Our 2014 Home schedule = Ugh

[Kgfish]

Anyone who thought the SmallCon was better than the SunBelt 3 years ago is nuts.

[AppFan11]

No kidding.... I was being generous

[vegattk]

Can we all agree that no matter who we plays in Boone... It's still a reason to come in Boone.

Football is only icing on the cake when you're "home" for a weekend...

[Yosef10]

It's so infuriating and, more importantly, embarrassing to see that fans of the team I affiliate with feel this way about the sunbelt and the SoCon. It really shows how out of touch and clueless some of you guys are. The fact that there is even the resemblance of a debate between moving up to the sunbelt and staying behind to remain irrelevant for eternity is maddening. If you want to continue to watch the Woffords and samfords of the world come on up to boone and watch watauga high play on Friday night while the rest of us will watch quality football. There's no team on our current schedule outside of liberty and Campbell who are on the same talent level as the socon teams we play, it's a joke that some of you even think that to be true. It's just really time to stop the whining and embrace the change. Take the head out of the arse and realize this is a step above in every aspect of athletics.

[Seattleapp]

It's so infuriating and, more importantly, embarrassing to see that fans of the team I affiliate with feel this way about the sunbelt and the SoCon. It really shows how out of touch and clueless some of you guys are. The fact that there is even the resemblance of a debate between moving up to the sunbelt and staying behind to remain irrelevant for eternity is maddening. If you want to continue to watch the Woffords and samfords of the world come on up to boone and watch watauga high play on Friday night while the rest of us will watch quality football. There's no team on our current schedule outside of liberty and Campbell who are on the same talent level as the socon teams we play, it's a joke that some of you even think that to be true. It's just really time to stop the whining and embrace the change. Take the head out of the arse and realize this is a step above in every aspect of athletics.

just out of idle curiosity how long have you followed App football?

[Yosef10]

That has no relevance in recognizing what's in front of your face

[ASUMountaineer]

With the exception of Liberty and Campbell, every singe game is better than what we had in the SmallCon (IMHO). Next year's schedule gets my rocks off.

I disagree, Idaho is not a more fun game than Furman or Wofford. No way. I see what your point is, but if that schedule gets your rocks off, you are tryin too hard to convince yourself.

You sound like a jilted school girl. 2014 home schedule > 2013 home schedule. What's the problem?

[EastHallApp]

There's no team on our current schedule outside of liberty and Campbell who are on the same talent level as the socon teams we play, it's a joke that some of you even think that to be true.

Georgia State went 0-3 vs FCS last year, including a 10 point loss to Samford and a 28 point loss to UTC.

Idaho lost to FCS transitional ODU by 21.

New Mexico St. (Not on our schedule, but they are in the Sun Belt) won two games - vs the aforementioned terrible Idaho team and over D2 Abilene Christian by 5.

Would be curious to hear your basis for believing those particular teams to be so obviously superior to some of the better SoCon teams.

BTW, I am not arguing that App shouldn't have moved up, so no need to debate that point here.

[Yosef10]

May have been a just a little overzealous in that statement, even though I do believe ga. st. will become better with time since they just moved up last year following a one win FCS season and I saw ODU play last year they weren't bad. You may have soured my point a bit but I still contend if any of those teams were full time FCS they would be perennial contenders

[Gonzo]

What is more compelling to you personally is a matter of opinion, but when it comes to prestige and public opinion, playing a losing FBS team > playing a winning FCS team.

And I'm fairly certain that GaSt, Idaho and NMSU would beat any SoCon team this coming season. App lost to f-ing NCA&T last year. Does that mean we suck and no one wants to watch us?

[hapapp]

What is more compelling to you personally is a matter of opinion, but when it comes to prestige and public opinion, playing a losing FBS team > playing a winning FCS team.

And I'm fairly certain that GaSt, Idaho and NMSU would beat any SoCon team this coming season. App lost to f-ing NCA&T last year. Does that mean we suck and no one wants to watch us?

GA State lost to two SoCon teams last year. Why would it be so hard to believe the same could happen this year?

I'm all in favor of our move to the Sun Belt and am looking forward to this year's schedule. However, I'm not certain that we wouldn't lose to a SoCon team or two this year. Because we are FBS doesn't make us all of sudden unbeatable.

[EastHallApp]

And I'm fairly certain that GaSt, Idaho and NMSU would beat any SoCon team this coming season. App lost to f-ing NCA&T last year. Does that mean we suck and no one wants to watch us?

Georgia State was 0-3 vs. FCS last year (all at home, of course), including getting absolutely curb-stomped by UTC. They're 1-12 vs. FCS over the past two seasons. That's not cherry picking a bad game here and there - it's who they are.

It remains to be seen how they'll do in 2014, of course, but they'll need to be dramatically improved for your prediction to be accurate.

