No one wants to play us, but we'll finish 8-5 (5-3) and 4th in the East and 5th Overall

[BleedsGreen33]

Per Athlon Sports

"This is the program that no one in the Sun Belt want so to play. They have enough talent to compete with the top teams right away, but let's see how they adjust to some of the schemes and coaches." ---An opposing Sun Belt Assistant Coach.

Final Analysis: Marshall has the pieces to compete in the Sun Belt, but the Herd will have to do a better job of finishing than they did in 2021, when they squandered late leads in three games----tow of them against Appalachian State and Louisiana. There's a significant jump in competition level in moving from Conference USA to the Sun Belt, so the Herd's consistency must match their talent level.

Here's how they picked the conference.

EAST
1. Appy State 9-4 (6-2)
2. Coastal 9-3 (6-2)
3. Georgia State 7-5 (6-2)
4. Marshall 8-4 (5-3)
5. ODU 5-7 (4-4)
6. Georgia Southern 4-8 (2-6)

WEST
1. ULL 8-5 (5-3)
2. South Alabama 6-6 (4-4)
3. Troy 6-6 (4-4)
4. Southern Miss 5-7 (4-4)
5. Texas State 4-8 (2-6)
6. Arkansas State 4-8 (2-6)
7. ULM 3-9 (2-6)

SBC CHAMPIONSHIP
Appy over ULL


GAME TO WATCH
VT @ ODU 9/2
UNC @ Appy 9/3
Coastal @ GaSTate 9/22
GaSouthern @GaState 10/8
ULL @ Marshall 10/12
GaState @ Appy 10/19
Marshall @ JMU 10/22
Coastal @ Marshall 10/29
Appy @ Coastal 11/3
Troy @ ULL 11/5
Appy @ Marshall 11/12
GaState @ Marshall 11/26


BOWL PREDICITIONS
Boca Raton Bowl: Coastal vs UCF
Camellia Bowl: South Alabama vs Little Miami
Frisco Football Classic: ULL vs UTEP
Lending Tree Bowl: Marshall vs Kent St
Myrtle Beach Bowl: GaState vs Memphis
New Orleans Bowl: Appy vs UAB

 

[Jartard]

Hell, we’ve been the kings of preseason for the past decade. Kind of refreshing to be picked in the middle. Now time to prove otherwise. Big season for Coach Huff. Doc could deliver mediocrity on the regular too.

 

[whf2]

Hell, we’ve been the kings of preseason for the past decade. Kind of refreshing to be picked in the middle. Now time to prove otherwise. Big season for Coach Huff. Doc could deliver mediocrity on the regular too.

I agree, we were routinely "better than most" under Doc in C-USA. We better be better than everyone else under Huff in SBC.

 

[i am herdman]

are they saying the Sunbelt is a serious step up in competition?

The biggest difference that I see is Appalachian and ULL know how to win. Marshall has lost that edge. The Sunbelt seems to play with a higher intesity level than CUSA did. I can't say it is a mounmental jump in talent level.

A 4th place finish in the division would be just yet another let down.

 

[Jartard]

are they saying the Sunbelt is a serious step up in competition?

I would say it is. They had 3 different teams ranked in the past 2 seasons. The drop off in the SBC East isn’t what it was in C-USA’s East.

 

[i am herdman]

I would say it is. They had 3 different teams ranked in the past 2 seasons. The drop off in the SBC East isn’t what it was in C-USA’s East.

I saw Coastal the year they went ranked highly in the regular season and lost to Liberty in the bowl game. Saw them play Liberty, who was very good. Anyway, Coastal was good and has a very good QB. But, that team was very small size wise. Not a ton of depth. THat was a couple of years ago. They were at the top of the Sunbelt. I think Mashall is right there and at the time Marshall was much bigger physically. Coastal was very well coach though and played with a ton of emotion and fire. I couldn' see them being far and above the talent level of Marshall though. Last year we played right with their two best teams and could have won either game, lost down the stretch.

The Sunbelt is good. But, I think Marshall could compete right away.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

are they saying the Sunbelt is a serious step up in competition?

The biggest difference that I see is Appalachian and ULL know how to win. Marshall has lost that edge. The Sunbelt seems to play with a higher intesity level than CUSA did. I can't say it is a mounmental jump in talent level.

