Can we now shut up about being ranked?

[AppInDC]

Nope, I’ll always be happy we’re ranked and I understand the value we get from it. Not my fault you’re too short sighted to see it.

It does not help if we constantly choke. We won't be ranked again this year. That is why many of us want to see we deserve it before we are ranked. We should not have been ranked and now people look at us as the time who gets ranked from beating nobody and then we play someone halfway decent and we lose.

We all want to be good enough to be ranked. Bottom line is we are a good team but a ranked team does not lose a game like this against a G5 who has 3 losses.

We can't lose a SBC game and just drop a few spots. We will fall like a rock. I bet we have less than 20 points and that will only be because those who had us 14-17 range will have us 24-25 now. We must win out to have a shot at getting back in.

We have to get a lot better. A lot of things can be pointed to here. Bad play calling, refs screwed us on a few calls, our OL was very bad in the first half, and we dropped too many passes.

Your argument is so weak. Being ranked does nothing but making it easier to be ranked again. Period. End of story. Guess what.....with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 teams a year, most ranked teams end up losing.

I couldn't agree more with the poster who said that some of you seem afraid of success because of the threat of disappointment. It's completely silly.

I'm not sure why you believe we didn't "deserve" our ranking. We deserved it as much as any other team deserves their ranking

I think you guys are misinterpreting. It definitely makes it easier for us and we definitely need that extra press. I'm happy to get it in general. I also know that the more we do well and become a name the voters know the better it is for our ranking.

The difference in me and you is that you guys seem to think we really are a top 20-25 team and we aren't. Those polls are opinions. The facts are what you do on the field. We have played well but not well enough to truly deserve the ranking. We just beat a bunch of bottom tier teams. One big reason why I want to be in the AAC is because if we win 10-11 games there then I know we are a top 25 team.

I am not afraid of success but I just am a realist about our team and where we are. We have yet to be a top 25 caliber team so far. We are getting better and perhaps next year could be there. If we go 3-0 next year I'll say we definitely should be ranked.

Nobody in CUSA, Sun Belt, or MAC deserves to be ranked unless they sweep their league. We can't keep losing 1-2 SBC games a year if we expect to ever sustain or merit a national ranking until the SBC starts beating AAC, ACC, and SEC teams regularly, not just once a year or every 3 years.

We are a good team for sure and perhaps by the end we could be playing like a team who was 20-25 range but we aren't now. The good news is we have room to improve and we have a great shot to impress people next week.

I think the biggest cause for debate is that there are different philosophies on what the Top 25 polls should be measuring. I sometimes go back and forth with it as well.

Is it intended to be a pure ranking attempting to determine the best teams on a neutral field? Or is it intended to capture what a team has accomplished throughout the year as a resume and overall body of work?

If it's the former, then I would say absolutely App should not be ranked and I would have said that before the Georgia Southern game. Based on that way, I think App at its best has certainly played among the top half of FBS and at times the top third. But, I don't think I could honestly argue that if college football went to a round robin format where every team had to play each other, that App would end up with one of the 25 best records.

If it's the latter, then I would say absolutely App should have been ranked. I think you could have argued that App's 7-0 record and resume was Top 15 worthy. Now that they're 7-1, I'd certainly penalize them as a home loss to a two touchdown underdog has to be added to the overall body of work. But they should still be among the teams receiving votes and if they can turn it around and beat South Carolina on the road, that might be a top 25 caliber resume again.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it. Again it's just your preference. I personally prefer the latter. The former is fine for determining the stronger team in an upcoming matchup, but there will often be seasons where using this method would have to rank .500 or even losing teams from major conferences. As an example, Mississippi State went 8-5 last year and were in the Top 10 of some computer ratings because of their tough schedule, blowout wins, and close losses. But they received less votes in the final AP poll than App.

[AppStFan1]

Nope, I’ll always be happy we’re ranked and I understand the value we get from it. Not my fault you’re too short sighted to see it.

