What a difference a year makes!!!

[Chants '07]

Last year as CCU was wrapping up an unbelievable mark of 10-1 in only its SECOND YEAR of EXISTENCE the schedule was highly criticized, and rightfully so.

After the schedule for the 2005 season was made public the same people that criticized the schedule in 04 said that if CCU could "manage" a 10-1 record in 2005 then they should be playoff bound. Well unless something drastic happens in Charleston on Saturday, that is going to happen. But instead of people discussing where the Chants will be heading for Thanksgiving there are still questions as to whether they should even be in at all.

Yes some of the wins in conference have been closer than anybody expected, but when you're the head of the class you get team's best shots week in and week out. And from talking to some of the players it is very hard to get up for a game against LIBERTY, when you've just beaten the defending national champions, or when you've been to KID BREWER STADIUM in front of 20,000 fans.

The win against JMU doesn't look as good as it did when CCU beat them initially but at the time JMU was #1 in the country coming in to play a 3rd year program that nobody thought stood a chance against one of D I-AA's elite programs.

Everybody knew going into the season that outside of JMU, APP, and SCSU, CCU's schedule was nothing to brag about, but yet here we stand 9-1, with a victory over the defending national champs, and a victory over SCSU (@SCSU) who is in second in the MEAC, and the playoff possibilites are still up in the air.

What Gives?

[GannonFan]

Hey, I still say that you should be in, but there's certainly room for argument to keep you out. You almost summed it up with your view that even CCU says it's difficult to get excited about playing Liberty - the problem is, your conference and your schedule is full of Liberty's. You had a 3 game schedule, and you went 2-1 in it, getting crushed by the best of the 3 (Appy St), and squeaking by the other two, both of whom now look to be non-playoff teams. When you put all of your cards into a tiny competitive schedule, and then 2/3 of the schedule include teams that don't make the playoffs, legitimate questions can be asked especially in light of the other 8 games that were all supposed to be cakewalks. Like I said, I can understand the argument, and if there were more good records out there Coastal could be left out, but if I was on the committee I'd put you in - granted, I'd have you play at UNH or at Furman (or even Appy again), but at least you'd be in.

[henfan]

I'd hesitate to say that CCU's '04 schedule was highly criticized- maybe in the context of considering it worthy of serious at-large playoff consideration, but certainly not in general. It was actually a decent schedule for a program in its second year of existence.

Good luck on Saturday and Sunday.

[Chants '07]

I'd hesitate to say that CCU's '04 schedule was highly criticized- maybe in the context of considering it worthy of serious at-large playoff consideration, but certainly not in general. It was actually a decent schedule for a program in its second year of existence.

Good luck on Saturday and Sunday.

Ok you say it was a decent schedule for a 2nd year program.

What about playing the 3 we played this year in only the 3RD YEAR?

[umassfan]

What a difference a year makes... Just this time last year Richmond and Towson were at the bottom of the A10 ; Delaware and JMU were at the top of the A10... what a difference a year makes. :D

[Sly Fox]

I feel for CCU. Its not their fault that the rest of the Big South is down collectively in general from our already low standards. They're paying the price for Gardner-Webb and my alma mater flat out stinking this fall.

[AppGuy04]

I feel for CCU. Its not their fault that the rest of the Big South is down collectively in general from our already low standards. They're paying the price for Gardner-Webb and my alma mater flat out stinking this fall.

Well, you really gotta play the cards you are dealt, and yes Coastal has played them well, but not as well as they could have, and I'm not referring to the App game

I think honestly if you hadn't had those 2 OT games, we wouldn't be questioning whether Coastal was in, I think they'd be a lock if they had blown those 2 games wide open like they should have

[TypicalTribe]

Well, you really gotta play the cards you are dealt, and yes Coastal has played them well, but not as well as they could have, and I'm not referring to the App game

I think honestly if you hadn't had those 2 OT games, we wouldn't be questioning whether Coastal was in, I think they'd be a lock if they had blown those 2 games wide open like they should have

That might have been part of it, but I think the bigger issue is that, due to the weakness of the conference, they haven't played a meaningful game in 2 months. Since their games have had no relevance, other teams have been able to take alot of the focus away from them with more recent significant wins.

