ESPN Bowl projections: Looking ahead after Week 4

[gatormatt80]

This is almost laughable. Actually it is. Brett McMurphy predicts us going to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Why on earth would we go clear across the country for that bowl game....

Mark Schlabach has us in the St. Petersburg Bowl against East Carolina which wouldn't be bad IMHO.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13752903/college-football-bowl-projections-week-4

 

[The Real SamC]

Nah, it is not almost laughable. It is totally laughable.

Obviously, the NM Bowl will take a Texas team. It is a 20 hour drive from here.

 

[Trebel06]

I can't take any bowl prediction seriously that has ODU making a bowl a week after they just got shutout at home by Appy State

 

[Herd Fever]

ODU is terrible, the fact they are actually worse then they was last year

 

[HerdFan1971]

We will be in a bowl game in Florida. Can't give any credence to a prediction that has the Herd playing anywhere West of the Mississippi - unless that prediction is for the C-USA championship tie-in Heart of Dallas Bowl.

2015/16 C-USA Bowl Tie-Ins:
1. Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 19, Albuquerque, NM) - v. Mtn. West
2. R+L Carrier's New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 19, New Orleans, LA) - v. Sun Belt
3. Miami Beach Bowl (Dec. 21, Miami, FL)* - v. AAC
4. Nassau Bahamas Bowl (Dec. 24, Nassau, Bahamas)* - v. MAC
5. St. Petersburg Bowl (Dec. 26, St. Petersburg, FL) - v. AAC
6. Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dec. 26, Dallas, TX) - v. Big 12
7. Arizona Bowl (Dec. 29, Tucson, AZ) - v. Mtn. West
8. ... Independence Bowl (secondary) (Dec. 26, Shrevelport, La.) - v. ACC or SEC

http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/bowl-synopsis-2014-19.html

*There are some errors on the website - I guessed at the changes - i.e. I doubt that the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl is actually played in Miami, FL - similarly doubt there are two R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowls, one of which being played in Nassau, Bahamas.

 

[Herd Fever]

I thought this year the CUSA has the tie in into the Miami bowl and not the Boca Bowl

 

[Herdmeister]

We will be in a bowl game in Florida. Can't give any credence to a prediction that has the Herd playing anywhere West of the Mississippi - unless that prediction is for the C-USA championship tie-in Heart of Dallas Bowl.

2015/16 C-USA Bowl Tie-Ins:
1. Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 19, Albuquerque, NM) - v. Mtn. West
2. R+L Carrier's New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 19, New Orleans, LA) - v. Sun Belt
3. Miami Beach Bowl (Dec. 21, Miami, FL)* - v. AAC
4. Nassau Bahamas Bowl (Dec. 24, Nassau, Bahamas)* - v. MAC
5. St. Petersburg Bowl (Dec. 26, St. Petersburg, FL) - v. AAC
6. Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dec. 26, Dallas, TX) - v. Big 12
7. Arizona Bowl (Dec. 29, Tucson, AZ) - v. Mtn. West
8. ... Independence Bowl (secondary) (Dec. 26, Shrevelport, La.) - v. ACC or SEC

http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/bowl-synopsis-2014-19.html

*There are some errors on the website - I guessed at the changes - i.e. I doubt that the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl is actually played in Miami, FL - similarly doubt there are two R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowls, one of which being played in Nassau, Bahamas.

There is no C-USA Champion tie in anywhere anymore. That ended when we lost the Liberty Bowl. Now the league champion pretty much gets their choice of associated bowls. You can bet that Doc will take Florida anytime he can. Most likely an AAC team in Miami or St Pete.

 

[Herdmeister]

I thought this year the CUSA has the tie in into the Miami bowl and not the Boca Bowl

They do. AAC vs MAC in Boca this year.

 

[19MU88]

Maybe PD can tell us again about what a good addition ODU is

 

[Herd Fever]

I am just waiting 88

 

[Herd Fever]

@pdbailey tells us again how much a great addition is ODU to the conference

 

[Trebel06]

I think one day ODU may very well be a good addition to the conference.. That day just isn't today lol.. And it isn't going to be that day for quite some time it appears.. Although they seem to have good fan support.. On their board many are discussing making the trip up to Huntington.. Any fan willing to travel after being taken to the woodshed like they were last week deserves kudos in my opinion.