It does not help if we constantly choke. We won't be ranked again this year. That is why many of us want to see we deserve it before we are ranked. We should not have been ranked and now people look at us as the time who gets ranked from beating nobody and then we play someone halfway decent and we lose.

We all want to be good enough to be ranked. Bottom line is we are a good team but a ranked team does not lose a game like this against a G5 who has 3 losses.

We can't lose a SBC game and just drop a few spots. We will fall like a rock. I bet we have less than 20 points and that will only be because those who had us 14-17 range will have us 24-25 now. We must win out to have a shot at getting back in.

We have to get a lot better. A lot of things can be pointed to here. Bad play calling, refs screwed us on a few calls, our OL was very bad in the first half, and we dropped too many passes.

Your argument is so weak. Being ranked does nothing but making it easier to be ranked again. Period. End of story. Guess what.....with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 teams a year, most ranked teams end up losing.

I couldn't agree more with the poster who said that some of you seem afraid of success because of the threat of disappointment. It's completely silly.

I'm not sure why you believe we didn't "deserve" our ranking. We deserved it as much as any other team deserves their ranking

I think you guys are misinterpreting. It definitely makes it easier for us and we definitely need that extra press. I'm happy to get it in general. I also know that the more we do well and become a name the voters know the better it is for our ranking.

The difference in me and you is that you guys seem to think we really are a top 20-25 team and we aren't. Those polls are opinions. The facts are what you do on the field. We have played well but not well enough to truly deserve the ranking. We just beat a bunch of bottom tier teams. One big reason why I want to be in the AAC is because if we win 10-11 games there then I know we are a top 25 team.

I am not afraid of success but I just am a realist about our team and where we are. We have yet to be a top 25 caliber team so far. We are getting better and perhaps next year could be there. If we go 3-0 next year I'll say we definitely should be ranked.

Nobody in CUSA, Sun Belt, or MAC deserves to be ranked unless they sweep their league. We can't keep losing 1-2 SBC games a year if we expect to ever sustain or merit a national ranking until the SBC starts beating AAC, ACC, and SEC teams regularly, not just once a year or every 3 years.

We are a good team for sure and perhaps by the end we could be playing like a team who was 20-25 range but we aren't now. The good news is we have room to improve and we have a great shot to impress people next week.

I think the biggest cause for debate is that there are different philosophies on what the Top 25 polls should be measuring. I sometimes go back and forth with it as well.

Is it intended to be a pure ranking attempting to determine the best teams on a neutral field? Or is it intended to capture what a team has accomplished throughout the year as a resume and overall body of work?

If it's the former, then I would say absolutely App should not be ranked and I would have said that before the Georgia Southern game. Based on that way, I think App at its best has certainly played among the top half of FBS and at times the top third. But, I don't think I could honestly argue that if college football went to a round robin format where every team had to play each other, that App would end up with one of the 25 best records.

If it's the latter, then I would say absolutely App should have been ranked. I think you could have argued that App's 7-0 record and resume was Top 15 worthy. Now that they're 7-1, I'd certainly penalize them as a home loss to a two touchdown underdog has to be added to the overall body of work. But they should still be among the teams receiving votes and if they can turn it around and beat South Carolina on the road, that might be a top 25 caliber resume again.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it. Again it's just your preference. I personally prefer the latter. The former is fine for determining the stronger team in an upcoming matchup, but there will often be seasons where using this method would have to rank .500 or even losing teams from major conferences. As an example, Mississippi State went 8-5 last year and were in the Top 10 of some computer ratings because of their tough schedule, blowout wins, and close losses. But they received less votes in the final AP poll than App.

When I think top 25 I think about who are the top team just like the CFP tries to do. Right now Clemson should be #1 since they are undefeated and defending champs but based on resume I can understand why someone would say they should be 3 or 4.

Going 7-1 or 8-0 looks great on paper but if you don't beat anyone good it is hard for me to rank that team. I have to see good wins that support voting for that team. I go off who is the best team. Now, at season's end if a SBC, MAC, or CUSA team is 13-1 or 12-2 and has a P5 win or two I can understand some votes but unless they have wins over top 40 teams it is hard to justify.

