PC and, since we are after a long absence back in the top 20 discussion, CCU is a huge game going into the last half of the season.

I'd be surprised with the same slow start. Furman knows what they have this season. All three of those BSC teams faced a Furman team in transition last year. Heck, Gardner Webb played against a true freshman QB who played half the game with a season ending injury to his shoulder. No wonder our offense looked so bad.

The hope is that the Paladins come out with the same fire that we saw last season. If they show up healthy and ready, I'm hard pressed to believe there will be a repeat of 2013.

[Sly Fox]

I love the dismissals of Liberty. You'll note it isn't Coastal fans relegating the Flames to mid-tier. They remember the Double-OT craziness in Lynchburg last year that earned them the auto bid. The Big South is deeper than the SoCon folks would have you believe.

[2ram]

it's hard to stomach the PL behind ranked behind the IL... sans gtown, i think PL squads are better on average... either way that should flip in the next few years.

[Sader87]

it's hard to stomach the PL behind ranked behind the IL... sans gtown, i think PL squads are better on average... either way that should flip in the next few years.

They're probably pretty close overall right now. HC lost to Harvard in OT and beat Dartmouth last year and we were a disappointing 3-9 overall.

I agree with you in general though, a full scholarship PL will pass the Ancient VIII in a couple years and I wouldn't be too surprised to see it jump all the way up to around the 4th or 5th best FCS league overall.

[RichH2]

True enuf 87, A couple of schollie classes as upperclassmen will be the edge. H Y and P and Penn will still be tough but overall PL will win more than we lose with Ivies.

[bonarae]

either way that should flip in the next few years.

That will still depend on the quality of players entering the scholly PL schools. Not all recruits get the chance to play; some end their careers after only one year with injuries.


I agree with you in general though, a full scholarship PL will pass the Ancient VIII in a couple years and I wouldn't be too surprised to see it jump all the way up to around the 4th or 5th best FCS league overall.

Only time will tell though, see the statement above. But Georgetown will learn the hard way when they become buried deeper in the PL cellar. Fordham has been very good lately because of the scholarship players, but it took them a few years to adjust (because of schollies, they were not eligible for PL championship and playoff autobid; last year, they were only an at-large).


True enuf 87, A couple of schollie classes as upperclassmen will be the edge. H Y and P and Penn will still be tough but overall PL will win more than we lose with Ivies.

I agree with the sentiments too, unfortunately. Because IL football is no longer that relevant as it was years before, in one or two seasons from now I may switch rooting interests, to one who is returning to the field after a 10 year absence (ETSU). You've heard it here first in this thread. But I have this year to re-evaluate my rooting interests.

[RichH2]

Sadly true bonarae. I do believe IL will make some changes but think they may already be too late for the dance. Doubt lack of relevance in football is meaningful for IL Preidents. As I said ,still think top of Ivies will be very good. Doubt many will notice or care.