The media and most fans aren't expecting much after last years 0-12 season. Any chance of the football team suprising this year?
Reasons for yes: Last year English overhauled the system and implemented a style that didn't fit his personnel. This year English has brought in more players that fit his system and the remaining players from the Genyk era have adapted (see O-Line and D-Line weights). English has also learned from his mistakes and upgraded position coaches. A key for any turnaround is when a few newcomers become impact players, will we see this from a young Wide Receiver stepping up, the JC Defensive Tackles or touted Freshmen linebackers? EMU will need some contributions in all three departments.
Reasons for no: Year 1 of the English regime was BAD. Too much needed improvement and one recruiting class isn't enough to make a big jump in the win-loss record. Inexperience at the Quarterback position hampers the efficiency of the offense and there are no proven receivers and despite some talent on the offensive line there is little depth if the injury bug strikes again. English looked for immediate help from the JC recruits in year one and few cracked the 2-deep. If the Year 2 JC recruits falter, so will the 2010 season.
my guess is that all of these threads are kind of blind speculaton until we get say 1 to 2 weeks into camps.
we need to get some VALID feedback from practice to see who can play and who can't. who is in shape; who is not.
Otherwise, we are simply re-hashing press releases, players' vitas, speculation, etc.
Nice job EMU03,
I see the potential for the defense to improve over last year, the kicking game to be a crap shoot and despite a good offensive line and a some decent RBs I expect opponents to key on the run (8 in a box formations)and force us to pass which will be our weakness.
I think the team will end up with 2-4 wins for the season.
Here's today's reason why I expect this. Given that a lot of people have picked EMU to finish as the worst FBS team this year (which probably implies 0 wins again, or maybe 1 win --
see point 4 here), that would be a pretty decent upside surprise.
Considering that it's been 15 years since the Eagles won 5 games in a season (6-5 in 1995; 5-6 in 1994), I'd call 5 wins a "breakthrough". But for this year, I'd be satisfied with 3 or 4 wins, and 3 or 4 more games with single-digit losses. That would show pretty significant improvement over last year, and give me reasonable hope for a winning season in 2011.
(07-26-2010 07:07 AM)cmadler Wrote: [ -> ]I think the team will end up with 2-4 wins for the season. Here's today's reason why I expect this. Given that a lot of people have picked EMU to finish as the worst FBS team this year (which probably implies 0 wins again, or maybe 1 win -- see point 4 here), that would be a pretty decent upside surprise.
Considering that it's been 15 years since the Eagles won 5 games in a season (6-5 in 1995; 5-6 in 1994), I'd call 5 wins a "breakthrough". But for this year, I'd be satisfied with 3 or 4 wins, and 3 or 4 more games with single-digit losses. That would show pretty significant improvement over last year, and give me reasonable hope for a winning season in 2011.
Tough schedule guys. 2 or 3 wins and keeping it close would show significant improvement. I would say @Ball State, OU, @Buffalo seem to be your best shots. Always tough to win on the road.
(07-26-2010 04:05 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]Nice job EMU03,
I see the potential for the defense to improve over last year, the kicking game to be a crap shoot and despite a good offensive line and a some decent RBs I expect opponents to key on the run (8 in a box formations)and force us to pass which will be our weakness.
I don't know why (and this is NOT inside info) but I'm getting bad vibes on the new class.
I know a fair number of players aren't cutting it academically.
This scares me. Sounds like re-runs from years gone past.
While 1 win may be considered a breakthrough I think 4 wins would be a legit target. That gets them back to the Genyk era level and sets them up for further improvement in 2011.
If the defense is significantly better then they've got a chance of getting to 4 wins. That defensive front 7 must be better.
(07-26-2010 11:36 AM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ] (07-26-2010 04:05 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]Nice job EMU03,
I see the potential for the defense to improve over last year, the kicking game to be a crap shoot and despite a good offensive line and a some decent RBs I expect opponents to key on the run (8 in a box formations)and force us to pass which will be our weakness.
