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Topic: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Topic: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

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ExCat21
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Member Since: 9/29/2014
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Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 12:57:45 PM

If the rest of the MAC doesn't get their act together in bowl games....our share of CFP will get smaller and smaller. And if the rest of the continues to lose bowl games....we should look at leaving the MAC. But where would we go? What G5 would you want to go to?

https://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/source-sun-belt-con...

ChiCat2018
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 2:05:09 PM

Most realistically either C-USA or the American. Would probably perform best in C-USA, but either one would likely want to add another member school so the divisions stay balanced. Would really be a killer blow to the MAC having the only remaining charter school leave (also the 'most successful' in recent football history).

BillyTheCat
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 2:46:13 PM

ExCat21 wrote:

I agree, we would be a good compliment to the ACC, but we will need to expand Peden

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 3:06:48 PM

BillyTheCat wrote:

ExCat21 wrote:

I agree, we would be a good compliment to the ACC, but we will need to expand Peden

I assume you meant the AAC. Either way, in addition to expanding Peden we're also gonna have to convince another couple hundred thousand people to move to Athens.

The AAC is basically entirely comprised of teams in major markets (Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Philly, Orlando, Memphis, etc. The only schools that aren't (Navy, ECU, UConn) are still in areas with a much larger population base than Athens. Not sure we're all that attractive to another conference, unfortunately.

OhioBobcat
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Member Since: 1/20/2006
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 4:32:45 PM

Whoa, whoa whoa, you might want to pump the brakes a little bit. You do realize Ohio has NEVER beaten a ranked team in its HISTORY, and hasn't won a MAC title in over 50 YEARS don't you?! So after winning a bowl game with more yard lines than fans vs a UAB team in its first season back from the dead, and facing a SDSU team in the midst of a horrible second-half of the season losing skid in front of another mostly empty stadium, there's now talks about how Ohio needs to jump to another conference??? Wow, just wow. You win two crappy bowl games that hardly anyone cares about in empty soccer stadiums against mediocre teams at best and suddenly you're too good for the rest of your conference?! This is beyond laughable.

ChiCat2018
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 5:01:11 PM

OhioBobcat wrote:

No one is saying we should do it right away, the OG raises the question that it should be something to be considered. If the MAC continues to decline like it has the past few years why wouldn't you want to move to a different conference? That's a better track record than a decent amount of teams in C-USA/AAC, unless you think a conference championship 10 years ago makes up for multiple sub .500 records since.

catfan28
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Location: Athens, OH
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 7:49:29 PM

BillyTheCat wrote:

I agree, we would be a good compliment to the ACC, but we will need to expand Peden

The fact that several are taking BTC's post at face value amazes me. He is BA's King of Satire, folks!

Unfortunately, we are what we are when it comes to conferences. There's a reason that MAC has been so stable (or stagnant depending on your view of the world). Schools are like-minded, with similar budgets. Geographically, programs can save big on travel costs and as such can "punch above their weight" at times relative to budget.

Take a look at CUSA on a map. It would be ludicrous to make that move on the basis of travel alone. No other conference at a level "up" (AAC) would sniff us due to us bringing absolute "0" from the market standpoint.

The only way that Ohio ever makes a jump is:
1. The MAC disbands/breaks apart/etc.
2. Administration opts to drop to FCS. To me, this may actually be the most likely scenario, especially given the current university climate. Check out the Athens Messenger for Nellis' latest debacle.
3. A donor of proportions the MAC has never seen (think our own T. Boone Pickens) steps forward with the goal of enhancing Ohio Athletics. We increase annual budgets by $30 million. In that fantasy world, the ACC is actually a natural fit as our "big boy" conference, IMO.

Of course, #3 is probably dependent on one of us winning the lottery. But those are the only three ways Ohio leaves the MAC.

ou79
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 7:56:34 PM

If you think most of the people in New Orleans care about or otherwise support Tulane, you need to put down the crack bowl and back away from the liquor cabinet. Their football team averaged 16,939 at home for 2017 while Ohio's was 19,388. In New Orleans Tulane is usually viewed as an also ran to LSU, the Saints and some really good high school football teams throughout south Louisiana. It is also viewed as a snobbish private school who most people in New Orleans could care less about. A few years ago before they built their new football stadium and still played in the Dome, they usually had an attendance of somewhere south of 5,000.

