Mission9

Man, you had to bring up the dreaded "TBD" didn't you? I am trying to get these guys to focus on what's in front of us. I don't want them worrying about future demons which don't exist (as of yet).

A quick look reveals that USF does not have any future games scheduled against FCS opponents. You guys can rest easy after Sept 1. https://gousfbulls.com/news/2012/1/17/611637.aspx

Our fans in general hated this conference from the beginning. It really is a conference thing not aimed at any individual program. I will attempt to sum it up. -- When rumors of a 4 conference (64 to 68 teams) top division football were going around, many thought for certain we would get in and even tried to see where we would fit in. Even gently suggesting that a no name brand USF would be left out could have gotten you branded as a blasphemer. --Once the fate of the Big East was sealed, some of us knew what was going on with the American Conference additions. The fact that some were ones which had once been in a big conference (Houston, SMU, Tulane) big time in general (Navy) or had once been considered for a big time Eastern Football conference before the Big East started football (East Carolina) did not matter to many. In fact, even stating that they really attracted the best not in the P5 (or Mountain West) was quickly ridiculed with the tallest midget argument. Even so, complaining about it will not change the fact that we were systematically left out. --In a lighthearted moment, trying to point out the fact that we finally will have a balanced home and road conference schedule got me roasted as there cannot possibly be anything good out of being stuck in the American. I think if the American could have found a way to keep a seat (even a tenuous one) at the proverbial "Big Boy Table", there would have been a lot less complaining. -

It being the "eye test"

I think it is in the works. This is why the future schedules of USF and UCF are impressive. Both have gotten better games and I applaud the fact that the Elon game is the last vs the FCS in the near future. The eye test is not new and one behemoth that suffered due to it was Penn St. I remember them being constantly left short in the polls due to the perception that eastern football was subpar. To his credit, Paterno continued to be his annoying self by advocating for his team and working hard to schedule nationally known teams. It obviously paid off. I fully realize none of us have the following of that program, just pointing out why I have always hated it.

Which is why I prefer the NFL in general. Win and you are in. No eye test. If the NFL had an eye test, Dallas (for example) would be the top seed most years as pundits and fans always perceive them to be better than they really are. The system is so flawed that I am certain if UCF and USF played all out of conference road games at quality P5 programs and rolled them, then met undefeated and played an epic game, then won the AAC, that the winner would not sniff the playoffs.

I countered with the fact that many of the important players in the first couple of games had been acquired while the team was an Independent and in CUSA. There was an advantage but not as much as some may think.

True. The better argument is the fact that the system is flawed where an undefeated team has absolutely no path to a championship and another can finish 2nd in a division, avoid an elimination game (SEC championship) and then waltz into the playoffs. I think at minimum there should be a "play in" game for a UCF type team just like there is in basketball for the teams on the margin.

I have no choice but to agree with this. I did not watch every play but of the ones I did, UCF was controlling the lines of scrimmage. To me, that is telling. Now, the emotion part, I have no statement to make. The only thing I can say about that is that ESECPN's argument that the entire P5 is superior to G5 was once again shown to be false. If Auburn and the SEC were so much better, the Tigers would have been able to roll their helmets out at the 50 and win the game.

Good find. I had seen the trophy case mentioned which should have been noted. He should have been more creative when coming up with his Nom De Plume.

Sorry for not being succinct. I was trying to say had USF lost the first 4, no one would be able to dismiss them here without an onslaught of ridicule.

I think you have misunderstood my post or I should have been succinct. Those first four games do count and I would say that the USF recruits which made up the teams in those early games were not rated much higher than most of the UCF players. I seem to recall many UCF fans thinking they had a great chance to win all four of those games. Two ended up being quite close. Anyway, the important point to understand is that pointing out what happened with realignment to our attendance does not reflect negatively on a UCF team poised to join the Big East. People deciding to do other things instead of spending all day at a football game is a choice which makes sense to some. Most of us are not the enemy here (at least on this issue). I wanted you to beat Auburn. Incidentally, in social media I have had to hold my nose and defend your fanbase against a certain team in the eastern part of North Carolina who try and say that you have no fans. I wish more of you focused on things like that rather than us wallowing in our fate.

I do not think that I am out of line to say that if the situations were completely reversed, a USF fan with that opinion would be ridiculed on here by the rest of us.

It is almost as if that never happened.

Conference realignment has always been about the "name brand". Pointing out that fans left due to the demotion is far from saying USF deserves to be in the Pee Five.