Most Underrated Conference

[AmsterBison]

Most underrated conference: Big South? NEC? MEAC?

The NEC is like 5-2 against the CAA and has a win over Lehigh too. I took this as a sign that the CAA was weak because in addition to the usual lack of quality non-conference wins, they've got some bad non-conference losses (to the NEC especially)... or so I thought. Now, having seen several CAA games on TV, I'm thinking that the CAA does have some very good teams so it got me wondering if the NEC is way better than I was thinking.

I'm not considering the OVC and Southland because they look to be (at least) on par with the Big Sky so if the Big Sky is upper echelon, so are they.

[penguinpower]

The Missouri Valley. Because they will only get 2-3 teams in this year and they deserve more.

Since I won't read TSN anymore as long as Hailey is spewing crap out of the place, friends of mine send me the titles of the articles to wind me up. Apparently "The CAA is too good for itself" or something like that. WOW! just unbelievable

[kalm]

Most underrated conference: Big South? NEC? MEAC?

The NEC is like 5-2 against the CAA and has a win over Lehigh too. I took this as a sign that the CAA was weak because in addition to the usual lack of quality non-conference wins, they've got some bad non-conference losses (to the NEC especially)... or so I thought. Now, having seen several CAA games on TV, I'm thinking that the CAA does have some very good teams so it got me wondering if the NEC is way better than I was thinking.

I'm not considering the OVC and Southland because they look to be (at least) on par with the Big Sky so if the Big Sky is upper echelon, so are they.

You just answered your own question. BSC.

\ thread

[Bogus Megapardus]

Top 4 if the Ivy League is the most underrated, IMHO. Then again I write that every year.

[clenz]

Top 4 if the Ivy League is the most underrated, IMHO. Then again I write that every year.
Can a league be underrated if the bottom of it is complete dog ****?

[Grizalltheway]

Most underrated conference: Big South? NEC? MEAC?

The NEC is like 5-2 against the CAA and has a win over Lehigh too. I took this as a sign that the CAA was weak because in addition to the usual lack of quality non-conference wins, they've got some bad non-conference losses (to the NEC especially)... or so I thought. Now, having seen several CAA games on TV, I'm thinking that the CAA does have some very good teams so it got me wondering if the NEC is way better than I was thinking.

I'm not considering the OVC and Southland because they look to be (at least) on par with the Big Sky so if the Big Sky is upper echelon, so are they.

How many playoff wins does the OVC have again?

[AmsterBison]

How many playoff wins does the OVC have again?

Didn't the OVC have 4 playoff wins last year while the the Big Sky got two wins from their four representatives?

[Bisonator]

The Missouri Valley. Because they will only get 2-3 teams in this year and they deserve more.

This. The MVFC gets no respect come selection time.....

[Grizalltheway]

Didn't the OVC have 4 playoff wins last year while the the Big Sky got two wins from their four representatives?

JSU had an impressive run before getting waxed by a BSC team, and Tenn. State beat Butler (lol) before getting waxed by EIU. They definitely performed better last year than ever before, but I'm not willing to consier them a power conference just yet.

[DFW HOYA]

Top 4 if the Ivy League is the most underrated, IMHO. Then again I write that every year.

Agreed. if they played better competition people would realize that it's a much better conference.

Of course, Harvard's visit to Georgetown was only the fourth time since WWII they have ventured south of Philadelphia, so the likelihood of the Crimson, Bulldogs, Indians, Quakers et al. showing up at Coastal Carolina, Jax State or even SELA seems absolutely unlikely.

[rokamortis]

Most underrated conference: Big South? NEC? MEAC?

The NEC is like 5-2 against the CAA and has a win over Lehigh too. I took this as a sign that the CAA was weak because in addition to the usual lack of quality non-conference wins, they've got some bad non-conference losses (to the NEC especially)... or so I thought. Now, having seen several CAA games on TV, I'm thinking that the CAA does have some very good teams so it got me wondering if the NEC is way better than I was thinking.

I'm not considering the OVC and Southland because they look to be (at least) on par with the Big Sky so if the Big Sky is upper echelon, so are they.

Of course I'm a homer but the Big South is 20-5 in non-conference FCS games. No team has an overall losing record going into week 9.

The Big South is 3-1 vs NEC.

[PAllen]

For once I can state without hesitation or reservation that the Patriot League is NOT underrated this year.

Back to the question asked: I would say that it's a toss up between the NEC and the Ivy League. The top of both are quite good, the bottom, not so much.

[clenz]

JSU had an impressive run before getting waxed by a BSC team, and Tenn. State beat Butler (lol) before getting waxed by EIU. They definitely performed better last year than ever before, but I'm not willing to consier them a power conference just yet.
OVC's playoff wins since 1999
Pioneer team
Another OVC team
Samford
McNeese State

Samford and McNeese State would be considered okay wins....

But yeah, that's their entire list of playoff wins since 1999

[downbythebeach]

I honestly think the big south...they have a couple really strong teams this year...it seems like they can never put it together playoff time.

