AAC

[Oliphant]

I am not a fan of our future schedule:

8 AAC games (most of which we have no history with)
Air Force
Navy
FCS home game

That leaves only space for one series or a P4 pay day.

Ugh.

[wpgrad]

Here's part of the issue:

Big 10 going to 18 teams
ACC going to 17 teams
SEC going to 16 teams
Big 12 going to 16 teams

So as the P5 conferences get bigger they are going to demand more conference games and less likely to schedule an out of conference game with a team like a Service Academy that could beat you.

It's a little better with the other conferences the MAC, AAC, Conf USA, Sun Belt, and Mountain West but they all have to play conference games too. But the smallest of those is Conf USA with 10 and even the Sun Belt has 14. So those Conferences are going to want interconfertnce play as well. And with future realignments these could get bigger because they are all working to get better TV deals and Name Brand Schools.

I know we could still get schedules together. But I think the P5 opponents will get harder and harder. And I don't mean LSU I mean a lot of the middle to lower tier schools we might like to play every now and then like BC or Wake or Duke or Baylor or Rutgers. Not that the AAC teams are anything to write home about but at least it secures opponents but more importantly allows us to collectively benefit from the conference and its ability to negotiate. Not sure there is a better G5 conference for us. I like the Sun Belt from a competitive stand point but it doesn't have the same broad exposure of the AAC particularly Texas.

Anyway, I don't know that this is a good move or not. Just putting some things out there. Frankly I think it's just a matter of time until FBS splits off the top 70-80 marquee teams and has it's own division and 32 team play off. And I think we are past the point of no return. We will get left out with everyone else and be relegated to a lower tier. And that will be bad for everyone. Hopefully I'm wrong but it gives me plenty to worry about.

First, I agree, I think we are on the path to a 32 team megaconference. Alabama is gonna get told hey we will give you 50 Million a year to play in the SEC, but we really dont like when you play Vandy and Mississippi State. If you all would just merge into one league where you play teams like USC and Ohio State, we will pay you $100M each. as soon as that conversation happens, and it is going to happen, there will no longer be an SEC or Big 10, there will be a mega conference and the other 100 teams (including teams like Vandy and Rutgers and 50 others) will be left aside. I think this will happen by 2030. And, at that point, everyone left behind is irrelevant and it won't really matter if we are in the AAC or whatever.

However, second, if this mega-league doesn't happen, and the SEC and big 10 decide to just do more in-conference games, that is actually a plus for an Army independent because teams in CUSA or Sunbelt will be in the same situation, unable to play those teams, and they will need games. And, there is no way CUSA is going to do more in-conference games because nobody wants that, CUSA tv sets would rather have a CUSA team play Army than have a 9th or 10th conference game versus sam houston state.

I just don't buy that we "need" to do this in order to have games to play. It doesn't make logical sense when you look at the situtation. I think this is a combination of financial greed on the part of the AD's office (penny wise, pound foolish), a way to make scheduling easy (not better, just easy), and an overblown sense of our team's ability a la 1998

[PrideandDream]

Fair points.

The other risk is that these G5 conferences start going haywire too and want to expand to two super conferences. That may be the only saving grace for the smaller schools is to band together. Maybe not. But still going to be lots of in fighting before it's over

PD

[ARMORMAN]

Either way, I'm having flashbacks to cusa....where we tried to compete with some kinda "pro-set" shit. Yeah, that was a great idea berry; let's run a pro offense with guys who have 1% pro ability....
What'd we win, like 13 games out of 80? Nightmare...

Now we're in AAC with some kinda "gun" shit. The season ain't over, and there's still 5 games left for Thatcher to prove this works, and I hope like hell he can. I really do. But then, like I said before, I hoped basement biden could not possibly ever be elected, especially with an incompetent vp. So my real-life self expects us to lay more eggs after UMass, and give us a turd for a holiday gift.

We can compete in the AAC, or anywhere else, if we run an af-style, under-center triple down their freaking throats. Hello!!! Is anyone out there???




(This is the worst part: I'm really afraid that JM wont' ever even consider adapting an af-style, under-center triple - like Jim Young did - because of his apparent mutual animosity with Calhoun.)

[ArmyRoadFan7]

Either way, I'm having flashbacks to cusa....where we tried to compete with some kinda "pro-set" shit. Yeah, that was a great idea berry; let's run a pro offense with guys who have 1% pro ability....
What'd we win, like 13 games out of 80? Nightmare...

