(10-04-2015 12:02 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: I think our talent level just isn't there this year.
I think we have a couple of really good players and several more who are pretty good, but overall, you're right. This is the second straight year of declining talent. That's a bad sign for a coaching regime that seems predicated on recruiting.
Another problem is that a whole lot of the talent that we do have is stacked at one position.
(10-04-2015 02:20 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote: Line opens as a pick.
(10-04-2015 02:25 PM)At Ease Wrote: But has already moved to FAU by 1.5...
(10-04-2015 11:05 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote: ... FAU is now a 3 pt favorite.
It's not unusual for the betting line to move toward our opponents, because we're small and our alumni/supporters may not be the betting type.
I believe we're undefeated "against the spread" this year in non-blowout games (i.e. all but Baylor & WKU). Hopefully we'll continue that trend against the other Owls.
(10-04-2015 11:20 AM)Buho00 Wrote: DJ has disappointed in the last couple of weeks, but didn't see anything from Stehling to make me think he can do better (shutout in 2nd half). To me, it looked lile 2010-2012 with Stehling in the Fanuzzi role. We need someone who can make big plays happen, that's DJ. He's banged up and yesterday the strategy was to keep him from getting hit (per TV announcers). We need him to play lose with no restrictions. The offense has been the more troubling part lately. Baylor and WKU can score 70/50 on anybody. But that we've only scored 27 points in 2 weeks is a concern. Sure, Bailiff is not inspiring much confidence right now, but until we lose to somebody we're supposed to beat I won't panic. This is a big game.
Western Kentucky isn't a team we should have beaten? At home? Good to know.
I really am jealous. I wish I could have tempered expectations and be happy with this.
Not happy at all with the performance. I put this down as a L in the pre-season. Did you not see we were underdogs? Did you miss the part of WKU having perhaps the best QB in the nation and beating Vandy, La Tech while losing by 3 at Indiana? That sounds significantly better than what we've done. Yesterday I was hoping we'd win, and certainly thought we'd do better at home and have a chance, but no, it wasn't a game we were supposed to win.
We all expected to lose because we know what Bailiff is capable of. That's different from expecting to beat a team ranked 57 in Sagarin in year 9 of having a coach.
So yeah, I expect to win but don't expect Bailiff to meet those expectations.
Also, the real question is WHY were we underdogs at home to a team ranked 57 in Conference USA at this point? We can justify it as an expected loss as we accept the fact that we are underdogs. This isn't Baylor or Ohio State. Its WESTERN KENTUCKY.
No Upper Limit. That was our tagline at one point.
A lot to criticize about Saturday. Our opponent was not one. They are not Ohio State, but WKU's only loss this year was to a Big 10 team that played within one score of Ohio State on Saturday. I doubt they end the year outside of the Top 50 with their QB.
The name WKU may not mean much to us, but their players deserve more respect based on what they've done this year (and last). They look like the second best team on our schedule. I certainly HOPE they are.
(10-04-2015 11:20 AM)Buho00 Wrote: DJ has disappointed in the last couple of weeks, but didn't see anything from Stehling to make me think he can do better (shutout in 2nd half). To me, it looked lile 2010-2012 with Stehling in the Fanuzzi role. We need someone who can make big plays happen, that's DJ. He's banged up and yesterday the strategy was to keep him from getting hit (per TV announcers). We need him to play lose with no restrictions. The offense has been the more troubling part lately. Baylor and WKU can score 70/50 on anybody. But that we've only scored 27 points in 2 weeks is a concern. Sure, Bailiff is not inspiring much confidence right now, but until we lose to somebody we're supposed to beat I won't panic. This is a big game.
Western Kentucky isn't a team we should have beaten? At home? Good to know.
I really am jealous. I wish I could have tempered expectations and be happy with this.
Quit being such a cynic. It's wearing thin. You must be blind if you couldn't see that WKU was a much better team than Rice. WKU only lost to Indiana, who barely lost to Ohio State on Saturday. We shouldn't have lost as badly, but there's no shame in losing to WKU. Our poor performance is what's troubling, not losing. You act like it's impossible for a "directional school" in CUSA to have a very good team. Well, you know differently now. CUSA has 2 or 3 very good teams this year. Just wait and see what Louisiana Tech does to us.