Last Edited: 1/15/2019 7:59:59 PM by ou79

Pataskala
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/15/2019 9:18:14 PM

catfan28 wrote:

BillyTheCat wrote:

I agree, we would be a good compliment to the ACC, but we will need to expand Peden

Don't forget #4: We'd need to have about 500,000 people move into SE Ohio to put us into a decent-sized TV market. Most of the AAC and CUSA teams are in top 100 markets (even if they're after-thoughts in those markets).

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

The Optimist
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 8:39:06 AM

I think we should form our own conference with the other elite party schools in the country. We'd need to focus on getting our tailgate scene up to SEC standards, but I have no doubt we could put the Sun Belt's "FunBelt" moniker to shame.

Proposed Conference:
Ohio
Iowa
Colorado at Boulder
IU
WVU
University of California - Santa Barbara
Georgia
Tulane
FSU
Arizona State

Need 2 more schools to get 12 for a conference championship game. Thoughts?

I've seen crazier things happen.

ExCat21
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 3:48:08 PM

The Optimist wrote:

Thinking about this travel schedule alone would make me puke before any tests I took. And I would not look forward to games in November if this new conference had mid-week games. But our strength of schedule would improve significantly. I would add North Dakota St and James Madison. Elite FCS teams that will want to prove a point in this new conference. Great list of party schools!!

Last Edited: 1/16/2019 6:36:44 PM by ExCat21

ExCat21
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 3:53:09 PM

OHIOBOBCAT- As a project manager, I would have to forecast our future projected earnings if the conference continues to decline. Our last two MAC champions have been destroyed by Funbelt teams. App State owns the MAC from my standards as they have been ESPNs new crush since beating us in their first Camellia Bowl. ESPN wanted us to be the new Boise State but we couldn't capitalize on a National TV game after that Sports Illustrated article came out. So yeaa....its laughable but two years from now we may be revisiting this convo if Toledo, Buffalo, and NIU (6 bowl losses in a row) don't start pulling their weight in bowl games. Goes to show our Bowl series with other conferences is the measuring stick for dollars and future matchups.

Last Edited: 1/16/2019 3:54:09 PM by ExCat21

GoCats105
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 4:19:41 PM

Better idea...blow up Conference USA by luring Western Kentucky and Marshall to come to the MAC. If Marshall doesn't come back, go ask Army if they're willing to join.

Demand the conference to be better rather than leave and screw up your travel budget. As D.A. has pointed out many times, we're never leaving the MAC.

.
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 4:36:13 PM

Part of me thinks Marshall would rather not play football than limp back to the MAC with its tail between its legs and admit leaving the MAC was a mistake.

ExCat21
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 5:57:27 PM

FYI- Would love to have Temple back. And that recruiting market in Philly.

ExCat21
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 6:05:43 PM

OhioBobcat wrote:

Also to add to this. CENTRAL FLORIDA went 0-12 in our conference and moved on. TEMPLE never went to a MAC championship and has moved on. UMASS never went far. Marshall is the only one to me......that has the right to move on winning multiple MAC titles. And if UCONN keeps bottoming out it may move to the MAC to rebuild its brand like the others have tried to. Any other teams prior to 2002 I don't know....

Last Edited: 1/16/2019 6:07:15 PM by ExCat21

ExCat21
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 6:18:14 PM

Hustlebelt says we saved the conference, yet again:
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2019/1/16/18158144/reflections...

OhioCatFan
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Location: Athens, OH
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 9:11:05 PM

GoCats105 wrote:

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

bshot44
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 10:58:34 PM

ExCat21 wrote:

Hustlebelt says we saved the conference, yet again:
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2019/1/16/18158144/reflections...

I'm seeing this type of statement pop up more and more in articles about Ohio.

"Slipping up in trap games against middling teams is what�s preventing Ohio from claiming its first MAC title since 1968. Still, at the time the season concluded, Ohio looked like the most powerful team in the conference."

