RE: Let the speculation begin: Undefeated Marshall deserves Access Bowl Slot
G5 schools are fighting an uphill battle and one that probably can't be won.
Electronic and print media is biased toward P5 schools and always will be, because of the people that are hired to protect their interests.
There was an interesting commentary by Bob Gilbert, former AP writer and UT Knoxville news director, in Sunday's M'Boro Daily News Journal. Mr. Gilbert is bitter old man and has been since Fulmer left UT, he loves to throw UT under the bus and in doing so doesn't care who else happens to get hurt in the process, part of his article reads as follows:
In recent years, Tennessee has INSULTED and ABUSED its fans by forcing them to buy season tickets that included games with Austin Peay,WKU, South Alabama, AKRON, Troy, Montana, Buffalo,UT-Martin, UAB and OHIO. Chattanooga is one of the offerings this season.
The trouble with playing opponents of that caliber is this: If you beat them, you haven't ACCOMPLISHED much, while losing to them can be HUMILIATING.
These are strong words, especially to build up a football team that has won a total of 28 games the last five seasons, but this is the perception that everyone is going to have deal with going forward, all P5 schools are equal in the eyes of the media.
MT is the only team in Tennessee to have a winning record in FBS football the last 5 seasons and the only team to be bowl eligible 4 times in that time frame, it rarely gets mentioned and when it does, it gets very little play on Nashville radio or TV.
For MT, it's 'what have you done lately', for UT, its 'look what you did in the past'.
The teams that were mentioned above, some have been or are currently on MT's schedule, while one-third of Marshall's schedule this season has been named.
It's going to be tough for any G5 to overcome this perception, Bob Gilbert may the only one to say it, but he is not the only one that feels this way.
If Marshall is up to the task, I wish them well, you have a huge challenge.
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