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Mid-Season Thoughts

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If we are in the Boca Raton bowl again…I think id like to play Buffalo. Id rather play a MAC team
that we have history and is known for giving us a hard time with than some no name AAC team.
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If UCF ends up losing a game (should have today), the AAC is going to have a bunch of quality teams that play in some smaller bowls.  UCF, USF, Cincy, Houston, and even Memphis and Temple really show how far ahead they are than any other Group of 5 league.  That is 5 teams who will probably end up with between 7-11 wins that will be tough bowl games for anybody they face.  USF also pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, but they have 3 ranked teams and the rest of the Group of 5 have 0.  The only other teams close to being ranked are San Diego State (Mountain West), Appalachian State (Sunbelt), and Utah State (Mountain West).

Ideally, I'd like to play a team people have heard of regardless of what bowl the Owls go to.  My opinion, but I would take a game against any of the first 7 teams mentioned over Buffalo - I'd probably take Buffalo over Utah State.  But as we saw last year, we are probably going to be locked into something like the Boca, Bahamas, or maybe Gasparilla Bowls and don't really get a say in the opponent.

Right now - let's just get bowl-eligible first 😀
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owlsdad said

If UCF ends up losing a game (should have today), the AAC is going to have a bunch of quality teams that play in some smaller bowls.  UCF, USF, Cincy, Houston, and even Memphis and Temple really show how far ahead they are than any other Group of 5 league.  That is 5 teams who will probably end up with between 7-11 wins that will be tough bowl games for anybody they face.  USF also pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, but they have 3 ranked teams and the rest of the Group of 5 have 0.  The only other teams close to being ranked are San Diego State (Mountain West), Appalachian State (Sunbelt), and Utah State (Mountain West).

Ideally, I'd like to play a team people have heard of regardless of what bowl the Owls go to.  My opinion, but I would take a game against any of the first 7 teams mentioned over Buffalo - I'd probably take Buffalo over Utah State.  But as we saw last year, we are probably going to be locked into something like the Boca, Bahamas, or maybe Gasparilla Bowls and don't really get a say in the opponent.

Right now - let's just get bowl-eligible first 😀
Posted On: Oct 13th 2018, 11:19 PM #381932



Yeah if we get to bowl eligibility. Shoot me now if we’re in the boca vs Buffalo……….. I’d take almost any American team over that. We shouldn’t be in the boca bowl unless we’re conference champs.

Cause all the BS shoved down our throats last year that it’s the alleged premier game for C-USA teams. 
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"Yeah if we get to bowl eligibility. Shoot me now if we’re in the boca vs Buffalo……….. I’d take almost any American team over that. We shouldn’t be in the boca bowl unless we’re conference champs."



Buffalo is 6-1 and may be MAC champions.

I get what you say about AAC teams but I would take 9-3 or 10-2 Buffalo over 6-6 or 7-5 Temple.
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voss749 said

If we are in the Boca Raton bowl again…I think id like to play Buffalo. Id rather play a MAC team
that we have history and is known for giving us a hard time with than some no name AAC team.
Posted On: Oct 13th 2018, 10:10 PM #381929
Us playing a MAC team in a repeat bowl at home on a Tuesday night has 10k “they can’t even fill their own stadium” 
written all over it.

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owlcountry40 said

voss749 said

If we are in the Boca Raton bowl again…I think id like to play Buffalo. Id rather play a MAC team
that we have history and is known for giving us a hard time with than some no name AAC team.
Posted On: Oct 13th 2018, 10:10 PM #381929
 Us playing a MAC team in a repeat bowl at home on a Tuesday night has 10k “they can’t even fill their own stadium”
written all over it.


Posted On: Oct 14th 2018, 6:28 AM #381935
Based on last year, FAU was 10-3 and undefeated conference champs and coming off a beat-down of UNT in the conference championship game and the tickets sold (or given away) was a decent number but the butts in seats were not great. I don't see how FAU would get a big crowd for the Boca Bowl unless it was a school that people have heard of (or a school that might travel at least decently).  Maybe FAU travels somewhere close to like we did against UCF, and a Gasparilla Bowl of FAU vs USF ***might*** have a decent crowd.  Otherwise, none of the matchups that are probably realistic for the Boca Bowl are going to result in big crowds.  But if USF somehow keeps scraping out wins they probably go to a bigger payday somewhere else.

Of all the SunBelt, MAC, and lower-level AAC schools, App State might be the best team (I think they are better than Buffalo).  i also know from personal experience they have a rabid fanbase that would probably travel fairly well for a smaller school to a Florida-based bowl game.  But I think they probably get tied-in to like a MAC vs SunBelt champ matchup based on last year.  I think App has played multiple times in the Camellia Bowl and last year in the Dollar General Bowl (all in Alabama), so they probably would be happy to go somewhere else.  And people might not immediately recognize the name, but then quickly do when they are told they are the small school that beat Michigan back when they were FCS and took Penn State to OT in the first game of this season.
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owlsdad said

owlcountry40 said

voss749 said

If we are in the Boca Raton bowl again…I think id like to play Buffalo. Id rather play a MAC team
that we have history and is known for giving us a hard time with than some no name AAC team.
Posted On: Oct 13th 2018, 10:10 PM #381929
 Us playing a MAC team in a repeat bowl at home on a Tuesday night has 10k “they can’t even fill their own stadium”
written all over it.


