So Troy State is orders of magnitude worse than we thought and Miss St seems much better than anyone thought. Those of you who say the jury is still out on HCBC are right...but only 3 games in, saying that is really playing Captain Obvious.
1. The eye test. Yes, this is subjective, but the performance on and off the field has changed so dramatically that it still should be conclusive by now.
2. We beat bad teams and lost to a deeper, richer one. Sure. But we beat the hell out of teams we should have beat the hell out of, and we smashed that SEC team in the teeth as hard as we got smashed until depth took over. The key is: how many years has it been since we could count on a UAB team doing those things, as we expect they would (should)?
We can't expect a division title at this point, but - especially after yesterday - what CUSA team can? But there are too many folks acting like it's just a matter of time before the UAB we've come to expect reappears on the field. Call me a sunshine pumper, but we're well past that point...just accept it.
I wouldn't read too much into the miss state game. Once we see how we do against FIU we will have an idea if we are any good
(09-21-2014 11:01 AM)bladhmadh Wrote: [ -> ]I wouldn't read too much into the miss state game. Once we see how we do against FIU we will have an idea if we are any good
No, no it will be after our first CUSA road test @WKU.
But, then, if we don't show well against Arkansas we're frauds.
Of course, then there's a stretch of games that will decide if we will challenge for the East title. Yeah, that's when we'll know that the program has improved.
Wait, wait, wait. No, it's the game against USM. There's an apples-to-apples comparison for
if we're any better (no, you can't say that about Troy State because...well, you just can't).
I believed we were a different team around the start of the 4th quarter on 8/30.
Troy is bad, bad, bad.
And what do good teams do to bad teams? They stomp a mudhole in them, 48-10.
We got after State in a way LSU didn't for 3 and a half quarters.
We thumped an FCS school good and proper.
Hell, I guess we've sucked so long, some folks have come to embrace it.
(09-21-2014 11:08 AM)blazr Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2014 11:01 AM)bladhmadh Wrote: [ -> ]I wouldn't read too much into the miss state game. Once we see how we do against FIU we will have an idea if we are any good
No, no it will be after our first CUSA road test @WKU.
But, then, if we don't show well against Arkansas we're frauds.
Of course, then there's a stretch of games that will decide if we will challenge for the East title. Yeah, that's when we'll know that the program has improved.
Wait, wait, wait. No, it's the game against USM. There's an apples-to-apples comparison for if we're any better (no, you can't say that about Troy State because...well, you just can't).
considering how bad troy is this year you really cant say how much we have improved. The M$U game could be more of a reflection on their players not being up for the game as improvement on our part. If we wax FIU Ill go with we have improved a great deal and will have a decent shot at the east. If we struggle with FIU we are probably looking at a six win season. Either way I have faith in this coaching staff and expect to be contending for a division championship next year.
It's Troy not Troy State. However, I agree with you. Lets beat FIU!
All know is we are definitely better than last year. Fewer penalties and a much improved defense. Plus we are 2-1 where in the past we had been 0-3.
according to the eye test, i think we are better than last year. however, my preseason prediction (based on last years team) was that we'd be 2-1 at this point, 3-1 after next week and then go 1-7 the rest of the way.
while i do think we're far better than last year, i'll wait until we win a game that i didn't expect before i start shouting too loudly
The FIU will do some things to clear up the murkiness, WKU will settle it once and for all in my eyes.
Don't get ahead of ourselves. One game at a time. Cautious optimism. I've been here before, though this time is much more promising.
(09-21-2014 10:58 AM)blazr Wrote: [ -> ]We can't expect a division title at this point, but - especially after yesterday - what CUSA team can?
Marshall.
Every team should first be judged on how it performs in conference. We have not played any of those eight games. Cautiously optimistic is still the path for me.
FIU is going to tell us a lot about ourselves.
A lot...
A whole lot more than I figured the game would be worth in that regard before this weekend (and we didn't even play). Call it a sensing of ripples in The Force.
Does this team have what it takes to seize a 3-1 start?
(09-21-2014 11:54 AM)TPBlaze84 Wrote: [ -> ]The FIU will do some things to clear up the murkiness, WKU will settle it once and for all in my eyes.
+1, I'm cautiously optimistic but it's more an improvement in the coaching staff knowing what to do on gameday vs what we had as well as players wanting to play for them rather than the situation we had last year. The month of Oct will separate the contenders from pretenders regardless of current W/L record.
What we don't know : How is this team going to play with a lead on the road ?
Arkansas is completely capable of burying us in the 1st quarter. After watching M$U last night, our guys definitely got to play against a hobbled Dak Prescott. And Arkansas is playing Big 10 football. 5 yards a carry between the tackles. Arkansas runs well and stops the run. And they put a beat down on NIU yesterday.
(09-21-2014 02:52 PM)BlazerPhil Wrote: [ -> ]What we don't know : How is this team going to play with a lead on the road ?
Arkansas is completely capable of burying us in the 1st quarter. After watching M$U last night, our guys definitely got to play against a hobbled Dak Prescott. And Arkansas is playing Big 10 football. 5 yards a carry between the tackles. Arkansas runs well and stops the run. And they put a beat down on NIU yesterday.
Arkansas looks to be a much improved team! I still say that is our toughest game left.........playing in Fayetteville is no joke, as is trying to get there :(
(09-21-2014 02:52 PM)BlazerPhil Wrote: [ -> ]What we don't know : How is this team going to play with a lead on the road ?
Arkansas is completely capable of burying us in the 1st quarter. After watching M$U last night, our guys definitely got to play against a hobbled Dak Prescott. And Arkansas is playing Big 10 football. 5 yards a carry between the tackles. Arkansas runs well and stops the run. And they put a beat down on NIU yesterday.
I don't believe that for a second.
(09-21-2014 11:24 AM)jcduncan13 Wrote: [ -> ]It's Troy not Troy State.
It's more fun to call them Troy State because they hate it.
(09-21-2014 11:24 AM)jcduncan13 Wrote: [ -> ]It's Troy not Troy State. However, I agree with you. Lets beat FIU!
It will always be Troy State. Just b/c that bugs the hell out of them.
(09-21-2014 03:34 PM)thebernreuter Wrote: [ -> ] (09-21-2014 11:24 AM)jcduncan13 Wrote: [ -> ]"It's Troy not Troy State."
"It's more fun to call them Troy State because they hate it."
Actually, it's more fun to call them Troy's Taint because it's what they are.