If I had to vote on a top 25 here is how mine would have looked last week. I will include a top 40. Where am I wrong on this?

Rank Team Record
1 LSU (8-0)
2 Clemson (8-0)
3 Alabama (8-0)
4 Ohio State (8-0)
5 Florida (7-1)
6 Penn State (8-0)
7 Auburn (6-2)
8 Oregon (7-1)
9 Oklahoma (7-1)
10 Michigan (6-2)
11 Georgia (6-1)
12 Notre Dame (5-2)
13 Utah (7-1)
14 Wisconsin (6-2)
15 Iowa (6-2)
16 Baylor (7-0)
17 Washington (5-3)
18 Michigan State (4-4)
19 Texas A&M (5-3)
20 Minnesota (8-0)
21 Kansas State (5-2)
22 Arizona State (5-3)
23 SMU (8-0)
24 Oklahoma State (5-3)
25 Iowa State (5-3)
26 TCU (4-3)
27 Texas (5-3)
28 Wake Forest (6-1)
29 USC (5-3)
30 Virginia Tech (5-2)
31 Memphis (7-1)
32 Pittsburgh (5-3)
33 Cincinnati (6-1)
34 Missouri (5-3)
35 South Carolina (3-5)
36 Appalachian State (7-0)
37 Washington State (4-4)
38 UCF (6-2)
39 Boise State (6-1)
40 Louisville (5-3)

[appbio91]

I don’t understand this attitude. So being ranked and getting exposure is bad? Fans getting excited about the team is bad?

Getting ranked is one thing. Being "Georgia Southern's Bitch" is another. Now we get to sit in that shitty diaper another year, like, this past year wasn't enough.

To heck with GaSo they are so jealous of us it eats them alive and beating us does not change anything in terms of their national exposure.

[AppStFan1]

I don’t understand this attitude. So being ranked and getting exposure is bad? Fans getting excited about the team is bad?

Getting ranked is one thing. Being "Georgia Southern's Bitch" is another. Now we get to sit in that shitty diaper another year, like, this past year wasn't enough.

GaSo they are so jealous of us it eats them alive and beating us does not change anything in terms of their national exposure.

Maybe a little over the fact we have been ranked and they have not but they have more national titles. We are ahead of them in the series but it is a true rival in that the series is close. They use to be ahead of us big time and then we came back and took the lead. If we don't flip it back around in the next couple years they will tie us back up.

[WataugaMan]

I agree, f##k The Stink. However, after owning us two years straight they really have nothing to be jealous about. It is what it is. Maybe next year we will take them more serious.

[AppInDC]

It does not help if we constantly choke. We won't be ranked again this year. That is why many of us want to see we deserve it before we are ranked. We should not have been ranked and now people look at us as the time who gets ranked from beating nobody and then we play someone halfway decent and we lose.

We all want to be good enough to be ranked. Bottom line is we are a good team but a ranked team does not lose a game like this against a G5 who has 3 losses.

We can't lose a SBC game and just drop a few spots. We will fall like a rock. I bet we have less than 20 points and that will only be because those who had us 14-17 range will have us 24-25 now. We must win out to have a shot at getting back in.

We have to get a lot better. A lot of things can be pointed to here. Bad play calling, refs screwed us on a few calls, our OL was very bad in the first half, and we dropped too many passes.

Your argument is so weak. Being ranked does nothing but making it easier to be ranked again. Period. End of story. Guess what.....with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 teams a year, most ranked teams end up losing.

I couldn't agree more with the poster who said that some of you seem afraid of success because of the threat of disappointment. It's completely silly.

I'm not sure why you believe we didn't "deserve" our ranking. We deserved it as much as any other team deserves their ranking

I think you guys are misinterpreting. It definitely makes it easier for us and we definitely need that extra press. I'm happy to get it in general. I also know that the more we do well and become a name the voters know the better it is for our ranking.

