The World of College Football

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

 

I feel as though UMass has had more funding than MAC schools for quite some time. They still often find themselves in or around the bottom 10 as they don't seem to have spent it well.

[GP1]

2 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

I feel as though UMass has had more funding than MAC schools for quite some time. They still often find themselves in or around the bottom 10 as they don't seem to have spent it well.

OSU is in the top 20 and does a horrible job spending the ocean of NIL money they have. Maybe it's the screwed up system nobody can figure out. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

This is why Stanford hired Andrew Luck as their GM. Most G5s can't afford a GM, which will only add to the cavernous division forming between the upper echelon of P4 and the rest. 

[Blue & Gold]

 

[Hilltopper]

23 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

 

That project has been in the works for quite a while. Glad to see it getting completed.

Edited December 5 by Hilltopper

[Blue & Gold]

4 minutes ago, Hilltopper said:

That project has been in the works for quite a while. Glad to see it getting completed.

It looks great!

[GP1]

That does look much better. It was always such a dark place. 

[UA1996MAENG]

19 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

This is why Stanford hired Andrew Luck as their GM. Most G5s can't afford a GM, which will only add to the cavernous division forming between the upper echelon of P4 and the rest. 

At some point, maybe in the not too distant future, will the MAC, C-USA, Sunbelt et al have to seek a divorce from the NCAA as it is structured and governed right now? I keep thinking that eventually all of the "mid-majors" will come to the realization that they cannot survive or succeed by being the de facto developmental league for the Power Conferences. Obviously I'm thinking of my alma mater, UA, but even more successful programs like OU and Miami will eventually face serious problems faced with a rebuild from the keel up every damn year. Is there even one G5 athletic department that breaks even? No NIL to speak of and even winning programs lose 10, 15, 20 athletes a year to the portal.... It's crazy. I suppose younger people have adjusted to this new reality, but I'm in my 50s; for me the whole system, which was never angelic, is now a grotesque and terribly uneven professional league in which a team with a 20 million dollar roster plays teams without a nickel of NIL? WTF, are we really talking about Michigan spending 12 million on a high school QB over four years?  What planet am I on? 

[Lee Adams]

2 hours ago, UA1996MAENG said:

At some point, maybe in the not too distant future, will the MAC, C-USA, Sunbelt et al have to seek a divorce from the NCAA as it is structured and governed right now? I keep thinking that eventually all of the "mid-majors" will come to the realization that they cannot survive or succeed by being the de facto developmental league for the Power Conferences. Obviously I'm thinking of my alma mater, UA, but even more successful programs like OU and Miami will eventually face serious problems faced with a rebuild from the keel up every damn year. Is there even one G5 athletic department that breaks even? No NIL to speak of and even winning programs lose 10, 15, 20 athletes a year to the portal.... It's crazy. I suppose younger people have adjusted to this new reality, but I'm in my 50s; for me the whole system, which was never angelic, is now a grotesque and terribly uneven professional league in which a team with a 20 million dollar roster plays teams without a nickel of NIL? WTF, are we really talking about Michigan spending 12 million on a high school QB over four years?  What planet am I on? 

And its only gonna get worse. Its the hamster on the wheel. It keeps moving but ends up in the same place.

The 'mid-levels' like Akron and the rest of the MAC now have to overhaul their rosters pretty much every year.

They get a decent player from the portal. Whether its a DI castoff or a prospect from 1-AA or DII. Those kids either don't work out or contribute little taking up a scholly or they come in, play well, hit the portal and get picked up by a better program. Maybe a few who play well stay a second year but probably not enough to keep the roster very competitive. 

The 'mid-majors'( with the 1-AA's second) may be in the worst position of all. Their best players are gonna move up, or try to constantly leaving holes in their rosters. Look what Cignetti did to James Madison. Took a bunch of kids to Indiana.

You are right its 'grotesque'.

What do you do. Can't compete with the Big Boys. Its even difficult to be consistently competitive at this level.

Stuck in the middle is know place to be. Either gotta be a top dog or get out of the rut. I know what I would do but nobody wants to hear it again. And, I'm not suggesting dumping football.

 

[Spin]

A few years ago I thought the transfer portal was going to be the end of really good mid-major programs. Yeah I took some crap over that but in all honesty I had no idea just how bad it was going to be or how far behind Akron is. We still can’t sell football in this region I call “football heaven” where high school programs draw bigger crowds than some D1 colleges. 
 

Taking some (or all) MAC programs to FCS is an idea, but then we lose the pay day games. There’s no easy answers… 

 

My first college football game was at the Rubber Bowl against Austin Peay. That feels like 100 years ago…

Edited December 7 by Spin
Typo

[zippy5]

9 hours ago, Spin said:

A few years ago I thought the transfer portal was going to be the end of really good mid-major programs. Yeah I took some crap over that but in all honesty I had no idea just how bad it was going to be or how far behind Akron is. We still can’t sell football in this region I call “football heaven” where high school programs draw bigger crowds than some D1 colleges. 
 

Taking some (or all) MAC programs to FCS is an idea, but then we lose the pay day games. There’s no easy answers… 

 

My first college football game was at the Rubber Bowl against Austin Peay. That feels like 100 years ago…

We just had our best year since 2018. How is it disproportionately hurting us?

[GP1]

10 hours ago, Spin said:

A few years ago I thought the transfer portal was going to be the end of really good mid-major programs. 

When I look at the final MAC standings, I see five historically good programs and Buffalo. Miami and Ohio play today for the championship. All six are bowl eligible. I don't see the TL negativity impacting these programs. 

