Football season is right around the corner! The game against UVA is in just THIRTEEN DAYS! With that in mind, we did our annual game by game breakdown of this year, giving predictions and commentary along the way.

Please let a comment below about what record YOU think W&M will have at the end of the year. ROLL TRIBE!!

Article: https://wmsportsblog.com/2017/08/20/trib...edictions/

Your overall 6-5 won-loss prediction appears about right given the uncertainties surrounding Jimmy's 38th edition of the Tribe.

Too many unknowns at this point to accurately predict the season:

*As you point out, the unknown status at this juncture of the quarterback position. Not just who it will be, but how effective

*Running back is shrouded in unknowns. Who will play, who will start. Will Funderburke return at full speed at some point. Will a true freshman, a la Jon Grimes, suddenly appear from nowhere and fill the position.

*Everyone says our young linebacker corps is athletic and talented. However, at this point, it stands virtually unknown as to quality and depth.

*McKee appears to be the punter...how effective will he be..or will an unknown step up.

*Will we sustain a decent pass rush, abysmal and invisible last season. Without an effective pass rush
we'll be as weak as last season.

All these things contribute to perhaps the most unknown Tribe team in many seasons. Lots of things have to go right to return to major success; that said, Jimmye appears upbeat by what he sees in pre-season and he, as much as any coach, knows what he's doing.

I think the best possible record they could get realistically is 8-3. If they have a bad season, I think they go 4-7.

With the exception of UVA our first half of the season is easy and the second half difficult. If we start slow it might go down hill from there. Win most in the beginning and we should have decent momentum and win some we shouldn't in the second half. As BT3 alluded, this team has more unknowns than knowns including a new OC. We had probably the best recruiting class in many years (ever?) so I think we'll see several true freshmen play. My biggest concern isn't offense or defense, it is the kicking game. Jimmye never recruits specialists with scholarship money from what I can tell. I'm hoping for a good punter and kicker to emerge.

(08-21-2017 07:38 AM)Tribe32 Wrote:  With the exception of UVA our first half of the season is easy and the second half difficult. If we start slow it might go down hill from there. Win most in the beginning and we should have decent momentum and win some we shouldn't in the second half. As BT3 alluded, this team has more unknowns than knowns including a new OC. We had probably the best recruiting class in many years (ever?) so I think we'll see several true freshmen play. My biggest concern isn't offense or defense, it is the kicking game. Jimmye never recruits specialists with scholarship money from what I can tell. I'm hoping for a good punter and kicker to emerge.

When I was at practice the other day, Tommy McKee was doing good. Better than the spring game for sure.

Maybe I'm drinking the Shon Kool-Aid (Ok. Definitely drinking it, sorry), but I don't see this team finishing 6-5 or anywhere near the bottom of the conference.

I get the question marks, but we have our best receiving corps in 8 years and some raw talent at QB. If Funderburke comes back healthy and/or we receive have any running game at all, we'll have to keep defenses honest against the run. The defense over-performed last year, but really who needs defense when Mitchell is throwing 8 TDs a game (just kidding, guys. It'll be 9 per game). Joking aside, I think the defense will step up to the challenge this year.

Throw me in for a competitive game at UVA, a Taylor Heinicke-like debut season from Mitchell, 8-3 record, a playoff run, and a top 10 pre-season ranking for 2018.

I think the prediction here is about right, but where I'm with tribetime is I think we're more likely to swing up than down. That's based purely on gut feeling and the young (but unproven) talent we have all over the field.

I think we have a couple of QBs that could excel in our offense. Assuming that happens and the front 7 on defense live up to potential, we'll have a solid if not very good season.

I'm bullish as well, and I think the schedule favors us. Normally I'd be really upset about eight straight conference games without a bye, but this basically allows us UVa and two easier games to break in a new QB, new RBs (and get Funderburke back), some new key defensive players, etc. Then we have the bye week to reassess and hit on some key areas of focus before conference play. It's unlikely, but if there's a need for a course correction at the QB spot, this is a good chance to do that going into conference play. Or maybe there's something where we do two QBs for the first three games as an extended try-out. I really hope that's not the long term solution though.

FWIW - I increasingly think it's very likely we have our first 2-headed QB since Potts/Phillips.

3-8

(08-21-2017 09:08 AM)WM Beancounter Wrote:  3-8

Hush!

Now, start drinking your Kool-Aid!

I think this is a better team than last season. Put me down for 7-4.

I feel really good about the 2018 team. I don't feel so great about this team.

(08-21-2017 10:46 AM)Rocco Wrote:  I feel really good about the 2018 team. I don't feel so great about this team.

Despite my overt optimism, after following this team for over a decade, I'm afraid I agree with this more than I'd like to admit. Agreed 2018 will be a good year.

(08-21-2017 10:21 AM)nj alum Wrote:  

(08-21-2017 09:08 AM)WM Beancounter Wrote:  3-8

Hush!

Now, start drinking your Kool-Aid!

Ha! Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather see 8-3, and I will attend all 5 home games plus @UVa & @UR no matter how good or bad our boys are. But I see us beating NSU, Bucknell, and 1 random CAA game (please be Richmond!), and that's it. This league is as tough as ever this year, and we're going to do battle armed with (potentially) a true freshman QB, no experience at RB, no punter, holes all over the defense and a veritable child at Offensive Coordinator. I just don't see how anyone not piss drunk on Kool Aid realistically thinks this is a playoff team, much less a .500 team.

But hey, I'll be there in Charlottesville next weekend, yelling my lungs out.

I have my optimism from the fact that our new QB has a very experienced, very talented receiver corps, and a strong offensive line. That hopefully allows the offense to get some rhythm and take some pressure off the defense.

3-8

maybe 5-6 if we show any signs of being able to hold other teams under 10 yards per rush

I also think we may be a year away. Really young guys played on defense last year, and I think they will play bigger and faster this year, and even more so next year. Bad news is that the league will be stronger this year. The Elon and Maine teams that beat us last year return almost everyone (though Maine gets new QB and Elon a coach), Delaware will be strong , and they really upgraded their coaching. JMU has reloaded where graduation left holes, and they really upgraded coaching last year. UR gets the QB back, and Russ is a really good coach. So on paper, really the only games that would be "locks" would be Bucknell and NSU. I considered Elon a lock last, and that game was a huge letdown.

There is a lot of talent on the team, if the coaches can set the right schemes in the situations, we could be a surprise.

All of you are wrong...again.

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(08-21-2017 07:22 PM)Tribal Wrote:  All of you are wrong...again.

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Since everyone is all over the place with there predictions, who's wrong?

I think we have the talent to compete with everyone, regardless of hype they are getting and lack of we are getting. I tend to think we are going to improve our record from last year.