The difference in me and you is that you guys seem to think we really are a top 20-25 team and we aren't. Those polls are opinions. The facts are what you do on the field. We have played well but not well enough to truly deserve the ranking. We just beat a bunch of bottom tier teams. One big reason why I want to be in the AAC is because if we win 10-11 games there then I know we are a top 25 team.

I am not afraid of success but I just am a realist about our team and where we are. We have yet to be a top 25 caliber team so far. We are getting better and perhaps next year could be there. If we go 3-0 next year I'll say we definitely should be ranked.

Nobody in CUSA, Sun Belt, or MAC deserves to be ranked unless they sweep their league. We can't keep losing 1-2 SBC games a year if we expect to ever sustain or merit a national ranking until the SBC starts beating AAC, ACC, and SEC teams regularly, not just once a year or every 3 years.

We are a good team for sure and perhaps by the end we could be playing like a team who was 20-25 range but we aren't now. The good news is we have room to improve and we have a great shot to impress people next week.

I think the biggest cause for debate is that there are different philosophies on what the Top 25 polls should be measuring. I sometimes go back and forth with it as well.

Is it intended to be a pure ranking attempting to determine the best teams on a neutral field? Or is it intended to capture what a team has accomplished throughout the year as a resume and overall body of work?

If it's the former, then I would say absolutely App should not be ranked and I would have said that before the Georgia Southern game. Based on that way, I think App at its best has certainly played among the top half of FBS and at times the top third. But, I don't think I could honestly argue that if college football went to a round robin format where every team had to play each other, that App would end up with one of the 25 best records.

If it's the latter, then I would say absolutely App should have been ranked. I think you could have argued that App's 7-0 record and resume was Top 15 worthy. Now that they're 7-1, I'd certainly penalize them as a home loss to a two touchdown underdog has to be added to the overall body of work. But they should still be among the teams receiving votes and if they can turn it around and beat South Carolina on the road, that might be a top 25 caliber resume again.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it. Again it's just your preference. I personally prefer the latter. The former is fine for determining the stronger team in an upcoming matchup, but there will often be seasons where using this method would have to rank .500 or even losing teams from major conferences. As an example, Mississippi State went 8-5 last year and were in the Top 10 of some computer ratings because of their tough schedule, blowout wins, and close losses. But they received less votes in the final AP poll than App.

When I think top 25 I think about who are the top team just like the CFP tries to do. Right now Clemson should be #1 since they are undefeated and defending champs but based on resume I can understand why someone would say they should be 3 or 4.

Going 7-1 or 8-0 looks great on paper but if you don't beat anyone good it is hard for me to rank that team. I have to see good wins that support voting for that team. I go off who is the best team. Now, at season's end if a SBC, MAC, or CUSA team is 13-1 or 12-2 and has a P5 win or two I can understand some votes but unless they have wins over top 40 teams it is hard to justify.

If I had to vote on a top 25 here is how mine would have looked last week. I will include a top 40. Where am I wrong on this?

Rank Team Record
1 LSU (8-0)
2 Clemson (8-0)
3 Alabama (8-0)
4 Ohio State (8-0)
5 Florida (7-1)
6 Penn State (8-0)
7 Auburn (6-2)
8 Oregon (7-1)
9 Oklahoma (7-1)
10 Georgia (6-1)
11 Michigan (6-2)
12 Notre Dame (5-2)
13 Utah (7-1)
14 Wisconsin (6-2)
15 Iowa (6-2)
16 Baylor (7-0)
17 Washington (5-3)
18 Michigan State (4-4)
19 Texas A&M (5-3)
20 Minnesota (8-0)
21 Kansas State (5-2)
22 Arizona State (5-3)
23 SMU (8-0)
24 Oklahoma State (5-3)
25 Iowa State (5-3)
26 TCU (4-3)
27 Texas (5-3)
28 Wake Forest (6-1)
29 USC (5-3)
30 Virginia Tech (5-2)
31 Memphis (7-1)
32 Pittsburgh (5-3)
33 Cincinnati (6-1)
34 Missouri (5-3)
35 South Carolina (3-5)
36 Appalachian State (7-0)
37 Washington State (4-4)
38 UCF (6-2)
39 Boise State (6-1)
40 Louisville (5-3)

I'm not gonna critique your entire ranking but if we're talking Best Team or Best Resume:

Best Resume: Agree with LSU at #1 right now. I think they have the best collection of quality wins. The real test comes next week though against Alabama

Best Team: Ohio State and it's not particularly close.

