Two of our better writers over at College Football Dawgs preview JMU & Troy's bowl games for this weekend.

How many are still rooting for the Belt and how many want to see these teams lose?

https://www.collegefootballdawgs.com/po ... ngham-bowl

https://www.collegefootballdawgs.com/po ... -air-force

Lose X 2! Actually would be okay with Troy winning. Will never pull for JMU. Edit - unless it helps us get into a championship game.

Want both to win. Good for the conferences perception, good for us when we dominate next year.

Looking forward to Duke and Air Force both losing... Can never root for the Furples to win.

havefunkc wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 1:41 pm

Looking forward to Duke and Air Force both losing... Can never root for the Furples to win.

That may be the best way to look at it! ha!

ah59396 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:50 pm

Want both to win. Good for the conferences perception, good for us when we dominate next year.

I think this is even more true now that the conference has started out 1-4. Not that it's shocking when we break it down but still not where we want to be (losing to peer conferences we consider ourselves better than.

AppDub wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:24 pm

Lose X 2! Actually would be okay with Troy winning. Will never pull for JMU. Edit - unless it helps us get into a championship game.

Right?! It's hard to pull for JMU, especially against a program like Air Force, but alas, I want the conference to look strong.

Do not have much passion either way..just would like to see JMU's opponent throws streamers after every TD.

BambooRdApp wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 3:09 pm

Do not have much passion either way..just would like to see JMU's opponent throws streamers after every TD.

I just can't see military men & women throwing streamers...ha!

DomCrosetto wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 3:58 pm

BambooRdApp wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 3:09 pm

Do not have much passion either way..just would like to see JMU's opponent throws streamers after every TD.

I just can't see military men & women throwing streamers...ha!

One can dream

ah59396 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:50 pm

Want both to win. Good for the conferences perception, good for us when we dominate next year.

I was hoping we would go 11-1 in bowls with GaSo losing but if we had to go 12-0 for the SB to win the Bowl Challenge I would have been OK with GaSo winning to get that for the conference.

Charlotte and ECU did not get to a bowl and that is our main in state competition for recruits and it would be nice to see all the NC based ACC teams lose as well for the same reason. Clearly pulling for Troy on Saturday.

I am enjoying seeing the ACC implode today. Maybe if there was ever a chance to see Greensboro host ACC basketball tournaments in the future I would fell different as a Greensboro tax payer but otherwise, I am enjoying seeing it all go up in smoke for them.

Coaches leave for new schools, players sit out for various reasons or are already in transfer mode for their next school. Mental challenge for some student-athletes to get hype after weeks off and just practicing against teammates while campus is empty. To then enjoy the hospitality and events that come with the bowl game experience, and go out there for 60 minutes in the same manner they did during the season with the same intensity.

I don't put too much into bowl games these days, and they conference records after those games. C-USA and MAC had better bowl records than Sun Belt last year, and probably will this year as well. Doesn't make those conferences stronger IMO.

With all of that said, I'm not upset if JMU loses.

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:57 pm

Coaches leave for new schools, players sit out for various reasons or are already in transfer mode for their next school. Mental challenge for some student-athletes to get hype after weeks off and just practicing against teammates while campus is empty. To then enjoy the hospitality and events that come with the bowl game experience, and go out there for 60 minutes in the same manner they did during the season with the same intensity.

I don't put too much into bowl games these days, and they conference records after those games. C-USA and MAC had better bowl records than Sun Belt last year, and probably will this year as well. Doesn't make those conferences stronger IMO.

With all of that said, I'm not upset if JMU loses.

Great point. It's certainly not the same feel as in-season games. The most frustrating part to me is to see both Louisiana & ODU up in both their games but blow it late to lose. Big change in the feel of bowl season if the Sun Belt would be 3-2 instead of 1-4.

Would be cool to see Gas win as the interim coach before going to Tulane.

May the Troy Boyz win and the the purple pukes lose. Go Apps.

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:57 pm

I don't put too much into bowl games these days, and they conference records after those games. C-USA and MAC had better bowl records than Sun Belt last year, and probably will this year as well. Doesn't make those conferences stronger IMO.

With all of that said, I'm not upset if JMU loses.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where image and perception are reality.

Much of the country already sees the SBC as low-level G5; losing all these bowl games doesn't help change hearts and minds.

Have to pull for all Sun Belt teams even if they're purple, it is what it is.

Absolutely want both to win. The conference image has taken enough of a beating this bowl season. I hope we run the table in the remaining bowls (although I don't think that's going to happen)

I hope jmu gets curb stomped. They make Ga Southern fans look good. I have a friend who has a son who went to jmu and HE can't stand them.
Hope t
Troy wins.

Bootsy wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 6:56 am

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:57 pm

I don't put too much into bowl games these days, and they conference records after those games. C-USA and MAC had better bowl records than Sun Belt last year, and probably will this year as well. Doesn't make those conferences stronger IMO.

With all of that said, I'm not upset if JMU loses.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where image and perception are reality.

Much of the country already sees the SBC as low-level G5; losing all these bowl games doesn't help change hearts and minds.

Much of the country isn't even watching these games, and views the G5 as a joke anyways. Definitely not my views, but casuals and fans of P5 schools which makes up the majority of viewers feel this way. Don't think Sun Belt performance will change minds regardless.

I feel like G5 recognition is more about individual team success rather than the conference. App State gets recognized on a national because of what has been accomplished with P5 upsets, ruining JMU's perfect season, winning, etc. All of which I feel would still hold true even if we were in a different G5 conference. When Boise hit the scene it wasn't about that "top tier Mountain West" conference, it was just about them continuing to win and beating P5 schools in the process.

I'll pull for some SBC teams to win bowl games and their other games, but just can't bring myself to do it for JMU, Southern, or Marshall.