The Great Chasm

[JAB]

I think everyone acknowledges P5 won't come calling, so I'm not sure where you are gathering your perception from.

This website. Every other thread.

[ManAboutTown]

A lot of the conversations in here revolve around the Cajuns receiving a certain degree of respect. That is, no one wants UL to be as mediocre and forgettable as other schools like ULM or McNeese. We propose ideas like rebranding, marketing, making it to a bowl game, and labeling the school Louisiana instead of UL or Lafayette.

Last night UL lost to Southern Miss, effectively eliminating any chances of a conference championship. No doubt, everyone is upset, and the comments now revolve around what UL should’ve done to win the game. Here’s the problem: if UL wants to get more respect, it’s not a matter of beating USM; it’s a matter of absolutely demolishing USM… and everyone else. You always compare UL to LSU, and that’s kind of an apples to oranges comparison because UL will never be on LSU’s level, but it does reveal a truth about where UL currently stands versus where they want to be.

There is an enormous gap, a chasm, between reality and what RP thinks is possible. UL is sooooooo far away from the reputation that it seeks, and the solution isn’t just to add onto the stadium, to get a mascot, to marginally increase NIL, or to barely win the SBC. This isn’t a “baby steps” proposition. The gap is too wide for that.

Yes, it starts on the field, so the critiques of the coaching staff are warranted. It starts with beating an out of conference opponent. It continues with winning the SBC with ease, with being undefeated and ranked in the top 20 or top 15. And once that happens, it needs to happen again, and again. Only then will people look at UL like they looked at Boise State a while back. “Who are these guys, and why are they so good?”

Does all of this seem impossible? Maybe so. And if it does, then perhaps we should all temper our expectations and be more realistic about this program’s future.

UL is two years removed from the "reputation that it seeks." Did you just get here?

[ManAboutTown]

I don't think this is true. If it were, then RP would be far less unhinged. My perception is that the expectation isn't just to "be your best." The expectation is to "be the best." My whole point is that people expect UL to be on par with LSU and/or any other major college football program in the country. If you don't think that's the case, then scroll through several threads and get back to me.

What an absolutely absurd post.

[JAB]

What an absolutely absurd post.

You're right. No one on RP has ever compared to UL to LSU; no one has ever talked about trying to make UL a major college football program; no one has ever asked for the same respect given to schools like Oregon; and no one has ever questioned why UL is seen as a lower tier program.

[CajunJack55]

You're right. No one on RP has ever compared to UL to LSU; no one has ever talked about trying to make UL a major college football program; no one has ever asked for the same respect given to schools like Oregon; and no one has ever questioned why UL is seen as a lower tier program.

Imagine the Florida states, Louisvilles, Virginia techs, Houston, Cincinnatis of the world had your logic…they’d all still be floundering in the metro:CUSA: sunbelts of the world like us

All of them where told the same thing at one point or another in there rise up

[JAB]

Imagine the Florida states, Louisvilles, Virginia techs, Houston, Cincinnatis of the world had your logic…they’d all still be floundering in the metro:CUSA: sunbelts of the world like us

All of them where told the same thing at one point or another in there rise up

I'm just going to flag this post for anyone who says that RP doesn't compare UL to other major college football schools (insofar as Cincy and Houston even qualify as major college football schools).

[CajunJack55]

I'm just going to flag this post for anyone who says that RP doesn't compare UL to other major college football schools (insofar as Cincy and Houston even qualify as major college football schools).

That is my point. They are all “major schools” now but at one point they weren’t. They wanted to be the next floridas, Virginias, Kentuckys, Texas, ohios state etc.

Sorry we believe we have the potential to be better than south land 2.0 school.

[CajunNation]

This is what losing does. It brings all of the "know your place" guys crawling out to pester us.

[cajun4life]

I don't think this is true. If it were, then RP would be far less unhinged. My perception is that the expectation isn't just to "be your best." The expectation is to "be the best." My whole point is that people expect UL to be on par with LSU and/or any other major college football program in the country. If you don't think that's the case, then scroll through several threads and get back to me.

Another Simple Jack. We don’t expect to be LSU, we expect to be the standard bearer for the SBC. You do understand that UL has as good a chance to make the CFP as LSU does? We don’t have as good a chance to win a title as they do though.

We are who we are, which should be the favorite to the SBC in every sport nearly every year.

[ManAboutTown]

You're right. No one on RP has ever compared to UL to LSU; no one has ever talked about trying to make UL a major college football program; no one has ever asked for the same respect given to schools like Oregon; and no one has ever questioned why UL is seen as a lower tier program.

That isn't what you said. You said people on RP except to be LSU. Which is absurd.

[ManAboutTown]

This is what losing does. It brings all of the "know your place" guys crawling out to pester us.

Oh, they're out in full force today. Admin put more effort into mobilizing their apologist than they did promoting the ____ing football game.

[ULvictory]

I'm just going to flag this post for anyone who says that RP doesn't compare UL to other major college football schools (insofar as Cincy and Houston even qualify as major college football schools).

I don't think setting up a benchmark to be like some of these schools is a bad thing.