Yahoo wrote an article ranking the 10 FBS conferences. Put the Sun Belt last, as usual, and failed to even mention Troy as a potential league contender.

Perception has to catch up with reality, and that takes more than one good season.

Our league is doing pretty well at the top of the standings, with App and Troy hitting 10 wins and Ark State not far behind. But it would be much better if the low water Mark was 4 wins at the bottom of the standings instead of 1 or 2 wins.

Quote:10. Sun Belt

The Sun Belt is far from a laughingstock. Putting the SBC here at No. 10 isn’t a slight, but someone has to be last. The Sun Belt has a lot of parity through the middle of the conference, but it’s not a bunch that will all go 8-4 or 9-3. Appalachian State — and maybe Arkansas State — is the only team that stands out among the 12. Don’t be surprised if the Mountaineers give Georgia a scare in Week 1.

And a reminder, the Sun Belt is losing two pretty decent teams after 2017. Idaho is dropping down to the FCS level while New Mexico State is going independent. But they were more Sun Belt members out of convenience rather than geographical fit anyway.

NMSU is not a decent team, and Idaho has had one good year, which we are all very proud of. Other than that, we're much better off, on the field and off the field, without them. No offense to any Idaho or NMSU fans.

As for Troy, I have high hopes and hopefully last season won't be a fluke. I really don't think it was, but we'll know more when we hit the field on Sept 2.

I'm not going to waste my time fretting over someone who refuses to invest time on me. This is just another half-assed piece that will mean nothing come September 2.

I would expect a LOT more from Yahoo! Sports than this load of crap. Unfortunately, it will get a lot of hits due to the source.

(08-02-2017 03:31 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

Quote:10. Sun Belt

The Sun Belt is far from a laughingstock. Putting the SBC here at No. 10 isn’t a slight, but someone has to be last. The Sun Belt has a lot of parity through the middle of the conference, but it’s not a bunch that will all go 8-4 or 9-3. Appalachian State — and maybe Arkansas State — is the only team that stands out among the 12. Don’t be surprised if the Mountaineers give Georgia a scare in Week 1.

And a reminder, the Sun Belt is losing two pretty decent teams after 2017. Idaho is dropping down to the FCS level while New Mexico State is going independent. But they were more Sun Belt members out of convenience rather than geographical fit anyway.

NMSU is not a decent team, and Idaho has had one good year, which we are all very proud of. Other than that, we're much better off, on the field and off the field, without them. No offense to any Idaho or NMSU fans.

As for Troy, I have high hopes and hopefully last season won't be a fluke. I really don't think it was, but we'll know more when we hit the field on Sept 2.

Not looking to start a fight, but since we're here -- Idaho has been here 3 years. If we're below the threshold of a decent team during that period then so is everyone in the conference other than App St., Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

Remember last year when everyone was ranting and raving over WMU preseason? I don't either.

(08-02-2017 04:54 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  Not looking to start a fight, but since we're here -- Idaho has been here 3 years. If we're below the threshold of a decent team during that period then so is everyone in the conference other than App St., Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

I'm not either. It should be pointed out though, that Idaho has been bad for a long time, even before they joined the SBC. The schedules may have been a little tougher, but not enough to go 1-11 and 2-10 most years. '09, '10, and '16 were the only years since 2001 that you guys have won decent number of games. The teams you mentioned have all had much better runs during that time. Idaho has to prove that '16 wasn't a year of overachieving - that Idaho is the real deal.

(08-02-2017 08:17 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 04:54 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  Not looking to start a fight, but since we're here -- Idaho has been here 3 years. If we're below the threshold of a decent team during that period then so is everyone in the conference other than App St., Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

I'm not either. It should be pointed out though, that Idaho has been bad for a long time, even before they joined the SBC. The schedules may have been a little tougher, but not enough to go 1-11 and 2-10 most years. '09, '10, and '16 were the only years since 2001 that you guys have won decent number of games. The teams you mentioned have all had much better runs during that time. Idaho has to prove that '16 wasn't a year of overachieving - that Idaho is the real deal.

Not saying you do this, but there are people here who act like this conference is full of world-beater badass football programs and everything will be awesome when it gets rid of the schlubs at Idaho. Once again I post the comprehensive list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past decade than Idaho:

1. Arkansas State

That's the list. And here's the list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past 2 decades than Idaho:

1. Nobody.

Yep, we've had some very bad years in FBS. So has everybody else in the Sun Belt not named App St. (and I guess Georgia Southern although last year was nothing to write home about for them). And for the 3 year period Idaho has been in this conference, I could have taken your original post, substituted "Troy" for "Idaho" and it would have been factually just as true.

Idaho has also had more years of bowl eligibility than GS, App, South, Texas State, and Ga State combined.

Also worth pointing out the SBC had pretty limited bowl tie-ins for a while.

