http://www.goblueraiders.com/news/2016/7...-east.aspx

C-USA MEDIA MEMBERS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

EAST DIVISION
1. Middle Tennessee
2. WKU
3. Marshall
4. Florida Atlantic
5. FIU
6. Old Dominion
7. Charlotte

WEST DIVISION
1. Southern Miss
2. Louisiana Tech
3. Rice
4. UTEP
5. UTSA
6. North Texas

We will see.....MTSU is going to have to find some defense to win the East....FAU may be underrated this season and La. Tech maybe overrated this season....Media does not have a great track record in predicting these besides having WKU last season...

Wow, Marshall third in the East. That surprises me.

(07-21-2016 12:57 PM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  We will see.....MTSU is going to have to find some defense to win the East....FAU may be underrated this season and La. Tech maybe overrated this season....Coaches do not have a great track record in predicting these besides having WKU last season...

These are media picks

(07-21-2016 12:57 PM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  We will see.....MTSU is going to have to find some defense to win the East....

Just roughly as much as you guys found last year.

Yes we will need defense. That is my concern. Can't rely on offense to do it all like we did for the most part last year.

(07-21-2016 01:25 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  Yes we will need defense. That is my concern. Can't rely on offense to do it all like we did for the most part last year.

If Mathers and TF improve our offense as much as we are hoping, I don't think we'll need to improve our defense dramatically.

We only allowed about a point and a half more a game last year than Western did, on offense they averaged a full ten points better than us.

I think it's a tossup in the east for sure. We have the inside track IMHO, but only because we have WKU and MT at home. WKU beat us at home in 2014, but they're a different team than then (as are we, to be fair). Any slip among WKU, MT or Marshall could spell no title. I think you'll see the east champ with one loss. Just my thinking. But then again, there could be a three way tie.... It's going to be fun finding out.

(07-21-2016 12:54 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  http://www.goblueraiders.com/news/2016/7...-east.aspx

C-USA MEDIA MEMBERS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

EAST DIVISION
1. Middle Tennessee
2. WKU
3. Marshall
4. Florida Atlantic
5. FIU
6. Old Dominion
7. Charlotte

WEST DIVISION
1. Southern Miss
2. Louisiana Tech
3. Rice
4. UTEP
5. UTSA
6. North Texas

IMO, the media did a terrible job with the position on the east. Don't agree with a single one except Charlotte. The West was better.

1. Marshall
2. Middle Tennessee
3. FAU
4. wkcc
5. ODU
6. FIU
7. Charlotte

(07-21-2016 01:30 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-21-2016 01:25 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  Yes we will need defense. That is my concern. Can't rely on offense to do it all like we did for the most part last year.

If Mathers and TF improve our offense as much as we are hoping, I don't think we'll need to improve our defense dramatically.

We only allowed about a point and a half more a game last year than Western did, on offense they averaged a full ten points better than us.

But you also played 3 of national worse scoring teams that Western did not play...

Charlotte 119
Texas-San Antonio 104
FCS

I don't know what Middle lost from their defense but Western had a ton of experience along with 2 new players with starting experience from UAB.

western improved in 3 areas the most..

getting off the field on 3rd down
getting off the field on 4th down
giving up big players

In the two games Western loss big plays was the cause of one and not getting off the field on 3rd and long (5+ yards) killed us.

One thing Western found out year before last...when you score quick and don't have a lot of depth on defense and a young defense. You give up a huge amount of points. Especially late in the game

Like I said I haven't looked at Middle's defense...maybe you are in the same position Western was last year with a lot of returning players and more depth. If so I agree Middle can make a big jump on defense

Hope we finish above at least one of the F_U schools

My Guess

EAST DIVISION
1. Marshall
2. WKU
3. MTSU
4. Florida Atlantic
5. ODU
6. FIU
7. Charlotte

WEST DIVISION
1. Southern Miss
2. UTEP
3. La Tech
4. Rice
5. North Texas
6. UTSA
7. UAB

One of the least number of returning lettermen in conference, only five home games, two of which, latech, and wku essentially named the score last year. Defense wins championships and we don't have one that inspires faith in that poll.

I agree that Middle will have a strong offense, but as mentioned in the previous post, the schedule sets up bad for them.

(07-21-2016 02:39 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-21-2016 01:30 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-21-2016 01:25 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  Yes we will need defense. That is my concern. Can't rely on offense to do it all like we did for the most part last year.

If Mathers and TF improve our offense as much as we are hoping, I don't think we'll need to improve our defense dramatically.

We only allowed about a point and a half more a game last year than Western did, on offense they averaged a full ten points better than us.

But you also played 3 of national worse scoring teams that Western did not play...

