The difference between the MAC and CUSA is like the difference between the Big 10 and the SEC. The Big 10 has 12 full members, the SEC has 14. The SEC has bigger football crowds but the Big 10 is more respected academically. When your looking at Ohio the program simply doesn't have what it takes to be a Notre Dame or Penn State type program. With good stewardship maybe a Texas Tech type program with an occasional Top 50 recruiting class and a regular presence in the Top 25. Win the MAC Championship every single year. I can see that for this program. I don't see how CUSA would make our program any more capable and if anything Ohio risks becoming lost in a conference that does not play on ESPN.
The thing is, CUSA's roof and potential to be great is much higher than the MAC's. If we win the Conf. Champ this year, I'd say that we've reached the top. Sweet. Let's say that we continue to win the conference title say, 5 years in a row? Excellent, we're probably a top 25 program at this point, we have stability.
Where do we go after that? we're still going to go to Detroit, Mobile, and Boise every year, no matter what. Unless we become a BCS at large, which based on our OOC, isn't going to happen for a very long time, we're staying put in these absolutely mediocre bowl games. Sure, I would love to win a conference championship year after year, but the ceiling is near, and it getting any higher anytime soon. Playing in the CUSA would mean that we play better teams more regularly, get into better bowls, and become more likely to get higher rankings, and become a better program overall. I think CUSA has a better future than the MAC, which is currently just sitting on their hands and is perfectly fine with everything being status quo. AKA, mediocre.
Last Edited: 7/20/2012 2:22:03 PM by KyleWvr13