[AppStFan1]

Your argument is so weak. Being ranked does nothing but making it easier to be ranked again. Period. End of story. Guess what.....with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 teams a year, most ranked teams end up losing.

I couldn't agree more with the poster who said that some of you seem afraid of success because of the threat of disappointment. It's completely silly.

I'm not sure why you believe we didn't "deserve" our ranking. We deserved it as much as any other team deserves their ranking

I think you guys are misinterpreting. It definitely makes it easier for us and we definitely need that extra press. I'm happy to get it in general. I also know that the more we do well and become a name the voters know the better it is for our ranking.

The difference in me and you is that you guys seem to think we really are a top 20-25 team and we aren't. Those polls are opinions. The facts are what you do on the field. We have played well but not well enough to truly deserve the ranking. We just beat a bunch of bottom tier teams. One big reason why I want to be in the AAC is because if we win 10-11 games there then I know we are a top 25 team.

I am not afraid of success but I just am a realist about our team and where we are. We have yet to be a top 25 caliber team so far. We are getting better and perhaps next year could be there. If we go 3-0 next year I'll say we definitely should be ranked.

Nobody in CUSA, Sun Belt, or MAC deserves to be ranked unless they sweep their league. We can't keep losing 1-2 SBC games a year if we expect to ever sustain or merit a national ranking until the SBC starts beating AAC, ACC, and SEC teams regularly, not just once a year or every 3 years.

We are a good team for sure and perhaps by the end we could be playing like a team who was 20-25 range but we aren't now. The good news is we have room to improve and we have a great shot to impress people next week.

I think the biggest cause for debate is that there are different philosophies on what the Top 25 polls should be measuring. I sometimes go back and forth with it as well.

Is it intended to be a pure ranking attempting to determine the best teams on a neutral field? Or is it intended to capture what a team has accomplished throughout the year as a resume and overall body of work?

If it's the former, then I would say absolutely App should not be ranked and I would have said that before the Georgia Southern game. Based on that way, I think App at its best has certainly played among the top half of FBS and at times the top third. But, I don't think I could honestly argue that if college football went to a round robin format where every team had to play each other, that App would end up with one of the 25 best records.

If it's the latter, then I would say absolutely App should have been ranked. I think you could have argued that App's 7-0 record and resume was Top 15 worthy. Now that they're 7-1, I'd certainly penalize them as a home loss to a two touchdown underdog has to be added to the overall body of work. But they should still be among the teams receiving votes and if they can turn it around and beat South Carolina on the road, that might be a top 25 caliber resume again.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it. Again it's just your preference. I personally prefer the latter. The former is fine for determining the stronger team in an upcoming matchup, but there will often be seasons where using this method would have to rank .500 or even losing teams from major conferences. As an example, Mississippi State went 8-5 last year and were in the Top 10 of some computer ratings because of their tough schedule, blowout wins, and close losses. But they received less votes in the final AP poll than App.

When I think top 25 I think about who are the top team just like the CFP tries to do. Right now Clemson should be #1 since they are undefeated and defending champs but based on resume I can understand why someone would say they should be 3 or 4.

Going 7-1 or 8-0 looks great on paper but if you don't beat anyone good it is hard for me to rank that team. I have to see good wins that support voting for that team. I go off who is the best team. Now, at season's end if a SBC, MAC, or CUSA team is 13-1 or 12-2 and has a P5 win or two I can understand some votes but unless they have wins over top 40 teams it is hard to justify.

If I had to vote on a top 25 here is how mine would have looked last week. I will include a top 40. Where am I wrong on this?

