AAC think they are a power conference - Bless their hearts

Bamabuzzard

FB Moderator
Staff member
Aug 15, 2004
33,261
28,016
337
49
Where ever there's BBQ, Bourbon & Football
This was still the best the Group of 5 has to offer against what, the third best SEC team?

Having said that, Cincinatti has long been one of the programs I'd put on a short list of candidates to move to the Power 5. They have some desirable characteristics.
4th best

1. Bama
2. Florida
3. Aggies
4. JawJah

As I watched Cinci play JawJah the announcers kept saying (after every good play by Cinci) how they "belonged" etc. Yet I kept thinking "They're barely competing against the 4th best team in the SEC." Yet they "belong"?
 

BamaInCummingGA

1st Team
Jun 8, 2017
798
1,152
162
Cumming, Ga
Given the right coach/climate/resources (SEC money) I think Cincinnati could compete in the SEC (particularly in the east) but to make a blanket statement, like some of the talking doofuses that pose as sports reporters do, the teams as a whole in the AAC cannot even really dream of competing in the SEC or BIG.
This is all just a false narrative (driven by media of course) to expand the playoffs. So, what is the narrative when you consistently get 2 or 3 SEC/BIG teams in every year?
 

BamaHoosier

All-American
Jan 17, 2011
3,614
620
132
Noblesville Indiana
This was still the best the Group of 5 has to offer against what, the third best SEC team?

Having said that, Cincinatti has long been one of the programs I'd put on a short list of candidates to move to the Power 5. They have some desirable characteristics.
I know the only reason the B1G took on Rutgers was to get a foothold into the NYC market, but Cincy is a great example of a team that would have been more competitive in multiple sports and a better regional fit.

Interestingly enough though, the only other AAC title they’ve won was 2014. Cincy is on a good run right now, but it’s not like they’ve been consistently blowing away their conference and begging for better competition. If anyone can get them there though, it’ll be Fickell, and he may already be on his way.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
47,874
55,184
187
I know the only reason the B1G took on Rutgers was to get a foothold into the NYC market, but Cincy is a great example of a team that would have been more competitive in multiple sports and a better regional fit.

Interestingly enough though, the only other AAC title they’ve won was 2014. Cincy is on a good run right now, but it’s not like they’ve been consistently blowing away their conference and begging for better competition. If anyone can get them there though, it’ll be Fickell, and he may already be on his way.
OSU would not allow Cincy into the B1G just like Alabama would not allow UAB into the SEC.
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
36,918
36,293
187
South Alabama
This was still the best the Group of 5 has to offer against what, the third best SEC team?

Having said that, Cincinatti has long been one of the programs I'd put on a short list of candidates to move to the Power 5. They have some desirable characteristics.
Cincy is more deserving of a B1G invite than Nebraska or Maryland and more deserving of an ACC invite than Pitt and Syracuse. Personally I wish the BigXII would invite them and Houston. The Cincy vs WV rivalry would be fun to see again.
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
36,918
36,293
187
South Alabama
OSU would not allow Cincy into the B1G just like Alabama would not allow UAB into the SEC.
A better analogy. USCe would never allow Clemson, UGA would never allow GT, and Florida would never allow another Florida school in the SEC. All have actually been discussed and killed before votes before.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bama-94-00

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
47,874
55,184
187
A better analogy. USCe would never allow Clemson, UGA would never allow GT, and Florida would never allow another Florida school in the SEC. All have actually been discussed and killed before votes before.
The GT example works, but Cincy is not nearly as solid a program as the FL schools or Clemson.
 
  • Thank You
Reactions: BamaInBham

KrAzY3

Hall of Fame
Jan 18, 2006
10,966
5,483
187
45
kraizy.art
the teams as a whole in the AAC cannot even really dream of competing in the SEC or BIG.
This is all just a false narrative (driven by media of course) to expand the playoffs.
Earlier this year I think I posted my "dream" Group of 5 conference, including independents (Notre Dame excluded). It still wasn't worthy of the Power 5. They want to focus on the best schools out of 5 entire conferences and there's bound to be some here or there. There is generally just a lack of depth and consistency. They do want a false narrative, and they don't want to discuss the fact that Tulsa got beat by Miss. St.

The SEC sends their tied for third worst program and they take out the AAC's second best program. That's how big the difference is, once you move away from the absolute best the Group of 5 has any given year, the quality of opponents fall off a cliff.

OSU would not allow Cincy into the B1G just like Alabama would not allow UAB into the SEC.
Cincy does bring in nearly double what UAB makes though, but I get the comparison. They're really at the top of the Group of 5 schools in revenue and despite not getting cut into big TV deals, they're still within striking distance of a program like Washington St. Ohio would be a good state for a program outside of the Big 10 to expand into, but I don't see any conference in a position to make that move right now.
 

uafan4life

Hall of Fame
Mar 30, 2001
16,298
8,453
287
44
Florence, AL
I have an idea that I'm planning on fleshing out and writing a proper explanation (proposal?) on shortly after the NC game.