(10-04-2015 12:02 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: I think our talent level just isn't there this year. We've had a streak of several years in a row where we've had multiple guys with NFL caliber. Who on the current roster is a possible NFL guy down the road? Honestly, I'm not sure if anyone I've seen on the field this year is in that category. I think Bailiff and his staff have done a good job of identifying (and developing) some sleepers who have developed into solid college players and then NFL prospects. But that's not easy to do and you can look at multiple schools in Texas who have gone through their own droughts (Texas, Houston, Texas Tech to name just three).
It is very obvious to me, as well, that we have been physically outmatched the last couple of weeks. Our guys don't even look like they belong on the same field as Baylor and WKU. We need bigger and faster athletes. I hope it's possible to get them at Rice.
(10-05-2015 02:13 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote: A lot to criticize about Saturday. Our opponent was not one. They are not Ohio State, but WKU's only loss this year was to a Big 10 team that played within one score of Ohio State on Saturday. I doubt they end the year outside of the Top 50 with their QB.
The name WKU may not mean much to us, but their players deserve more respect based on what they've done this year (and last). They look like the second best team on our schedule. I certainly HOPE they are.
The point is, they were #57 coming into the game. They came to our house and embarrassed us 49-10.
If this was a one off, then sure, I'd accept that. But we also got smacked upside the head by a very good Baylor team (understandable) and an absolutely pathetic 1-4 Texas team (not so much).
Now we are underdogs to FAU. All I ask is, what will it take for a loss to not be acceptable? WKU is good, but not that good. Not 49-10 beatdown at home good.
(10-04-2015 11:05 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote: For news and entertainment purposes only, FAU is now a 3 pt favorite.
We are 3 point underdogs to a 1-3 FAU team that finished last season 3-9
*mic drop*
You must really be loving this!
No. No, we don't love it at all. It sucks. And that hurts Rice, our school, which we care deeply about. None of us "love it" at all. We want it to stop.
Just like the end of Hatfield or the end of Braun....it is nigh time for something new:
Artist: The Smithereens
Album: green Thoughts
Cut: "Something New"
1988 Capitol Records
Well, since Rice is the underdog, FAU is the better team so a loss to them is understandable. (Do I need a /sarc tag? Better put one.)
I am concerned about the declining offensive production as the season progresses. With no defence, wins come by scoring lots of points and getting first downs. If that's no longer happening, then any opponent can win just by scoring once a quarter.
A couple of things I've noted on offense. The running game has a very limited playbook, which makes it easier for opponents to prepare. On options, DJ is now pitching every time. I'm sure he's been told not to risk injury, but if he's not a run threat then the option is pointless and easy to defend, particularly when run to the short side.
(10-04-2015 11:05 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote: For news and entertainment purposes only, FAU is now a 3 pt favorite.
We are 3 point underdogs to a 1-3 FAU team that finished last season 3-9
*mic drop*
You must really be loving this!
No. No, we don't love it at all. It sucks. And that hurts Rice, our school, which we care deeply about. None of us "love it" at all. We want it to stop.
Just ignore him and maybe he will go away.
I disagree with several people on this board, but feel that I can have a discussion based on merits and thoughts with most. Here, not so much.
(10-05-2015 09:55 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote: Well, since Rice is the underdog, FAU is the better team so a loss to them is understandable. (Do I need a /sarc tag? Better put one.)
Frizzy - I know you are kidding, but I am afraid that we will hear this much like we did with WKU.
Hope not. Still not clear on how we are 3 point underdogs to a team that went 3-9 last year.
(10-05-2015 02:13 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote: A lot to criticize about Saturday. Our opponent was not one. They are not Ohio State, but WKU's only loss this year was to a Big 10 team that played within one score of Ohio State on Saturday. I doubt they end the year outside of the Top 50 with their QB.
The name WKU may not mean much to us, but their players deserve more respect based on what they've done this year (and last). They look like the second best team on our schedule. I certainly HOPE they are.
The point is, they were #57 coming into the game. They came to our house and embarrassed us 49-10.
