I’ve been reading on this board for the last few days and I just don’t understand the attitude that we somehow got screwed getting to play Toledo in Montgomery. First of all, we are playing in a bowl game for the second year in a row, in only our second year of eligibility (Notre Dame isn’t playing in a bowl game this year). Secondly, Toledo seems like more than a worthy opponent; they have a better record than Ohio did last year (and it’s not like they were overmatched). If you are not happy going back to Montgomery, blame the team. If they had run the table, they/we’d (almost certainly) would be going to the Cotton Bowl. The team did lose three games, including a pretty embarrassing home loss to Miami. Going undefeated is how Boise State got to two of their three Fiesta Bowls, how Northern Illinois played in the Orange Bowl and why Western Michigan is going to the Cotton Bowl. If you don’t feel like blaming the team is appropriate (which I totally get), blame the fan base. One (me) can never be sure about this kind of thing, but I’m willing to bet that if we were able to guarantee selling 20K tickets for a bowl game, R&L and Cure would have fought over us. If that’s too big for you, I get it, but try to think about the process as it is (not as we’d like it to be). I am personally excited about Montgomery, I’m not willing to take anything for granted, I know building a program is a process, and I’m pretty sure losing to Toledo in front of 8,000 App fans, sets that process back.

I will admit initially I was not the happiest about making a return trip to Montgomery. However, now that I think about it this will be a pretty good match up on the mothership network. Just hoping that a return trip to Montgomery does not keep people from attending the game. I think our administration needs to line up buses for our students to go to the game. It would be awesome to see roughly 13,000 app fans strong down there.

Is anyone on here a big money donor that can buy tickets to give to students.? That would be a great idea, if so.

That's one of the best posts I've read. Toledo is going to be a tough game for us. We beat either Tennessee or Miami and we are probably in a different bowl. But we didn't and this is what we get. We are in the Sunbelt conference and this is what they do to bowl teams from conferences like this.

I hear your arguments...but what is the payoff for being a Conference Champ? The players deserve a better venue and better bling........
AND we deserve a nice warm venue.

Thank you for the well stated editorial. Too many don't understand all the dynamics of the G5 FBS world. We should be grateful to get such a quality opponent as Toledo and to be on ESPN.

As long as the current structure of FBS football remains intact and as long as the Sunbelt has no alliances with P5 conferences we will always be subjected to the negatives many complain about, it's simply fact of life as things stand. Bowl criteria and NCAA football admin is like the tax code......so all we can do is support our Apps and hope we continue success and hope for future changes in the system that improve things for G5 programs. We joined the Sunbelt so we have to help make it better and live with it.

We could have gotten a worse deal so again glad to play Toledo..... powerful opponent.

Some are taking criticism of the selection process as App fans complaining about our current situation (which some of it may be).

I'll be in Montgomery again this year, wouldn't miss it for these seniors.

That said remove yourself and your program from the equation and look it unbiased and you can see the flaws in the process. That is the discussion that needs to take place and I think the ADs at App and Ark St. will push that agenda to implement change by 2018 (at the same time of the CCG).

IMO the NCAA should jump immediately to a 16 team playoff with outlier bowls with fairly set criteria for top 40 ranked teams that don't make playoff grid. The playoff grid should guarantee 5 spots for G5 conference champs based on some type of limited criteria so as G5s don't cheat the system.

Never happen in my life or never,. but this would create parity among programs.

Satterfield and company are going to have to win the big ones for us to go to the next level.... aka Tennessee,Miami , a-state and Troy for instance and he has not done that yet, but it is coming I assure you we just getting started

Problem is there are no guarantees even if we beat a Tennessee or a Miami along the way. Western Michigan in different circumstances maybe doesn't get in Cotton Bowl which is only slot I know of for at large team.

We can dream for a perfect scenario season but being G5 is not P5

Even worse is being in Sunbelt. Just gotta hope the Sunbelt as things are structured continues to improve with notoriety mainly by the conference beating some strong out of conference teams or better yet P5s

Hope we can keep Satt and good coaching nucleus and continue improving recruiting and we can get there at least to a Boise State stature.

I will continue to say it. We knew this was a possibility when the decision was made to move up. It was actually the argument of many who were anti-FBS. What's done is done, and hopefully most or all have accepted the move. However, it should be recognized with how spoiled we were the years leading up to and likely propelled the move. We hosted playoff games then had a manageable drive to Nooga. Now, even with a 10-2 or 9-3 season we are in what some think is a lesser bowl, in the least ideal location. Personally, I don't want to bowl in Montgomery every year, but I would take that as opposed to no bowl.

People are disapponted to have the same post season regardless of whether we win the conference or not. It's reasonable to be disappointed.

I'll be there and I'll have a great time, but don't tell me how to feel.

Rekdiver wrote:I hear your arguments...but what is the payoff for being a Conference Champ? The players deserve a better venue and better bling........
AND we deserve a nice warm venue.

What happened to the everybody is a winner philosophy?.......lol.....Don't stay at home share the wealth?

At first I was not excited, really wanted to see a different venue. Had blast last year. I just hope going to the same location as last year will not deter some of our fans from showing up. I took a poll of some of my friends and location was a big factor in making the decision to spend money or not during this tight budgeted month.

CornCobPipes wrote:Problem is there are no guarantees even if we beat a Tennessee or a Miami along the way. Western Michigan in different circumstances maybe doesn't get in Cotton Bowl which is only slot I know of for at large team.

If we had gone 12-0, Western Michigan likely would not be going to the Cotton Bowl. What is more likely is that if we had going 12-0 and got a bid to the Cotton Bowl, people would be complaining about having to go all the way to Arlington, TX and having to play a THREE LOSS Wisconsin team, clearly having been passed over for our shot at Alabama, so much closer to home.

I would like to see all the lesser bowl games get away from "specific G5 conference v. specific G5 conference" tie ins to being "G5 vs. G5" tie ins. Also, rotate the order of preference annually. Allow for more flexibility all around. Make for the option of more creative matchups.

CornCobPipes wrote:Hope we can keep Satt and good coaching nucleus and continue improving recruiting and we can get there at least to a Boise State stature.

Along those lines saw a tweet last night with his name in the Cincinnati coach hunt list. Seems not likely to me.

Simple question for everyone advocating for 'fairness & change' ...Why would the people who benefit from the current system change it? What is in it for them?

I get why we want it to change...but WHY would THEY change it?

Hint...the answer is CASH! Until we bring more people and more money than someone else, we will be at the little kid table. So all of you complaining and staying home, you're only extending the purgatory we're in.