CFN: 2014 College Football Predictions

[WordUpBU]

At this point I'm in favor of not including Navy and adding UMass to solidify ourselves as a premiere basketball conference. UMass adds depth to hoops and would participate in football keeping it a balanced conference. For basketball we would have 6 returning NCAA tournament teams in:

UCONN
Cincinnati
Memphis
SMU
Tulsa
UMass

with Houston, USF, and Temple solid contenders going forward.

Face it, in football we will never be looked at as a power conference. I figure we should maximize what we are, one of the best basketball conferences in the country. Anything we accomplish in football is gravy.

Honestly keep Navy but add Wichita State for nonfb as they bring an elite program and a travel partner for Tulsa. Better than having to watch UMass fail at football.

[AusTxPony]

A couple of responses: #1, I disagree that the AAC gets no respect as a Bball conference. UConn won the whole thing M & W, there was a huge outcry from the press when SMU wasn't selected for the tournament. We are certainly in the P6 in Bball.
#2, it's not the match ups in football that hurt, so much as it is our miserable W/L record and poor alum/Dallas support. Texas sells out a game with New Mexico State. So does Tech and even Baylor with minor opponents. Remember, Cincinnati plays the same people we do and so does UCF. They don't have the problem selling tickets like SMU.

[NavyCrimson]

"...our miserable W/L record and poor alum/Dallas support."

Can't blame the fans for this one. The responsibility lies squarely on the administration. In all seriousness, who can blame the 'fans' for NOT coming?

Just look at b-ball. The fans are there. They just have to have a reason for coming & SMU hasn't given them that for 27-plus years. Win, win big, & consistently & they'll show up.

[CenTXpony]

It is important for the conference to have each member invest heavily in one sport or the other, to make the conference relevant. No bottom feeders that refuse to heavily invest in either sport at a championship level.

UCF - Football
Houston - Both
Cincy - Both
East Carolina - Football
USF - Struggling in both, but the commitment is there
UConn - Basketball
Tulsa - Basketball
SMU - Basketball, but also have a financial commitment in football
Tulane - Neither
Memphis - Basketball
Temple - Basketball.

Tulane and Navy are problematic programs at this point. That said, Tulane is building a football stadium, so hopefully the commitment is being established there.

Compare that to the financial commitments in the MWC:
Fresno - Football
SDSU - Both
UNLV - neither right now
Nevada - neither
Hawaii - neither
Utah State - neither
Boise State - Football
Colorado State - neither
Wyoming - neither
New Mexico - Basketball
Air Force - neither

Wyoming, Nevada, Hawaii, and Utah State have winning programs in football, but they don't have the financial ability to really invest at a high level.

We aren't quite a top 5 conference (SEC, PAC, Big, Big, ACC). But we are clearly the next best conference, and most years the at large bid will come out of our league.

I've said this before, but all of the schools in our conference who are committed to football should be scheduling all MAC and MWC schools in the non-conference to establish that our conference is best. That way, if we beat each other up in conference, it won't matter and we will have a member selected as the at large bid for the playoffs.

UNLV is looking like a tough hoops team next season... and they're planning to build a new football stadium.

http://m.lvsun.com/news/2014/mar/27/fir ... come-forw/

[PerunaPunch]

If Scout is basing their preseason ranking of SMU on Traylon Shed returning... Let's just say that maybe we shouldn't take that pick to Vegas.

[PoconoPony]

Note SMU doesn't play 2 of 3 teams rated below SMU

Interpretation: we are in trouble.