Spring Break
Opinion: ECU carries the torch for C-USA
Kellen Holtzman
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Sports
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At first, I didn't think the boasting had any merit behind it. After all, the Wildcats haven't added much to college football's most prestigious conference. Kentucky has only 13 all-time bowl appearances and just six in the last 20 seasons.
This is a team that had only two wins in the "S-E-C" that its fans are so proud to be a part of. Those wins came against Arkansas and Mississippi State, neither of which made bowl appearances.
But as the chants subsided, I realized that that was what this game really came down too; the best team C-USA had to offer against a mediocre SEC team-and the mediocre SEC team prevailed.
Despite over 80% of the country predicting a Pirate victory on Espn.com, the loss should not come as a total surprise. There certainly is no precedent for C-USA success against the SEC or any other major "BCS" conference.
C-USA is yet to defeat the mighty SEC in the Liberty Bowl, having now lost three in a row. Including the ECU loss, the conference went 0-9 against the SEC this season.
Tulsa, carrying dreams of an undefeated season, notably lost to an unheralded Arkansas team in November. Yes, that's the same 5-7 Arkansas that provided Kentucky with one of its two conference victories this season.
Following the loss, coach Skip Holtz compared the Wildcats most favorably to a couple of ACC teams that sprung "upsets" on the Pirates this season.
"I would probably compare them very similar to an N.C. State or Virginia," said Holtz. "I thought they did a very nice job. Those are the two most recent that we have played. By making that comment I'm not trying to take anything away from Kentucky in any way, shape or form because I thought both of those football teams were very talented and very good football teams."
The comparison is fitting in more ways than just what transpired on the field. When ECU and N.C. State squared off in September, the Wolfpack were 1-2 and followed the win against the Pirates with four consecutive losses. With ECU having soared to No. 14 in the national polls, most fans and pundits labeled this as an upset.
Three weeks later, the Pirates dropped another ACC decision to a Virginia team with an unimpressive 2-3 record.
ECU had already proved its worth with wins over eventual Orange Bowl participants, Virginia Tech and bowl victors West Virginia. But the stars don't always align for the "better team" to win. Sometimes overall talent and depth are the overriding factors. Just like they were the factors in the N.C. State and Virginia games. And just like they were in Memphis against Kentucky.
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