Top 25 Watch (real thread)

[AppStFan1]

I think we have shown enough variety in the way we have won that voters will start to have to throw votes our way since we are undefeated. They may wait one more week, but I wouldn't be surprised if we were 23-24 on Sunday.

For somebody that feels like talking about TOP 25 is "a waste of time" this early in the season, you sure are posting a lot...fun isn't it??? Glad you changed your mind and are joining in the discussion. We may crack the TOP 25 this week with a little help. If we are 6-0 at midseason, then we are definitely in!!!

You are getting me confused for someone else. I’m all in on being ranked. I get in daily pissing contests with the ACC lovers I work with who still think App doesn’t belong in the conversation.

Until we hammer a P5 and win a NY6 bowl then probably 70% of P5 school fans will not think we should be.

It’s funny. I touted this program as something special dating back to our 2005-07 run and said if we could find a way to get in FBS and add more scholarship players to our “culture”, it wouldn’t take us long to be a staple mid major program. App has a football culture like no other. These same people told me I was insane back then. A few conference championships, undefeated bowl record, competitive games with top P5 teams...their narrative has changed to “well, what is the SunBelt? You ought to win those games. Wow, you beat a Carolina team that went for 2 wins last season. Penn State was overrated. You will never be in the playoff”. Their bitterness is exhausting. 95% of the FBS teams will never sniff the playoff, I’ll be content with winning as many games against the same FBS level competition as we can.

I'm with you. We had a lot of fans who did not want to move up to FBS. Several I know were content beating Citadel and Furman and I kept saying we could be a powerhouse. If we end up in the AAC I believe we could have similar success as now since those like UCF would be gone. We have the culture and the tradition to get it done. As long as we do a good job of recruiting and evaluating talent then there is no reason not to expect a bowl every year and a season like this every few years.

[appstatealum]

Since we've heard ad nauseam how last time we talked about the top 25 we lost to GS, and you just know an insufferable "I told you so" is coming should we lose at any point this year - are the rest of us allowed an I told you so since App somehow overcame this thread to beat ULL this week? Or do we need to win a game *after* getting ranked before we can say that?

We all expected to beat ULL. The only I told you so is coming if I see our team acting focused on the rankings when we become ranked and we lose. I hope by now our team is mature enough to handle it. If they can't, then they won't ever attain the goals we have set.

Right now all we have to worry about is beating ULM. Like I said, wait about 3-4 weeks and then discussing what we need to happen will be super easy. These G5 teams will eliminate themselves. The scenarios will be simple.

Say Boise State, App State, and either SMU or Memphis is undefeated then we know we will be 3rd. Once SMU and Memphis play each other then if us and Boise State are undefeated it will just be a 3 team race. I'm actually hoping those teams stay undefeated at least 3 more weeks. Seeing one take a G5 loss in November is exactly what we need. It won't give them time to pass us with a quality win if their loss comes in the 2nd or 3rd week of November.

God you are insufferable. The sooner the better, preferably Sunday. The ranking is not going to change anything that happens this year as far as performance goes.

AppStFan1 is like that friend who likes coming to the party and hang out, but points out the ways we could be having more fun.
“If you funnel the beer instead of shotgun, you won’t waste so much and you’ll get drunk quicker”
“If we were all going to bring PBR, we could’ve planned ahead and just bought a keg”
“The cornhole boards would be more level if we moved them to the driveway”

He brings up valid points, but kind of takes the air out of the high everyone is on.


I don’t mind your different perspective AppStFan1. Adds to the conversation...

[General Moore]

We should be ranked Sunday and we will own it.
Lesson learned last year at the stink.
End of story.

[WataugaMan]

And, I'm sure the team remembers, no doubt!

[AppStFan1]

Since we've heard ad nauseam how last time we talked about the top 25 we lost to GS, and you just know an insufferable "I told you so" is coming should we lose at any point this year - are the rest of us allowed an I told you so since App somehow overcame this thread to beat ULL this week? Or do we need to win a game *after* getting ranked before we can say that?

We all expected to beat ULL. The only I told you so is coming if I see our team acting focused on the rankings when we become ranked and we lose. I hope by now our team is mature enough to handle it. If they can't, then they won't ever attain the goals we have set.