 

[31Herd55]

ODU...someday...not this day & not this Saturday
It is funny how they actually beat BOTH of the top teams from the Western Division of our conference last year.

 

[whf2]

ODU was/is a great travel game for fans, other than that it has the same value as UNCC in football. But remember, choices of additions were, unfortunately in my opinion, made on more than a universities ability to add to the football SOS. UNCC and ODU both add some basketball fans; great arena's and good local support. I also believe this is (basketball) the only reason C-USA gave so much leeway to UAB.

At this stage, I'd love to see us move to 16 team league, decrease need for one annual OOC football game, pick up James Madison and Georgia State, and just live through the next decade of growth in those programs. We are who we are; either strengthen it further of get the heck out.

 

[Marine03]

At this point as awful as we've looked any bowl is a good bowl

 

[RedParallax]

During the offseason, I predicted a 12-2 finish with a CUSA title win. Yesterday, I revised my prediction to 9-4 with a St. Petersburg Bowl win over UConn or ECU.

 

[beefcake0520]

I still believe ODU is a good addition. They may suck right now but I would say they have the best potential if nurtured properly to be a force in the coming years. It will start with a new stadium of 30k+. If they start to win more I could see them being able to flip many recruits from that area that would otherwise end up at VT. I guess our worst teams are still better than the worst teams from the sunbelt and mac (Georgia state and eastern mich.)

 

[ohio herd]

IMO unless you are moving up to an P5 conference at this point it all is moot. ODU or UNCC are they better or worse than E. Mich or Ball State? Is the AAC really a better football conference because Tulane has a better image than say Middle Tenn? I assure you that La Tech is the second best team in the state of Louisiana. For what it's worth, I would say La Lafayette is better. Having ODU and UNCC help us in basketball and I think will help out in football some day in the future. Bottom line is this, if we can win a couple of games against P5 teams and win the conference we can play in a NYD 6 bowl. If we have an outstanding team we can finish being ranked in the Top 10. What isn't going to happen is we are not going to sniff the NC playoffs. I choose to enjoy the Herd and enjoy spending time with family and friends at the games I can get to. Finally, we have come a long ways since my first game at Fairfield in 72!

 

[beefcake0520]

Tulane doesn't have a better image than MTSU, not athletically anyways, they haven't done anything since 1998. They were part of a group of old CUSA that no one still recognized much due to not doing anything in a while........in football and basketball. Same could be said for UAB, and SMU (for the younger fans that don't know about their SWC days) and a few others. ODU and UNCC have to be given some time to recruit and build, but on the field ODU does beat a E. Mich and will be much more recognized in a few more years, UNCC aaaaa got a ways to go. LA Tech has proven better than ulalala, hell they got rump humped by Akron last sat. Akron doesn't appear as good as last year and they were just mediocre then.

 

[beefcake0520]

I will add that we are more comparable to the MAC than the AAC and its not because of competition levels, its because of name recognition or lack there of. AAC still has cincy, uconn, ecu, navy, Memphis, Temple, USF, UCF. What do we have to compare to that? Marshall, USM, UTEP, LA Tech, RIce.............that's about it. The others in our conference hasn't earned their names yet, though Western Ky is getting closer and MTSU needs a few more marquee wins for people to talk about. Florida schools, especially FAU, I just don't get, nice stadium, commitment, but continue to suck. Anyways, on with the conversation lol.

 

[Herdmeister]

ODU will be fine. They are in a recruiting hotbed over there and they have great fan support. They bring a lot to the table in basketball as well. It was a good addition to C-USA.

 

[Herdstruck]

This is almost laughable. Actually it is. Brett McMurphy predicts us going to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Why on earth would we go clear across the country for that bowl game....