[rokamortis]

I honestly think the big south...they have a couple really strong teams this year...it seems like they can never put it together playoff time.

Coastal has 3 playoff wins in the last 2 years. 2 over BCu and one over Montana at Montana. Stony Brook had a win (or two?) while in the BSC as well.

[MTfan4life]

Stony Brook had a win (or two?) while in the BSC as well.

Two. They beat Albany in 2011 and Villanova in 2012.

[AmsterBison]

Er, I said that the Northeast Conference had a win against Lehigh but that was because I had Monmouth in the NEC instead of the Big South.

[jmrepak]

Of course I'm a homer but the Big South is 20-5 in non-conference FCS games. No team has an overall losing record going into week 9.

The Big South is 3-1 vs NEC.
I'm a homer, but I do think the Big South is underrated by the human polls. The computers see it and have everyone except for Gardner Webb (75ish) in the top 50 of the composite polls. I still think the only way we get more than the auto-bid is if Liberty wins out except loses to us or if we drop one and need an at-large.

[Cocky]

JSU had an impressive run before getting waxed by a BSC team, and Tenn. State beat Butler (lol) before getting waxed by EIU. They definitely performed better last year than ever before, but I'm not willing to consier them a power conference just yet.

Yeah, we really got waxed. Not sure but we may have been ahead before our QB and RB were injured

[rokamortis]

I'm a homer, but I do think the Big South is underrated by the human polls. The computers see it and have everyone except for Gardner Webb (75ish) in the top 50 of the composite polls. I still think the only way we get more than the auto-bid is if Liberty wins out except loses to us or if we drop one and need an at-large.

To your point, the reason the BSC is strong is not the top of the league but that everyone is in the middle or better. Most of these other leagues are larger and have a deep bottom so they bring the conference down.

As for at-large consideration: if Coastal screws up by dropping a game or two and doesn't win the auto then we probably have a decent shot at an at-large. For the others, Monmouth is looking like they have the best shot at the moment but we have no idea how they'll perform in conference play. Liberty may have an outside chance just because so many other teams are down and they have an FBS win. I don't think Presby and CSU have a chance but that is mainly because they scheduled multiple FBS games and dub-DI games. Gardner-Webb is mediocre.

[bulldog10jw]

Agreed. if they played better competition people would realize that it's a much better conference.

Of course, Harvard's visit to Georgetown was only the fourth time since WWII they have ventured south of Philadelphia, so the likelihood of the Crimson, Bulldogs, Indians, Quakers et al. showing up at Coastal Carolina, Jax State or even SELA seems absolutely unlikely.

Yale has played in California (3 times), Hawaii, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C, Ohio, and Illinois in the last 30 years or so.

That's not too bad.

[downbythebeach]

Coastal has 3 playoff wins in the last 2 years. 2 over BCu and one over Montana at Montana. Stony Brook had a win (or two?) while in the BSC as well.

Couldn't agree more. But I think this maybe the year one of the big south teams actually makes it deep.

[McNeese72]

Easy answer: The Southlan........oh wait.......you said underrated not overrated. ;)

Doc

[Cocky]

The Sun Belt, really believe their teams would be more competitive in FCS than most believe. Somewhere around the SOCON level.

[rokamortis]

The Sun Belt, really believe their teams would be more competitive in FCS than most believe. Somewhere around the SOCON level.

They have
xlolx

[Southern Bison]

I'm going with the Big South...I think they're still shedding the skin of an "also-ran" conference from years past. What I've seen is a strong non-conf win percentage and considering that's nearly 1/2 of their season, that bodes well for 2 strong teams to come out of there and play Thanksgiving weekend.

[semobison]

Didn't the OVC have 4 playoff wins last year while the the Big Sky got two wins from their four representatives?

Big Sky got 4 teams in last year and 3 lost their opening game! Overrated!

[rokamortis]

I'm going with the Big South...I think they're still shedding the skin of an "also-ran" conference from years past. What I've seen is a strong non-conf win percentage and considering that's nearly 1/2 of their season, that bodes well for 2 strong teams to come out of there and play Thanksgiving weekend.

So you think the Big South will get two teams in but no seeds?

[Engineer86]

OVC's playoff wins since 1999
Pioneer team
Another OVC team
Samford
McNeese State

Samford and McNeese State would be considered okay wins....

But yeah, that's their entire list of playoff wins since 1999

I would vote for the Big South, but if you want to do it based on playoff wins, I would put the PL up as underrated. Little respect and a fair amount of wins.

[rokamortis]

I would vote for the Big South, but if you want to do it based on playoff wins, I would put the PL up as underrated. Little respect and a fair amount of wins.

The PL does get a lot of negativity but have turned in decent performances at the end of the year - even before the playoffs expanded, which should be commended. Do you think more of the criticism is overall strength of the conference rather than the performance of the top team(s)?

[Engineer86]

The PL does get a lot of negativity but have turned in decent performances at the end of the year - even before the playoffs expanded, which should be commended. Do you think more of the criticism is overall strength of the conference rather than the performance of the top team(s)?

