Power moves West?

[ProudGriz]

Do you think the power in FCS has moved west for one year or is it a trend that is just beginning?

[RidgeRunner]

Things change. That means it may stay there for a few years then it will be somewhere else. Don't get used to it.

[ProudGriz]

I think I might want to try to get used to it.

[CAAFirst]

Interesting Rival's article that touches on this thread's topic.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...gap_fcs_121911

[towsonx]

I don't think it's moving west.

Can anyone name a team that should have made the FCS playoffs instead of a CAA team? And justify that?
CAA teams had a tough year, but they were humiliated in losing by wide margins. I think Home Field advantage may have factored in some games.

Over-all I think the CAA is still a strong conference and this year was one where no team really stood out from the other. If anything was down it was the defenses of the CAA.

Georgia Southern eliminated 2 CAA teams and I think were much better than their record showed. A good NDSU D with 3 turn-overs doomed GSU.

Games were close, but a loss is a loss..........;
>Towson lost by 2 - Offense gave up a safety.
>UNH lost by 1. – The game may have gone the other way if played in New Hampshire.
>ODU lost by 7 -Georgia Southern team did out-rushed # 2 ranked Alabama 302-272 yards.
>JMU lost by 12 – The Dukes were in the game till the end, down 14-19 to NDSU in 4th qtr (NDSU playing in FCS championship)
>Maine lost by 12 – Georgia Southern proved they can score on any team regardless of level.

GSU was a very good team, and Alabama defense stats show GSU did what FBS opponents could not; run
http://espn.go.com/college-football/...a-crimson-tide
__School__yards rushing vs Alabama____
Kent State……....-9
Penn State……....107
North Texas….....68
U Arkansas…......17
U of Florida…......15
Vanderbilt…….....41
Ole Miss……….....28
Univ of Tenn......92
LSU..........….....148
Mississippi…….....12
GA Southern......302
Auburn Univ….....78


When looking at the stats, I first thought that there must be some explanation. (like the 2nd string players were in?) But it seems that the same Alabama Defensive starters were started vs Georgia Southern.
http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-foo...12/indgbg.html

And while a mute-point now, what if 4 CAA teams played on the side of the FCS Bracket with Sam Houston?

Sam Houston beat Stony Brook, Montana St & Montana to get to the final. But it seems Stony Brook was their most difficult game?

I.E., Stony Brook was tied up with Sam Houston in the 4th qtr, while Montana state was blown out and Montana had to come from 2 TD’s behind to make the game close.

When I researched some earlier this season, I thought the Big Sky conference was way over-rated this year when it came to schedule strength and wins vs ranked teams.

……………..anyway, I say NDSU wins it all in a rout

[-Tribal-]

SHS has had an excellent season. Frankly, I'm surprised more (FCS-level) Texas schools haven't emerged as NC contenders. While teams west of the Mississippi River may be more competitive lately, these things change every year. Look at EWU - from NC to dud. FCS schools in the mid-west should dominate because they have far fewer FBS and FCS rivals. Take Montana for example: Which "strong" FBS team is nearest Montana? You'd have to literally cross into two large states to even approach a strong FBS school. Utah? Oregon? Then consider FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, TN, AL, PA, etc. No one in those states can drive 3 hours without coming across a strong FBS school. Look for CAA and SoCon teams to dominate for the next decade. I know, it's east coast bias.

[ProudGriz]

Is Boise State two states away? Your east coast education is showing. They used to even play in our conference. Wyoming made a bowl game this year. Excuses, excuses, excuses. You have more BCS teams but you have WAY more people out east. It all evens out.

[ProudGriz]

Oh and after this year that will be two West teams in a row winning the chipper. Get on the train baby!

[Longhorn]

Wyoming made a bowl game this year.

Wyoming??? WYOMING

You are seriously suggesting a team that got rolled by East Coast Temple 37-15 in something called the "New Mexico Bowl" is a good team/program??? Talk about delusional....


The same FCS programs out West will continue to dominate their relatively weak conferences, and send the same teams to the playoffs, while occasionally producing deep runs in the playoffs. The success of the "usual suspects" out West to garner home playoff games rests largely on a weak regular schedule that skews the polls and places them at an advantage when selecting playoff seeds. Give the CAA teams the same kind of home field advantage enjoyed this year by other leagues and we'd have seen much different results.

No, "power" isn't moving West. Nor are we likely to see this year as anything other than a slight blip on the radar screen when looking back. Now, if the power teams in the CAA couple with the best of the SoCon in some kind of new FBS league, then the Western teams will rule. But that's several years away from happening, if ever.

[-Tribal-]

Is Boise State two states away? Your east coast education is showing. They used to even play in our conference. Wyoming made a bowl game this year. Excuses, excuses, excuses. You have more BCS teams but you have WAY more people out east. It all evens out.

Streamer Target,

7 1/2 hour drive away isn't close. One could also argue Boise State isn't strong since they always choke away any hopes of a NC, even with their cupcake schedule. Tulsa, Colorado State, Wyoming, and New Mexico wouldn't even make it into the semis of the FCS playoffs. Boise State played one good team--TCU--and lost. Wyoming is dreadful...I can't believe an attorney with his own airplane would present such a poor argument. Shame on you.