I dunno, for us ( UTSA) I'm sold on the D, I'd like to see more from our offense. If we dominate Texas St. then I'll feel much better.

(09-17-2017 11:44 PM)Lizard Breath Wrote:  I dunno, for us ( UTSA) I'm sold on the D, I'd like to see more from our offense. If we dominate Texas St. then I'll feel much better.

Totally agree. I think the Defense has what it takes to keep up with everyone in conference. USM and UNT offenses will definitely challenge them though. Offense is decent, and could be better, but as is enough to make gains against the defenses in our schedule.

Right now, if I were forced to make predictions on which games we (FAU) would win, I think, I can pick Charlotte and FIU as wins where we should be favored.
I think we can beat MTSU, Buffalo, and UNT to get to 6 wins. Possibly even Marshall.

(09-17-2017 11:03 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  

(09-17-2017 08:53 PM)Free bird Wrote:  Volkmar, I agree that our conversation feels like it's never ending. And I want to have the discussion that you mentioned is appropriate, but you are simply refusing to have that discussion. To say that you are able to predict the TXST game by reason of merely not having "respect" for the team, which has nothing to do with the outcome of a football game, baffles me. If you can discuss TXST, then you can discuss the rest. Unless you don't know anything about the other opponents which is ok if you aren't criticizing others as if you can confidently discuss it.
For most, there is no accountability on this forum. We are here to talk football. Over half of the threads are prediction threads. ITS OK IF YOUR PICK TURNS OUT WRONG. It's almost as if you are playing the safe card. "If you don't make a prediction, then nobody can judge or criticize you".
You can take it one game at a time if it helps, starting with USM. Yes, it is still early and they have only played two games, USM three, but that doesn't mean you don't have any data. You said it yourself, questions in offense and special teams. So if that's your concern right NOW, how would UTSA match up with USM TODAY? That's what this threads about. Don't go around saying it's unrealistic to make a prediction three games into a football season when you refuse to even offer a rebuttal. And like I said, in the two games we have played and three the others have played, everyone has made observations that CAN be used to make predictions. I mean, every week there are multiple match up threads based off of previous performances. I have yet to see a prediction thread based on how someone's feeling are toward the respect level of their opponent.
So it would be very informative if you would predict "games", not A "game", so you can appropriately contribute to the thread instead of making statements that get us nowhere.

It is just, quite simply, ridiculously hard to go undefeated at ANY level. Case in point....the 2014 Herd team. WKU had ZERO business even being in that game, but for whatever reason, they were up to the task and we weren't. The likelihood of ANYONE going undefeated in the league this year is very small.

(09-18-2017 08:34 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  It is just, quite simply, ridiculously hard to go undefeated at ANY level.

This. Oddly enough, it's also ridiculously hard to go winless at ANY level. Every team has those days when the ball is bouncing consistently one way or the other. This is why I'm convinced that when a team goes winless the biggest problem is not on the field...there's something going on in the locker room or further behind the scenes.

I would be hard pressed to say UTSA could run the table. Conference play is a different animal and there are several games on the schedule that make me nervous (S. Miss and La Tech especially)

Additionally, UTSA is one big injury from disaster (offensive side of the ball.) The oline is thin and UTSA already lost one of their best O-lineman for the season vs Baylor. Dalton Sturm has to stay healthy because there is no one who is ready behind him. Losing arguably the best QB in CUSA would be devastating.

We will have a better than 50% chance of beating North Texas, Charlotte, UAB, Rice, and UTEP, a 50% chance against Tech and Marshall, a 40% chance against UTSA, and a 20% chance against Tennessee.

0-12 for us. We might get lucky and catch someone off guard. We will be underdogs the rest of the way.

It's still too early to predict with strong confidence for the Monarchs, particularly since we pulled the redshirt off our freshman QB just before halftime Saturday. Coach Wilder made it clear in the post-game presser that our QB competition is now over, and that true freshman Williams is the man. Given that, here's my best guess.

