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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

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What would it take for the two schools to elevate the success of their programs in comparison to each other, to another level? The type of game where the fans can say "we have arrived". Would it be an OOC win or the SunBelt Title game?

The OOC win can have national significance for the media(publicity for the programs) with long lasting results.
The SunBelt Title game can have some media rush but this conference is supposed to be anybody's for the taking anyway. The fans will love it.

Which one can carry more weight in terms of growth of the program? Or is there another issue which can be added here?

Realistic goals folks. Not winning the BCS bowl… :)
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

Is there a Sun Belt title game or is it just the team w/ the best record at seasons end gains the crown?

I think that a win over a top 25 team would mean our arrival…or maybe our first appearance in the top 25. I don't think a win over an unranked OOC team is enough and I believe that we should be very competitive in the Sun Belt this year. The QB position does worry me though.
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

I think he means if the Sun Belt title was to be decided with the game against each other at the end of the season. Which, I must say sucks that it isn't the last game this year, I don't understand why we couldn't work it out to be, but it needs to be done in future seasons.

Panthers on the Rise
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

I think the first trip to a bowl game is a good measuring stick. OOC wins would be great, but in the short term, I would say winning the conference or getting an invite to a bowl would be a pretty good way to mark the elevation to the "next level".
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

Every win helps, no matter the opponent. FAU and FIU must learn to win consistently. Because both are young, developing programs, OOC wins will be tough. So, both must be able to compete annually for the conference title to get any respect. As the programs continue to mature and recruiting gets better, beating OOC opponents will become a reality on a more consistent basis. In my opinion, focus first on winning the conference while closing the gap on the OOC scores. Once dominating the conference and with proper facilities, move to another conference and seek to become another Fresno State, a team that takes OOC opponents to the wire and wins one occasionally. With this, the recruiting improves dramatically, and FAU or FIU become a top 40 team each year. This is a ten-year plan.
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

I think a win over a top 25 is a great milestone for both teams. But I just dont think either team will win their UM or UF game in the first meeting. However by the next time we play Florida (2013) lets hope we're there. It be great if we just had a good showing and are able to hang in with them. Imagine how nuts it would be if we did win the first meeting. :D

AEA
Go play Intramural Sports! www.fau.edu/campusrec/imsports/
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

Here's the problem with beating a Top 25 or a team like UF or UM. Most teams will see that and will all of a sudden have scheduling problems and not be able to schedule either team. Not because we have powerhouse programs, but because the school doesn't want to be embarassed again or another school doesn't want the same fate.

This happens often with larger schools when a lower tier D1 or a AA team beats a big name out there.

The second is that the team will remember during meeting #2 and absolutely wax us, run the score up like you wouldn't believe.

Unfortunately, I don't think winning the SBC crown is a good measuring stick for either program since it is a toss up every year, eventually it will come down to one of the two of us every season winning it before we both move on to the Big (L)East or Conference USA, I think that would signify us "arriving."

Maybe winning a bowl game would be a good indicator as well.
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

FAU and FIU being able to compete for the sbc crown annually is a good initial goal.

Do that and it could lead to being courted by Conference USA in the future, that would really show that both teams are worthy of respect.

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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

FAU and FIU growth gauge question

I think it will take more than a single win over a non-conf. opponent to arrive and be recognized as a serious team. Same goes for a Sun-Belt conference championship. The SBC simply doesn't get respect. North Texas rolled through the SBc for how many years and they still don't get much respect. The teams need to string together a couple of winning seasons with wins against big time opponents and finishes in the top of the conference. Consistency is what gets programs recognized. For example, what good is beating Kansas State or Oklahoma State if you don't pull off a single win in the SBC??

USF crushed a highly ranked Louisville team. Most people still won't say that they have arrived as a real solid program. (In my ind they are good but still fit in as a mid-major caliber team.) Same goes for UCF. They had some success with Culpepper under center but never built on that success.

To answer O.G., I feel that the "other issue" is consistency. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Put together back to back winning seasons and a top two finishes in the SBC with a big non-conference win each year and then we say that FAU and or FIU has arrived or at least moved up a notch. GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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FAU and FIU growth gauge question

Yeah, that's kinda what I meant when I said annually, both teams need to be more consistent in their approach to winning the sbc title. When they can essentially dominate every year then that'll be a clear sign they've really gone to the next level.

I agree with O.G. about the Louisville thing for the most part. The win was indeed great but no one's going to be claiming we're a top ten team or the like. That requires consistency and we can't deliver consistent performances against such a quality team. USF is only just beginning a transition from mid-major now that it's in the big east and the general consensus is that away game at Louisville could be hairy.

Same rules apply for FAU and FIU, one ooc win or conference championship isn't going to change many minds, you're gonna have to repeat the performance.
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