A 4th place finish in the division would be just yet another let down.

CUSA 3.0 was complete garbage. It was the rotten piece of cheese at the bottom of the landfill. the top half of the SBC is much better than the top half of CUSA 3.0 was. Sure you could argue that the SBC is kind of Johnny come lately, but Appy, Coastal, and ULL have far more dedicated athletic departments than WKU, Middle, FAU, LaTech, or even UAB. It's a sad set of circumstances, but UAB is about to come crashing back down to earth.

Outside of us there were no teams with any type of brand, any tv presence, and none consistently nipping the top25. You can say I'm maybe too high on us, but our first season in the SBC and we're 5 of the 12 "must watch" games.

Not to mention the SBC's leadership is a lot better than Judy's and CDOA. I highly doubt we'll be needing Jerry Palm formulas to determine where championship games will need to be played.

 

[i am herdman]

CUSA 3.0 was complete garbage. It was the rotten piece of cheese at the bottom of the landfill. the top half of the SBC is much better than the top half of CUSA 3.0 was. Sure you could argue that the SBC is kind of Johnny come lately, but Appy, Coastal, and ULL have far more dedicated athletic departments than WKU, Middle, FAU, LaTech, or even UAB. It's a sad set of circumstances, but UAB is about to come crashing back down to earth.

Outside of us there were no teams with any type of brand, any tv presence, and none consistently nipping the top25. You can say I'm maybe too high on us, but our first season in the SBC and we're 5 of the 12 "must watch" games.

Not to mention the SBC's leadership is a lot better than Judy's and CDOA. I highly doubt we'll be needing Jerry Palm formulas to determine where championship games will need to be played.

agree but, last year(and we were not great at all) were competitive with the top of the Sunbelt. We could have been ASU and ULL. It is funny, I talk to some ASU fans and they think CUSA was a step up and think we are pretty good. hahaha

CUSA was garbage. I agree. For several reasons.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I saw Coastal the year they went ranked highly in the regular season and lost to Liberty in the bowl game. Saw them play Liberty, who was very good. Anyway, Coastal was good and has a very good QB. But, that team was very small size wise. Not a ton of depth. THat was a couple of years ago. They were at the top of the Sunbelt. I think Mashall is right there and at the time Marshall was much bigger physically. Coastal was very well coach though and played with a ton of emotion and fire. I couldn' see them being far and above the talent level of Marshall though. Last year we played right with their two best teams and could have won either game, lost down the stretch.

The Sunbelt is good. But, I think Marshall could compete right away.

They were not saying that the SBC has more talent than Marshall. They actually state the contrary. However what they are pointing out is there are really good teams, especially in the east, that's going to be a lot more difficult to run through. In years past we could drop a game or two and then watch FAU stub their toe and we were right back in the driver's seat. It's going to be more of a dog fight than in year's past. It's going to be closer to what CUSA was before UCF, Houston, Tulsa, Memphis, and ECU bounced.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Hell, we’ve been the kings of preseason for the past decade. Kind of refreshing to be picked in the middle. Now time to prove otherwise. Big season for Coach Huff. Doc could deliver mediocrity on the regular too.

Yeah, such regular mediocrity it moved MU up to the best G5 division in college football.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

CUSA 3.0 was complete garbage. It was the rotten piece of cheese at the bottom of the landfill. the top half of the SBC is much better than the top half of CUSA 3.0 was. Sure you could argue that the SBC is kind of Johnny come lately, but Appy, Coastal, and ULL have far more dedicated athletic departments than WKU, Middle, FAU, LaTech, or even UAB. It's a sad set of circumstances, but UAB is about to come crashing back down to earth.

Outside of us there were no teams with any type of brand, any tv presence, and none consistently nipping the top25. You can say I'm maybe too high on us, but our first season in the SBC and we're 5 of the 12 "must watch" games.

Not to mention the SBC's leadership is a lot better than Judy's and CDOA. I highly doubt we'll be needing Jerry Palm formulas to determine where championship games will need to be played.