(08-02-2017 09:47 PM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Idaho has also had more years of bowl eligibility than GS, App, South, Texas State, and Ga State combined.

Also worth pointing out the SBC had pretty limited bowl tie-ins for a while.

Combine all those schools and you get to even with Idaho in bowl wins. And it goes both ways -- in today's bowl landscape we would have been bowling in a couple other years, too.

I'm not saying you guys aren't good programs. I really like the Sun Belt and I wish we could have stuck around. I just don't think most schools here have earned the right to feel like we're beneath them on the field.

The chip on Idaho's shoulder this year better not be underestimated by any team.

(08-02-2017 10:00 PM)troutbummike Wrote:  The chip on Idaho's shoulder this year better not be underestimated by any team.

Should be fun. Petrino, Linehan and other players have all used that exact phrase multiple times already this year.

(08-02-2017 09:37 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 08:17 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 04:54 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  Not looking to start a fight, but since we're here -- Idaho has been here 3 years. If we're below the threshold of a decent team during that period then so is everyone in the conference other than App St., Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

I'm not either. It should be pointed out though, that Idaho has been bad for a long time, even before they joined the SBC. The schedules may have been a little tougher, but not enough to go 1-11 and 2-10 most years. '09, '10, and '16 were the only years since 2001 that you guys have won decent number of games. The teams you mentioned have all had much better runs during that time. Idaho has to prove that '16 wasn't a year of overachieving - that Idaho is the real deal.

Not saying you do this, but there are people here who act like this conference is full of world-beater badass football programs and everything will be awesome when it gets rid of the schlubs at Idaho. Once again I post the comprehensive list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past decade than Idaho:

1. Arkansas State

That's the list. And here's the list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past 2 decades than Idaho:

1. Nobody.

Yep, we've had some very bad years in FBS. So has everybody else in the Sun Belt not named App St. (and I guess Georgia Southern although last year was nothing to write home about for them). And for the 3 year period Idaho has been in this conference, I could have taken your original post, substituted "Troy" for "Idaho" and it would have been factually just as true.

"Some" bad years is a gross understatement. Troy's worst seasons in 25 years were a 3-9 season in 2011 and 2014. We're not world beaters, but we're not anything near what Idaho has been the last 10 to 15 years. As I scroll through your seasons on ESPN, its mostly 1-11 and 2-10. NMSU is the only program with that kind of win percentage, and they're on the way out too.

Using a three year period is cherry picking. Idaho has a decent chance to be good again, yes. But it's also true that many teams that make big jumps like that usually go right back down. Troy also falls into this category. We'll just have to wait and see. That said, Idaho's 15 year report card is really, really bad and with regards to travel, I'm ok with letting you guys go. It's not personal as I have nothing against any of the fans here.

All that said, I have throughout the entire off-season touted you guys as a darkhorse for the SBC Title. I do think you guys have a change to be really good, but if you were staying the SBC, I'd question your long term potential for quality seasons, especially after Linehan and/or Petrino leave the program.

(08-02-2017 10:25 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 09:37 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 08:17 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 04:54 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  Not looking to start a fight, but since we're here -- Idaho has been here 3 years. If we're below the threshold of a decent team during that period then so is everyone in the conference other than App St., Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

I'm not either. It should be pointed out though, that Idaho has been bad for a long time, even before they joined the SBC. The schedules may have been a little tougher, but not enough to go 1-11 and 2-10 most years. '09, '10, and '16 were the only years since 2001 that you guys have won decent number of games. The teams you mentioned have all had much better runs during that time. Idaho has to prove that '16 wasn't a year of overachieving - that Idaho is the real deal.

Not saying you do this, but there are people here who act like this conference is full of world-beater badass football programs and everything will be awesome when it gets rid of the schlubs at Idaho. Once again I post the comprehensive list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past decade than Idaho:

1. Arkansas State

That's the list. And here's the list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past 2 decades than Idaho:

1. Nobody.

Yep, we've had some very bad years in FBS. So has everybody else in the Sun Belt not named App St. (and I guess Georgia Southern although last year was nothing to write home about for them). And for the 3 year period Idaho has been in this conference, I could have taken your original post, substituted "Troy" for "Idaho" and it would have been factually just as true.

"Some" bad years is a gross understatement. Troy's worst seasons in 25 years were a 3-9 season in 2011 and 2014. We're not world beaters, but we're not anything near what Idaho has been the last 10 to 15 years. As I scroll through your seasons on ESPN, its mostly 1-11 and 2-10. NMSU is the only program with that kind of win percentage, and they're on the way out too.

Using a three year period is cherry picking. Idaho has a decent chance to be good again, yes. But it's also true that many teams that make big jumps like that usually go right back down. Troy also falls into this category. We'll just have to wait and see. That said, Idaho's 15 year report card is really, really bad and with regards to travel, I'm ok with letting you guys go. It's not personal as I have nothing against any of the fans here.