I don't know why (and this is NOT inside info) but I'm getting bad vibes on the new class.
I know a fair number of players aren't cutting it academically.
This scares me. Sounds like re-runs from years gone past.
Out of curiosity...
How do you know that a fair number of the payers aren't cutting it academically? Grades are a pretty confidential matter.
I don't recall Genyk's recruiting classes having alot of academic problems but I do know that a large number of certain classes just didn't show up or didn't make it out of summer practices.
There were a fair number of English's first class that didn't "show up" and in one case Sewell I believe make it through spring practice but not summer.
Hopefully you don't mean grade clearinghouse issues with some of the new incoming class which may mean props or not even participating this coming season.
(07-26-2010 12:03 PM)KPJ Wrote: [ -> ] (07-26-2010 11:36 AM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ] (07-26-2010 04:05 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]Nice job EMU03,
I see the potential for the defense to improve over last year, the kicking game to be a crap shoot and despite a good offensive line and a some decent RBs I expect opponents to key on the run (8 in a box formations)and force us to pass which will be our weakness.
I don't know why (and this is NOT inside info) but I'm getting bad vibes on the new class.
I know a fair number of players aren't cutting it academically.
This scares me. Sounds like re-runs from years gone past.
Out of curiosity...
How do you know that a fair number of the payers aren't cutting it academically? Grades are a pretty confidential matter.
I was referring to new recruits and a fair number bombed out.
2009 recruit Axon didn't cut it academically, I believe.
We still have had not heard if other '10 sitouts qualifed academically.
Nothing more then that.
(07-26-2010 11:58 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote: [ -> ]While 1 win may be considered a breakthrough I think 4 wins would be a legit target. That gets them back to the Genyk era level and sets them up for further improvement in 2011.
If the defense is significantly better then they've got a chance of getting to 4 wins. That defensive front 7 must be better.
I agree Nickle. 3-5 wins this year sets us up well for 2011 with renewed excitement. If we win 0 or 1 game I think recruiting will be hurt and fans will lose any patience with English.
We've got to get the monkey off our backs with at least one win in one of the first three against Army (home), Miami (away), CMU (home).
(07-26-2010 11:58 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote: [ -> ]While 1 win may be considered a breakthrough I think 4 wins would be a legit target. That gets them back to the Genyk era level and sets them up for further improvement in 2011.
If the defense is significantly better then they've got a chance of getting to 4 wins. That defensive front 7 must be better.
I agree Nickle. 3-5 wins this year sets us up well for 2011 with renewed excitement. If we win 0 or 1 game I think recruiting will be hurt and fans will lose any patience with English.
We've got to get the monkey off our backs with at least one win in one of the first three against Army (home), Miami (away), CMU (home).
(07-27-2010 07:08 AM)EMU03 Wrote: [ -> ] (07-26-2010 11:58 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote: [ -> ]While 1 win may be considered a breakthrough I think 4 wins would be a legit target. That gets them back to the Genyk era level and sets them up for further improvement in 2011.
If the defense is significantly better then they've got a chance of getting to 4 wins. That defensive front 7 must be better.
I agree Nickle. 3-5 wins this year sets us up well for 2011 with renewed excitement. If we win 0 or 1 game I think recruiting will be hurt and fans will lose any patience with English.
We've got to get the monkey off our backs with at least one win in one of the first three against Army (home), Miami (away), CMU (home).
All 3 of those may be winnable. Army should be better than last year but if EMU can limit the running game and get up on them early it should be a great game. Miami was 1-11 last year but returns a lot of starters. CMU lost a lot of firepower and will be transitioning to a new system.
Also keep an eye on the Vandy game. They went 2-12 last year and appear to be in turmoil (coach just resigned last month). If EMU can win a few early games and go to Nashville with confidence that game might just be EMU first win over a BCS school.