I agree. The issue with CUSA and even the MAC was their teams just played and hoped to be good. A few years here and there, including MU, there would be a good team to emerge. But how many tried to capitalize and keep it going? CUSA and the MAC never tried to really take steps to be better overall. MU is likely to follow suit in that if everyone else is trying to be better, then so should they.
The SBC is actually doing this, on a consistent level and as stated, had multiple ranked teams in its conference.
App State beating Michigan allowed App State to actually build off of that. CCU just became good, but kept the momentum. The "intensity" isn't the talent but just the culture of the program, something MU really needs to be a part of to be better themselves.

 

[Jartard]

Yeah, such regular mediocrity it moved MU up to the best G5 division in college football.

That was conference realignment. I guess that ODU was a superior G5 team using your logic too.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I agree. The issue with CUSA and even the MAC was their teams just played and hoped to be good. A few years here and there, including MU, there would be a good team to emerge. But how many tried to capitalize and keep it going? CUSA and the MAC never tried to really take steps to be better overall. MU is likely to follow suit in that if everyone else is trying to be better, then so should they.
The SBC is actually doing this, on a consistent level and as stated, had multiple ranked teams in its conference.
App State beating Michigan allowed App State to actually build off of that. CCU just became good, but kept the momentum. The "intensity" isn't the talent but just the culture of the program, something MU really needs to be a part of to be better themselves.

Yea we got really complacent in the late 90s. The entire program(including Pruett) started to coast. I think it was either Paul or Woody that said once the Joan was built the fans thought they had arrived so getting donations wasn't as easy after then and then I believe it was during the 1996 WVState game that Keith Morehouse started to lament the fans for being jaded. I want to say because the guy calling the game with him was shocked at how empty the stadium got after half.

I'd say 99-00 was when the program itself started to coast. After 2000 we only won two championships. 2002 and 2014. That fervor and determination that was there from the late 80s started to evaporate. Internal power struggles, Pruett trying to leave for Houston, and then Pruett abruptly retiring just weeks before Spring Camp was set to begin. Then the hiring and extending of Mark Snyder to the relaxed back half of Doc's tenure. I mean we've had members of the Athletic Department post on social media that fans are out of touch with reality to expect the "We Play for Championships" mantra we held for 2.5 decades. Like winning CUSA 3.0 was somehow harder than transitioning from I-AA to I-A.

It is my hope that the leadership and newfound culture of the SBC along with our new AD and President will return us back to settling for nothing but Championships. No more hanging our hats on pizza and lawnmower bowls.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

That was conference realignment. I guess that ODU was a superior G5 team using your logic too.

They had value. As did we. We don't have nearly the cash flow or demographic they do...all we have is a good football team. Sucks people just won't accept that.

Somehow, it's as though, conference titles DON'T matter?? Hows wku and MTSU, both having the 1st and 2nd most conference titles overall, doing in their upgraded conference?

 

[BleedsGreen33]

They had value. As did we. We don't have nearly the cash flow or demographic they do...all we have is a good football team. Sucks people just won't accept that.

Somehow, it's as though, conference titles DON'T matter?? Hows wku and MTSU, both having the 1st and 2nd most conference titles overall, doing in their upgraded conference?

Yea maybe, but overall most of CUSA is less than interested in building and sustaining football success. For all of this discussion all that matters is football. That is the sport that drives the bus and pays everyone's salaries.

WKU had two great seasons and one good one.
MTSU is thrilled to just be an 8 win program. See Stockstill's career record and his contract.
FIU is a tire fire
UNT is a tree falling in the woods
ODU found out rather quickly money was going to dry up with the mounting losses post Heinike
Charlotte thinks they're bigger than they are, but they're nothing
FAU is sort of solid, but nothing great. They have two conference titles because Doc choked.
UTEP is pretty much a lost cause program stuck out on the outskirts of civilization. You can be walking down the street in El Paso and get gunned down by stray bullets from Juarez cartel wars across the border.
Rice might be good once every 10 years.
Southern Miss could be good again, but still are digging out of a deep, deep hole.
LaTech has had only ONE ten win season going all the way back to 1975. That came in 2019.
UAB has been good, but had to kill their program to do it and now their best ever HC has stepped down due to health reasons.
UTSA seems to be driven, but you'd be hard pressed to find any casual football fans to even know who they are.

No. No CUSA 3.0 did not have any value as a whole. Especially without us in it. That's why CUSA games were being played on FB with 113 people watching. A team like WKU would poke their head out of the weeds, but never capitalize on their success.