[Saint3333]

Hampton has being playing the same type of teams as CCU, the difference is the games aren't as close.

I remember getting a lot of crap one day on here when I stated the day that SC State lost to Hampton, JMU lost again to someone, and CCU took 3OTs to beat Liberty was the day CCU was knocked out of the playoffs.

There's still a chance, but CCU needs two if not three upsets this weekend to get into the playoffs.

[TypicalTribe]

Hampton has being playing the same type of teams as CCU, the difference is the games aren't as close.


I think the difference is that Hampton had some credibility coming into the season, is undefeated and plays in an auto-bid conference.

I do agree that JMU and SCSU not being able to come up with big wins has hurt the Chants case as well.

Even if they do get in, I fear for them due to the fact that they haven't play against anything close to playoff competition in so long. Depending on the matchup, like UNH, the game could be over before they get their playoff feet under them.

[SwoopEWU]

If Coastal does get in, which more than likely they probably will but who really knows, they are going to get blown out and I don't think I am in the minority in thinking this. I don't mean this as a put down because winning that many games is no easy task, but when you aren't battle tested against good teams week in and week out you are ill prepared for the playoffs which is a whole nother ball game. Again not your fault for being in a weak conference but thats the way the cookie crumbles. Keep on that AD of yours to keep putting together a solid non league schedule because that is your only hope turn some heads with some out of conf. wins and gain valuable experience.

[rokamortis]

Thanks to everyone who have provided meaningful opinions and no CCU bashing - this may be an AGS first ;)

Do I think CCU should be in? Of course ;) But I can also see the argument that there are probably 20-25 deserving teams for only 16 spots. I do hope we can get in to demonstrate we can compete at a high level. I know we dropped the ball at ASU and I would like a shot to show we are a better team than played that day.

[GaSouthern]

I think they will get in, but thats with out looking at the big picture of the other teams that also deserve it, I for sure think CCU deserves it, after all GSU got in early also, who knows yall make make it in on a hair and win the whole thing, and over the next 20 years pile up 5 more NC wins!... now where have I heard that before?

[Punchykky]

CCU, if you get in, I hope you run up in everybody you meet! :nod: (Except Hampton ;) ) I can't believe the disrespect some people are showing for a football program that's doing as well as CCU in it's what, 3rd year of existence! :nod:

[SuperJon]

I think we'll get in. I will admit that I think that we will either win our game by less than a touchdown or we'll lose by more than two scores. I've said from the beginning of the year, if we can keep it close with anybody, we can score. Josh Hoke is one of the best kickers in the country and Tyler Thigpen, while he's not Payton Award level by any means, he seems to have a knack for driving down the field in the last minutes. I just wonder how long it will take for the guys to get into the game in a playoff game. Like it's been said, we haven't had a game against a truly tough team since the end of September. It's hard to just make the jump in level of competition. None of us really know, but that's why they play the game.

[SoCon48]

CCU, if you get in, I hope you run up in everybody you meet! :nod: (Except Hampton ;) ) I can't believe the disrespect some people are showing for a football program that's doing as well as CCU in it's what, 3rd year of existence! :nod:

Nobody questions the fact that CCU is a great team in just its 3rd year of existence. I'd say they are realistically on par with WCU and Chattanooga. Let me re-phrase that. Coastal vs WCU or UT-Chattanooga would make good regular season OOC match-ups.

[SoCon48]

Ok you say it was a decent schedule for a 2nd year program.

What about playing the 3 we played this year in only the 3RD YEAR?

Playing those 3 in your third year is saying one thing, but saying it is not suspect for play-off consideration is another differnt concept entirely.

It is a good realistic one for a newly formed program, but not one a program would want to lay on the table for the selection committee if it could be avoided.

[DB_Atlantic10]

As a JMU fan, all I have to say is "Coastal deserves to be in" period!!!!!!! No politics, no BS, send them to the big dance, ortherwisie what are the kids playing for?

[New CCU Fan]

As a JMU fan, all I have to say is "Coastal deserves to be in" period!!!!!!! No politics, no BS, send them to the big dance, ortherwisie what are the kids playing for?


Otherwise, the question would be "what are the kids PAYING for?" (politics, BS, etc)