AAC Football

[Renegade]

Well, the AAC is the nutopia Big East. BTW, Big East was #3 in BCS bowl wins during the BCS era. For all the maligning, it was and is a good conference.

This year, Louisville and Rutgers hit the road. One is a loss, one isn't. Tulane and Tulsa come in. Tulane is going to be a positive addition despite their decade long struggles, but Tulsa has already hit their potential and has limited growth potential. But at least they tend to put a decent product on the field.

Navy is in next year, which is when the champ game starts. This year it's an 11-team old B1G style schedule with just 8 conference games. UCF and Cincy, the top two teams last year, do not play again this year. I'm also disappointed that UCF will not play Memphis for the first time since 2005, but again get stuck with Temple on the schedule.

 

[Renegade]

 

[Renegade]

UCF has a tough road slate with USF, UH, and ECU. And it's such a shitty home slate...not going to draw in a lot of fans with three western teams + Temple. If we could flip Tulane and ECU and substitute Memphis for Temple, I'd be ok. Cincy lands all their best games and toughest games at home too.

 

[coogrfan]

UH's home conf. slate: Temple, Tulane, Tulsa and UCF. Didn't we just leave CUSA?

 

[Rutgers Mike]

When you are bringing in Tulsa, Tulane and ECU, Rutgers is a bigger loss than you think Mr. Renegade

 

[Renegade]

Pretty sure all three of them would have beaten Rutgers this year. Didn't Tulane win in Piscataway a few years ago when they were terrible?

 

[Rutgers Mike]

Pretty sure all three of them would have beaten Rutgers this year. Didn't Tulane win in Piscataway a few years ago when they were terrible?

Rutgers was terrible too, especially on offense. The the D fell apart when LeGrand got paralyzed. Well we'll get to find about Tulane next year anyway because they come to New Jersey on September 27.

Also, Tulsa was 3-9 last year. I know Rutgers wasn't good last year but they could beat them I think.

 

[gilstein21]

I'm interested in the ECU/UCF game

 

[Renegade]

Rutgers was terrible too, especially on offense. The the D fell apart when LeGrand got paralyzed. Well we'll get to find about Tulane next year anyway because they come to New Jersey on September 27.

Also, Tulsa was 3-9 last year. I know Rutgers wasn't good last year but they could beat them I think.

Yeah, Tulsa had their first bad year in like 6 or 7. They are also the team I did not want to invite, as I think they've hit their peak. It's a very small private school in a state dominated by two other programs and must import their talent from out of state, and they don't have the kind of money that SMU has to just throw cash at everything. We'd have been better off with a less-established but more high potential school like UTSA or Old Dominion. Even UTEP, who at least would provide some good roundball, would have been a better add.

It's really too bad that Paul Bryant Jr. and the Bammers continue to quash UAB, because if UAB could build a proper stadium and be allowed to go forth on their own merit, I think they could be as good of a program in the AAC as anyone.

 

[Renegade]

USF QB Matt Floyd who started last season as their starter but got replaced is planning to transfer.

 

[coogrfan]

2014 Houston football schedule
8/30 UTSA
9/6 FCS Grambling State
9/11 at BYU
9/27 FCS Tennessee Tech
10/2 UCF
10/11 @ Memphis
10/18 Temple
11/1 at USF
11/8 Tulane
11/22 Tulsa
11/28 at SMU
12/6 at Cincinnati

​

This would have been a weak schedule even if we hadn't been forced to add a second FCS game because Rice bailed on us at the last minute. As it is, barring a catostrophic series of injuries anything less than 9 wins would represent abject failure.

​

 

[Renegade]

Yeah, the new UCF athletic administration has really fallen down when it comes to scheduling marquee home games. We've got BYU this year, and then nothing else scheduled until Maryland in like 2018. The one thing our previous AD did well was scheduling, such as getting South Carolina in a 1-1 deal, Mizzou in a 1-1 deal, and K-State in a 1-1 deal (though K-State bought out the return game in Orlando).

Saturday 08/30/14 vs. Penn State Dublin, Ireland 8:30 a.m. ET
Saturday 09/13/14 at Missouri Columbia, Mo. TBA
Saturday 09/20/14 vs. Bethune-Cookman Orlando, Fla. TBA
Thursday 10/02/14 at Houston TV Houston, Texas TBA
Thursday 10/09/14 vs. BYU TV Orlando, Fla. TBA
Saturday 10/18/14 vs. Tulane * Orlando, Fla. TBA
Saturday 10/25/14 vs. Temple * Orlando, Fla. TBA
Saturday 11/01/14 at Connecticut * East Hartford, Conn. TBA
Friday 11/14/14 vs. Tulsa * TV Orlando, Fla. TBA
Saturday 11/22/14 vs. SMU * Orlando, Fla. TBA
Friday 11/28/14 at USF * Tampa, Fla. TBA
Thursday 12/04/14 at East Carolina * TV Greenville, N.C. TBA

Tough stretch to start the season. If the new QB isn't ready to go, we could easily start 1-4. Going to be tough to finish with two games on the road.

Best case: 11-1 (don't really see a win @ Mizzou)
Realistic: 9-3 or 8-4
Worst case: 6-6

 

[Rutgers Mike]

I think Rutgers would be willing to do a home-and-home with UCF in the future. Not sure what years tho as we are filled up for awhile.

 

[coogrfan]

Could be worse:

SMU 2014 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date Opponent
Sun, Aug 31 at Baylor
Sat, Sep. 6 at North Texas
Sat, Sep. 20 Texas A&M
Sat, Sep. 27 TCU
Sat, Oct. 4 at ECU
Sat, Oct. 18 Cincinnati
Sat, Oct. 25 Memphis
Sat, Nov. 8 at Tulsa
Sat, Nov. 15 USF
Sat, Nov. 22 at UCF
Fri, Nov. 28 Houston
Sat, Dec. 6 at UConn

​

That schedule has 1-5 start written all over it: 0-6 isn't out of the question. To quote Zaphod Beeblebrox: "So, ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good thinking, huh?"