Rank Team Record
1 LSU (8-0)
2 Clemson (8-0)
3 Alabama (8-0)
4 Ohio State (8-0)
5 Florida (7-1)
6 Penn State (8-0)
7 Auburn (6-2)
8 Oregon (7-1)
9 Oklahoma (7-1)
10 Georgia (6-1)
11 Michigan (6-2)
12 Notre Dame (5-2)
13 Utah (7-1)
14 Wisconsin (6-2)
15 Iowa (6-2)
16 Baylor (7-0)
17 Washington (5-3)
18 Michigan State (4-4)
19 Texas A&M (5-3)
20 Minnesota (8-0)
21 Kansas State (5-2)
22 Arizona State (5-3)
23 SMU (8-0)
24 Oklahoma State (5-3)
25 Iowa State (5-3)
26 TCU (4-3)
27 Texas (5-3)
28 Wake Forest (6-1)
29 USC (5-3)
30 Virginia Tech (5-2)
31 Memphis (7-1)
32 Pittsburgh (5-3)
33 Cincinnati (6-1)
34 Missouri (5-3)
35 South Carolina (3-5)
36 Appalachian State (7-0)
37 Washington State (4-4)
38 UCF (6-2)
39 Boise State (6-1)
40 Louisville (5-3)

I'm not gonna critique your entire ranking but if we're talking Best Team or Best Resume:

Best Resume: Agree with LSU at #1 right now. I think they have the best collection of quality wins. The real test comes next week though against Alabama

Best Team: Ohio State and it's not particularly close.

My only issue with OSU is that they have not played anyone I feel is elite yet and the SEC has done better in the playoffs than Big Ten. If talking about the eye test on TV I would agree OSU looks like they could be the best. I tried to take head to head into account best I could. I feel like in 3 weeks we will have a real good idea on the top 5 and then who should be ranked. Some of these teams like SMU, Memphis, and other G5s will show us if they are legit good or not as well.

[AppState1]

SeattleApp is like a helicopter parent that is 2700 miles away from the kids.

[Seattleapp]

SeattleApp is like a helicopter parent that is 2700 miles away from the kids.

I know you feel good about the zinger you’ve been working on but what does it mean?

[Yosefus]

I can't wait for the day we hang 100 on GaSo in Paulson as payback! They have been the spoiler 2 years running. Hats off to them for kicking our asses and handing us our last 2 defeats and slamming us all back down to earth.
Deeper than hate now goes all the way down to the marrow!

Go Troy! Beat Southern!

[t4pizza]

I really don't understand the posters who seem to not want the best for App. There is no question that being ranked is better for App than not being ranked, so why wouldn't every App fan want us to be ranked? I just don't get it. And don't give me this crap about 'we didn't deserve it because we lost', because about every team that is ranked loses at least once every year, it is how college football goes. We got ranked because our body of worked deserved the ranking. We stayed ranked and climbed because we kept winning. Now we aren't ranked because we lost, but it is still way better that we were ranked. Some posters talk about negative points of rankings as if everyone is saying that we don't deserve or didn't deserve to be ranked but the funny thing is that the ONLY people I have ever heard expressing this opinion is our own fans on this message board. I haven't heard, watched or read a single word from any football media outlet that claimed we didn't deserve to be ranked. I just don't get the outlook that causes our own fans to not want to be ranked (until they in all their expertise determine that we are truly worthy of the ranking), must be some type of psychological issue but that isn't my area of expertise. I love being ranked, it brought great attention to our school and I will NEVER stop talking about our rankings whenever we get one regardless of whether or not some on here feel we don't truly deserve it.

