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Roundup of Bowl Projections 2017

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Sports Illustrated last week had FSU vs UAB in the Independence Bowl.  I know UAB is a great story, but I'd take that space and have FAU vs FSU and cash a $1.5M check!
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owlsdad said

Sports Illustrated last week had FSU vs UAB in the Independence Bowl.  I know UAB is a great story, but I'd take that space and have FAU vs FSU and cash a $1.5M check!
Posted On: Nov 19th 2017, 10:39 AM #373580

ESPN's Kyle Bonagura now has the Independence bowl listed as FSU vs. FAU.

David Hale's love affair with thinking FAU will pick going to Albuquerque to play San Diego State continues. I just don't get how some of these guys have ESPN jobs when they know a minimal amount of information.

When I'm not in school, I'm schooling the CUSA Twitter game; Follow Me Here
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Watching my Owls play my Noles will be a tough one for me but I’m Owls first.

GO OWLS!
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I’d go to the independence Bowl without thinking twice about it if it’s to face FSU
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I'm not sure why there isn't more talk about New Orleans. It is a great bowl in a really fun city, in a great venue. It is against a Sun Belt team, which is a problem because the Sun Belt team almost always wins. FAU could face a hot Troy or Arkansas State team, or even App State.

Speaking of the Sun Belt, why doesn't FAU try to schedule some home and home series with Sun Belt teams? FAU has relationships with them. They also need OOC games and like trips to South Florida for their fans and recruiting. Troy, App State and Georgia State would bring many fans to Boca - more than Buffalo and the MAC teams, for sure.
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bmarkey said

I'm not sure why there isn't more talk about New Orleans. It is a great bowl in a really fun city, in a great venue. It is against a Sun Belt team, which is a problem because the Sun Belt team almost always wins. FAU could face a hot Troy or Arkansas State team, or even App State.

Speaking of the Sun Belt, why doesn't FAU try to schedule some home and home series with Sun Belt teams? FAU has relationships with them. They also need OOC games and like trips to South Florida for their fans and recruiting. Troy, App State and Georgia State would bring many fans to Boca - more than Buffalo and the MAC teams, for sure.
Posted On: Nov 20th 2017, 2:14 AM #373738

Zero chance Kiffin wants to play a Sunbelt team in the bowl or schedule.  Makes absolutely no sense.

GO OWLS!
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bmarkey said

I'm not sure why there isn't more talk about New Orleans. It is a great bowl in a really fun city, in a great venue. It is against a Sun Belt team, which is a problem because the Sun Belt team almost always wins. FAU could face a hot Troy or Arkansas State team, or even App State.

Speaking of the Sun Belt, why doesn't FAU try to schedule some home and home series with Sun Belt teams? FAU has relationships with them. They also need OOC games and like trips to South Florida for their fans and recruiting. Troy, App State and Georgia State would bring many fans to Boca - more than Buffalo and the MAC teams, for sure.

Posted On: Nov 20th 2017, 2:14 AM #373738

I think they want to create separation and differentiation from the now and the past.  There are a ton of fans and people in the community that had no idea that North Texas is a conference rival.  I don't think they the names of the schools of the past to enter public thought.  I wouldn't mind throwing some Sun Belt in there but they certainly have more to gain with recruiting and we have a lot to lose with perception from the general public.
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Here are my .02 for whatever it's worth.

I truly believe that while winning in the fashion we are is great, it still wont fill our stadium...not against CUSA teams.  Selling out a FAU vs. Old Dominion game is going to be tough no matter what is going on.

For the average south florida football fan to come to the games - we have to be playing an opponent that people know.  It's just a fact.

If I ask my non FAU alumn but football fan buddies to come to FAU vs. North Texas they kind of shrug.  If I asked them to come to FAU vs. say Louisville, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Purdue, etc they would be MUCH more inclined to go.

I am not naming top end programs here, just lower level P5.  These are the games we need to schedule if filling the stadium is top priority.

SunBelt is great and Troy may even be able to beat us…but playing them just doesn't align with the direction Dr. Kelly is trying to take FAU.  We need to start closing the gap between us and UCF, USF (which isn't large) in the perception of our program.  Need people to start wondering why we aren't in the AAC.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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walty12 said

Here are my .02 for whatever it's worth.

I truly believe that while winning in the fashion we are is great, it still wont fill our stadium...not against CUSA teams.  Selling out a FAU vs. Old Dominion game is going to be tough no matter what is going on.

For the average south florida football fan to come to the games - we have to be playing an opponent that people know.  It's just a fact.

If I ask my non FAU alumn but football fan buddies to come to FAU vs. North Texas they kind of shrug.  If I asked them to come to FAU vs. say Louisville, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Purdue, etc they would be MUCH more inclined to go.

I am not naming top end programs here, just lower level P5.  These are the games we need to schedule if filling the stadium is top priority.

SunBelt is great and Troy may even be able to beat us…but playing them just doesn't align with the direction Dr. Kelly is trying to take FAU.  We need to start closing the gap between us and UCF, USF (which isn't large) in the perception of our program.  Need people to start wondering why we aren't in the AAC.
Posted On: Nov 20th 2017, 9:45 AM #373766

Well said.

GO OWLS!
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Spot on.  I know scheduling is done in advance and is not easy.  But the other thread about Boise State shows what you are saying here - get that reputation of not only being willing to schedule anybody anywhere, but also being capable of playing well.  That gets you on TV and helps you to get ranked.  If we were 8-3 with a close loss to say Louisville instead of Buffalo we probably still wouldn't be ranked, but we would be closer than we are now.  A good game against FSU in a bowl and finishing with 10+ wins and opening against Oklahoma next year will have us in people's thoughts.

I get some teams want to schedule winnable games, but as a program we need to be where we expect to win close to 6 games in conference, maybe have 1 really winnable game to pad the resume, and then schedule as hard as we can for the other game or 2.
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