If this was a one off, then sure, I'd accept that. But we also got smacked upside the head by a very good Baylor team (understandable) and an absolutely pathetic 1-4 Texas team (not so much).
Now we are underdogs to FAU. All I ask is, what will it take for a loss to not be acceptable? WKU is good, but not that good. Not 49-10 beatdown at home good.
That is literally NOT the point. It does not matter if they were #57 coming into the game (be that high or low). Their ranking is not why the loss was so bad, so you start to muddle your point about the lose being bad by even bringing it up, because it was not really WKU who embarrassed us, it was our team who did. By bringing up how they were/are ranked, you get away from how poor we played because it opens up a very debatable point (that you're wrong on).
The loss was so bad because of how bad the team looked. Almost every turnover we had (4/5) was not forced by WKU, it was forced by absolutely abhorrent play by our team. We looked listless. We looked lost. At least against Baylor, you saw a team that started strong and fought, but was just obviously outmatched. While WKU is probably better than that #57 ranking they came in with, you saw some of the most boneheaded mistakes and plays I've ever seen a Rice team make.
This was the first game I think I have ever left early because of our performance (and I was one of the 10 students who stayed for our awesome comeback against UTEP in 2007). This game will either be another Memphis or a nail in the coffin, and my money is on it being the nail.
(10-05-2015 09:55 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote: Well, since Rice is the underdog, FAU is the better team so a loss to them is understandable. (Do I need a /sarc tag? Better put one.)
Frizzy - I know you are kidding, but I am afraid that we will hear this much like we did with WKU.
Hope not. Still not clear on how we are 3 point underdogs to a team that went 3-9 last year.
Ant - it is a new year. I'm sure plenty of teams said the same thing about us back in 2008 after we had gone 3-9.
It would be a better argument to use their current record of 1-3.
I just hate these general arguments about how we should be favored against teams because of who they are, because that is what everyone says about teams that aren't historically successful (like us).
But I know how we are underdogs, because we laid a giant egg with our play this week - that is what is unacceptable.
(10-05-2015 02:13 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote: A lot to criticize about Saturday. Our opponent was not one. They are not Ohio State, but WKU's only loss this year was to a Big 10 team that played within one score of Ohio State on Saturday. I doubt they end the year outside of the Top 50 with their QB.
The name WKU may not mean much to us, but their players deserve more respect based on what they've done this year (and last). They look like the second best team on our schedule. I certainly HOPE they are.
The point is, they were #57 coming into the game. They came to our house and embarrassed us 49-10.
If this was a one off, then sure, I'd accept that. But we also got smacked upside the head by a very good Baylor team (understandable) and an absolutely pathetic 1-4 Texas team (not so much).
Now we are underdogs to FAU. All I ask is, what will it take for a loss to not be acceptable? WKU is good, but not that good. Not 49-10 beatdown at home good.
That is literally NOT the point. It does not matter if they were #57 coming into the game (be that high or low). Their ranking is not why the loss was so bad, so you start to muddle your point about the lose being bad by even bringing it up, because it was not really WKU who embarrassed us, it was our team who did. By bringing up how they were/are ranked, you get away from how poor we played because it opens up a very debatable point (that you're wrong on).
The loss was so bad because of how bad the team looked. Almost every turnover we had (4/5) was not forced by WKU, it was forced by absolutely abhorrent play by our team. We looked listless. We looked lost. At least against Baylor, you saw a team that started strong and fought, but was just obviously outmatched. While WKU is probably better than that #57 ranking they came in with, you saw some of the most boneheaded mistakes and plays I've ever seen a Rice team make.
This was the first game I think I have ever left early because of our performance (and I was one of the 10 students who stayed for our awesome comeback against UTEP in 2007). This game will either be another Memphis or a nail in the coffin, and my money is on it being the nail.
I think they are both complimentary points. One, we played like absolute crap; no way to sugar coat that. Two, the rankings show that WKU isn't Baylor and had no business beating Rice by 39 points at home even if we had looked better.
I bring up the ranking to head off the "Doughty is the best QB in the country", "WKU is way better than we think they are" comments. We heard these after ODU last year with Heinecke and how awesome they actually are, when in reality, Sagarin paints a very different picture.