Mark Schlabach has us in the St. Petersburg Bowl against East Carolina which wouldn't be bad IMHO.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13752903/college-football-bowl-projections-week-4

Oh I don't know...lots of idiots on this board were ready to burn it down because we declined going west to play a crappy Illinois team.
Funny that several losers on here complained about us NOT going west by the team's own choice and then we are actually predicted to go west, they complain and call it a joke.

 

[oldeherd]

Tulane doesn't have a better image than MTSU, not athletically anyways, they haven't done anything since 1998. They were part of a group of old CUSA that no one still recognized much due to not doing anything in a while........in football and basketball. Same could be said for UAB, and SMU (for the younger fans that don't know about their SWC days) and a few others. ODU and UNCC have to be given some time to recruit and build, but on the field ODU does beat a E. Mich and will be much more recognized in a few more years, UNCC aaaaa got a ways to go. LA Tech has proven better than ulalala, hell they got rump humped by Akron last sat. Akron doesn't appear as good as last year and they were just mediocre then.

Was also going to post the fact that surely any team, especially ULL, cannot be seriously considered the second best team in their state after they got wacked by Akron. Initially thought this game was at UA's 60 million Infocision Stadium, in front of their usual raucous crowd of about 6,500. But this game was in Lafayette, Louisiana.

As for MU's bowl prospects, as one who plans to be in FL for the holidays, the bowl in St. Pete sounds great to me!!

 

[Herdstruck]

ODU will be fine. They are in a recruiting hotbed over there and they have great fan support. They bring a lot to the table in basketball as well. It was a good addition to C-USA.

Just fine?
They're getting raped in this conference...

You couldn't possibly tell me that the alumni, who are likely not dumb, will continue to give ODU money to see them lose by 50 points a game...

They're going to be getting the remaining players from all the NC schools, UVA, VT, Marshall, FL, and some other areas...mainly due to Marshall being the winning component in our level of football...everyone else being P-5 schools with opportunity.

ODU does look good on paper, but they're starting to realize, maybe they were in over their heads.

 

[oldeherd]

Just fine?
They're getting raped in this conference...

You couldn't possibly tell me that the alumni, who are likely not dumb, will continue to give ODU money to see them lose by 50 points a game...

They're going to be getting the remaining players from all the NC schools, UVA, VT, Marshall, FL, and some other areas...mainly due to Marshall being the winning component in our level of football...everyone else being P-5 schools with opportunity.

ODU does look good on paper, but they're starting realize, maybe they were in over their heads.

Wouldn't be too quick to discount ODU. First of all, they are only what, in their second season of FBS? Second, they are in a recruiting hotbed, and despite of all the majors that recruit there, they will get their share of quality talent from the Tidewater. Third, I believe they already have a new football stadium in the works. Fourth, if you know anything about the Old Dominion, that state is constantly rated at or near the top of all states in terms of business climate. Along with that, their state government, no matter which party is in power politically, has a history of supporting ALL of their HIGHER EDUCATION institutions, not just a so called FlagS$%t institution, like our moronic leaders in Charleston do. Virginia leaders realize the direct correlation between overall educational attainment of the state's citizenry and their highly ranked business climate. In poor ole WV, not so much. So our leaders continue to pour a disproportionate amount of the state's higher ed funds into one institution, thus creating an artificial economic climate of prosperity in the Morganhole area and nearby counties while the rest of the state suffers in economic decline and other state higher ed institutions are literally crumbling and falling into decay and disrepair. Finally, ODU already has a very successful basketball program, the other revenue sport, and since they have been in CUSA has pretty much dominated the Herd. We can only look at their basketball and dream of having that level of success and competence, including a good level of post season success.

 

[pintcan]

State law in the way of a new facility but if they get it ODU will prob make a jump....prob a few yrs down the road. Doesn't mean they will be terrible until either. BB was a hit first yr in CUSA

 

[Chris McLaughlin]

Just fine?
They're getting raped in this conference...

They finished 6-6 last year and beat Rice, Louisiana Tech and FAU.

This year they've had one horrible game against Appy State.

I'd pump the brakes a little on that rhetoric.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

NOLA would be a nice change of pace.