 

I would argue that the TP is down the list of problems Akron has. Institutional commitment is a much worse problem. It is THE problem. Akron can't solve the overall problem of the TP and it's something easy to blame because there is no control over it. Akron can control institutional commitment and fails solving it's #1 problem. How do they ever succeed if they can't solve the #1 problem dragging down the program? If an organization can't solve it's #1 problem, it will continually make meaningless changes (see new logo, new coaches every couple of years, etc) and never change. It's basically endlessly rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. 

Edited December 7 by GP1

[Spin]

5 hours ago, zippy5 said:

We just had our best year since 2018. How is it disproportionately hurting us?

I’ll cross my fingers the TP doesn’t strip the Zips of their best players. 

[MDZip]

Ohio about to win their first MAC Championship in forever. And the about to be Big XII champion was picked to finish dead last in their conference. 

[MDZip]

All four P4 championship games had a newcomer to their conference in their Championship game. Lots of tradition. 🤣

[GP1]

29 minutes ago, MDZip said:

All four P4 championship games had a newcomer to their conference in their Championship game. Lots of tradition. 🤣

All of the newcomers make me happy. Schools like OSU, USC, Alabama, Michigan, etc have been sitting around fat and happy for way too long. Unfortunately, a couple of those will be rewarded for being average by the end of the day as four of the playoffs spots are reserved for the popularity contest and potential viewership. 

[LZIp]

Charles Huff leaving Marshall for Sourhern Miss is baffling to me. Anyone know what went down there internally?

[MDZip]

52 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Charles Huff leaving Marshall for Sourhern Miss is baffling to me. Anyone know what went down there internally?

Where is @BigGreenTruck when you need him? 

Edited December 9 by MDZip

[Slam_Hilliard22]

1 hour ago, LZIp said:

Charles Huff leaving Marshall for Sourhern Miss is baffling to me. Anyone know what went down there internally?

He turned down the offer from Marshall to renew his contract because of buyout terms, was coaching this year on a 1 year deal essentially at marshall

 

Certainly an interesting case

[BigGreenTruck]

13 hours ago, MDZip said:

Where is @BigGreenTruck when you need him? 

 

Baffling to those who haven't watched this play out but to those who have watched in the last 2 1/2 years it was expected. Huff thought he was going to come to Huntington and run though the Sun Belt for two years and be snatched up by someone. That didn't happen. As a matter of fact his record before this season was 22-19 barely over 500.

 

He did beat VA Tech at home and Notre Dame on the road. But how did he follow up the Notre Dame win, he went out and got beat by Bowling Green the next week.

 

He was offered at least 5 contract ext going back to right after the ND win. He was ask to negotiate a contract ext every week of this season and refused to do so. 

 

He nor his high maintenance wife (She is always dressed like shes going to a party) have never liked Huntington and he has thrown the fans and university under the bus more than once. I thought he should have been fired during the spring when he told a former WOWK TV  reporter some things that could have and should have got him fired with cause.

 

The Marshall admin knew he was leaving for USM at least a week and half ago and flew to Raleigh (NC State) and in principal hired DC Tony Gibson.

Edited December 9 by BigGreenTruck

[UA1996MAENG]

On 12/7/2024 at 7:06 AM, zippy5 said:

We just had our best year since 2018. How is it disproportionately hurting us?

See the portal when it updates this week.  The UA list is long.  Not a portal issue, but still bad: the class Moorehead just signed is small and underwhelming - last in the MAC, 121st overall.

[catdaddyp]

20 minutes ago, UA1996MAENG said:

See the portal when it updates this week.  The UA list is long.  Not a portal issue, but still bad: the class Moorehead just signed is small and underwhelming - last in the MAC, 121st overall.

I’d disagree about the 2025 signing class being underwhelming. I’d say it’s Moorhead’s best prep class to date. Moorhead’s prep classes are usually going to be in the range of 12-15 signees, which is significantly less than most other MAC programs. The majority of signings will come from the portal, where Moorhead has done extremely well (7 All-MAC players from the 2022 & 2023 classes alone). JUCO will also be utilized, but so far - outside of Nunnally, Fish, and Anderson (maybe Summers?) - we haven’t landed anyone from JUCO that has been more than depth.

 

Here’s the 2025 MAC recruiting that includes portal departures.

 

Edited December 9 by catdaddyp

[Let'sGoZips94]

MAC offseason coaching changes so far...

 

Ball State

OUT: Mike Neu (Fired)

IN: Mike Uremovich (Butler HC)

 

Central Michigan

OUT: Jim McElwain (Retired)

IN: Matt Drinkall (Army Assistant)

 

Ohio

OUT: Tim Albin (Charlotte)

IN:

[UA1996MAENG]

2 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

I’d disagree about the 2025 signing class being underwhelming. I’d say it’s Moorhead’s best prep class to date. Moorhead’s prep classes are usually going to be in the range of 12-15 signees, which is significantly less than most other MAC programs. The majority of signings will come from the portal, where Moorhead has done extremely well (7 All-MAC players from the 2022 & 2023 classes alone). JUCO will also be utilized, but so far - outside of Nunnally, Fish, and Anderson (maybe Summers?) - we haven’t landed anyone from JUCO that has been more than depth.

 

Here’s the 2025 MAC recruiting that includes portal departures.

 

I hope he finds some replacements in the portal.  It just seems like the team is running in sand having practically to rebuild from scratch each year. 

[LZIp]

5 hours ago, UA1996MAENG said:

I hope he finds some replacements in the portal.  It just seems like the team is running in sand having practically to rebuild from scratch each year. 

And it’ll be like that unless someone steps up with some semblance of NIL so that we can keep more of the players we want to keep. This isn’t on Moorhead, it’s the state of college football and it sucks for the have nots.