[EastHallApp]

May have been a just a little overzealous in that statement, even though I do believe ga. st. will become better with time since they just moved up last year following a one win FCS season and I saw ODU play last year they weren't bad. You may have soured my point a bit but I still contend if any of those teams were full time FCS they would be perennial contenders

Idaho was ODU's only FBS win last year (@ Idaho, by 21 points). In their other 4 FBS games, ODU lost to ECU and three middle-of-the-pack ACC teams by 14, 37, 11 and 60.

I would argue that the top of the Sun Belt (ULL, Arkansas St., possibly 1 or 2 more) is fairly strong, and the middle is credible. The bottom (Ga. State, Idaho, NMSU) has been absolutely atrocious. Remains to be seen where App and Southern fit into that hierarchy.

[ASUPATCH]

May have been a just a little overzealous in that statement, even though I do believe ga. st. will become better with time since they just moved up last year following a one win FCS season and I saw ODU play last year they weren't bad. You may have soured my point a bit but I still contend if any of those teams were full time FCS they would be perennial contenders

Idaho was ODU's only FBS win last year (@ Idaho, by 21 points). In their other 4 FBS games, ODU lost to ECU and three middle-of-the-pack ACC teams by 14, 37, 11 and 60.

I would argue that the top of the Sun Belt (ULL, Arkansas St., possibly 1 or 2 more) is fairly strong, and the middle is credible. The bottom (Ga. State, Idaho, NMSU) has been absolutely atrocious. Remains to be seen where App and Southern fit into that hierarchy.

The bottom of the sunbelt still beats Western handily in my opinion.

[appmaj]

The bottom of the sunbelt still beats Western handily in my opinion.

Agree.

My thoughts:

NC A & T > Campbell
Charleston Southern < Liberty

UTC < ULM
Samford < South Alabama
Ga Southern > Ga State
Western < Idaho

[bcoach]

It is funny how our opinions change. Just a couple of years ago we were talking about how the top ( you fill in the number so we don't have to argue) of FCS was just as good or better than the bottom ( you fill in the number for the same reason as above ) of FBS. Now? Not so much. What I don't understand is why every conversation about football has to turn into this FCS/FBS crap. Our future schedules have nothing to do with our past schedules. We are in a different conference. This years schedule sucks but that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the SOCON. Next years will be better. Anyone who thinks that the SB is a strong conference right now just does not want to face reality. BUT that has NOTHING to do with the SOCON. I truly believe that GS and APP will improve that situation and that STILL has nothing to do with the SOCON. Those that don't like the move ( and I am one of them) need to stop. It is over. Those that are in favor of the move need to stop. It is over. Both sides should agree that this is not where we wanted to be. The fact is, that we are here. Every single thing that is said can't turn into a FCS/FBS thing or this program is going to suffer.
STOP POKING THE DAMN BEAR OR HE IS GOING TO MAUL YOUR A$$.

[EastHallApp]

I will say this - while this year's home schedule is pretty weak, IMO that's not such a bad thing. Coming off a bad season and moving up, this lineup should give App a chance to have a respectable first year in FBS, which is important for recruiting and fan support. Hopefully 2014 = show that we're ready to compete, then 2015 = go bowling.

[Gonzo]

What is more compelling to you personally is a matter of opinion, but when it comes to prestige and public opinion, playing a losing FBS team > playing a winning FCS team.

And I'm fairly certain that GaSt, Idaho and NMSU would beat any SoCon team this coming season. App lost to f-ing NCA&T last year. Does that mean we suck and no one wants to watch us?

GA State lost to two SoCon teams last year. Why would it be so hard to believe the same could happen this year?

I'm all in favor of our move to the Sun Belt and am looking forward to this year's schedule. However, I'm not certain that we wouldn't lose to a SoCon team or two this year. Because we are FBS doesn't make us all of sudden unbeatable.

Ga St will be much improved and is coming off a third year of FBS recruitment. I feel that they're days of being sub-FCS on the field ended last season. I feel that the Panthers would beat any SoCon team this year. Of course anything is possible though.

[Saint3333]

I believe people stated the top could play with mid-level FBS programs for a game or two, not the entire season.

I don't see anyone in the SoCon last year or this year that I would call a top tier FCS team.

[Maddog1956]

The bottom of the sunbelt still beats Western handily in my opinion.

Agree.

My thoughts:

NC A & T > Campbell
Charleston Southern < Liberty

UTC < ULM
Samford < South Alabama
Ga Southern > Ga State
Western < Idaho

Not only do we need to compare the bottom of the SoCon with the bottom of the SB (and so on), but we need to ask where the SB is going (more bowls, stronger teams, more revenue, etc) and where the SoCon is going (smaller private schools, losing their strong teams in Bball and football, etc). Yes, the SB has some less than top tier teams, but so did the FCS and SoCon but as someone else said, it may be good this year.

For example, Liberty is trying to get in the SB and not the Socon