Posted On: Oct 14th 2018, 6:28 AM #381935
Based on last year, FAU was 10-3 and undefeated conference champs and coming off a beat-down of UNT in the conference championship game and the tickets sold (or given away) was a decent number but the butts in seats were not great. I don't see how FAU would get a big crowd for the Boca Bowl unless it was a school that people have heard of (or a school that might travel at least decently).  Maybe FAU travels somewhere close to like we did against UCF, and a Gasparilla Bowl of FAU vs USF ***might*** have a decent crowd.  Otherwise, none of the matchups that are probably realistic for the Boca Bowl are going to result in big crowds.  But if USF somehow keeps scraping out wins they probably go to a bigger payday somewhere else.

Of all the SunBelt, MAC, and lower-level AAC schools, App State might be the best team (I think they are better than Buffalo).  i also know from personal experience they have a rabid fanbase that would probably travel fairly well for a smaller school to a Florida-based bowl game.  But I think they probably get tied-in to like a MAC vs SunBelt champ matchup based on last year.  I think App has played multiple times in the Camellia Bowl and last year in the Dollar General Bowl (all in Alabama), so they probably would be happy to go somewhere else.  And people might not immediately recognize the name, but then quickly do when they are told they are the small school that beat Michigan back when they were FCS and took Penn State to OT in the first game of this season.
Posted On: Oct 14th 2018, 8:51 AM #381937
I think if we played a Cincinnati especially if they finish strong would be a good game to watch.  We are lucky to have the Boca Raton bowl as a safety net for subpar 6-7 win seasons to fall back on. However, I don’t want us to be a Hawaii where they are locked into the Hawaii Bowl year in and year out even if they are really successful within a given season    I think for branding we need to continue going to other  various  bowls and win those bowls.  I call that the Rutgers model, Rutgers went to 5 straight different bowls and kept winning them and just made a name for them.  Personally I would like us to beat a USF, but it may be more of a home game for them in the Gasparilla bowl and it can get ugly.  If we had them at home that’s a different story, but we need to broaden our reach.  App st. is a good school, their defense is really legit, and tbh they will give us a run for our money.  I think we are best playing a bigger conference because it’s something to strive for.
- Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla vs. American Athletic
– Bahamas Bowl vs. MAC
– Cheribundi Tart Cherry Bowl vs. American Athletic
– Gildan New Mexico Bowl vs. Mountain West
– Hawai’i Bowl vs. Mountain West
– R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– SERVPRO First Responders Bowl vs. Big Ten
I wouldn’t mind us going up against a Big 10 team say a Minnesota again or Indiana.  I also don’t mind playing a MAC team in the Bahamas Bowl.   More than likely we will end up in the Gasparilla Bowl and it will be against a USF though.  I am still holding hope that we win the CUSA because that distinguishes the Group of 5 teams.  Which bowl works best for us?  What match-ups would you like to see?
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USF wants out of the Gasparilla bowl as bad as we want to avoid the Boca bowl and for the same reasons.  They were in the St. Pete bowl a few years ago and did not travel well at all for a "home" game.  Granted I think they were 6-6 at that time and did not play an exciting opponent (can't remember who) but still.  I personally love it when we play USF because I've got a lot of family and friends are USF alumni, however they most likely would destroy us this year.

I would agree with FauFan that our best shot for recognition is playing a bigger school with the chance for victory.  If we lose, we lose.  If we win we've pulled the upset.  On the other hand if we destroy say a Central Michigan or Akron again, no one really pays attention.

Of course we have to get to 6-6 first!

FAU - We got Bowls!
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"Of all the SunBelt, MAC, and lower-level AAC schools, App State might be the best team (I think they are better than Buffalo).  i also know from personal experience they have a rabid fanbase that would probably travel fairly well for a smaller school to a Florida-based bowl game."

Of the sun belt teams that would be interesting while App has a rabid fan base. Georgia Southern fans I think would be more likely to make the trip as its within driving distance but far enough (5-6 hour drive) they will want a hotel.

Also it previews the h-h series we will have with them in 2020 and 2021.  

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Both GaSouthern and App travel well - they came out of tthe same FCS conference around the same time that my Alma mater is still in.  Marshall used to be in the same league - talk about a stacked 1-AA conference!!!

All 3 of those schools traveled really well.  I would bet that App would bring as many as GaSouthern, mainly because those guys want out of the mountains of NC and a Florida bowl would be a vacation/destination trip for them.

But either would be a good draw for a bowl - GaSouthern just hasn't had a lot of recent success like App has.
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