Why not?

1. I think most every team in the conference is either going to be better or isn't going to drop off much. We're not going to finish last in the conference and have strength of schedules that work against any team.
2. There has been a lot of coaching turnover in a lot of the top G5 teams of the last few years.
3. Two of the 3 matchups between the presumed top 3 aren't happening this season.
4. Troy returns almost everyone from their team that got ranked and App has a top coach and a seasoned QB and a stout defense.

I've seen South Florida getting a lot of love from the media, but does anyone really not think our top 3 from last year couldn't have beaten South Carolina in a bowl game? If USF played in the Belt it would've been the second-best Power 5 win in the league.

I'll let you know week 2 of the season.

(05-17-2017 09:20 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Why not?

1. I think most every team in the conference is either going to be better or isn't going to drop off much. We're not going to finish last in the conference and have strength of schedules that work against any team.
2. There has been a lot of coaching turnover in a lot of the top G5 teams of the last few years.
3. Two of the 3 matchups between the presumed top 3 aren't happening this season.
4. Troy returns almost everyone from their team that got ranked and App has a top coach and a seasoned QB and a stout defense.

I've seen South Florida getting a lot of love from the media, but does anyone really not think our top 3 from last year couldn't have beaten South Carolina in a bowl game? If USF played in the Belt it would've been the second-best Power 5 win in the league.

To make the Access Bowl first you have to win the conference. A team could go 11-1 but their 1 lose be a conference game and not win the conference so they have no shot to make the Access Bowl even thought they have the best resume in all of G5.
Also for the Sun Belt champion to make the Access Bowl they would have to go at least 11-1 and hope their resume is better than the 4 other G5 Champions.

Just my opinion.
12-0 would do it for any of our conference members.

AppSt to make the Access Bowl can only lose to Georgia.

Ark St to make the Access Bowl can only lose to either Nebraska or Miami of Florida not both.

Troy has to beat Boise St an only lose to LSU to make the Access Bowl.

I would love to see the college football world nut up if going into the Dec 2nd football weekend that AppSt, Troy, and Ark St records were 10-1 or better.

I wish, but no.

(05-17-2017 10:08 AM)sdcritter Wrote:  I wish, but no.

There is no hands down favorite to be an access bowl contender. That being said, strange things happen over the course of 12 or 13 games in the fall!

Won't happen this year. We will likely lose to Nebraska and Miami, and maybe even SMU. Then we will win all of our conference games and ruin everyone's chances.
Sorry!

If WMU can do it, any of us can do it.

(05-17-2017 10:08 AM)sdcritter Wrote:  I wish, but no.

Agreed. A SBC team would have to run the table, including beating a GOOD P-5 (sorry, Wake, Vandy, Kansas and the such won't cut it) AND no other G-5 is in the same boat.

From a non-bias perspective, Troy and Appalachian State have a shot. Arkansas State will be good, but I don't think they can make it with their schedule.

Appalachian State probably has the best schedule to accomplish the feat. And a lot of talent coming back.

Troy has a shot because the depth at all positions is better, a crap-ton of starters are back, no coaches have left, and the transfer Jamarius Henderson gives Troy a running back that has speed and agility instead of just Chunn who pounds it, so there's an added dimension. The schedule though will be tough. Boise State right off that bat will be tough, then LSU, an Akron team that's good enough to go bowling, and of course Arkansas State who has Troy's number.

(05-17-2017 10:31 AM)TaxusExpress Wrote:  

(05-17-2017 10:08 AM)sdcritter Wrote:  I wish, but no.

Agreed. A SBC team would have to run the table, including beating a GOOD P-5 (sorry, Wake, Vandy, Kansas and the such won't cut it) AND no other G-5 is in the same boat.

I don't think that's necessarily true. If Western Michigan had lost one last year and Troy had avoided upset losses to StAte and Georgia Southern, Troy likely would have been in an Access Bowl.

Anything is possible. The AP and Coaches polls can shift so much week by week that it can open a door for a SBC team to make it to an Access Bowl.

Our non-conference games are Sacramento St., UNLV, @WMU and @Missouri. Just saying. It's a gigantic longshot, but I don't see a guaranteed loss on our schedule. I honestly think @Troy on a Thursday is the toughest game we have.

(05-17-2017 10:47 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  Our non-conference games are Sacramento St., UNLV, @WMU and @Missouri. Just saying. It's a gigantic longshot, but I don't see a guaranteed loss on our schedule. I honestly think @Troy on a Thursday is the toughest game we have.

If Idaho can really get things together this coming season and build on last year, they have one of the easiest OOC schedules to get it done. Unortunately, you have to play Troy and Appalachian State. That's alone is a tall order.

The only way is go undefeated

(05-17-2017 10:29 AM)GoBigRed26 Wrote:  Won't happen this year. We will likely lose to Nebraska and Miami, and maybe even SMU. Then we will win all of our conference games and ruin everyone's chances.
Sorry!

And your FCS team too

We didn't even do that lol

(05-17-2017 11:26 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  

(05-17-2017 10:29 AM)GoBigRed26 Wrote:  Won't happen this year. We will likely lose to Nebraska and Miami, and maybe even SMU. Then we will win all of our conference games and ruin everyone's chances.
Sorry!

And your FCS team too

We didn't even do that lol

An that would be Ark Pine Bluff.

in theory ULM has the schedule @Auburn, @ Florida State, @Memphis, Southern Miss...they just gotta win some games.

(05-17-2017 09:20 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Why not?

1. I think most every team in the conference is either going to be better or isn't going to drop off much. We're not going to finish last in the conference and have strength of schedules that work against any team.
2. There has been a lot of coaching turnover in a lot of the top G5 teams of the last few years.
3. Two of the 3 matchups between the presumed top 3 aren't happening this season.
4. Troy returns almost everyone from their team that got ranked and App has a top coach and a seasoned QB and a stout defense.

I've seen South Florida getting a lot of love from the media, but does anyone really not think our top 3 from last year couldn't have beaten South Carolina in a bowl game? If USF played in the Belt it would've been the second-best Power 5 win in the league.

Baiscally beat your P5 or atleast one of them and keep the other close and win out or it aint going to happen.

App beats thUGA they could run the table.

I dont see Troy beating Boise and or LSU. But if they beat Boise and keep LSU close and win out it could happen.

ArkSt could do it but. I think UM is going to be better than last year though and Nebraska was a paper tiger last year but they won just about all the games they were supposed to.

Troy and ArkSt play as well. Nobody else I think has any shot of going undefeated in conference. One conf loss will eliminate anyone.

(05-17-2017 09:20 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Why not?

1. I think most every team in the conference is either going to be better or isn't going to drop off much. We're not going to finish last in the conference and have strength of schedules that work against any team.
2. There has been a lot of coaching turnover in a lot of the top G5 teams of the last few years.
3. Two of the 3 matchups between the presumed top 3 aren't happening this season.
4. Troy returns almost everyone from their team that got ranked and App has a top coach and a seasoned QB and a stout defense.

I've seen South Florida getting a lot of love from the media, but does anyone really not think our top 3 from last year couldn't have beaten South Carolina in a bowl game? If USF played in the Belt it would've been the second-best Power 5 win in the league.

SoS

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So does Liberty umass or NMSU get an access bowl bid if they went undefeated in the future or is it only teams in G5 conferences?

(05-17-2017 02:58 PM)Ewglenn Wrote:  So does Liberty umass or NMSU get an access bowl bid if they went undefeated in the future or is it only teams in G5 conferences?

SoS

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