Charlotte 119
Texas-San Antonio 104
FCS

I don't know what Middle lost from their defense but Western had a ton of experience along with 2 new players with starting experience from UAB.

western improved in 3 areas the most..

getting off the field on 3rd down
getting off the field on 4th down
giving up big players

In the two games Western loss big plays was the cause of one and not getting off the field on 3rd and long (5+ yards) killed us.

One thing Western found out year before last...when you score quick and don't have a lot of depth on defense and a young defense. You give up a huge amount of points. Especially late in the game

Like I said I haven't looked at Middle's defense...maybe you are in the same position Western was last year with a lot of returning players and more depth. If so I agree Middle can make a big jump on defense

But WKUYG.....last year preseason there were some Middle fans that FLAT OUT predicted NO WAY Western's defense would improve enough to contend for the conference crown.

Flat out said it could/would NOT happen.

Of course they looked pretty stupid at the end of the year and I may or may have not bumped their football ignorance back to the top in the thread where they basically said it can't happen.

This was after you had said all preseason about the 2 new additions plus the fact that tons of really green kids got tons of playing time in the previous year. You even said we just had to improve some. Not become a dominating Dee because our offense pretty much keeps that from happening.

But now THEY can improve. It's hilarious what homer-glasses can do to folks.

And I believe that they can but it's funny how deep that hatred for Western was that they threw logic out the window last year.

(07-21-2016 08:37 PM)dahbeed Wrote:  

(07-21-2016 02:39 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-21-2016 01:30 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-21-2016 01:25 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  Yes we will need defense. That is my concern. Can't rely on offense to do it all like we did for the most part last year.

If Mathers and TF improve our offense as much as we are hoping, I don't think we'll need to improve our defense dramatically.

We only allowed about a point and a half more a game last year than Western did, on offense they averaged a full ten points better than us.

But you also played 3 of national worse scoring teams that Western did not play...

Charlotte 119
Texas-San Antonio 104
FCS

I don't know what Middle lost from their defense but Western had a ton of experience along with 2 new players with starting experience from UAB.

western improved in 3 areas the most..

getting off the field on 3rd down
getting off the field on 4th down
giving up big players

In the two games Western loss big plays was the cause of one and not getting off the field on 3rd and long (5+ yards) killed us.

One thing Western found out year before last...when you score quick and don't have a lot of depth on defense and a young defense. You give up a huge amount of points. Especially late in the game

Like I said I haven't looked at Middle's defense...maybe you are in the same position Western was last year with a lot of returning players and more depth. If so I agree Middle can make a big jump on defense

But WKUYG.....last year preseason there were some Middle fans that FLAT OUT predicted NO WAY Western's defense would improve enough to contend for the conference crown.

Flat out said it could/would NOT happen.

Of course they looked pretty stupid at the end of the year and I may or may have not bumped their football ignorance back to the top in the thread where they basically said it can't happen.

This was after you had said all preseason about the 2 new additions plus the fact that tons of really green kids got tons of playing time in the previous year. You even said we just had to improve some. Not become a dominating Dee because our offense pretty much keeps that from happening.

But now THEY can improve. It's hilarious what homer-glasses can do to folks.

And I believe that they can but it's funny how deep that hatred for Western was that they threw logic out the window last year.

I certainly didn't say any of that, nor am I predicting whether or not we will improve, my only point was that your defense wasn't exactly something to brag on, but it was more than enough.

I don't know if Tony Franklin and Mathers will mean an additional ten points a game to get our offense where yours was last year(though I'm pretty sure he added ten points per game to the previous year's average last time he was on our sideline) but if he does, it certainly takes a little more pressure off the defense.

(07-21-2016 04:08 PM)Eagleholic Wrote:  My Guess

EAST DIVISION
1. Marshall
2. WKU
3. MTSU
4. Florida Atlantic
5. ODU
6. FIU
7. Charlotte

WEST DIVISION
1. Southern Miss
2. UTEP
3. La Tech
4. Rice
5. North Texas
6. UTSA
7. UAB

That's about what I've got but my homerism wants to push ODU up another spot and maybe switch UTSA & NT. But it's close enough. The race for the east title should be interesting, any of the top three could do it I think. I like Marshall for it though. QB in place and a good defense. MU & USM in the championship with USM winning it.

MT will not finish third. We will either win the division or choke and end up second.

Yes I certainly remember MTSU fans predicting us to finish 5th in the East due to the fact "we did not have a defense", Last off season fun times to see all the hatred toward WKU...

My Guess

EAST DIVISION
1. WKU
2. Marshall
3. FAU
4. MTSU
5. ODU
6. FIU
7. Charlotte

WEST DIVISION
1. Southern Miss
2. UTEP
3. Rice
4. La Tech
5. UTSA
6. North Texas

I just can't wait for homecoming versus the red blobs. It is time for a blow out win.