@PitchingFan posted:Last night is the perfect example why these smaller D1s play sec and other P5s. Western Illinois beat Louisville, UCF beat Ole Miss, Georgia State beat Vandy, and Tulane beat Mississippi State. They play for nights like last night. Several others barely lost.
I think you have it backwards. In our area, P5s schedule D1 mid-majors and smaller D1s so they don't have to travel, and it gives the coaches an opportunity to evaluate underclassmen, competition for starting positions, solidify hitting lineups, and pitching roles and rotations before their regular P5 conference games starts. For the D1-mid majors, this is probably the biggest game they will play all year. Some teams sink and some swim on these big moments. Like Buckeye2015, my son's first college appearance was against #1 ranked UVA back in 2011. This was the only time he was every noticeably nervous on a college mound. As the saying goes, sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield.
I'm not terribly surprised with these results from the other night as the season is ramping up. Upsets happen early every year.
As always, JMO.