Now we're in AAC with some kinda "gun" shit. The season ain't over, and there's still 5 games left for Thatcher to prove this works, and I hope like hell he can. I really do. But then, like I said before, I hoped basement biden could not possibly ever be elected, especially with an incompetent vp. So my real-life self expects us to lay more eggs after UMass, and give us a turd for a holiday gift.

We can compete in the AAC, or anywhere else, if we run an af-style, under-center triple down their freaking throats. Hello!!! Is anyone out there???




(This is the worst part: I'm really afraid that JM wont' ever even consider adapting an af-style, under-center triple - like Jim Young did - because of his apparent mutual animosity with Calhoun.)

Air Force doesn’t run the option. They will be the first ones to tell you that. Why don’t you try watching them play.

[WrekDivr]

One of the things that Sal brought up is that scheduling WAS getting tougher and specifically MAC teams didn’t want to schedule Army.

A lot of the discussion has been the comparison to our dark, dark CUSA experience, a good portion of which was the coach and the pro-style offense we went to.

We all have opinions about our new O now, but if it is ultimately a failure we will suck whether we are in a conference or stayed independent.

It may be that JM knew the conference thing was happening and the challenges Navy faced as other teams got used to the TO. If he knew we were (likely) headed to the AAC, a conference where many of the teams had already faced a TO for several years, that may have influenced his decision to move to a new scheme now.

[ARMORMAN]

Hey Roadkill,

Suck on this for starters:

At the Air Force Academy our offense is based on the execution of 1) the triple option, 2) counters from the option and 3) a one-on-one action passing game. Our basic theory is to take advantage of whatever the defense gives us.

That's taken from the AFA media guide.

Or try this, from AF Football, Peak Perspective:

Most of you know that the Falcons employ a triple option attack as their primary scheme.



Number 2:

I do watch AF play, almost every week. That's how I know what they run. Why don't you try not showing your ass.


Out.

[RABBLE]

Either way, I'm having flashbacks to cusa....where we tried to compete with some kinda "pro-set" shit. Yeah, that was a great idea berry; let's run a pro offense with guys who have 1% pro ability....
What'd we win, like 13 games out of 80? Nightmare...

Now we're in AAC with some kinda "gun" shit. The season ain't over, and there's still 5 games left for Thatcher to prove this works, and I hope like hell he can. I really do. But then, like I said before, I hoped basement biden could not possibly ever be elected, especially with an incompetent vp. So my real-life self expects us to lay more eggs after UMass, and give us a turd for a holiday gift.

We can compete in the AAC, or anywhere else, if we run an af-style, under-center triple down their freaking throats. Hello!!! Is anyone out there???




(This is the worst part: I'm really afraid that JM wont' ever even consider adapting an af-style, under-center triple - like Jim Young did - because of his apparent mutual animosity with Calhoun.)

I agree with Armorman. It takes time to change any system even a radical one. I do have much angst over the time we were in C-USA. A disaster all the way. Now that we have a new set of characters, we heading down the same path again after 20 or so years of relative success.
I am totally dead set about joining another conference with many of the teams we had back then are now in the new conference. Same teams, same system with a variation. Fool us once, shame on us for the support back then and now shame on those who agreed to the same baloney today.
After so many decades of support thru donations, attendance, traveling to far distant states including the state of Hawai'i for 2 games, I feel betrayed by the scent of money and greed.
Just the reason given that we would not be able to schedule down the road is to me, just plain bogus. There are few teams in this land of our that would never schedule Army. Just for patriotic reasons alone.
Example even LSY the power they are welcomed us with open arms by painting their end zones in camouflage colors. Now that was a great gesture on their part honoring us by having their own military day for us.
Many, many other teams would do the same if we played a national diversified schedule. I always thought we were AMERICAS TEAM. Not anymore. We will now play the same 13 other teams on a semi-yearly basis and after a few years, they will know our system as well as AF and Navy now do.
Our edge of the former TO will disapear as quick as the sun on a frosty winter evening.
In conclusion, I blame the present Supe Gilland, AD Buddie and the host of "intellectuals" on the board who lobbeyed for this move." Intelluctua;ls" ? A bunch of DumbJohns who know little about football, our history, our tradition.
The small of future money grabbing overcame them all. When the league folds in 10 years, what will this program have?
Well.... Gilland will be retired with 3 stars and a hefty pension, Buddie will advance to a Big 5 school trip ling his salary. Monken will retire with a tremendous amount of cash earned, the team will be etched in 5-6 win seasons, the league opponents will scatter all over the place and finally the fan who still will support the mess, bitch and complain how lousy the program is, hire another hot shot FCS coach and the cycle begins all over again. Fire the coach. Sounds like politics to me but it 'aint Washington. Its the people right at home at West Point.
Why do I say this?
Well 76 years of following and supporting this program taught me a few things.
Its history man? It ALWAYS repeats itself sooner or later. Stick around like I have. History is STILL the greatest teacher of all.