I'm expecting some BAs to start boycotting these publications for publishing fake news 🤣🤣🤣

Or send letters telling them to "quit carrying that baggage around" ... "Ohio has scoreboard on Toledo"

OhioBobcat
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/16/2019 10:59:48 PM

Anyone who thinks what Ohio or the MAC does in 95% of the bowl games they play in would be classified as "meaningful" is kidding themselves. The absurd number of bowl games and bowl teams nowadays exist for two reasons: a way for networks to try and make a little more money, and to bridge the viewership gap between the conference championships and the real bowls about a month later. The bowl games that Ohio and most every MAC school play in (aside from a select few such as NIU and WMU recently, and a few others over the years) are glorified scrimmages - at best. Many of the players are more interested in the bowl game gifts that are distributed than some of the bowl games themselves. And have you seen the pathetic travel turnouts for MAC teams (Ohio included) in these games? Ohio was even giving away 1,804 free tickets through a promotion this year and it was still a dreadful turnout. Hardly anyone cares about these games. Again, they're not much more than glorified scrimmages.

Look, Ohio turned in two outstanding efforts in its last two bowl games, no doubt. But to say that Ohio "saved" the MAC with those two wins is comical. IMO, Ohio was the best overall team in the MAC the last two years come seasons end. But Ohio couldn't even win the MAC East in either year, let alone the MACC. So what we've seen is the MAC's best overall team (Ohio) slip in bowl matchups to execs who are picking matchups based on records and standings. The result: Ohio trucked two overmatched teams that never had a shot. Play those UAB and SDSU games over 10 more times each and I'm still picking Ohio every time. It's why I hoped Ohio would have been higher in the bowl matchup order to face one of the MAC's best tests, from both a competitive game standpoint and to help the MAC get better bowl matchups overall. But make no mistake, Ohio didn't "save" the MAC in the bowls, it only helped the MAC save a little bit of face each year.

Last Edited: 1/16/2019 11:01:34 PM by OhioBobcat

Deciduous Forest Cat
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/17/2019 7:00:37 PM

Number one, there are no meaningful bowls.

Number two, saved was in the context of bowl season, as in saved the mac from going winless for the second year in a row

colobobcat66
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/17/2019 7:20:07 PM

OhioBobcat wrote:

You can�t say the bowls are meaningless if winning makes more money for the MAC teams. Winning figures into the payouts so they�re meaningful if money means anything.

Bobcat1996
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/17/2019 8:30:32 PM

"Glorified scrimmages!" Try telling that to a group of players who are competing to win another game. I wouldn't put Ohio's bowl win in the category of a "glorified scrimmage." Maybe when the volleyball team faces another Ohio college in the spring for a get together or when the Bobcat baseball team plays a fall scrimmage vs Rio, then that is a glorified scrimmage. What the Bobcats have done in the last few bowl games are not scrimmages. Would you call the CIT or CBI games Ohio's basketball teams play in mid March glorified scrimmages? Our university will never compete for a football final four playoff berth in college football, but don't downplay the wins they achieve in a bowl game. Likewise if Ohio hoops wins post season games in the CBI, CIT or NIT that shouldn't be frowned upon. Not every school will qualify for the post season and many of Ohio's athletes came to Athens to participate in post season events. As a Bobcat supporter, I am proud of each and every victory our student athletes achieve.

Pete Chouteau
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/17/2019 8:32:53 PM

OH FOR CHRISTS SAKE

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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RE: Uh Oh....the SunBelt has passed us.

Posted: 1/18/2019 11:07:49 AM

GoCats105 wrote:

Basically a 0% chance Army joins the MAC. They went the conference route years back and it was a disaster for them. A lot of alumni there -- and that's a place where alumni carry outsized influence -- blame that for the decline of the program.

They've just now built it back up. They aren't gonna risk the progress they've made for Potato Bowl tie ins.

Beyond that, because of their annual Air Force/Navy games, an 8 game conference slate would only leave them with two non-conference slots a year. They've got a few series in military heavy areas that are pretty important to them for recruiting purposes (Texas teams, for instance) that I think they'd be very hesitant to give up on for additional MAC games.

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