Right now all we have to worry about is beating ULM. Like I said, wait about 3-4 weeks and then discussing what we need to happen will be super easy. These G5 teams will eliminate themselves. The scenarios will be simple.

Say Boise State, App State, and either SMU or Memphis is undefeated then we know we will be 3rd. Once SMU and Memphis play each other then if us and Boise State are undefeated it will just be a 3 team race. I'm actually hoping those teams stay undefeated at least 3 more weeks. Seeing one take a G5 loss in November is exactly what we need. It won't give them time to pass us with a quality win if their loss comes in the 2nd or 3rd week of November.

God you are insufferable. The sooner the better, preferably Sunday. The ranking is not going to change anything that happens this year as far as performance goes.

AppStFan1 is like that friend who likes coming to the party and hang out, but points out the ways we could be having more fun.
“If you funnel the beer instead of shotgun, you won’t waste so much and you’ll get drunk quicker”
“If we were all going to bring PBR, we could’ve planned ahead and just bought a keg”
“The cornhole boards would be more level if we moved them to the driveway”

He brings up valid points, but kind of takes the air out of the high everyone is on.


I don’t mind your different perspective AppStFan1. Adds to the conversation...

I'm just bringing the truth here. What I'm saying is fact. In a few weeks we will know where we truly stand and half of these teams we are worrying will be out of the picture.

Now here is the top 25 debate we should truly have. Based on the CFP rankings last year, where do you think we will be if we are undefeated when they come out?

[AppStFan1]

We should be ranked Sunday and we will own it.
Lesson learned last year at the stink.
End of story.

CFP rankings don't come out until November

[ASUTodd]

We have elevated the Sunbelt. I'd say that we saved the Sunbelt. My issue now is where do we go from here. The Sunbelt in no way helps us now. Unless some teams can truly get their act together we are stuck once again being a big fish in a little pond. I'd love to be in a conference with Houston, Memphis, Cincy.... I'd also go out on a limb and say I'm tired of playing Georgia Southern. No one, other than us, gives two craps about them. No one knows who they are and beating them doesn't do us any good. I do love our OOC schedule. It gives us a chance to show off for the rest of the world. Unless we let a fox into the henhouse, this program shouldn't implode anytime soon.

[T-Dog]

AppStFan1 is like that friend who likes coming to the party and hang out, but points out the ways we could be having more fun.
“If you funnel the beer instead of shotgun, you won’t waste so much and you’ll get drunk quicker”
“If we were all going to bring PBR, we could’ve planned ahead and just bought a keg”
“The cornhole boards would be more level if we moved them to the driveway”

He brings up valid points, but kind of takes the air out of the high everyone is on.


I don’t mind your different perspective AppStFan1. Adds to the conversation...

I'm just bringing the truth here. What I'm saying is fact.

Add that friend is convinced they're always right and must get the last word after everyone else is tired of debating something that doesn't matter all that much.

[ah59396]

We have elevated the Sunbelt. I'd say that we saved the Sunbelt. My issue now is where do we go from here. The Sunbelt in no way helps us now. Unless some teams can truly get their act together we are stuck once again being a big fish in a little pond. I'd love to be in a conference with Houston, Memphis, Cincy.... I'd also go out on a limb and say I'm tired of playing Georgia Southern. No one, other than us, gives two craps about them. No one knows who they are and beating them doesn't do us any good. I do love our OOC schedule. It gives us a chance to show off for the rest of the world. Unless we let a fox into the henhouse, this program shouldn't implode anytime soon.

I’ve been pondering much of this but I think it deserves its own thread because it’s a lengthy discussion. It’s also a dangerous topic because it can makes us look obnoxious or “above” the sunbelt, which I don’t think is fair. But I think it’s a very interesting topic.

I think there are quite a few FBS teams that will be in financial trouble in the near future and it’s going to weed out a lot of the G5 from the haves and have nots. The only thing that will prevent us from being in the former and not the latter is winning, a lot.

Just look at Marshall. Finished 10th in the nation in 1999. Now 20 years later, struggling mightily in a bad CUSA.

I hope our Athletic Department has the foresight to plan far into the future, so we aren’t one day a relic of our past. As I think Georgia Southern is approaching now.

