My response was "substantial"

It's fantastic that Tulane will give us a returning AAC champion, with wins over the departing Big12'ers and over the Big12 Champ. The remainers gave the quitters 7 Ls on their way out the door. 2023 AAC will have two teams with a CFP NY6 bowl appearance, as many as all the G4s put together. Congratulations, Wave, and also thanks!

But it wasn't critical. If two quitters had met in the American CCG, the perception next year would have been a slightly steeper hill to climb, but we STILL would have had 8/8 legacy members with at least one week in the AP/Coaches' poll rankings since formation, plus UTSA and UAB giving us a supermajority or recently ranked teams.

Before kickoff, just having a returner in the game (and the higher ranked host) was a win for the future AAC.

I would say that Fritz returning is just as important for the long term as today's W. Sun Belt golden boy left for Liberty, not even an autonomy 5 job, but Liberty. But once again, an AAC coach said "no" to a middling autonomy program. Sure, a Texas or Florida State might eventually take a coach from an American program, but for the most part it is the same today as it was in 2016 when Niumatalolo didn't take Minnesota's calls, but PJ Fleck took the job.

It will still be important next year to deliver on the field. We have to get the OOC wins - autonomy scalps and also our continued dominance of the G4s.

But Tulane's win today certainly provides a springboard for the conference in national perception.

(12-03-2022 08:52 PM)ECU#7 Wrote:  

(12-03-2022 08:39 PM)8BitPirate Wrote:  Need Cindy, UCF, and Houston to be in the top half of the B12 next year.

Sorry I hope all 3 lose every game they play

^^^

(12-03-2022 08:38 PM)STL_Wave Wrote:  

(12-03-2022 08:36 PM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  I felt like it was very important for someone other than Cincy, UCF, and Houston to win it this year while those schools were still in the conference.

100%

And the fact that we beat them all. And we legitimately beat each one, we won those games.

Exactly. Huge win for Tulane and the future of the AAC.

(12-03-2022 11:29 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  It's fantastic that Tulane will give us a returning AAC champion, with wins over the departing Big12'ers and over the Big12 Champ.

Absolutely, and it's also fantastic for the conference that two of the 6 incoming C-USA teams played for the C-USA championship, and that the C-USA champion (UTSA) was and will be ranked in the final regular season AP top 25.

Who would have expected, at the start of this season, that there would be two top 25 "AAC 2.0" teams this season?

(12-03-2022 11:29 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  Tulane's win today certainly provides a springboard for the conference in national perception.

Well said!

Boom!

Important to show what's going to be left in the ACC deserves to be recognized.

Huge win for the league.

I think that both the Tulane and TCU wins were very big for all of us. Huge games played on a big stage where the non-P5 team was not only a legitimate contender but won the game convincingly are good for every one of "the schools that don't even deserve to be in the playoff".

Championship football gets played by more than just six or eight schools. Hell, that's what makes March Madness as fun as it is. Sure, the big schools with 50 four and five stars are at an advantage, but the game gets played on the field, and sometimes heart, desire, skill and coaching wins out.

(12-03-2022 09:14 PM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  I am actually starting to get excited about the future of the conference after Tulane’s win.

UTSA is solid. I think FAU will be solid in the near future. Charlotte umm, at least they are trying. I don’t know about Dilfer and UAB. We’ll see where that goes. Rice and UNT, they’re bowl bound, I will give them that.

I am ready to see what the new look AAC can do.

same. when it was announced it was laughable but they have shown they can play good basketball and have been respectable on the football field.
ill definitely keep an eye out and still root for the AAC next year.
im curious as to how everything is going to play out also. i feel confident though.

(12-03-2022 07:52 PM)B easy Wrote:  Congrats Tulane!

Helluva WIN. Tulane showed once again why the playoff had to be expanded. Teams like this deserve a shot-

I voted substantial. It is a huge win for Tulane & the AAC moving forward at a pivotal time. To me critical means if Tulane didn't win it would of been devastating to the conference which it wouldn't of been. It is a major boost though.

If Tulane can keep this momentum going I'd put them into the top tier of the AAC moving forward along with Memphis & SMU. It'll be interesting to see how the incoming schools do against the current AAC teams especially UTSA.

I voted doesn't matter. This win really just helps with the perception of Tulane. The AAC still loses three of their biggest brands that have already accomplished what Tulane just did. The schools coming in would have to replicate what the schools leaving did and I don't see that happening any time soon.

For the moment, its wonderful. But it will be quickly forgotten. The national narrative is the 3 best teams moved to the b12. The AAC is still G5 - considered by all the talking heads and many fans/recruits as a step down in competition. No offense to any program that is coming, but none are P5, they are all stepping up from a "perceived" lower rated conference. Nobody on the outside is going to consider the AAC a stronger conference after the moves.

That's the downside. The upside is we can all quickly change the narrative by winning OOC games. Schedule and beat some P5s. Never lose to another G5 OOC. No body-bag games if you can avoid them. We need to end the season with bowl wins and multiple teams ranked in the top 25. Still may not move the needle much, but puts more space between us and the MWC and other G5s. And "maybe" over time, P6 becomes a reality.

(01-03-2023 01:59 PM)MidknightWhiskey Wrote:  I voted substantial. It is a huge win for Tulane & the AAC moving forward at a pivotal time. To me critical means if Tulane didn't win it would of been devastating to the conference which it wouldn't of been. It is a major boost though.

If Tulane can keep this momentum going I'd put them into the top tier of the AAC moving forward along with Memphis & SMU. It'll be interesting to see how the incoming schools do against the current AAC teams especially UTSA.

ECU beat UCF, SMU & Memphis (2x) the last time we met each team respectively. ECU has the best conference winning percentage over the last 2 years of those members returning. With the trajectory of the program right now, I don’t see how we won’t be contending year in and year out as well.

Impressive win. Congrats to Tulane. Hopefully they can continue their dominance next season.