Be Glad we are out of C-DOA! Be very thankful!

[TyBull]

On Campus takes stock of Conference USA

posted by Tim Stephens on Sep 24, 2008 11:27:29 PM

East Carolina teased us with talk of earning a BCS bid but was brought to reality by North Carolina State on Saturday. Meanwhile, Tulsa now carries the C-USA banner in hopes of crashing into one of the major college football bowl games.

The Golden Hurricane (3-0) have one of the most prolific offenses in America but aren't likely to make up enough ground in the polls (they still are unranked) to qualify. And beating up on a C-USA schedule isn't going to help.

Let's take stock of Conference USA ...

This league is in major disarray. The problem is not that it has several really bad teams. That would be manageable; just look at the WAC, a two-time BCS crasher largely because it is so top-heavy.

C-USA's problem is that its top isn't nearly that good and its bottom and middle are just good enough to ruin someone's season in league play but not really good enough to beat anyone competent outside of the league. The league has six bowl slots, but I'd say at this point it's questionable it will be able to fill them all. In the SEC, they call competitive balance "parity." In C-USA, it's called a pillow fight.

Mediocrity, thy name is Conference USA.

In ranking the leagues, I would put C-USA No. 9, just behind the WAC and just ahead of the MAC and Sun Belt, with both of those league's closing fast.  

My C-USA rankings to this point, regardless of division:

1. Tulsa (3-0, 1-0): The Golden Hurricane have scored 40 points or more in eight of their last nine games. They are also the last team to beat BYU. At this point, Tulsa would seem likely to be favored in all of its remaining games. The offense is the real deal. The defense looks improved, but that could just be the competition.

2. East Carolina (3-1, 1-0): The luster is coming off the Pirates' big wins, just a bit. It's still a major accomplishment for any C-USA team to beat Virginia Tech (which didn't play Tyrod Taylor at QB) or West Virginia (which has not beaten a I-A team yet this season). They still look like the most complete team in the East.

3. Tulane (1-2, 0-1): Yes, the Green Wave. In a league not known for much defense, Bob Toledo's team can stop people. Tulane looks like it should be much better than expected in the preseason. The schedule is back-heavy with road games, but they look at lot more manageable than they did in August.

4. Marshall (3-1, 2-0): This was one of the youngest teams in the league last year and the Herd is learning to win. Inconsistency still could be a problem, though. The Herd has a huge game against West Virginia this week, and a win would tell us a lot about Marshall's ability to challenge East Carolina in the East.

5. Southern Miss (2-2, 0-1): That domination of Louisiana-Lafayette was good and beating Arkansas State -- and underrated team -- was, too. That loss at home against Marshall? Not so good. But we'll go against the grain and say those new yellow uniforms were pretty darn cool. We're not as sold yet on the Larry Fedora hiring.

6. UCF (1-2, 0-0): The Knights are good on defense and extremely bad on offense. The non-conference schedule holds another loss (at Miami) and that means the Knights won't have much margin for error in their quest to make a bowl. Quarterback play has to improve or the Knights will be sweating bowl eligibility in November.

7. Rice (2-2, 2-0): The skills of quarterback Chase Clement give Rice a chance to climb because the Owls can score and they don't play East Carolina or UCF, two of the league's top defenses.

8. Houston (1-3, 0-0): I thought a lot of people were overrating Houston in the preseason and I'm being proven correct. But there is time to correct some of the mistakes, so don't count them out yet. In C-USA, it's not at all uncommon for a team to take its lumps out of conference and get well in league play.

9. UTEP (0-3, 0-0): Mike Price's team would seem to be underachieving big-time, but maybe their opponents are a little better than people thought. The health of QB Trevor Vittatoe (high ankle sprain) is paramount to turning things around.

10. Memphis (1-3, 0-2): The only win is over I-AA Nicholls State. Is Tommy West on the hot seat? The Tigers have not picked up where they left off last year, but then again, maybe there is hope. Remember, the Tigers started in a big hole in 2007 and closed strong to reach a bowl game.

11. SMU (1-3, 0-1): June Jones will win here eventually but it may be a long process to get the pieces in place. The Mustangs have lost 13 consecutive games to I-A opponents and will take their lumps this year with youth.

12. UAB (1-3, 0-1): The Blazers got a win Saturday over I-AA Alabama State. But they have lost 19 of their last 20 against I-A teams. UAB has a good building block in QB Joe Webb but that is cancelled out by one of the worst defenses in college football.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college/2008/09/on-campus-takes.html

[windbane]

I dunno, the MAC has won some games this year...Bowling Green beat Pitt, heh.

[TheUpperHand]

Be Glad we are out of C-DOA! Be very thankful!

Like we needed a reason to be glad about leaving it behind.  ;D

[twillybull]

As ****ty the Big East refs were to us last year, they didn't hold a candle to those crooked CUSA bast*rds.  Thank the gods we don't play in that joke of a league.

If the Big East is looking to the non-BCS leagues to expand to 9 schools, I'd add Ball State, Bowling Green or Northern Illinois out of the MAC or FAU or Troy from the SunBelt before I'd take anyone out of CUSA.