[mountaineerman]

We have elevated the Sunbelt. I'd say that we saved the Sunbelt. My issue now is where do we go from here. The Sunbelt in no way helps us now. Unless some teams can truly get their act together we are stuck once again being a big fish in a little pond. I'd love to be in a conference with Houston, Memphis, Cincy.... I'd also go out on a limb and say I'm tired of playing Georgia Southern. No one, other than us, gives two craps about them. No one knows who they are and beating them doesn't do us any good. I do love our OOC schedule. It gives us a chance to show off for the rest of the world. Unless we let a fox into the henhouse, this program shouldn't implode anytime soon.

The Todd as much as I hate south.. we owe a lot to those hateful stinkies. While their down ... I hate no other team more than southern ever and always. My hate is deep and embedded and cannot be over thrown. We must ply them every year from now until the end of time!

[appstatealum]

We have elevated the Sunbelt. I'd say that we saved the Sunbelt. My issue now is where do we go from here. The Sunbelt in no way helps us now. Unless some teams can truly get their act together we are stuck once again being a big fish in a little pond. I'd love to be in a conference with Houston, Memphis, Cincy.... I'd also go out on a limb and say I'm tired of playing Georgia Southern. No one, other than us, gives two craps about them. No one knows who they are and beating them doesn't do us any good. I do love our OOC schedule. It gives us a chance to show off for the rest of the world. Unless we let a fox into the henhouse, this program shouldn't implode anytime soon.

I’ve been pondering much of this but I think it deserves its own thread because it’s a lengthy discussion. It’s also a dangerous topic because it can makes us look obnoxious or “above” the sunbelt, which I don’t think is fair. But I think it’s a very interesting topic.

I think there are quite a few FBS teams that will be in financial trouble in the near future and it’s going to weed out a lot of the G5 from the haves and have nots. The only thing that will prevent us from being in the former and not the latter is winning, a lot.

Just look at Marshall. Finished 10th in the nation in 1999. Now 20 years later, struggling mightily in a bad CUSA.

I hope our Athletic Department has the foresight to plan far into the future, so we aren’t one day a relic of our past. As I think Georgia Southern is approaching now.

Right. Sunbelt took us in when we were ready to move. They have major issues, but we are doing our part and they should value us for it. I can promise you that everything Doug has been doing since taking over this program has been in attempt to get us in a better position nationally. I was blessed to meet with him and discuss this very thing (among others) and trust me, we are all saying things that mirror what he is trying to do. Obviously he is doing things behind the scenes that we will only see after they happen, but we should trust that he is doing what's best for App. I love Doug and what he is doing for this program. This guy is first class.

[AppStFan1]

I’m with you. I trust DG to get us where we need to be.

[Yosef10]

Since we've heard ad nauseam how last time we talked about the top 25 we lost to GS, and you just know an insufferable "I told you so" is coming should we lose at any point this year - are the rest of us allowed an I told you so since App somehow overcame this thread to beat ULL this week? Or do we need to win a game *after* getting ranked before we can say that?

We all expected to beat ULL. The only I told you so is coming if I see our team acting focused on the rankings when we become ranked and we lose. I hope by now our team is mature enough to handle it. If they can't, then they won't ever attain the goals we have set.

Right now all we have to worry about is beating ULM. Like I said, wait about 3-4 weeks and then discussing what we need to happen will be super easy. These G5 teams will eliminate themselves. The scenarios will be simple.

Say Boise State, App State, and either SMU or Memphis is undefeated then we know we will be 3rd. Once SMU and Memphis play each other then if us and Boise State are undefeated it will just be a 3 team race. I'm actually hoping those teams stay undefeated at least 3 more weeks. Seeing one take a G5 loss in November is exactly what we need. It won't give them time to pass us with a quality win if their loss comes in the 2nd or 3rd week of November.

God you are insufferable. The sooner the better, preferably Sunday. The ranking is not going to change anything that happens this year as far as performance goes.

AppStFan1 is like that friend who likes coming to the party and hang out, but points out the ways we could be having more fun.
“If you funnel the beer instead of shotgun, you won’t waste so much and you’ll get drunk quicker”
“If we were all going to bring PBR, we could’ve planned ahead and just bought a keg”
“The cornhole boards would be more level if we moved them to the driveway”

He brings up valid points, but kind of takes the air out of the high everyone is on.