In my opinion, and based on the few games we have seen to date, the Monarchs should beat North Texas, Charlotte, FIU, Rice and MTSU. I included MTSU in this group because I really cannot tell much from their performance to date. They have played a really tough schedule and lost two games they should have, while ekeing out a win over a Syracuse team that is not expected to be very good this year. So my prediction there is clearly a little iffy. The Monarchs potentially can beat FAU, WKU and Marshall, but wins against those teams are much more questionable. Right now, the team I suspect will be the hardest to beat will be Marshall on the road. Still a long ways to go. ODU could have anything from a very good year to a really mediocre to bad year. I'm leaning more toward the very good year.

Rice remaining schedule

vs. FIU - Win - will likely be our easiest remaining game
@ Pitt - Loss, of course
vs. Army - Probably a loss, but if we win then I think Rice could sneak into a bowl
@ UTSA - Loss
vs. La. Tech - Probably a loss, unless we go 2-2 in these next four games and look good in the losses
@ UAB - tossup
vs. Southern Miss - See Louisiana Tech
@ ODU - loss
vs. UNT - tossup

Think we ultimately shake out at 4-8 and either 3-5 or 4-4 in conference.

(09-18-2017 08:53 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(09-18-2017 08:34 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  It is just, quite simply, ridiculously hard to go undefeated at ANY level.

This. Oddly enough, it's also ridiculously hard to go winless at ANY level. Every team has those days when the ball is bouncing consistently one way or the other. This is why I'm convinced that when a team goes winless the biggest problem is not on the field...there's something going on in the locker room or further behind the scenes.

Its been shown to go winless is harder than to go undefeated....

(09-18-2017 11:17 AM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  Rice remaining schedule

vs. FIU - Win - will likely be our easiest remaining game
@ Pitt - Loss, of course
vs. Army - Probably a loss, but if we win then I think Rice could sneak into a bowl
@ UTSA - Loss
vs. La. Tech - Probably a loss, unless we go 2-2 in these next four games and look good in the losses
@ UAB - tossup
vs. Southern Miss - See Louisiana Tech
@ ODU - loss
vs. UNT - tossup

Think we ultimately shake out at 4-8 and either 3-5 or 4-4 in conference.

have you watched Pitt play? They are terrible. Took them OT to beat Youngstown ST.

(09-18-2017 12:27 PM)va-eagle Wrote:  

(09-18-2017 11:17 AM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  Rice remaining schedule

vs. FIU - Win - will likely be our easiest remaining game
@ Pitt - Loss, of course
vs. Army - Probably a loss, but if we win then I think Rice could sneak into a bowl
@ UTSA - Loss
vs. La. Tech - Probably a loss, unless we go 2-2 in these next four games and look good in the losses
@ UAB - tossup
vs. Southern Miss - See Louisiana Tech
@ ODU - loss
vs. UNT - tossup

Think we ultimately shake out at 4-8 and either 3-5 or 4-4 in conference.

have you watched Pitt play? They are terrible. Took them OT to beat Youngstown ST.

There is no way Rice beats Pitt. Bailiff is 3-24 against P5 teams at Rice in his 10+ seasons as head coach (getting outscored 1,137 to 466 in those games, or an average of 25 points per game). The three wins were against Kansas (x2) and Purdue.

I said we would go 7-6 at the beginning of the year based on the uncertainty of having to replace all four defensive linemen.

Well, I was wrong there. Scott Shafer is the real deal. They and the rest of the defense have been legit. In fact, MT is 49th in total defense giving up on 339 ypg in spite of playing three straight "power" conference teams. The problem has been the offensive line, but as of right now we've played the #1 defense, the #10 defense and the #36 defense and the O-Line has struggled some. We aren't likely to play a defense as good as we've seen in conference (unless its USM in the championship game) and by then the OL will no longer be inexperienced.