Functionally, it:
- Doesn't really require conference realignment
- Doesn't require an expansion of the playoffs (I think 6 is the max acceptable number and 4 is good enough)
- Doesn't require automatic playoff bids
- Eliminates the "CFP is Power-5-only" argument
- Preserves the Power-5 conferences with their traditional rivalries
- Doesn't increase the number of regular season games
- Puts five non-Power-5 conferences on relatively equal footing with the Power-5 for evaluation purposes
- Does reduce teams' scheduling freedom by one or two games
- Reduces but doesn't eliminate super-cupcake games (e.g., games against FCS teams)
- Potentially reduces the overall cost to Power-5 teams for scheduling a couple of maybe-cupcake games (e.g., games against FBS, non-Power-5 teams)
- Increases the overall money going to five non-Power-5 conferences


I think it'll be fairly interesting.
 

BamaInBham

All-American
Feb 14, 2007
4,692
2,554
187
Given the right coach/climate/resources (SEC money) I think Cincinnati could compete in the SEC (particularly in the east) but to make a blanket statement, like some of the talking doofuses that pose as sports reporters do, the teams as a whole in the AAC cannot even really dream of competing in the SEC or BIG.
This is all just a false narrative (driven by media of course) to expand the playoffs. So, what is the narrative when you consistently get 2 or 3 SEC/BIG teams in every year?
There's no way that Cincinnati could compete in the SEC. This was one game and even here UGA was missing 5 starters on D, ?? on O. IMO, at their best UC, could NEVER compete playing an 8 game SEC schedule. One game here or there sure, ULM/No Ill/So Miss beat Alabama, but not the grind of an entire season, year after year.
 

DzynKingRTR

TideFans Legend
Dec 17, 2003
46,633
37,129
287
Vinings, ga., usa
Given the right coach/climate/resources (SEC money) I think Cincinnati could compete in the SEC (particularly in the east) but to make a blanket statement, like some of the talking doofuses that pose as sports reporters do, the teams as a whole in the AAC cannot even really dream of competing in the SEC or BIG.
This is all just a false narrative (driven by media of course) to expand the playoffs. So, what is the narrative when you consistently get 2 or 3 SEC/BIG teams in every year?
So by compete do you mean beat Vandy? I agree.
 

Padreruf

Hall of Fame
Feb 12, 2001
9,132
13,207
287
74
Charleston, South Carolina
When I lived in Louisville -- from 75 to 82 -- UC was a big rival of the Cardinals. They played in a 2nd rate stadium as did UL...hard for me to imagine that these teams are on a par with Bama...not in this lifetime.
 

BamaInBham

All-American
Feb 14, 2007
4,692
2,554
187
I have an idea that I'm planning on fleshing out and writing a proper explanation (proposal?) on shortly after the NC game.

Functionally, it:
- Doesn't really require conference realignment
- Doesn't require an expansion of the playoffs (I think 6 is the max acceptable number and 4 is good enough)
- Doesn't require automatic playoff bids
- Eliminates the "CFP is Power-5-only" argument
- Preserves the Power-5 conferences with their traditional rivalries
- Doesn't increase the number of regular season games
- Puts five non-Power-5 conferences on relatively equal footing with the Power-5 for evaluation purposes
- Does reduce teams' scheduling freedom by one or two games
- Reduces but doesn't eliminate super-cupcake games (e.g., games against FCS teams)
- Potentially reduces the overall cost to Power-5 teams for scheduling a couple of maybe-cupcake games (e.g., games against FBS, non-Power-5 teams)
- Increases the overall money going to five non-Power-5 conferences


I think it'll be fairly interesting.
I'm sure it will be interesting but I have no desire for the G5 to be in the same "arena" with the P5. IMO, the P5 should break away from the rest and compete in the world that they have created. That is the only fair and reasonable solution. If the G5 wants to play P5 teams to piggy-back and get big paydays to keep their programs afloat, fine. But they need to know that they are being shown kindness not that they "deserve" to be in the P5's world. A world they created with blood, sweat, tears, money, passion, etc. for well over a century.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Elefantman

uafan4life

Hall of Fame
Mar 30, 2001
16,298
8,453
287
44
Florence, AL
I'm sure it will be interesting but I have no desire for the G5 to be in the same "arena" with the P5. IMO, the P5 should break away from the rest and compete in the world that they have created. That is the only fair and reasonable solution. If the G5 wants to play P5 teams to piggy-back and get big paydays to keep their programs afloat, fine. But they need to know that they are being shown kindness not that they "deserve" to be in the P5's world. A world they created with blood, sweat, tears, money, passion, etc. for well over a century.
You completely missed a very key word: evaluation.

There would be no more questioning what they deserve.
 

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
19,061
6,897
187
Greenbow, Alabama
This was still the best the Group of 5 has to offer against what, the third best SEC team?

Having said that, Cincinatti has long been one of the programs I'd put on a short list of candidates to move to the Power 5. They have some desirable characteristics.
Cincinnati and, to some extent Notre Dame, both could benefit from joining the B1G. Put ND in the B1G West and they would own it. Cincinnati would have a tougher road in the East facing tOSU, Penn State and Michigan every year.

ETA: I meant to say what B1G said in a prior post, tOSU would block any invitation for Cincinnati to join the B1G.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: B1GTide
|

Latest threads