At this point I have to say both other than Fordham the league has slipped hopefully is the same issues Fordham had after two years of scholarships. Time will tell. I won't argue the PL is down but I think there is a spreading of talent in the east as many leagues particularly the Big South and the NEC have improved at the expense of CAA and PL. I do enjoy the good games, but you always want your team to be successful.

[KPSUL]

Most underrated conference: Big South? NEC? MEAC?

The NEC is like 5-2 against the CAA and has a win over Lehigh too. I took this as a sign that the CAA was weak because in addition to the usual lack of quality non-conference wins, they've got some bad non-conference losses (to the NEC especially)... or so I thought. Now, having seen several CAA games on TV, I'm thinking that the CAA does have some very good teams so it got me wondering if the NEC is way better than I was thinking.

I'm not considering the OVC and Southland because they look to be (at least) on par with the Big Sky so if the Big Sky is upper echelon, so are they.

The NEC may be incrementally better, but don't put too much weight on the NEC-CAA match-ups in 2014.
The CAA lacks the balance it may have had in other seasons, a signifcant difference between the top 4 teams and the bottom 3 or 4. There have been no games between the concensus top 4 in the CAA (NOVA, UNH, W&M and Richmond) and any NEC teams - probably because the NEC teams have stopped scheduling them. Rhode Island seems like they are still considering whether or not to play football and Maine is uncharacteristically weak this season. Elon is struggling in their first CAA season and may not win a conference game - they have a tough schedule. Sacred Heart's win over Delaware looked more impressive than it may actually have been. Delaware has been inconsistent, beating JMU in OT early in the season, but losing last week to a Towson team that had lost 62-7 the previous week.

[KPSUL]

At this point I have to say both other than Fordham the league has slipped hopefully is the same issues Fordham had after two years of scholarships. Time will tell. I won't argue the PL is down but I think there is a spreading of talent in the east as many leagues particularly the Big South and the NEC have improved at the expense of CAA and PL. I do enjoy the good games, but you always want your team to be successful.

There is just too few games between the CAA and Big South to draw any conclusions. Richmond beat Liberty in an OT game at Liberty and CAA last place Elon lost at Coastal. I believe the only two CAA -Big South 2014 games.

NEC teams do not play the top teams of the CAA - none. The patriot conference does. Hard to draw much important from that either.

[WWII]

Bryant played and beat last year's CAA regular season champion and CCSU beat last year's 2nd place team. I'm sure they didn't know what they'd be like when the games were scheduled.

[kalm]

Big Sky got 4 teams in last year and 3 lost their opening game! Overrated!

Yep, not a very good post season for the Big Sky last year. That being said, NAU and SUU both got relatively tough first round draws, although our dismantling of SDSU in the 2nd round softens those blows a bit. The OVC drew Butler and Samford, and another of their wins was EIU over over TSU.

I think both the OVC and Southland are making strides but the Big Sky is 4-2 this season against the Southland and the OVC was dismal in the playoffs before last year. Neither conference is yet on par with MVFC, Big Sky, or CAA for legit title contenders, but I do think they've both caught up to the Southern.

[KPSUL]

Bryant played and beat last year's CAA regular season champion and CCSU beat last year's 2nd place team. I'm sure they didn't know what they'd be like when the games were scheduled.

The two CAA teams you mention , Towson and Maine, are both 1-3 in CAA play so far. Maine's only win is over Towson, The loses to CCSU and Bryant speak more to how far Towson and Maine have fallen this season, not to a significant increase in the strength of the NEC which was the central question of the thread.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Yep, not a very good post season for the Big Sky last year. That being said, NAU and SUU both got relatively tough first round draws, although our dismantling of SDSU in the 2nd round softens those blows a bit. The OVC drew Butler and Samford, and another of their wins was EIU over over TSU.

I think both the OVC and Southland are making strides but the Big Sky is 4-2 this season against the Southland and the OVC was dismal in the playoffs before last year. Neither conference is yet on par with MVFC, Big Sky, or CAA for legit title contenders, but I do think they've both caught up to the Southern.


Dismantling of SDSU?

The game was 27-17 after the 3rd quarter.....still in doubt IMO. A dismantling is 40-0, where the losing team is out of it right away.

[kalm]

Dismantling of SDSU?

The game was 27-17 after the 3rd quarter.....still in doubt IMO. A dismantling is 40-0, where the losing team is out of it right away.

Do you have to dismantle a house right away with explosives, or can you take it apart bit by bit?

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Do you have to dismantle a house right away with explosives, or can you take it apart bit by bit?


Point taken.

I wasn't there, but was SDSU out of the game or is that score not indicative of what the game was really like?

[JaxSinfonian]

Neither conference is yet on par with MVFC, Big Sky, or CAA for legit title contenders, but I do think they've both caught up to the Southern.

It's easy to catch up to someone who's stopped, turned around and started moving the other way.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[centennial]

Point taken.

I wasn't there, but was SDSU out of the game or is that score not indicative of what the game was really like?
SDSU killed itself with a fake punt. They also stopped running and started throwing. The coaching killed them. Along with some good plays from EWU. The game was close for 3 quarters.