(06-18-2015 10:33 AM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(06-18-2015 09:49 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  

(06-18-2015 09:27 AM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(06-18-2015 06:22 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  The sky is falling. Did we have rivalries in the MAC after Temple left? How would a team that isn't in a conference have a conference championship? The MAC teams were fine making under a million forever. The only thing is the bowl gaurentees, but since every 6-6 team can go to the KY Jelly Bowl I'm not that worried about it.

You create rivalries by playing the same teams every year and by competing with them for championships, this is impossible with an Indy schedule.

Every bowl has secondary conferences as backups, UMass won't go to a bowl unless literally every other eligible team in FBS is already in. You're not worried because you don't understand the situation.

I think you don't understand the situation, you're just desperate for UMass to fail.

Most independents sign a contract with a bowl that will take them if they are eligible. With the SBC needing to add 1 or 2 new bowls I would think UMass could work out a similar deal to be the primary opponent to an SBC team should they be bowl eligible. If UMass was not bowl eligible the bowl would be free to invite any team they want.

Even though we know will be a decent team this season, it's nice to see a few publications acknowledge it. MaroonMusket posted an article thate we are in Phil Steele's 15 most improved teams.

Below is the list - ranked in order - of Steele's most improved teams for 2015. In order to qualify, a team couldnt have a winning record last season. We have included their win-loss record from 2014 in parenthesis for reference.

1. University of Miami (6-7)
2. Akron (5-7)
3. Michigan (5-7)
4. Pittsburgh (6-7)
5. Indiana (4-8)
6. Temple (6-6)
7. Texas (6-7)
8. Northwestern (5-7)
9. Ball State (5-70
10. Colorado (2-10)
11. Ohio University (6-6)
12. California (5-7)
13. Middle Tennessee (6-6)
14. Massachusetts (3-9) <-- we lost 5 close games
15. North Carolina (6-7)

http://umass.247sports.com/Bolt/Predicti...5-37793620

We play 4 teams on this list, two at Gillette - Akron and Temple, and two on the road Colorado and Ball State.