quote:
Week in and out I was disagree. On an occasion sure they might beat a few. Every year the Sunbelt is getting stronger. I don't think any longer that you can compare it to a 1AA league.

The Southland conference has probably been about the 6th strongest I-AA league during the 2000s. It has an 8-4 record against the Sun Belt. Last year, McNeese beat ULL 38-17. ULL was only 3-4 in the Sun Belt while McNeese was the Southland champ but I was there and it was a pretty good rump kicking.

The most recent previous Southland/Sun Belt games were in 2005. Northwestern State, which finished tied for third in the Southland with a 3-3 conference mark, split two games with two of the three teams that tied for the Sun Belt crown with 5-2 conference marks. The Demons beat Louisiana Monroe 27-23 and lost to Louisiana Lafayette 49-28.

And, as always, the I-AA teams were on the road in all three cases.

That's pretty recent stuff. And I think it's important to note again that in recent years the Southland has not been nearly as strong as some other I-AA leagues. It's been a middle of the pack league in that subdivision; not a top one.

For what it's worth: Last year, in Sagarin's system, the Sun Belt ranked behind two I-AA conferences (App State's Southern and Delaware's Colonial Athletic).

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Posted by Hemi Man

Member since Jul 2008

39 posts

Posted on 8/2/08 at 2:55 pm to JohnStOnge

Leave the computer ratings alone for a while and watch the games. Did the Sagrin Ratings say App St would beat Michigan. College football is a of emotions played by KIDS. I will say that App St is a scary 1AA school. But if there had to play Troy or FAU's schedule they wouldn't do as well as either of those teams did. The difference in scholarship athelets is tremendous, as far as keeping players fresh and the dropoff from 1st to 2nd string.

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Posted by JohnStOnge

Prarieiville, LA

Member since Feb 2008

132 posts

Posted on 8/2/08 at 3:20 pm to Hemi Man

quote:
Leave the computer ratings alone for a while and watch the games. Did the Sagrin Ratings say App St would beat Michigan. College football is a of emotions played by KIDS. I will say that App St is a scary 1AA school. But if there had to play Troy or FAU's schedule they wouldn't do as well as either of those teams did. The difference in scholarship athelets is tremendous, as far as keeping players fresh and the dropoff from 1st to 2nd string.

I do watch the games. The power ratings are just part of the picture.

Two of the games I watched were the 2002 McNeese vs. ULM and 2007 McNeese vs. ULL games. In both cases, the I-AA team wore the I-A team down and got stronger as the game went on. In both cases it was the I-AA team getting stronger running the ball and the I-A defense getting gassed.

In 2002 McNeese ran the ball 58 times for 329 yards on ULM. Last year they ran it 49 times for 276 yards on ULL. In both cases, the running got easier and easier as the games went on. No question at all in either case as to who was getting worn down.

The stuff you're saying about the difference in scholarship athletes is something we heard from fans from both schools on message boards prior to the games. There may be a tremendous difference in terms of quality and depth of athletes between a good I-AA team and a team like LSU; but there isn't between a good I-AA and the Sun Belt.

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Posted by Hemi Man

Member since Jul 2008

39 posts

Posted on 8/2/08 at 6:14 pm to JohnStOnge

I will give you the ULL game. You beat a bad 1-A team, but the ULM game was 6 years ago. The Sunbelt has changed alot since then. Do you think you guys would go to Troy or FAU or even ULM and win now?

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