(08-24-2017 12:40 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(08-24-2017 11:20 AM)TU4ever Wrote:  

(08-24-2017 09:47 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(08-24-2017 09:10 AM)fanhood Wrote:  

(08-24-2017 08:29 AM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  Navy by 21-24. Not even close

You guys are going to be disappointed. FAU had talent last year, but could not put it together. They lost some close games. Their talent level will exceed Navy's.

2016 FAU lost close games to:
Ball State, 4-8(1-7 MAC)
FIU 4-8(4-4)
Charlotte 4-8(3-5)
Marshall 3-9 (2-6)

Navy beat a 3-9 FAU squad in 2012. Since then Navy's talent has gotten better (and still not reached our low ceiling).
Since then FAU has gone 6-6(4-4), 3-9(2-6), 3-9(3-5), 3-9(2-6), so it's hard to see an overall trend of better talent.

This year's talent definitely has some upgrades with "Lane Chance U" types who were FSU, Auburn, etc -level talents. And Kiffin is an offensive boy genius. And I'm optimistic about Navy's defense being better / more experienced than last year, but that could be untrue. So, yeah, this could be a last team with the ball wins situation...Heck, if Navy makes uncharacteristic mistakes AND all those potential positives for FAU come together, sure it could be FAU by 6 or more.
But assuming that a couple additions will put it all together for Lane in week one is more of a hope than a strategy.
And most of the rest of the world doesn't see it your way.

Shhhh, dont bring up obvious facts, fanhood doesn't believe in fake news like past performances of coaches or teams. All that matters is cusa, the mac, mwc, sunbelt are on the same level as aac schools so there is no way navy is going to win. I'll take vegas' line he said, because in his emotional bubble world the gamblers are on his side.

I previously jumped on the "close losses." I think that FAU is probably exactly who the record says they are.

But let's look at "Their talent level will exceed Navy's."
Let's stipulate that that is true...so what?

The opponent's talent exceeds Navy's 9 or 10 games every year, and somehow we keep winning 5 to 8 of those games where we're out-talented.

2017/2year/5year recruiting rankings have FAU ranked 72/80/80 and Navy 80/83/85. At least some of the "Lane Chance U" guys are included in those numbers, too. That's a pretty slim difference.
Even if FAU is an eyelash better than Navy talent-wise, they're not more talented than most of the AAC or SDSU whom we've been beating these last four years, much less Notre Dame, Pitt, and others.

Could Navy lose this game? Sure, we could get outplayed and outcoached in eight days. But this isn't some talent-laden juggernaut that was lying dormant waiting for Joey Freshwater to come along and kiss it awake.

Good point, and Navy's culture and coaching have a lot to do with their success. USF was struggling while recruiting at a high level for a stretch and they just recently put it together. The classes they were pulling in were more talented on paper than the ones FAU has grabbed recently.