http://www.dnj.com/article/20110416/BLUE...nting-fall

WKU beat writer Nick Baumgardner goes out on a limb and predicts 6-6 for WKU this year (or at least suggests that he thinks that is possible).

He might be a year early but I do believe that Taggart will get it done in the not to distant future. Willie is a winner to the core.

Nick agrees that FIU and TROY will be the teams to beat:

Nick B's Blog

Quote:Personality aside, the defense as a whole does have some serious young talent that could take a big step into becoming one of the top overall units in the Sun Belt – next season, not in 2012 or 2013. But next season.

Quote:This team doesn’t look like the same group from spring-time 2010.

It doesn’t even resemble the unit that went 0-12 in 2009.

There is talent on this club, there’s size, there’s speed and more important than any of that – there’s confidence and a buy-in factor that hasn’t been there in some time.

Willie Taggart hasn’t been here two full years yet, but I can’t think of one player on his football team that wouldn’t eat concrete if he asked them to do so.

He’s in complete control of both his team – and his staff.

He’s old school in many ways, he’s passionate, he doesn’t really pull punches and he seems a bit off his rocker at times – which in my experience, means you’ve got the makings of a pretty good football coach.

In my estimation, overall, this team’s a year stronger, it’s a year faster and it’s a year smarter. And it’s still got a summer in front of it to improve.

As far as the season goes? That’s anyone’s guess. But the schedule does actually set itself up as well as it has since I’ve been here for WKU (that’s four seasons). There’s the neutral site game with Kentucky, home games against Navy and Indiana State and then the final non-league tilt later in the season at LSU (a true money game).

The standard-bearers in the Sun Belt next season will again be Florida International and Troy. From there, the league really does seem up for grabs at this point. It’ll be a competitive league once again, and it’s a league that’s getting better every season – but WKU was right there in basically every league game it played last season.

Meaning that if I’m the Hilltoppers, and I end the season anything worse than 6-6 – I’m really, really upset.

(04-17-2011 07:40 AM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  WKU beat writer Nick Baumgardner goes out on a limb and predicts 6-6 for WKU this year (or at least suggests that he thinks that is possible).

He might be a year early but I do believe that Taggart will get it done in the not to distant future. Willie is a winner to the core.

Nick agrees that FIU and TROY will be the teams to beat:

Nick B's Blog

Quote:Personality aside, the defense as a whole does have some serious young talent that could take a big step into becoming one of the top overall units in the Sun Belt – next season, not in 2012 or 2013. But next season.

Quote:This team doesn’t look like the same group from spring-time 2010.

It doesn’t even resemble the unit that went 0-12 in 2009.

There is talent on this club, there’s size, there’s speed and more important than any of that – there’s confidence and a buy-in factor that hasn’t been there in some time.

Willie Taggart hasn’t been here two full years yet, but I can’t think of one player on his football team that wouldn’t eat concrete if he asked them to do so.

He’s in complete control of both his team – and his staff.

He’s old school in many ways, he’s passionate, he doesn’t really pull punches and he seems a bit off his rocker at times – which in my experience, means you’ve got the makings of a pretty good football coach.

In my estimation, overall, this team’s a year stronger, it’s a year faster and it’s a year smarter. And it’s still got a summer in front of it to improve.

As far as the season goes? That’s anyone’s guess. But the schedule does actually set itself up as well as it has since I’ve been here for WKU (that’s four seasons). There’s the neutral site game with Kentucky, home games against Navy and Indiana State and then the final non-league tilt later in the season at LSU (a true money game).

The standard-bearers in the Sun Belt next season will again be Florida International and Troy. From there, the league really does seem up for grabs at this point. It’ll be a competitive league once again, and it’s a league that’s getting better every season – but WKU was right there in basically every league game it played last season.

Meaning that if I’m the Hilltoppers, and I end the season anything worse than 6-6 – I’m really, really upset.

Nothing like homer beat writers to stroke the spring fires, but Sparks and Baumgardner? Seriously guys!

(04-17-2011 02:32 PM)CajunT Wrote:  Nothing like homer beat writers to stroke the spring fires, but Sparks and Baumgardner? Seriously guys!

Nothing like a Cajun fan (54-21) mocking a WKU fan for actually thinking we might improve eventually...

(04-17-2011 06:10 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  

(04-17-2011 02:32 PM)CajunT Wrote:  Nothing like homer beat writers to stroke the spring fires, but Sparks and Baumgardner? Seriously guys!

Nothing like a Cajun fan (54-21) mocking a WKU fan for actually thinking we might improve eventually...

Yes indeed, I hope you enjoyed that win. Should have never happened, but thanks for helping us get a real coaching staff. Now lets see what happens over the few years. You are only as good as your last game.

(04-17-2011 06:10 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  

(04-17-2011 02:32 PM)CajunT Wrote:  Nothing like homer beat writers to stroke the spring fires, but Sparks and Baumgardner? Seriously guys!

Nothing like a Cajun fan (54-21) mocking a WKU fan for actually thinking we might improve eventually...

Touche' I still feel the embarrassment every time the name Ricky Bustle crosses my lips...

Enjoy it for a year.

Z