C-USA Watch

[Minermojo]

I think a lot goes into whom we were playing. To the team we were playing a top-notch program that always has winning football. It's like when you play one on one with a player that isn't as good as you but because he hates your guts he delivers more than he ever has.

I hope the Miners see every opponent as a Boysee team and takes their frustrations on them. We shall see on Saturday if the Miners have turned a corner or are like the Miners that beat up on BeWhyWho when they were ranked, but then succumbed to their old ways of wanting to lose.

[SisyphusMiner]

Winning an important game against a traditionally strong opponent is a huge monkey off our back.  It's one of the three monkeys that have plagued us for decades.  Maybe that will help us break the other two:  winning in the eastern time zone, winning a bowl game.

We've talked about must win games.  This is a must win game

[kyyote]

This is indeed a must win game.

[SisyphusMiner]

It was posted on the other board that we have the 11th ranked pass defense.  I want to get excited about that and the BSU game is a good start.  But it does need to be pointed out that when you have the 103rd rated rush defense and give up > 4 yards per rush the other team doesn't need to pass very much...

Hopefully we are beyond that now as we were very stout against both rush and pass with BSU.  The lines need to keep that fire in their bellies.

[kyyote]

Every game we play is a must win game!  We are drowning in a whirlpool and in danger of going under.  Our conference is the conference of last resort and it is sinking.  Conference USA is a dead man walking thing.  WKU and MT almost left and will.  There are 131 teams and the last 10 teams at the bottom, includes FIU. NMSU, finally found a group of teams also at the bottom.  UTEP is 3 teams away from the bottom ten teams.  Remember that teams being ditched has yet to finish.  We have seen how the whole thing works, especially being UTEP we have been in the ditched group many times.  The top teams tire of being held down by the bottom teams in the conference and leave and the conference fills the loss with lower teams looking to move up.  We are so far down the chain that the only teams lower than us are FCS teams looking to move up.  So, next year we have WK ranked 43 and MT ranked 78, and then LA Tech is at 100 and we are at 118.  Liberty will join WHU and MT at the top ranked 70.  Then there is NMSU ranked 126 and FIU at 131.  Add Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State.  Conference USA is in its final throes of death.  Liberty will move up with WKU and MT and quickly. 

Now, since we have experience in this we can see what is about to happen to the MWC.  The Sun Belt has picked up some good teams but have also gotten too big and too many bottom feeders.  The MAC too would like to streamline.  Those three conferences will shuffle in the near future.  So, for us the question will be are we a wanted team or deadwood.  We have always been the deadwood.  Up or down.  Which way are we headed and is anyone doing anything about it?  Others are looking at us and asking the same question.  The only thing they have to judge us on is history and the here and now.  History says we aren't doing anything to get better.  The here and now is all we have left to make our case on.  Every game is a must win game.  Charlotte is ranked 124.  If we have any hope for a better future we have to be able to beat one of the worst teams in the country with ease.  Every damned game needs to be the "good" miners.  Our only chance is to win all of the tough games we shouldn't win to show that we aren't the bad UTEP.  After Charlotte, we get LA Tech.  They are weak this year so a win is a must and won't buy us much credibility.  Then we get a chance to prove to someone that we are worth having when we play FAU and then MT and again we get a game we have to win and won't get much credit if we do but add an anchor if we lose against Rice.  Then a worthless game against FIU that can only be bad for us if we lose, because winning means nothing.  Finishing the season with UTSA could be our saving grace.  Beat them and that is what will be remembered.  Lose and well it is what everyone expects.

Every damned game is a must win game.  We are down to last chance games.

MWC Under 100(Good) and ____ over 100(bad) ranked
AFA
Fresno
Boise
UNLV
SJSt
SDSt
Wy
_____
NV
UNM
UT St
CO St

MAC
Tol
Kent
CMU
___
Buf
Mia
NIU
WMU
EMU
Akron

Sun Belt
Ap St
Marsh
S Ala
JMU
CC
Troy
SM
GA St
LMC
Ar St
____
ODU
GA St
Tx S
UL Mon

C-USA
WKU
UAB
FAU
MTU
UTSA
____
LA Tech
UNT
Rice
UTEP
FIU

[kyyote]

Average ESPN Power Index Rank Per Conference

SEC  25.28
B12  26.9
B10  33.5
P12  50.25
ACC  50.35
AAC  68.18
SB    84.35
CUSA 94.45
MWC 99.16
MAC  108.5

Spread of team rankings
SEC  1-93
B12   6-53
B10   2-97
P12   7-122
ACC  5-98
AAC  20-120
SB    51-116
CUSA 54-131
MWC 62-128
MAC  76-127

Note:  I believe ESPN's Power Index is flawed, and of course has an east coast bias built in.  Having said that, it is a way to compare the teams. 

The MWC has lost it steam.  Gone are BYU and Utah.  Colorado State has become the butt of college football jokes.  Boise has lost its invincibility and San Diego is sand and surf not grinding it out on turf.  The PAC12 is going to lose the two teams that carry it and replacements from the MWC aren't going to help.  After the B12 raids the AAC and the AAC raids CUSA, next year you would have a hard time putting together a decent conference from the top teams of the MWC and CUSA combined. 

[SisyphusMiner]

So the b12 will be the only power conference whose base is west of the mississippi