Here's my take on SMU FWIW. Tough home slate includes TCU, Memphis, UC, Houston and Navy.
Offense should be stellar IF the RBs can deliver some production, unproven against good teams but better Oline this year.
Defense is still work in progress, probably good against the run, but questionable against the pass. Help is arriving from Transfers, S, DT, K/P. and CB?
Big five games mid season will tell the tale:
Home TCU, Memphis, Away Tulane, Home Cincy, Navy. Murderers Row.

(06-08-2020 03:12 PM)AusTxPony Wrote:  Here's my take on SMU FWIW. Tough home slate includes TCU, Memphis, UC, Houston and Navy.
Offense should be stellar IF the RBs can deliver some production, unproven against good teams but better Oline this year.
Defense is still work in progress, probably good against the run, but questionable against the pass. Help is arriving from Transfers, S, DT, K/P. and CB?

Funny, I read it just the opposite.

Sonny's gonna go full-tilt Mike-Leach-style Air Raid this year and minimize the role of the RB's and replace the run with short passes - this is why we haven't aggressively pursued a transfer at RB and loaded up on even more WR's. The issue is if SB can be more efficient and get the ball out quicker, and if he can he's going to throw for 5k yards while we'll have 3 RB's with a combined 1000 yards.
The defense gets Moore back, returns both serviceable CB's who have room to improve and should do so, moves Denbow away from a S position he was ill-suited for and puts him back at a coverage LB replacing Nelson who was a sack machine but couldn't cover in space very well, and starts fresh at S. All this adds up to us being better against the pass but needing the DL to come together despite some real possible talent coming in.
But yeah the mid-season schedule is a gauntlet, I agree with you there.

(06-08-2020 09:17 AM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(06-06-2020 10:26 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  

(06-06-2020 10:04 PM)mikeinoki Wrote:  

(05-10-2020 03:09 AM)STL_Wave Wrote:  AAC OOC Dream Scenario

ND v Navy (in Ireland) W
UNC @UCF W
Temple @Miami
USF @ Texas
Houston @ WSU W
Memphis @Purdue W
Tulane @NW W
Tulsa @OkSU
UCF @GT W
Rutgers @Temple W
Cincy @Neb W
Tulane @Miss St W
TCU @SMU W

4-0 vs. Big10
3-1 vs. ACC (+ND)
1-2 vs. Big12
1-0 vs. PAC
1-0 vs. SEC

7-3 vs P5

Tulane taking care of business will be a deciding factor in the success of the conference this year.....time for WF to take a leap forward.

Don't forget ECU @ SC on 9/12
SC was 4-8 last year, but does get this one at home. An ECU win isn't out of the realm of possibility, but probably out of the realm of probability.

If Mike Houston can win @SC in his 2nd year w/t Citadel then we should have more than a puncher's chance this year. ECU has an offense that can put up points and have quietly filled in some holes this off-season.

If Mike Houston were to beat SC this year and turn in a halfway respectable record, he is their HC next year. Just my guess.

But no, I don't think it's impossible. SC lost to App State last year. If we can get the offense clicking again ah la Cindy and SMU, then I think we've got a shot. Just need the defense's bus to make it to Columbia.

I wouldn't be shocked if we beat the Gamecocks. I would be shocked if Mike Houston is invited to coach an SEC school after after 1 winning season in FBS. Although, if the offense is much improved over last year we could see some spectacular numbers. The defense...I'll believe when I see it.

(06-08-2020 07:22 PM)mikeinoki Wrote:  

(06-08-2020 09:17 AM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(06-06-2020 10:26 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  

(06-06-2020 10:04 PM)mikeinoki Wrote:  

(05-10-2020 03:09 AM)STL_Wave Wrote:  AAC OOC Dream Scenario

ND v Navy (in Ireland) W
UNC @UCF W
Temple @Miami
USF @ Texas
Houston @ WSU W
Memphis @Purdue W
Tulane @NW W
Tulsa @OkSU
UCF @GT W
Rutgers @Temple W
Cincy @Neb W
Tulane @Miss St W
TCU @SMU W

4-0 vs. Big10
3-1 vs. ACC (+ND)
1-2 vs. Big12
1-0 vs. PAC
1-0 vs. SEC

7-3 vs P5

Tulane taking care of business will be a deciding factor in the success of the conference this year.....time for WF to take a leap forward.

Don't forget ECU @ SC on 9/12
SC was 4-8 last year, but does get this one at home. An ECU win isn't out of the realm of possibility, but probably out of the realm of probability.

If Mike Houston can win @SC in his 2nd year w/t Citadel then we should have more than a puncher's chance this year. ECU has an offense that can put up points and have quietly filled in some holes this off-season.

If Mike Houston were to beat SC this year and turn in a halfway respectable record, he is their HC next year. Just my guess.

But no, I don't think it's impossible. SC lost to App State last year. If we can get the offense clicking again ah la Cindy and SMU, then I think we've got a shot. Just need the defense's bus to make it to Columbia.

I wouldn't be shocked if we beat the Gamecocks. I would be shocked if Mike Houston is invited to coach an SEC school after after 1 winning season in FBS. Although, if the offense is much improved over last year we could see some spectacular numbers. The defense...I'll believe when I see it.

POLL: Which team could upset the Gamecocks?

https://247sports.com/college/south-caro...148140743/

(06-14-2020 04:37 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  

(06-08-2020 07:22 PM)mikeinoki Wrote:  

(06-08-2020 09:17 AM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(06-06-2020 10:26 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  

(06-06-2020 10:04 PM)mikeinoki Wrote:  Don't forget ECU @ SC on 9/12
SC was 4-8 last year, but does get this one at home. An ECU win isn't out of the realm of possibility, but probably out of the realm of probability.

If Mike Houston can win @SC in his 2nd year w/t Citadel then we should have more than a puncher's chance this year. ECU has an offense that can put up points and have quietly filled in some holes this off-season.

If Mike Houston were to beat SC this year and turn in a halfway respectable record, he is their HC next year. Just my guess.

But no, I don't think it's impossible. SC lost to App State last year. If we can get the offense clicking again ah la Cindy and SMU, then I think we've got a shot. Just need the defense's bus to make it to Columbia.

I wouldn't be shocked if we beat the Gamecocks. I would be shocked if Mike Houston is invited to coach an SEC school after after 1 winning season in FBS. Although, if the offense is much improved over last year we could see some spectacular numbers. The defense...I'll believe when I see it.

POLL: Which team could upset the Gamecocks?

https://247sports.com/college/south-caro...148140743/

Not sure if this is exactly the right thread...Coach Niumat is back from Hawaii and talking to beat reporter Wags.


https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/na...ssion=true

In conf the schools all end the year 0-0.

It seems pretty clear to me: Navy, Army, and Air Force will be 75% of the CFP field.
1. We can and do lockdown our 20-year olds.
2. Because none of our players are on athletic scholarships (recruited athletes are on the same ride guys like me were) we carry deeper rosters, so even if our early opponents (Notre Dame, Lafayette, Tulane) infect our early starters, we have more next man to up.

Football players return next Sunday, 5 July.
Testing for all.
14 day isolation in two-man rooms, and S&C starts in small groups. Gradually work in larger groups.
Again, we can and do lockdown our 20-year-olds, so I'm optimistic.
Plus, most other teams that change from their base defense to deal with the option start work on that in spring and summer camps, so we'll be relatively advantaged.