(01-10-2023 12:43 PM)DukedoG06 Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:46 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  if Ukwu comes back....i'm buying !

Is that possible? I really hope so! He is the man!

DNR indicated yesterday what we thought...he has eligibility remaining.

but also said he hasn't publicly indicated either way. I think it may be more unlikely than not, but i'm hoping as time goes on and he hasn't said either way that he'll decide to use his last year and come back.

what a coup that would be.

DE - Ukwu, Kamara, Green, Okonji
DL - Carpenter, Kromah, Bush, Funk

that's a helluva 2 deep right there.

plus young studs Thompson, Tucker and Thomas waiting in the wings

It's very cool to see JMU on the same list as my adopted 1-A/FBS team Penn State. It's a whole new world!

(01-10-2023 01:33 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 12:43 PM)DukedoG06 Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:46 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  if Ukwu comes back....i'm buying !

Is that possible? I really hope so! He is the man!

DNR indicated yesterday what we thought...he has eligibility remaining.

but also said he hasn't publicly indicated either way. I think it may be more unlikely than not, but i'm hoping as time goes on and he hasn't said either way that he'll decide to use his last year and come back.

what a coup that would be.

DE - Ukwu, Kamara, Green, Okonji
DL - Carpenter, Kromah, Bush, Funk

that's a helluva 2 deep right there.

plus young studs Thompson, Tucker and Thomas waiting in the wings

I would love to see Ukwu play one more season but totally understand if he wants to move on.
The fact that he hasn't officially declared either way could be interpreted either way. Since he hasn't already said it was his last season, perhaps he is at least considering coming back.
If I were to guess, I would say he's probably done, but I hope he comes back.
Even if he doesn't come back, that's one hell of a good defensive line. If he were to come back, that line could compete with the best lines we've ever had.

(01-10-2023 01:09 PM)olddawg Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 12:46 PM)BDKJMU Wrote:  Pre season polls are as w..Ahh, nevermind..

(01-10-2023 12:33 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 06:54 AM)JMU_Newbill Wrote:  An ESPN preseason Top 25 list without Virginia Tech? Didn't think that was possible.

You just earned rep points for this one!

Ya’ll haven’t been paying attention. When was the last time VT was pre season ranked? Maybe 2018?

(01-10-2023 02:57 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 01:33 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 12:43 PM)DukedoG06 Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:46 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  if Ukwu comes back....i'm buying !

Is that possible? I really hope so! He is the man!

DNR indicated yesterday what we thought...he has eligibility remaining.

but also said he hasn't publicly indicated either way. I think it may be more unlikely than not, but i'm hoping as time goes on and he hasn't said either way that he'll decide to use his last year and come back.

what a coup that would be.

DE - Ukwu, Kamara, Green, Okonji
DL - Carpenter, Kromah, Bush, Funk

that's a helluva 2 deep right there.

plus young studs Thompson, Tucker and Thomas waiting in the wings

I would love to see Ukwu play one more season but totally understand if he wants to move on.
The fact that he hasn't officially declared either way could be interpreted either way. Since he hasn't already said it was his last season, perhaps he is at least considering coming back.
If I were to guess, I would say he's probably done, but I hope he comes back.
Even if he doesn't come back, that's one hell of a good defensive line. If he were to come back, that line could compete with the best lines we've ever had.

Why would he want to move on? If it is to start making money, then he can do that in NIL deals. Get to “work” in selling his NIL for a year before entering the real business world. Great experience and no repercussions. Shoot, he could make contacts that turn into a new career after football.

He always looked and sounded very happy to be playing football especially after losing 2 full seasons to separate knee injuries. In this pro college football era, there is no reason to leave until you have to.

Hopefully he comes back and leads the team again as a captain.

24 has such a good ring to it!

All publicity is good, especially when its front page of ESPN the day after national title game, but I mean, it's a random guy's way too early opinion. It's not an ESPN consensus ranking and he doesn't even vote in AP poll.

It's awesome that JMU made an impact on him (and thus presumably other writers) to the point that he is still thinking of us despite not playing in the past 6 weeks, or ending the season with AP votes; but, honestly, kind of eh IMHO.

When it is the worldwide leader in sports, I think it has a bigger impact.
Would love to see the data for how many people browse ESPN.com vs SI.com or Fox sports or CBS sports or yahoo etc

You know Cig is going to use it and use it well in recruiting this offseason. And the name “ESPN” top 25 resonates with the kids and hardcore sports fans in general.

JMU = ESPN darlings

(01-10-2023 08:46 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  When it is the worldwide leader in sports, I think it has a bigger impact.
Would love to see the data for how many people browse ESPN.com vs SI.com or Fox sports or CBS sports or yahoo etc

You know Cig is going to use it and use it well in recruiting this offseason. And the name “ESPN” top 25 resonates with the kids and hardcore sports fans in general.

JMU = ESPN darlings

Which is basically my point ... impact of list >>> substance of list.

(01-09-2023 11:08 PM)James Madison Wrote:  https://www.espn.com/college-football/st...all-top-25

Check out #24

Nice find! Between Texas Tech and Iowa is pretty good company.