[EastHallApp]

I really don't understand the posters who seem to not want the best for App. There is no question that being ranked is better for App than not being ranked, so why wouldn't every App fan want us to be ranked? I just don't get it. And don't give me this crap about 'we didn't deserve it because we lost', because about every team that is ranked loses at least once every year, it is how college football goes. We got ranked because our body of worked deserved the ranking. We stayed ranked and climbed because we kept winning. Now we aren't ranked because we lost, but it is still way better that we were ranked. Some posters talk about negative points of rankings as if everyone is saying that we don't deserve or didn't deserve to be ranked but the funny thing is that the ONLY people I have ever heard expressing this opinion is our own fans on this message board. I haven't heard, watched or read a single word from any football media outlet that claimed we didn't deserve to be ranked. I just don't get the outlook that causes our own fans to not want to be ranked (until they in all their expertise determine that we are truly worthy of the ranking), must be some type of psychological issue but that isn't my area of expertise. I love being ranked, it brought great attention to our school and I will NEVER stop talking about our rankings whenever we get one regardless of whether or not some on here feel we don't truly deserve it.

The thing is, the higher you rise in any field, the more criticism you open yourself up to. People bash Bama, Ohio State, Notre Dame etc. ALL THE TIME. How many times has UCF heard "they couldn't keep up against a P5 schedule"?

When we were winning FCS titles, who didn't like us? I mean, our SoCon rivals of course. But as far as national and even in-state media, fans of ACC programs, etc., what little attention they paid us was all positive - because we were no threat to them. Who didn't like little ol' App, winning FCS titles and pulling the great upset?

When we move up to FBS and crack the top 25, things change. Now all of a sudden we're actually ranked ahead of not only the in-state schools, but teams like Florida State, Texas, USC, Virginia Tech, etc. We're going toe-to-toe with ACC and SEC teams, often enough that they can't write it off as a fluke anymore. OF COURSE some people aren't going to be happy about it! Now we're threatening their turf.

All part of the climb, fellas. The more we win, the higher we climb, the more people will take shots at us.

[ah59396]

The thing is, the higher you rise in any field, the more criticism you open yourself up to. People bash Bama, Ohio State, Notre Dame etc. ALL THE TIME. How many times has UCF heard "they couldn't keep up against a P5 schedule"?

When we were winning FCS titles, who didn't like us? I mean, our SoCon rivals of course. But as far as national and even in-state media, fans of ACC programs, etc., what little attention they paid us was all positive - because we were no threat to them. Who didn't like little ol' App, winning FCS titles and pulling the great upset?

When we move up to FBS and crack the top 25, things change. Now all of a sudden we're actually ranked ahead of not only the in-state schools, but teams like Florida State, Texas, USC, Virginia Tech, etc. We're going toe-to-toe with ACC and SEC teams, often enough that they can't write it off as a fluke anymore. OF COURSE some people aren't going to be happy about it! Now we're threatening their turf.

All part of the climb, fellas. The more we win, the higher we climb, the more people will take shots at us.

They hate cuz they ain’t us

[BayouApp]

Perfectly said. Agree completely.

[Rick83]

I really don't understand the posters who seem to not want the best for App. There is no question that being ranked is better for App than not being ranked, so why wouldn't every App fan want us to be ranked? I just don't get it. And don't give me this crap about 'we didn't deserve it because we lost', because about every team that is ranked loses at least once every year, it is how college football goes. We got ranked because our body of worked deserved the ranking. We stayed ranked and climbed because we kept winning. Now we aren't ranked because we lost, but it is still way better that we were ranked. Some posters talk about negative points of rankings as if everyone is saying that we don't deserve or didn't deserve to be ranked but the funny thing is that the ONLY people I have ever heard expressing this opinion is our own fans on this message board. I haven't heard, watched or read a single word from any football media outlet that claimed we didn't deserve to be ranked. I just don't get the outlook that causes our own fans to not want to be ranked (until they in all their expertise determine that we are truly worthy of the ranking), must be some type of psychological issue but that isn't my area of expertise. I love being ranked, it brought great attention to our school and I will NEVER stop talking about our rankings whenever we get one regardless of whether or not some on here feel we don't truly deserve it.

The thing is, the higher you rise in any field, the more criticism you open yourself up to. People bash Bama, Ohio State, Notre Dame etc. ALL THE TIME. How many times has UCF heard "they couldn't keep up against a P5 schedule"?