All that said, I have throughout the entire off-season touted you guys as a darkhorse for the SBC Title. I do think you guys have a change to be really good, but if you were staying the SBC, I'd question your long term potential for quality seasons, especially after Linehan and/or Petrino leave the program.

Yep, when we've had any measure of stability we've had some good seasons. When the world falls apart around us, as has happened several times, we've fallen apart and it's taken years to get put back together again. Been a rough cycle and I'd rather have had your last 15 years than ours.

But I didn't just use a 3 year period. I also used a decade and 2 decades. And we've had as many highly successful seasons in those periods as most in this conference. We've also had some serious stinkers.

Idaho had an incredible run of good hires. Then had the collision of bad hires and indifferent administration just as they moved into a group spending more money.

Couple times Idaho was on the cusp of a big breakthrough and just never got the right bounce.

Idaho was the first team in the state to win an FBS conference regular season title and first to win a bowl game. Had 11 FCS playoff appearances vs 5 for Boise State.

(08-02-2017 09:37 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 08:17 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 04:54 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  Not looking to start a fight, but since we're here -- Idaho has been here 3 years. If we're below the threshold of a decent team during that period then so is everyone in the conference other than App St., Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

I'm not either. It should be pointed out though, that Idaho has been bad for a long time, even before they joined the SBC. The schedules may have been a little tougher, but not enough to go 1-11 and 2-10 most years. '09, '10, and '16 were the only years since 2001 that you guys have won decent number of games. The teams you mentioned have all had much better runs during that time. Idaho has to prove that '16 wasn't a year of overachieving - that Idaho is the real deal.

Not saying you do this, but there are people here who act like this conference is full of world-beater badass football programs and everything will be awesome when it gets rid of the schlubs at Idaho. Once again I post the comprehensive list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past decade than Idaho:

1. Arkansas State

That's the list. And here's the list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past 2 decades than Idaho:

1. Nobody.

Yep, we've had some very bad years in FBS. So has everybody else in the Sun Belt not named App St. (and I guess Georgia Southern although last year was nothing to write home about for them). And for the 3 year period Idaho has been in this conference, I could have taken your original post, substituted "Troy" for "Idaho" and it would have been factually just as true.

(08-02-2017 09:57 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 09:47 PM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Idaho has also had more years of bowl eligibility than GS, App, South, Texas State, and Ga State combined.

Also worth pointing out the SBC had pretty limited bowl tie-ins for a while.

Combine all those schools and you get to even with Idaho in bowl wins. And it goes both ways -- in today's bowl landscape we would have been bowling in a couple other years, too.

I'm not saying you guys aren't good programs. I really like the Sun Belt and I wish we could have stuck around. I just don't think most schools here have earned the right to feel like we're beneath them on the field.

Your first two wins were before any team on that list played a down of FBS football, and the first one was before Troy even became FBS.

I don't know how many bowl tie-ins the WAC had year by year but Idaho only 6 of your 21 seasons in FBS did you top 6 wins. The idea that only Ark STate has any real claim to be better than Idaho is stretch.

The only reason Idaho is being kicked out of the conference is because of geography. Idaho and NMSU were added as football only schools along with GS and App to get the conference to 12 members for a CCG. Then the NCAA said conferences can have a CCG with less than 12 members, and the Sun Belt wanted to focus on having a compact league in the East. Therefore, the SBC didn't need NMSU or Idaho for a CCG and dropped them. If Idaho was located in Tennessee or Missouri, they would still be in the conference.

Arguing about how good Idaho is or was is a moot point because that's not the reason Idaho was booted from the conference.

(08-02-2017 09:37 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 08:17 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(08-02-2017 04:54 PM)LatahCounty Wrote:  Not looking to start a fight, but since we're here -- Idaho has been here 3 years. If we're below the threshold of a decent team during that period then so is everyone in the conference other than App St., Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

I'm not either. It should be pointed out though, that Idaho has been bad for a long time, even before they joined the SBC. The schedules may have been a little tougher, but not enough to go 1-11 and 2-10 most years. '09, '10, and '16 were the only years since 2001 that you guys have won decent number of games. The teams you mentioned have all had much better runs during that time. Idaho has to prove that '16 wasn't a year of overachieving - that Idaho is the real deal.

Not saying you do this, but there are people here who act like this conference is full of world-beater badass football programs and everything will be awesome when it gets rid of the schlubs at Idaho. Once again I post the comprehensive list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past decade than Idaho:

1. Arkansas State

That's the list. And here's the list of Sun Belt schools with more bowl wins in the past 2 decades than Idaho:

1. Nobody.

Yep, we've had some very bad years in FBS. So has everybody else in the Sun Belt not named App St. (and I guess Georgia Southern although last year was nothing to write home about for them). And for the 3 year period Idaho has been in this conference, I could have taken your original post, substituted "Troy" for "Idaho" and it would have been factually just as true.

Do Vacated bowl wins count?