http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_...380/102380

It's nice to see SunBelt schools up in the rankings. Appalachian State the first school at #54 and SBC schools not far behind! Enjoy

What's even better is to not see the bottom team be a Belt school!

(03-09-2015 01:13 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  What's even better is to not see the bottom team be a Belt school!

Glad to be of service.

(03-09-2015 01:30 PM)StanMolsonMan Wrote:  

(03-09-2015 01:13 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  What's even better is to not see the bottom team be a Belt school!

Glad to be of service.

Fifth ranked G5 team, I'll take it. I know this doesn't mean anything but still, nice to see. Good showing for a lot of the SBC save a few.

Seem a little low on USA.

(03-09-2015 02:03 PM)BurlingtonApp Wrote:  Fifth ranked G5 team, I'll take it. I know this doesn't mean anything but still, nice to see. Good showing for a lot of the SBC save a few.

Seem a little low on USA.

I'm not surprised. Everyone outside of our fanbase only seems to look at the number of starters we lost, which is understandable. We replace almost every player lost with someone who, on paper, should be better. My biggest question mark is how quicly we can gel as a team. We have the talent to be competitive. If I had to guess, by week 4-5, we should be a very good team. Hopefully the experience of the UAB transfers and JUCOs can expedite the process.

USA is going to have a tough year.

Hopefully ALL SBC schools have a good showing with WINS against their first non conference opponent. I know Georgia Southern will be playing possibly the fastest team it has ever faced in West Virginia University on September 5, 2015.

I'm curious if Appalachian State Mountaineers have ever faced the West Virginia Mountaineers?

54 Appalachian State
63 Georgia Southern
66 Arkansas State
92 Texas State
95 Louisiana-Lafayette
106 Louisiana-Monroe
115 New Mexico State
116 Georgia State
118 South Alabama
123 Troy
124 Idaho

A lot of persistence from last year is in this index which accounts for the 'usual suspects':

Preseason FPI is calculated using three major components for each FBS team: prior years’ offense, defense and special teams efficiencies; returning starters and head coach information; and recruiting rankings.

(03-09-2015 02:40 PM)NewJersey GATA Wrote:  Hopefully ALL SBC schools have a good showing with WINS against their first non conference opponent. I know Georgia Southern will be playing possibly the fastest team it has ever faced in West Virginia University on September 5, 2015.

I'm curious if Appalachian State Mountaineers have ever faced the West Virginia Mountaineers?

Travelling trophy for this one?

(03-09-2015 02:26 PM)bullitt_60 Wrote:  USA is going to have a tough year.

A few people told us you guys would have a tough year last year too. We'll see.

Still cannot fathom how Appy is getting so much respect. They were out of the conference race by early October. Lost to Liberty at home. Played with zero expectations or pressure for last half of the year.

(03-09-2015 02:46 PM)DoubleAggie Wrote:  

(03-09-2015 02:40 PM)NewJersey GATA Wrote:  Hopefully ALL SBC schools have a good showing with WINS against their first non conference opponent. I know Georgia Southern will be playing possibly the fastest team it has ever faced in West Virginia University on September 5, 2015.

I'm curious if Appalachian State Mountaineers have ever faced the West Virginia Mountaineers?

Travelling trophy for this one?

Nope. At least not in football.

we got the respect because we were the best team in the SBC the last 6 ball games, returning almost all the starters from a defense that ranked first in the SBC, and almost all the starters on offense that ranked third.

(03-10-2015 04:14 AM)eagleskins Wrote:  Still cannot fathom how Appy is getting so much respect. They were out of the conference race by early October. Lost to Liberty at home. Played with zero expectations or pressure for last half of the year.

Well Mr.Foreskins, maybe we are getting some respect because we have whipped your asses for 7 of the last 10 meetings and we are building really good depth. Time will tell.

(03-10-2015 04:14 AM)eagleskins Wrote:  Still cannot fathom how Appy is getting so much respect. They were out of the conference race by early October. Lost to Liberty at home. Played with zero expectations or pressure for last half of the year.

They finished the season strong and return something like 20 starters. They have also had good recruiting classes. Many more factors go into ranking teams before the season than just last year's record.

(03-09-2015 03:42 PM)USAJag2011 Wrote:  

(03-09-2015 02:26 PM)bullitt_60 Wrote:  USA is going to have a tough year.

A few people told us you guys would have a tough year last year too. We'll see.

That is correct, however I believe you are returning 5 starters on both sides of the ball. Regardless of the outcome, it will be a tough year. We'll get to see how well UAB recruited though!

(03-10-2015 04:14 AM)eagleskins Wrote:  Still cannot fathom how Appy is getting so much respect. They were out of the conference race by early October. Lost to Liberty at home. Played with zero expectations or pressure for last half of the year.

I think App losing to Liberty might have been the best thing to happen to them.
Whether it was players or coaches or both, something seemed to snap then - a collective "we're better than this".

(03-10-2015 06:03 AM)AppinVA Wrote:  

(03-09-2015 02:46 PM)DoubleAggie Wrote:  

(03-09-2015 02:40 PM)NewJersey GATA Wrote:  Hopefully ALL SBC schools have a good showing with WINS against their first non conference opponent. I know Georgia Southern will be playing possibly the fastest team it has ever faced in West Virginia University on September 5, 2015.

I'm curious if Appalachian State Mountaineers have ever faced the West Virginia Mountaineers?

Travelling trophy for this one?

Nope. At least not in football.

Could use this:

(03-10-2015 04:14 AM)eagleskins Wrote:  Still cannot fathom how Appy is getting so much respect. They were out of the conference race by early October. Lost to Liberty at home. Played with zero expectations or pressure for last half of the year.

This is not a poll. It is just a measurement of FBS teams' success in 2014, returning starters and other factors.