Three of the nation's top four teams hail from one league
Neil White
The State (Columbia, S.C.)
16 October 2008
The latest Football Championship Subdivision rankings say it all when it comes to the Southern Conference: Appalachian State is second, Elon is third, and Wofford is fourth.
That's in the nation, by the way, not in the conference.
The Sports Network poll is another indication of both the strength and the depth of the SoCon, which also placed Furman at No. 19 and The Citadel at No. 24 in the poll. With Georgia Southern cracking the coaches' poll at No. 25, that makes six of the conference's nine teams considered among the best FCS programs in the country.
"It's a great league, a league I'm proud to be associated with," said Wofford coach Mike Ayers, whose team is 4-1 overall, 2-0 in the conference. "We like the challenge; our players like the challenge. It's neat to say you play in the best league in the country."
But the grind can be unrelenting. Ask The Citadel's Kevin Higgins, whose team was sailing along until it played Appalachian State (4-2, 2-0) and Elon (6-1, 4-0) the past two weeks. The Mountaineers put a 47-21 beating on the Bulldogs (3-3, 1-2), who followed with a 27-23 loss to the Phoenix.
"Every game in the Southern Conference is a championship type of game, if you will," Higgins said. "We lost two games to two good football teams, and Furman is very good as well."
Ah, yes, Furman. If it's not tough enough playing three nationally ranked opponents in a row, the third one is the big rival, The Citadel. The past three games between the teams have been epic. Last year The Citadel won 54-51 in overtime. In 2006, Furman won 23-17 in a game that was decided on the final play. Furman won 39-31 in three overtimes in 2005.
"I hope we don't have another one of them. My heart can't take it," Furman coach Bobby Lamb said.
The entire league schedule can be bad for the heart. Lamb believes the conference's strength continues to improve because programs are being forced to play keep-up.
"The dynamics of the conference have really changed when you look at what people are doing across the board," said Lamb, adding that member schools are growing their football programs and hiring top-level coaches.
Furman (5-2, 2-1) was thumped by Elon and has to play Appalachian State and Wofford as teams jockey for the conference title and a playoff berth.
The playoffs are where the SoCon has polished its reputation. Starting with Furman winning the then-Division I-AA national championship in 1988, the conference has claimed eight national titles the past 20 years, including Appalachian State winning the crown the past three years.
"It's a difficult league," Lamb said. "You'd better be ready to fight every single Saturday. Everybody is getting better. They're recruiting better players. The facilities are getting better."
Ayers, whose Terriers must face Appalachian State, Elon and Furman, insists it's not a league for the timid. And players who aren't prepared to take on the weekly challenge should go somewhere else.
"It shouldn't be that tough to gear it up. When you're playing the best of the best, which our league consists of, you've got to bring it," Ayers said. "If you lack the focus and you lack the maturity, then shame on you."
The coaches are resigned to the demands of the conference schedule. In the past three weeks, Chattanooga (1-6, 0-3) has lost to Furman 35-10, Georgia Southern 52-28 and Wofford 56-7. Next up for the Mocs? Elon.
"It doesn't get any easier," Chattanooga coach Rodney Allison said. "We're in a tough stretch. When you're in this conference, that's what happens."