Cautionary Tale

As we head into the most important 4 weeks of the Appalachian schedule for the year, I, like many other Mountaineer fans wonder what else could be out there for the 3 time national champions. But, I think it is important to be aware of the possible consequences of stepping up to the FBS plate when your University may not be quite prepared for the jump. Western Kentucky University for the first time this year is eligible for the Sun Belt conference championship and bowl eligible. The school is ranked number 1 by ESPN. Unfortunately, the school is number 1 on the Bottom 10 List http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=bottom10102109 . After 14 straight losses WKU is considered to be the worst team in all of college football. Western hasn't won a BCS game since beating Middle Tennessee on September 20, 2007. I imagine the school began making plans to move up to FBS play shortly after they won the FCS national championship in Jack Harbaugh's final year, 2002. That year they had a huge 12 win season, but it has been downhill since. David Elson took over in 2003 and put up 9 wins in each of his first 2 years. That was followed by two 6 win seasons. It spiked up to 7 wins in 2007 before the bottom fell out. WKU had 2 wins last year and are 0-6 going into a game against Middle Tennessee this weekend. They are riding a 14 game losing streak. This is what I fear could happen to our Mountaineers if they go to a lower level conference like the Sun Belt. I mean you go from a title to be proud of in FCS to a very low level bowl game as your pinnacle. I would hate to see ASU fall to the lows of the current Hilltoppers.


None of that pertains to this season, though. App is headed into the stretch that will define this season. They have a must win game against Georgia Southern (3-1 Socon record with a loss to Elon) at the rock this weekend (black saturday). That will be followed by games at Furman (3-1 Socon record with a loss to Elon), UTC (2-1 Socon record with a loss to GA Southern) at home, and at Elon (3-0 Socon record with wins over GA Southern and Furman).


Other Socon games this weekend include Chattanooga at Elon, Furman at Citadel, and Wofford at WCU. The Wofford game is inconsequential and I see Furman having a layup against the Bulldogs in Charleston (even though they took App to overtime down there). Chatty could give Elon a game, but I think Scott Riddle will put Elon over the top at home.



So, that leaves the most interesting game of the weekend in Boone on SportSouth at 3 pm. App's defense better step up compared to what they looked like giving up big play after big play last week to Wofford. GA Southern throws the ball a lot more than they have in their storied past, and Cortez Gilbert will be important coming back from his head injury last week in the Wofford College game. A loss here could signal a definite changing of the guard in the conference. I expect App will step up to the challenge and get the victory at home, but it won't be easy. GA Southern took them right to the wire in last year's game. The Mountaineers would break the Socon Football record with 16 straight conference wins with a victory on Saturday (Paul Johnson's GA Southern teams are the only other one's with 15 in a row).
Go Mountaineers!!!