I don’t mind your different perspective AppStFan1. Adds to the conversation...

I'm just bringing the truth here. What I'm saying is fact. In a few weeks we will know where we truly stand and half of these teams we are worrying will be out of the picture.

Now here is the top 25 debate we should truly have. Based on the CFP rankings last year, where do you think we will be if we are undefeated when they come out?

Fact or not you’ve been acting like comments on this message board, which are meant for exactly this type of conversation by the way, about being in the top 25 have any effect on the teams mindset. You and all the other 1-0 bros should create a thread for that and just stick to that thread. The rest of us will stick to speculating on bigger things than 1-0. It’s so stupid y’all keep saying that.

[MountainMan2020]

I think we have shown enough variety in the way we have won that voters will start to have to throw votes our way since we are undefeated. They may wait one more week, but I wouldn't be surprised if we were 23-24 on Sunday.

For somebody that feels like talking about TOP 25 is "a waste of time" this early in the season, you sure are posting a lot...fun isn't it??? Glad you changed your mind and are joining in the discussion. We may crack the TOP 25 this week with a little help. If we are 6-0 at midseason, then we are definitely in!!!

The reason many of us keep saying that we can wait or it is too early is because so much will shake out.

There are many people monitoring who has to lose in the AAC and so on. Over the next 3 weeks teams will eliminate themselves. As long as us and Boise State keep winning, at maximum there are 2 teams for us to worry about from G5 programs by the time the CFP rankings come out. Week 10 in the American will eliminate SMU or Memphis for sure and by that time it may only be one team who has a shot at NY6 anyway.

Remember that we could be 23 in the AP Poll but be ranked 18 or 17 in the CFP. I know it is fun to talk AP and Coaches but keep in mind that the CFP is what matters.

That's what I keep preaching no need to stress on it until November. So much will play out and the CFP does not come out until then.

Hey “snowflake”... No need to “preach” about it, and I don’t have the impression many people here are “stressed”. It’s a game, the team is doing well, and people are excited about their team. There will inevitably be high and low points, and there is absolutely no downside to being ranked - where it’s early, middle or late in the season. Take a step down from your pedestal and have fun - or at least don’t be the wet blanket on other peoples enjoyment.

[MountainMan2020]

Since we've heard ad nauseam how last time we talked about the top 25 we lost to GS, and you just know an insufferable "I told you so" is coming should we lose at any point this year - are the rest of us allowed an I told you so since App somehow overcame this thread to beat ULL this week? Or do we need to win a game *after* getting ranked before we can say that?

We all expected to beat ULL. The only I told you so is coming if I see our team acting focused on the rankings when we become ranked and we lose. I hope by now our team is mature enough to handle it. If they can't, then they won't ever attain the goals we have set.

Right now all we have to worry about is beating ULM. Like I said, wait about 3-4 weeks and then discussing what we need to happen will be super easy. These G5 teams will eliminate themselves. The scenarios will be simple.

Say Boise State, App State, and either SMU or Memphis is undefeated then we know we will be 3rd. Once SMU and Memphis play each other then if us and Boise State are undefeated it will just be a 3 team race. I'm actually hoping those teams stay undefeated at least 3 more weeks. Seeing one take a G5 loss in November is exactly what we need. It won't give them time to pass us with a quality win if their loss comes in the 2nd or 3rd week of November.

Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. There is zero doubt that more losses by other G5 teams currently in front of App (eg., Boise, SMU, Memphis, Cincy)... are better for Apps chances to be the highest rated team at the end of the regular season. I will continue to pull for our team to go “1-0” each week and every one of these other teams to lose every game.

[MountainMan2020]

We have elevated the Sunbelt. I'd say that we saved the Sunbelt. My issue now is where do we go from here. The Sunbelt in no way helps us now. Unless some teams can truly get their act together we are stuck once again being a big fish in a little pond. I'd love to be in a conference with Houston, Memphis, Cincy.... I'd also go out on a limb and say I'm tired of playing Georgia Southern. No one, other than us, gives two craps about them. No one knows who they are and beating them doesn't do us any good. I do love our OOC schedule. It gives us a chance to show off for the rest of the world. Unless we let a fox into the henhouse, this program shouldn't implode anytime soon.

