We open as 1 point underdogs (+1).
Did we find a QB, or is the entire UTEP out with Covid?
I remember when the matchup with UTEP almost felt like a rivalry back in the WAC days.
The irony is that if CUSA had chosen Tech instead of UTEP back in 2004, the whole G5 landscape would be much different now and most possibly better for both teams.
Thinking the Big East/AAC still adds the same teams, I still think we would have ended up with this:
EAST
ODU
Charlotte
FAU
FIU
WKU
MTSU
Marshall
WEST
UAB
USM
LaTech
Rice
UNT
UTSA
TXST/ stAte
Chasing markets, the East is still the same. In the west, the only difference is TXST or stAte taking UTEP's spot in the west. I think Tech and the Texas schools would have favored TXST, but Arkansas State would get support from some eastern schools and possibly (arguably) bring the Memphis market, which was all the rage at the time.
UTEP would have been in a depleted WAC and probably would have been competing for a MWC spot against Utah St, San Jose St and Hawaii. Idaho and NMSU weren't getting in due in-state competition.
A big question though would be, what would have happened to the Sun Belt in this UTEP/LaTech 2005 swap scenario. They had to survive in 2012 by calling up FCS teams and bringing in the WAC leftovers as football-only. By CUSA taking TXST or stAte in 2012, the Sun Belt would have had to have found another full conference member. Maybe EKU or Chattanooga? It would have made their geography tighter but also have limited JMU coming up later most likely and possibly ODU joining at the same time. JMU would have to accept a CUSA callup in 2021 as their only option to get into FBS. CUSA could have TXST, stAte, ODU and/or JMU in its line-up now and the Sun Belt could have EKU or Chattanooga because UTEP took LaTech's spot in 2004.
All just fun what-ifs.