(07-27-2010 08:49 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote: [ -> ] (07-27-2010 07:08 AM)EMU03 Wrote: [ -> ]I agree Nickle. 3-5 wins this year sets us up well for 2011 with renewed excitement. If we win 0 or 1 game I think recruiting will be hurt and fans will lose any patience with English.
We've got to get the monkey off our backs with at least one win in one of the first three against Army (home), Miami (away), CMU (home).
All 3 of those may be winnable. Army should be better than last year but if EMU can limit the running game and get up on them early it should be a great game. Miami was 1-11 last year but returns a lot of starters. CMU lost a lot of firepower and will be transitioning to a new system.
Also keep an eye on the Vandy game. They went 2-12 last year and appear to be in turmoil (coach just resigned last month). If EMU can win a few early games and go to Nashville with confidence that game might just be EMU first win over a BCS school.
Personally, I think EMU may be capable of winning any game on their schedule except Ohio State. I am, of course, not suggesting that they can go 11-1, but that any of those 11 games are probably winnable.
Except for Ohio State, every team on EMU's schedule is generally in the bottom half of pre-season rankings. The other two BCS-conference schools, Vanderbilt and Virginia, are both ranked in the 90s. Of the three highest-ranked MAC teams, EMU doesn't face Temple, and will have NIU and Ohio at Rynearson. So with the exceptions of facing Ohio State and having 3 consecutive road games in October, this is a pretty favorable schedule.
The Army game is good measuring stick since they have most of the same team coming back this year. I hope our defense is better because it will have to be since we have Gillett this year and last year Schmitt played that game. I agree Army and Miami of Ohio are two games we can win.
However its hard to predict with perhaps some questions on which players we will have by the Army opener. I believe they publish a roster when camp opens, it will be interesting to see who reports and who doesn't.
A breakthrough season would be 3 to 5 wins (then plus 1... become bowl elgible!!!) I would agree with most on here and say that we should get at least 1 win from our first 3. Get that 0 and 12 season out of our minds and start getting some Ws regularly. I am definitely pumped for the opener!!!
EMU!
(07-27-2010 11:55 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]The Army game is good measuring stick since they have most of the same team coming back this year. I hope our defense is better because it will have to be since we have Gillett this year and last year Schmitt played that game. I agree Army and Miami of Ohio are two games we can win.
However its hard to predict with perhaps some questions on which players we will have by the Army opener. I believe they publish a roster when camp opens, it will be interesting to see who reports and who doesn't.
Agree Army is as good of a YoY (year over year) comparison we can get.
What should scare EMU fans is a loss to BOTH Army and Miami.
I can't predict which game we'll win but one of those two is a must.
If not, we'll need to schedule a I-AA home game to start next season to get that first win of the season.
(08-01-2010 05:57 PM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ] (07-27-2010 11:55 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]The Army game is good measuring stick since they have most of the same team coming back this year. I hope our defense is better because it will have to be since we have Gillett this year and last year Schmitt played that game. I agree Army and Miami of Ohio are two games we can win.
However its hard to predict with perhaps some questions on which players we will have by the Army opener. I believe they publish a roster when camp opens, it will be interesting to see who reports and who doesn't.
Agree Army is as good of a YoY (year over year) comparison we can get.
What should scare EMU fans is a loss to BOTH Army and Miami.
I can't predict which game we'll win but one of those two is a must.
If not, we'll need to schedule a I-AA home game to start next season to get that first win of the season.
Next year's non-conference schedule is in the media guide. Home games with Howard and LA Tech. Road games at Mich and PSU.
(07-27-2010 11:55 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]The Army game is good measuring stick since they have most of the same team coming back this year.
We return most of our starters, so it's a reasonable assumption that we'll be better. Easiest example is that our starting QB last year was a plebe (freshman) in his first college football game. Now he's a sophomore with 12 starts.
I'm not clear on how this makes our game a good measuring stick. We presumably have gotten better, but we don't really know how much better since this will be our opener.