Because the OL is starting to show signs of improvement (no sacks allowed against Syracuse in the 2nd half and no sacks by Minnesota against the 1's), I believe the offense is going to be ok. Combined with a defense that looks about 99% better than what we had last year (and I was only hoping for a 15 to 20% improvement to compete for the championship), I'm revising my forecast.

We should beat Bowling Green even if KajunRaider is put in at QB. I assume there is no way Brent plays this weekend. If Brent returns for the FAU game:

MT to go 10-2, 8-0

If Brent does not return, MT to go 8-4, 6-2 with a new QB (Kyle Banks running the offense).

Not going to say which ones at the risk of offending anyone but UAB is winning a minimum of 6. I am sticking to my per-season prediction.

I think Tech goes 8-4.
@USC L
South Alabama W
@UAB W (sorry UAB fans I just don't see it happening)
Southern Miss L (just seems to be what we do)
@Rice W
North Texas W (mostly because we are at home)
FAU W
@UTEP W
UTSA L

Good news is UTSA, USM, North Texas are all at home. Other good news is we have a few more weeks before USM comes to town. I think we are trending up. If the next few weeks show continuous signs of improvement there is nothing that says we can't beat USM and we could be ready for UTSA by the end of the season. Stealing the win at WKU was very helpful and I think we need to steal one from USM to have a shot in the west this year.

Bad news is we are pretty thin at some key positions. Offensive line being one of the main ones. There are a number of key players that could derail any hope we have and send us struggling for 6-6.

(09-18-2017 02:14 PM)DETLTU Wrote:  @UAB W (sorry UAB fans I just don't see it happening)

I'm slightly puzzled why we've designated arguably our toughest home game as homecoming. Maybe to help attendance since locals didn't show up for our last game against the Dogs.

(09-18-2017 09:46 AM)ODU AGGIE Wrote:  It's still too early to predict with strong confidence for the Monarchs, particularly since we pulled the redshirt off our freshman QB just before halftime Saturday. Coach Wilder made it clear in the post-game presser that our QB competition is now over, and that true freshman Williams is the man. Given that, here's my best guess.

In my opinion, and based on the few games we have seen to date, the Monarchs should beat North Texas, Charlotte, FIU, Rice and MTSU. I included MTSU in this group because I really cannot tell much from their performance to date. They have played a really tough schedule and lost two games they should have, while ekeing out a win over a Syracuse team that is not expected to be very good this year. So my prediction there is clearly a little iffy. The Monarchs potentially can beat FAU, WKU and Marshall, but wins against those teams are much more questionable. Right now, the team I suspect will be the hardest to beat will be Marshall on the road. Still a long ways to go. ODU could have anything from a very good year to a really mediocre to bad year. I'm leaning more toward the very good year.

We have those three in a row right after the Bye. If we take one of them, we'll be bowling. Any more is icing on the cake.

ODU Remaining Schedule:

Comfortably Should Win: Charlotte, Rice
Comfortably Should Lose: UNC

Those 3 should be fairly comfortable predictions.

Home to FAU. We will likely be the favorite and have a bye week before.
@Marshall. Should be a dog and will be a tough game.
Home to WKY. Before the year, I wouldn't have given us much of a chance. Hilltoppers do not look right, right now.
@North Texas. Should be a favorite to win.
@FIU. Should be a favorite to win
@MTSU. With Stockstill, we should be an underdog; without him we might be favored to win.


ODU is an interesting team. Lost best RB, OL, TE, and RT for all or most of the year already. Going with a true freshman QB, who is clearly the best QB we have. The problem is everyone knows he will struggle at times (17 years old). He opens up the playbook, but will make rookie mistakes. Because of this, we probably lose a game or 2 that we are favored in.

I'm going to go 7-5........

wins over Albany, UMASS, FAU, North Texas, Charlotte, FIU, and Rice. Losses to Marshall, WKY, UNC, VT, MTSU. I could easily see a loss to NT or FAU, but a win against WKY or MTSU though.

(09-19-2017 10:38 AM)Gilesfan Wrote:  Comfortably Should Lose: UNC