I’ve been pondering much of this but I think it deserves its own thread because it’s a lengthy discussion. It’s also a dangerous topic because it can makes us look obnoxious or “above” the sunbelt, which I don’t think is fair. But I think it’s a very interesting topic.

I think there are quite a few FBS teams that will be in financial trouble in the near future and it’s going to weed out a lot of the G5 from the haves and have nots. The only thing that will prevent us from being in the former and not the latter is winning, a lot.

Just look at Marshall. Finished 10th in the nation in 1999. Now 20 years later, struggling mightily in a bad CUSA.

I hope our Athletic Department has the foresight to plan far into the future, so we aren’t one day a relic of our past. As I think Georgia Southern is approaching now.

Right. Sunbelt took us in when we were ready to move. They have major issues, but we are doing our part and they should value us for it. I can promise you that everything Doug has been doing since taking over this program has been in attempt to get us in a better position nationally. I was blessed to meet with him and discuss this very thing (among others) and trust me, we are all saying things that mirror what he is trying to do. Obviously he is doing things behind the scenes that we will only see after they happen, but we should trust that he is doing what's best for App. I love Doug and what he is doing for this program. This guy is first class.

This team and program right now is punching so much further above its weight with respect to resources relative to other FBS programs. It seems as though the administration is doing everything they can to continue this trajectory, but hopefully everyone else understands additional capital is required just to maintain at this level as a fringe top 25. Success certainly breeds excitement which hopefully manifests to incremental investment - a prerequisite to any ascension from the Sunbelt. A more likely scenario conference-wise may be a realignment to regional based leagues (maybe sooner than we think indirectly due to NIL-driven changes) which should also help the top and bottom lines.

[APPdiesel]

I'm with you. We had a lot of fans who did not want to move up to FBS. Several I know were content beating Citadel and Furman and I kept saying we could be a powerhouse. If we end up in the AAC I believe we could have similar success as now since those like UCF would be gone. We have the culture and the tradition to get it done. As long as we do a good job of recruiting and evaluating talent then there is no reason not to expect a bowl every year and a season like this every few years.

Why would we want to be in a conference if arguably the best program in it is gone?

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Did you guys see #20 UVA played horribly and lost to a 2 win Miami? They should be out of the top 25 now.

[EastHallApp]

Since we've heard ad nauseam how last time we talked about the top 25 we lost to GS, and you just know an insufferable "I told you so" is coming should we lose at any point this year - are the rest of us allowed an I told you so since App somehow overcame this thread to beat ULL this week? Or do we need to win a game *after* getting ranked before we can say that?

We all expected to beat ULL. The only I told you so is coming if I see our team acting focused on the rankings when we become ranked and we lose. I hope by now our team is mature enough to handle it. If they can't, then they won't ever attain the goals we have set.

Right now all we have to worry about is beating ULM. Like I said, wait about 3-4 weeks and then discussing what we need to happen will be super easy. These G5 teams will eliminate themselves. The scenarios will be simple.

Say Boise State, App State, and either SMU or Memphis is undefeated then we know we will be 3rd. Once SMU and Memphis play each other then if us and Boise State are undefeated it will just be a 3 team race. I'm actually hoping those teams stay undefeated at least 3 more weeks. Seeing one take a G5 loss in November is exactly what we need. It won't give them time to pass us with a quality win if their loss comes in the 2nd or 3rd week of November.

Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. There is zero doubt that more losses by other G5 teams currently in front of App (eg., Boise, SMU, Memphis, Cincy)... are better for Apps chances to be the highest rated team at the end of the regular season. I will continue to pull for our team to go “1-0” each week and every one of these other teams to lose every game.

Exactly. This isn’t 12-dimensional chess. The more losses by teams ahead of us and potential competitors for the NY6, the better.

[appchicago]

Did you guys see #20 UVA played horribly and lost to a 2 win Miami? They should be out of the top 25 now.

I’m not sure they played horribly, but they should be out of the rankings. I think Diaz is starting to turn Miami around. Perry looks like he’s the guy. I feel bad for the UVA QB, Perkins. He was the hardest working offensive player in that game on either side, but they never scored a single TD.