NOLA Bowl Opponent

[RCAJUN90]

What about a certain 9-3 3rd place WAC team?

They apparently think they are above the NOLA Bowl. It would be a fun atmosphere but it would also be fun to play a team we never play like SDSU last year.

[VObserver]

That's my feeling too. Not an appealing opponent, but it would give us a chance to go 2 and 0 in the NO bowl. Ideally we would get someone that would challenge us and have a better record.

BS... I want the weakest possible opponent and a win. Nobody cares who you beat, unless it is a top 10 team from a power conference.

[CajunFan3406]

I think it will be higher. The way the game ended last year and with all the fun stories that we all had, I think more bandwagoners will be making the trip. People will travel to New Orleans because its a fun city and we will be playing indoors.

Here is my real life example of my opinion above. Magically right after the bowl was announced, my sister in law read the news on Facebook (Facebook is her main source of news). Now all of a sudden, she is expecting us to get her tickets, hotel rooms, etc, etc. Because of my loving relationship with her, she is on her own. But I am sure thousands of others will be making the trip just as she will.

Welcome to the bandwagon, now join the RCAF. That is all I have to say to those "fans".

.....end rant.

I'm with you on that one. I have a buddy who attended every game last year and even came with me to the Arkansas State game last year. But this year he didn't make a game until this past weekend. He sent me a text post game/invite seeing what I could do about tickets because of my RCAF membership. I basically told him all I had were 6 and he was __it out of luck.

[GoneGolfin]

I'm with you on that one. I have a buddy who attended every game last year and even came with me to the Arkansas State game last year. But this year he didn't make a game until this past weekend. He sent me a text post game/invite seeing what I could do about tickets because of my RCAF membership. I basically told him all I had were 6 and he was __it out of luck.

You should have told him he has by Dec. 6th to scrape together a $250 contribution to join RCAF. He would then be eligible to purchase four "priority" seats.

Brian

[RaginScotsman]

After peeking in on the Rice boards to see if they know something we don't, it seems like the general consensus is that they don't want to play us. Just some excerpts (pardon the LaLas and ULLs):

They did...I probably would prefer NO to Ft Worth but I think AFA is a better match for us than LaLa.

In looking at their stats, yeah, I agree. I think Air Force is a better match-up. UL nearly beat Florida in the swamp and seems to have a good mix of run and pass. Air Force, we know what is coming and have 3 weeks to prep.

LaLa reminds me of Troy in 2006. Too much speed and surprising size.

[zeppelincajun]

BS... I want the weakest possible opponent and a win. Nobody cares who you beat, unless it is a top 10 team from a power conference.

I would much rather see UL play a team with an actual fanbase than see our team put a whooping on Rice in front of a crowd where UL is gonna have to account for 90%. East Carolina averaged over 47,000 at home this year. The Pirates are not world beaters either. They have 8 wins because they took care of the weak teams in CUSA. Right off the bat that sets us up against a program with a large fanbase, a good record, and a decent national reputation over the past several years.

Predictions
UL 48 Rice 28 Att 40,000
UL 38 ECU 30 Att 55,000

Maybe nobody else cares, but I would much rather see the latter. I see big benefits from playing a slightly more challenging opponent.

[CajunEXPRESS]

After peeking in on the Rice boards to see if they know something we don't, it seems like the general consensus is that they don't want to play us. Just some excerpts (pardon the LaLas and ULLs):

They did...I probably would prefer NO to Ft Worth but I think AFA is a better match for us than LaLa.

In looking at their stats, yeah, I agree. I think Air Force is a better match-up. UL nearly beat Florida in the swamp and seems to have a good mix of run and pass. Air Force, we know what is coming and have 3 weeks to prep.

LaLa reminds me of Troy in 2006. Too much speed and surprising size.

Rice has been ducking us for years. We whipped their sorry butts the last time we played them in football. Was a very rewarding road game.

Pompous is too kind a word for them, but unlike TooLame they do have some success in the past decade.

If my memory serves me correct their band was not even in uniform, but some sort of casual look.

[CajunZ1]

LALALALALALALALALALALALALALA
ULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Whew, that felt good!

Signed,
Every fan of every other school

[ATXCajun]

BS... I want the weakest possible opponent and a win. Nobody cares who you beat, unless it is a top 10 team from a power conference.

Yep. Somebody needs to come get their beating. 9 hour drive is a lot shorter after a win. BTW, has anyone noticed that the SBC gets raided by other conferences but the MAC does not? There's a reason. It's the same reason why there's always an 11-1 or 12-0 MAC team that gets ranked and then loses its bowl game, and why ever year it is a different team. They take turns beating up on each other in their gigantic conference based on who has the most players back or something. Didn't we work that Kent State team in their own mud hole last year? I'll take any from the MAC, especially the overrated ones. I know they will only bring 300 fans, but who cares. This is our party anyway. I know we probably get Rice. Hopefully one of our conference mates will get one of these 11-1 MAC teams and work them over.

[CrappDaddy]

Yep. Somebody needs to come get their beating. 9 hour drive is a lot shorter after a win. BTW, has anyone noticed that the SBC gets raided by other conferences but the MAC does not? There's a reason. It's the same reason why there's always an 11-1 or 12-0 MAC team that gets ranked and then loses its bowl game, and why ever year it is a different team. They take turns beating up on each other in their gigantic conference based on who has the most players back or something. Didn't we work that Kent State team in their own mud hole last year? I'll take any from the MAC, especially the overrated ones. I know they will only bring 300 fans, but who cares. This is our party anyway. I know we probably get Rice. Hopefully one of our conference mates will get one of these 11-1 MAC teams and work them over.

That being said, we beat last years team not this years. In fact our conf champ last year got worked by a MAC team in a bowl last year. Their best teams are every bit as good as the belts.

[wcd35]

That being said, we beat last years team not this years. In fact our conf champ last year got worked by a MAC team in a bowl last year. Their best teams are every bit as good as the belts.

With the asterisk that ASU had no coaching staff in the bowl basically

[HoustonCajun]

Rice has been ducking us for years. We whipped their sorry butts the last time we played them in football. Was a very rewarding road game.

Pompous is too kind a word for them, but unlike TooLame they do have some success in the past decade.

If my memory serves me correct their band was not even in uniform, but some sort of casual look.

Their band is called the MOB, Marching Owl Band. They are a private school and have a band like Stanford - organized chaos making fun of their opponent. Pretty funny to watch and usually entertaining.

[ATXCajun]

That being said, we beat last years team not this years. In fact our conf champ last year got worked by a MAC team in a bowl last year. Their best teams are every bit as good as the belts.

Had to check some stats to see if my perception was reality. It is not. I'm right that there is no consistently strong team, except maybe Toledo. Crapdaddy is very right that the top teams are tough in thier bowl games. Looking at 10+ win MAC teams since 2000:

2000 Toledo 10-1 No bowl game
2001 Toledo 10-2 Won Motor City
2003 Miami 13-1 Won GMAC
2003 Bowling Green 11-3 Won Motor City
2003 NIU 10-2 No bowl game
2008 Ball St 12-2 Lost International
2009 CMU 12-2 Won GMAC
2010 NIU 11-3 Won Humanitarian
2011 NIU 11-3 Won GoDaddy
2011 Ohio 10-4 Won Idaho Potato

Interesting tidbit: Ball St is 0-7 in bowl games.