[RABBLE]

Either way, I'm having flashbacks to cusa....where we tried to compete with some kinda "pro-set" shit. Yeah, that was a great idea berry; let's run a pro offense with guys who have 1% pro ability....
What'd we win, like 13 games out of 80? Nightmare...

Now we're in AAC with some kinda "gun" shit. The season ain't over, and there's still 5 games left for Thatcher to prove this works, and I hope like hell he can. I really do. But then, like I said before, I hoped basement biden could not possibly ever be elected, especially with an incompetent vp. So my real-life self expects us to lay more eggs after UMass, and give us a turd for a holiday gift.

We can compete in the AAC, or anywhere else, if we run an af-style, under-center triple down their freaking throats. Hello!!! Is anyone out there???




(This is the worst part: I'm really afraid that JM wont' ever even consider adapting an af-style, under-center triple - like Jim Young did - because of his apparent mutual animosity with Calhoun.)

I agree with Armorman. It takes time to change any system even a radical one. I do have much angst over the time we were in C-USA. A disaster all the way. Now that we have a new set of characters, we heading down the same path again after 20 or so years of relative success.
I am totally dead set about joining another conference with many of the teams we had back then are now in the new conference. Same teams, same system with a variation. Fool us once, shame on us for the support back then and now shame on those who agreed to the same baloney today.
After so many decades of support thru donations, attendance, traveling to far distant states including the state of Hawai'i for 2 games, I feel betrayed by the scent of money and greed.
Just the reason given that we would not be able to schedule down the road is to me, just plain bogus. There are few teams in this land of our that would never schedule Army. Just for patriotic reasons alone.
Example even LSY the power they are welcomed us with open arms by painting their end zones in camouflage colors. Now that was a great gesture on their part honoring us by having their own military day for us.
Many, many other teams would do the same if we played a national diversified schedule. I always thought we were AMERICAS TEAM. Not anymore. We will now play the same 13 other teams on a semi-yearly basis and after a few years, they will know our system as well as AF and Navy now do.
Our edge of the former TO will disapear as quick as the sun on a frosty winter evening.
In conclusion, I blame the present Supe Gilland, AD Buddie and the host of "intellectuals" on the board who lobbeyed for this move." Intelluctua;ls" ? A bunch of DumbJohns who know little about football, our history, our tradition.
The small of future money grabbing overcame them all. When the league folds in 10 years, what will this program have?
Well.... Gilland will be retired with 3 stars and a hefty pension, Buddie will advance to a Big 5 school trip ling his salary. Monken will retire with a tremendous amount of cash earned, the team will be etched in 5-6 win seasons, the league opponents will scatter all over the place and finally the fan who still will support the mess, bitch and complain how lousy the program is, hire another hot shot FCS coach and the cycle begins all over again. Fire the coach. Sounds like politics to me but it 'aint Washington. Its the people right at home at West Point.
Why do I say this?
Well 76 years of following and supporting this program taught me a few things.
Its history man? It ALWAYS repeats itself sooner or later. Stick around like I have. History is STILL the greatest teacher of all.

[RABBLE]

Why did I say what I just posted just now?

1. Millions upon millions of dollars paid out to cancel some great teams that we have already signed to play us the next 10 years and beyond. Pure foolishness. Gee, just like the last time we got out of C-USA. Oh my god!!
2. I won't be around 10 years from now but I wish I were. I would like to personally tell each and every one of these league lovers and money dreamers----
" Gentlemen, I told you so".
I can't GUARANTEE it because I will be long gone. It is not very often I GUARANTEE something but remember what I just wrote here. YOU MADE A VERY BAD MISTAKE AND CREATED AN UPCOMING PURE DISASTER.

Welcome to the BERRY, ROSS, ELLERSON and GREENSPAN world of misfits. Sorta like a club of sorts.