When we were winning FCS titles, who didn't like us? I mean, our SoCon rivals of course. But as far as national and even in-state media, fans of ACC programs, etc., what little attention they paid us was all positive - because we were no threat to them. Who didn't like little ol' App, winning FCS titles and pulling the great upset?

When we move up to FBS and crack the top 25, things change. Now all of a sudden we're actually ranked ahead of not only the in-state schools, but teams like Florida State, Texas, USC, Virginia Tech, etc. We're going toe-to-toe with ACC and SEC teams, often enough that they can't write it off as a fluke anymore. OF COURSE some people aren't going to be happy about it! Now we're threatening their turf.

All part of the climb, fellas. The more we win, the higher we climb, the more people will take shots at us.

I agree with both of these posts and I've posted repeatedly about some of the negativity surrounding our ranking by our own fans. I do feel like it's a psychological thing where at least they can't handle disappointment so they don't want to get swept up in excitement so that they won't be disappointed themselves which they can't handle. So they constantly, or at least at the first set-back like last Thursday, try to stamp out the excitement around the team which is actually counter-productive because that excitement is what gets people to drive up the mountain to be a part of it.
I also feel like some of our own fans still think of us as little 'ole App trying to play in the varsity leagues and we've shown that we can be competitive (taking teams to OT or losing by 1 point IS being competitive) with the top conferences in the nation. Are we at the level of Alabama, Ohio St, Clemson...of course not but few teams are.
I also tire of the Sun Belt being put down because it's improved over the last 3 to 5 years but many of our own fans don't realize that and they're stuck with their old perceptions. I personally put the Sun Belt right behind the AAC as an over-all conference at this point.
That's the end of my rant for now.

[Apple@chin1]

Satt would’ve won this game. He understands the rivalry. Not trashing Drink. I just don’t think he understood how much this game meant to the opposition. Hopefully, he gets it now.

Also, I haven’t heard anyone mention the other GSU that we could very easily lose to in a few weeks. I think they’re a better team than the one we just lost to. My $.02.

[Yosefus]

Lets see what the committee has to say tomorrow night. Not expecting to be ranked but curious to see how they do rank the G5.

[t4pizza]

Satt would’ve won this game. He understands the rivalry. Not trashing Drink. I just don’t think he understood how much this game meant to the opposition. Hopefully, he gets it now.

Also, I haven’t heard anyone mention the other GSU that we could very easily lose to in a few weeks. I think they’re a better team than the one we just lost to. My $.02.

Funny thing to say considering Satt lost this very same game last year and by a larger margin.

[t4pizza]

Satt would’ve won this game. He understands the rivalry. Not trashing Drink. I just don’t think he understood how much this game meant to the opposition. Hopefully, he gets it now.

Also, I haven’t heard anyone mention the other GSU that we could very easily lose to in a few weeks. I think they’re a better team than the one we just lost to. My $.02.

Funny thing to say considering Satt lost this very same game last year and by a larger margin.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

The thing is, the higher you rise in any field, the more criticism you open yourself up to. People bash Bama, Ohio State, Notre Dame etc. ALL THE TIME. How many times has UCF heard "they couldn't keep up against a P5 schedule"?

When we were winning FCS titles, who didn't like us? I mean, our SoCon rivals of course. But as far as national and even in-state media, fans of ACC programs, etc., what little attention they paid us was all positive - because we were no threat to them. Who didn't like little ol' App, winning FCS titles and pulling the great upset?

When we move up to FBS and crack the top 25, things change. Now all of a sudden we're actually ranked ahead of not only the in-state schools, but teams like Florida State, Texas, USC, Virginia Tech, etc. We're going toe-to-toe with ACC and SEC teams, often enough that they can't write it off as a fluke anymore. OF COURSE some people aren't going to be happy about it! Now we're threatening their turf.

All part of the climb, fellas. The more we win, the higher we climb, the more people will take shots at us.

They hate cuz they ain’t us

Also because they anus