mainejeff wrote:
And any of today's top CAA teams would handle Montana......easily.
Bring it on. Our team sucks (relative to our program), and you're talking about the best Maine team in program history, and yet I'd still like our chances
A 9-3 squad that got blown out by a UNI squad that was themselves blown out? Back when the CAA was not nearly the power it is? With the advantage of playing CAA North teams? Somehow I doubt that, but I promise to eat my words if the 2011 team folds in the second half of the season
mainejeff wrote:
And any of today's top CAA teams would handle Montana......easily.
Bring it on. Our team sucks (relative to our program), and you're talking about the best Maine team in program history, and yet I'd still like our chances
I don't know, the warm December weather in Orono might give Maine the edge.
Let's remember that the CAA has only been a conference since 2007......
But since then, every year there have been 3 teams that were National Title material each year. This year, I don't think there are more than 2. In contrast, the Socon has been good as well, but not on that level and this year there are 3 or even 4 teams in the Socon that could make a playoff run.
Silenoz wrote:A 9-3 squad that got blown out by a UNI squad that was themselves blown out? Back when the CAA was not nearly the power it is? With the advantage of playing CAA North teams? Somehow I doubt that, but I promise to eat my words if the 2011 team folds in the second half of the season
Yup......after they went to Appalachian State and won. You can only go on the road so many times before it catches up with you........
okay just pulling some old Playoff brackets:
2007:
Richmond, Delaware, and UMass split the CAA title and all made it past the quarterfinals, James Madison lost to eventual National Champ App by 1, UNH lost to an undefeated UNI team by 3. The CAA got 5 in that year and that's not something that's common in a field of 16
2008: CAA only got 4 in the playoffs: JMU, Villanova, UNH, and Richmond; James Madison was the CAA champion but lost in an upset to Montana in the semis. Nova was an incomplete Hail Mary pass away from being the CAA champ but lost to JMU in the second round. Richmond was the national champion and third place team in the CAA.
2009:
4 CAA teams made the playoffs: Villanova, W&M, Richmond, and UNH; all 4 advanced to the quarterfinals, William & Mary and Nova faced off in the semis and Nova won by 1. Nova went on to win the National title.
2010:
with the new playoff setup, only 4 teams got in....think about that, the CAA was able to get 5 teams in in a field of 16 so things were clearly on the downturn. They were still able to have 2 teams make the semifinals and Delaware made the finals and very well could have won it.
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A few things are clear about the last decade:
A) The CAA was the best conference
B) App State was probably the best team
C) UNI and Montana both dominated their respective conferences
Now look at the landscape now:
-The CAA could very well have 5 teams make the playoffs this year, but I have a few questions.
-How good is Towson/Old Dominion/UNH? I'm not saying they couldn't make it past the first round but I'd be surprised if any of them made the semis. They don't have a win that makes you raise an eyebrow.
-Are JMU/Maine very good or great, National title, teams? James Madison I think is a force to be reckoned with as they always are in the playoffs and Maine will as well, but I don't see a win by either that separates them from the pack. I think there is a lot of parity in the CAA this year, but there isn't the tier of 3 teams that you expect to be world beaters like years past.
-The Socon is a lot stronger this year and looks to remain that way for a while, regardless of whether or not App State is down (and that may be debatable at this point). Chattanooga is going to be a force to be reckoned with as the program develops a winning attitude, Furman will be back to where they were 5-10 years ago with BF at the helm, GSU is only in its 2nd year back at the option and they're only going to get better (and they're no pushover now), Wofford will still be a top 10 team next year and it looks like Ayers has recruited well enough to where we're going to be a consistent power (look out for 15 returning starters and a passing game next year), The Citadel even looks better in their second year of running the flexbone, App State is App state.
-The MVC looks to be more deep the next few years with the rise of NDSU and ISU.
-Montana is not the dominant force in the Big Sky anymore and it may stay that way for the next couple of years.
Right now, it looks like the landscape of big time FCS football is going to change. Maybe even to the extent to where the SoCon becomes the new CAA *for the next couple of years* but we really won't know until January. The Socon, CAA, Big Sky, and MVC are the only relevant conferences in the FCS IMO
Silenoz wrote:A 9-3 squad that got blown out by a UNI squad that was themselves blown out? Back when the CAA was not nearly the power it is? With the advantage of playing CAA North teams? Somehow I doubt that, but I promise to eat my words if the 2011 team folds in the second half of the season
Yup......after they went to Appalachian State and won. You can only go on the road so many times before it catches up with you........
Fail, that was 2002
So if the best team in the CAA right now is Maine, but that Maine team isn't as good as earlier Maine teams from weaker CAA/A10/Yankee conferences that that got blown out in the playoffs, how in the hell is the top of the CAA better now then when the CAA was far and away the best conference in the land (like in 2008, 2009, etc.)...
and with that we've gone full circle back to my original post/being right