(01-10-2023 01:28 PM)ParentofJMUMRDs Wrote:  Just saw the final FBS rankings for the 2022 season and the Dukes were at #54 one spot behind Marshall. Troy was in the top 25 at 15 and South Alabama was 37 and Coastal was at 45. LIberty was at 66 and UVa and VT were in the 100's!!!!!

Brian

How could Coastal be at #45 after what we did to them?

(01-10-2023 08:59 PM)DoubleDogDare Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 08:46 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  When it is the worldwide leader in sports, I think it has a bigger impact.
Would love to see the data for how many people browse ESPN.com vs SI.com or Fox sports or CBS sports or yahoo etc

You know Cig is going to use it and use it well in recruiting this offseason. And the name “ESPN” top 25 resonates with the kids and hardcore sports fans in general.

JMU = ESPN darlings

Which is basically my point ... impact of list >>> substance of list.

Exactly and the reason this is worth a boatload. Let's say we're competing for a recruit at this very moment and its coming down to the two of VA Tech or JMU. They're offering some NIL cash but the recruit is presented this piece of ESPN backed information, at the minimum it puts us dead even. If the recruit has a grain of insight into the future, this puts JMU out front of Blacksburg.

(01-10-2023 09:17 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 01:28 PM)ParentofJMUMRDs Wrote:  Just saw the final FBS rankings for the 2022 season and the Dukes were at #54 one spot behind Marshall. Troy was in the top 25 at 15 and South Alabama was 37 and Coastal was at 45. LIberty was at 66 and UVa and VT were in the 100's!!!!!

Brian

How could Coastal be at #45 after what we did to them?

You mean after CC finished the season with 3 successive blowout losses. Coastal (at 9-4, and all 4 losses were blowouts) should probably be down in the 80s, at best.

(01-10-2023 09:07 AM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  Troy is not gonna like this...

Don’t think we really care. We are on several other Preseason top 25 lists. Only one that will matter is the AP and CFP. I doubt they put a SBC team on the AP top 25 to start the season but maybe they will. I imagine we will get votes but probably not ranked.

Not that it matters anyway, we play Kansas State in week 2, and we will be riding a 12 game win streak (assuming we beat Steven F Austin week 1) and if we can manage to win that game, we will get ranked then and there.

(01-11-2023 01:11 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:07 AM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  Troy is not gonna like this...

Don’t think we really care. We are on several other Preseason top 25 lists. Only one that will matter is the AP and CFP. I doubt they put a SBC team on the AP top 25 to start the season but maybe they will. I imagine we will get votes but probably not ranked.

Not that it matters anyway, we play Kansas State in week 2, and we will be riding a 12 game win streak (assuming we beat Steven F Austin week 1) and if we can manage to win that game, we will get ranked then and there.

You’re most likely correct, although Troy deserves to be ranked by the AP at the start of the season. Troy has too much returning not to be ranked, but we know how the early season polls favor the P5 teams. Hopefully Troy will defeat K-State.

(01-11-2023 05:31 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(01-11-2023 01:11 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:07 AM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  Troy is not gonna like this...

Don’t think we really care. We are on several other Preseason top 25 lists. Only one that will matter is the AP and CFP. I doubt they put a SBC team on the AP top 25 to start the season but maybe they will. I imagine we will get votes but probably not ranked.

Not that it matters anyway, we play Kansas State in week 2, and we will be riding a 12 game win streak (assuming we beat Steven F Austin week 1) and if we can manage to win that game, we will get ranked then and there.

You’re most likely correct, although Troy deserves to be ranked by the AP at the start of the season. Troy has too much returning not to be ranked, but we know how the early season polls favor the P5 teams. Hopefully Troy will defeat K-State.

We lose some key positions. Our defense will be good, but that defense we had this year was seriously probably the best the SBC has seen. It will be hard to replicate it. Our offense was mediocre all season but from what I’ve seen and what we’ve grabbed up in the transfer portal, our offense will be better this coming year. It could even itself out or even work better to our advantage in 2023. Guess time will tell!

(01-10-2023 11:54 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:17 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 01:28 PM)ParentofJMUMRDs Wrote:  Just saw the final FBS rankings for the 2022 season and the Dukes were at #54 one spot behind Marshall. Troy was in the top 25 at 15 and South Alabama was 37 and Coastal was at 45. LIberty was at 66 and UVa and VT were in the 100's!!!!!

Brian

How could Coastal be at #45 after what we did to them?

You mean after CC finished the season with 3 successive blowout losses. Coastal (at 9-4, and all 4 losses were blowouts) should probably be down in the 80s, at best.

Yeah, but Coastal fans had one excuse after the other for each loss, all fully justified in their heads. Are all fanbases so delusional and full of excuses?

The Athletic ranked all the FBS teams post bowls. We come in at #49:
[url]https://theathletic.com/4072370/2023/01/10/georgia-college-football-rankings-2022/?
source=user_shared_article[/url]
( May be behind a paywall )

(01-10-2023 09:46 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  if Ukwu comes back....i'm buying !

Heeeeeee’s baaaaaackkkkk!

I’m buying!