(08-24-2020 08:06 PM)GTFletch Wrote: MAC should be FCS.... By far the worse FBS level Conf of all....Could be a Power & Leader at the FCS level and they could still pimp themselves out for 21 P-5 games a year...
The MAC has our problems, but calling us not only the worst conference but by far is dead wrong. Sagarin isn't perfect, but here's where we've been the past decade; note that he started listing by division instead of total conference (where applicable) starting in 2013 and always tracks FCS with FBS.
2010: 13th, above the Belt
2011: 11th, above the Belt
2012: 10th, above C-USA and MWC
2013: West 17th (above C-USA East), East 20th (last in FBS); averaged last
2014: West 14th (above the AAC, C-USA West, and Belt), East 19th (last in FBS); averaged above the Belt
2015: West 14th (above MWC West, C-USA East and West, and Belt), East 18th (above C-USA West and Belt); averaged above C-USA and Belt
2016: West 14th (above the Belt, MWC West, C-USA East and West), East 20th (last); averaged above C-USA Total
2017: West 14th (above MWC West, C-USA East and West, and Belt), East 18th (above Belt); averaged above C-USA Total and Belt
2018: West 16th (above C-USA East and West, Belt West), East 18th (above C-USA West and Belt West); averaged above C-USA Total and Belt Total
2019: West 16th (above Independents, Belt West, and C-USA East), East 19th (above C-USA West); averaged above C-USA Total
That's not something to brag about, but the MAC average was last just once in the decade and above the Belt and C-USA both six times (if you wanna talk about the East as a division that's another matter). Also the assumption that we could drop down to FCS while suffering no buy game or TV deal consequences yet maintain or improve program quality is folly.