 

[Renegade]

Well I could see SMU losing every game if the talent level decreases again this year like it seems to have done each of the past few years. With UConn on the road, there's really no gimmes on that schedule with Memphis improving and USF's defense likely to be tough as usual. Realistically, I see SMU at like 4-8.

 

[Wooly]

Yeah, the new UCF athletic administration has really fallen down when it comes to scheduling marquee home games. We've got BYU this year, and then nothing else scheduled until Maryland in like 2018. The one thing our previous AD did well was scheduling, such as getting South Carolina in a 1-1 deal, Mizzou in a 1-1 deal, and K-State in a 1-1 deal (though K-State bought out the return game in Orlando).



Tough stretch to start the season. If the new QB isn't ready to go, we could easily start 1-4. Going to be tough to finish with two games on the road.

Best case: 11-1 (don't really see a win @ Mizzou)
Realistic: 9-3 or 8-4
Worst case: 6-6

How much of that is UCF playing well the past few years. Are teams not willing to take the risk now?

 

[Renegade]

How much of that is UCF playing well the past few years. Are teams not willing to take the risk now?

Probably some, but I think part of the problem is internal to the administration. Our Interim AD fired the Associate AD for External who had done the scheduling. He had long history with a lot of big schools having come to UCF from Virginia Tech, having played at Iowa for Hayden Fry, and having experience at Wake, UNLV, and some other places, so he had a lot of good connections. The new guy is much younger and only has experience at two schools outside UCF: UL-Monroe and Southern Miss. I think a good portion of it is that he simply doesn't have the connections and relationships to get these things scheduled.

 

[coogrfan]

Saw this on another board:



Yeeeee-haw!

 

[Renegade]

I don't really get the UCF one. The others all more or less make sense.

 

[coogrfan]

At a guess I'd say they felt that UCF was best represented by someone holding a beer.

 

[Renegade]

I mean, we do have a raucous tailgating scene, but fat, dopey guy? That's like Southern Miss or something.

 

[Rutgers Mike]

The sailor wearing no pants is disconcerting.

 

[Rutgers Mike]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...letic-conference-considers-division-alignment

 

[Renegade]

Seems like Cincy does not want to go West. Fine with me, and if USF/UCF are going to be split up, sign me up to go West. You play Houston and then one of Tulsa or SMU will be tough. Memphis and Tulane will be so-so at best. Far better than dealing with Cincy, ECU, and Navy, not to mention UConn if they ever get their shit together again. Not to mention better road trips in the West.

I won't be surprised if we get some randomized zipper deal though...if it even happens, as if the Big XII proposal passes, you won't need divisions to host a champ game.

 

[Rutgers Mike]

I know the talk when they were going to do the really western thing (Boise, SD State) was that Navy was willing to be in a western division, but I'm not sure if they are still willing to do that. If they are, I'd just go with the West as Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Memphis and Navy, with the East as Cincy, UConn, Temple, ECU, UCF and USF.

 

[doh]

I know the talk when they were going to do the really western thing (Boise, SD State) was that Navy was willing to be in a western division, but I'm not sure if they are still willing to do that. If they are, I'd just go with the West as Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Memphis and Navy, with the East as Cincy, UConn, Temple, ECU, UCF and USF.

I think they announced they're going to do this today.

I always thought the Big East should've tried to add four teams back in the mid 00's and get a CCG in NYC. Would've seen maybe divisions like this:

Syracuse
Villanova
UConn
Rutgers
Pitt
UMass

Navy
Cincy
USF
Ville
WVU
UCF

 

[coogrfan]

Updated 2014 Houston football schedule
8/30 UTSA
9/6 FCS Grambling State
9/11 at BYU
9/20 UNLV
9/27 FCS Tennessee Tech bumped to 2015
10/2 UCF
10/11 at Memphis
10/18 Temple
11/1 at USF
11/8 Tulane
11/22 Tulsa
11/28 at SMU
12/6 at Cincinnati

​

 

[coogrfan]

I know the talk when they were going to do the really western thing (Boise, SD State) was that Navy was willing to be in a western division, but I'm not sure if they are still willing to do that. If they are, I'd just go with the West as Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Memphis and Navy, with the East as Cincy, UConn, Temple, ECU, UCF and USF.
Three private schools and a service academy in the same division seems a tad unblanced, imo.​

 

[killerBsaturn]

I'd rather they go straight geographical and have navy in the east. Seems supid to group them geographical except for navy.

 

[Renegade]

I'd rather they go straight geographical and have navy in the east. Seems supid to group them geographical except for navy.

Navy wants to play the private schools, and they recruit Texas heavily. I'm ok with it; I'd prefer to have a regular trip to Annapolis, but it works out ok. I think Tulsa is on a downward trend, but they won CUSA West more than Houston did, and Tulane and Memphis are trending up. I think it'll work itself out, especially if SMU ditches Jones and spends bigtime on another coach.

 

[Rutgers Mike]

I know the talk when they were going to do the really western thing (Boise, SD State) was that Navy was willing to be in a western division, but I'm not sure if they are still willing to do that. If they are, I'd just go with the West as Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Memphis and Navy, with the East as Cincy, UConn, Temple, ECU, UCF and USF.

Nailed it.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11005968/aac-executives-finalize-two-6-team-divisions

"Texas is our No. 1 state for players," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo told the Advocate.com. "So we'd prefer to play at either Houston or SMU every year. No plan is perfect, and we'll be happy wherever they put us."