2014 Season Preview thread

[BoiseStateFan27]

Wake Forest Demon Deacons


Preview: Last season wasn't the best for Wake Forest, as a bad offense really brought them down. Now Dave Clawson is their new coach. Clawson usually isn't a quick fix coach, but after 3 or 4 years he starts to see success, with Wake Forest not having much on the offensive side, look for the same here.

Predictions: Wake Forest opens with a tricky road game against UL-Monroe who beat Wake Forest last year, UL-Monroe will be replacing their QB so this looks to be a very ugly game. I give the edge to Wake Forest and their defense, Wake Forest beats Gardner-Webb the following week, and then loses their first game on the road at Utah State. Wake Forest then beats Army for a 3-1 start before entering conference play, and with a difficult conference schedule that's as good as it gets as Wake Forest goes winless in conference play with their only opportunity for a win being at home against Boston College.

Predicted Record: 3-9(0-8)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

ACC overview​

Atlantic

1. Florida State Seminoles 12-0(8-0)
2. Clemson Tigers 8-4(6-2)
3. Syracuse Orange 7-5(5-3)
4. Louisville Cardinals 8-4(5-3)
5. NC State Wolfpack 6-6(2-6)
6. Boston College Eagles 3-9(1-7)
7. Wake Forest Demon Deacons 3-9(0-8)

Coastal

1. North Carolina Tar Heels 10-2(8-0)
2. Pittsburgh Panthers 8-4(5-3)
3. Virginia Tech Hokies 8-4(5-3)
4. Duke Blue Devils 8-4(4-4)
5. Miami-Florida Hurricanes 6-6(3-5)
6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 6-6(3-5)
7. Virginia Cavaliers 2-10(0-8)


ACC Championship: Florida State over North Carolina

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Tomorrow I'll get started on the American conference

 

[ericd7633]

Since this was a 2014 preview thread I thought of an idea that would be a good test for going into the season. I will post each Power 5's OOC games they have scheduled for the season, a projected record based on those games, and see what everybody thinks and whether that is too high or too low of a record. It will give everybody an expectation about what they perceive a conference to be going in and how that conference has performed OOC.

I'll start w/the ACC:

Atlantic:

Florida State: vs. Oklahoma State, Citadel, Notre Dame, Florida
Clemson: @Georgia, South Carolina State, Georgia State, South Carolina
Syracuse: Villanova, @Central Michigan, Maryland, vs. Notre Dame
Boston College: @UMASS, USC, Maine, Colorado State
Louisville: Murray State, @FIU, @Notre Dame, Kentucky
NC State: Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, @South Florida, Presbyterian
Wake Forest: @UL-Monroe, Gardner-Webb, @Utah State, Army

Coastal:

Duke: Elon, @Troy, Kansas, Tulane
Virginia Tech: William & Mary, @Ohio State, East Carolina, Western Michigan
Miami: Florida A&M, Arkansas State, @Nebraska, Cincinnati
Georgia Tech: Wofford, @Tulane, Georgia Southern, @Georgia
UNC: Liberty, San Diego State, @East Carolina, @Notre Dame
Pittsburgh: Delaware, @FIU, Iowa, Akron,
Virginia: UCLA, Richmond, @BYU, Kent State

ACC Conference Expectation Level Record Set at: 42-14

If you disagree, set your expectation level for the conference as a whole and see how it plays out.

 

[ericd7633]

I'll post the other conference's OOC in the next couple of days.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Since this was a 2014 preview thread I thought of an idea that would be a good test for going into the season. I will post each Power 5's OOC games they have scheduled for the season, a projected record based on those games, and see what everybody thinks and whether that is too high or too low of a record. It will give everybody an expectation about what they perceive a conference to be going in and how that conference has performed OOC.

I'll start w/the ACC:

Atlantic:

Florida State: vs. Oklahoma State, Citadel, Notre Dame, Florida
Clemson: @Georgia, South Carolina State, Georgia State, South Carolina
Syracuse: Villanova, @Central Michigan, Maryland, vs. Notre Dame
Boston College: @UMASS, USC, Maine, Colorado State
Louisville: Murray State, @FIU, @Notre Dame, Kentucky
NC State: Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, @South Florida, Presbyterian
Wake Forest: @UL-Monroe, Gardner-Webb, @Utah State, Army

Coastal:

Duke: Elon, @Troy, Kansas, Tulane
Virginia Tech: William & Mary, @Ohio State, East Carolina, Western Michigan
Miami: Florida A&M, Arkansas State, @Nebraska, Cincinnati
Georgia Tech: Wofford, @Tulane, Georgia Southern, @Georgia
UNC: Liberty, San Diego State, @East Carolina, @Notre Dame
Pittsburgh: Delaware, @FIU, Iowa, Akron,
Virginia: UCLA, Richmond, @BYU, Kent State

ACC Conference Expectation Level Record Set at: 42-14

If you disagree, set your expectation level for the conference as a whole and see how it plays out.

Great idea sir

I like it

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Before starting on the American conference might as well look at the Teams from the non-power 5 conferences with the best chance at getting in one of the big bowls.


American

Cincinnati

Houston

UCF

Conference USA

Marshall

MAC

Ball State

Bowling Green

Mountain West

Boise State

Fresno State

Utah State


Sun Belt

Louisiana-Lafayette

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Cincinnati Bearcats


Preview: Last season was alright for Cincinnati in their first year under Tuberville, they went 9-4 with a blowout loss to North Carolina in their bowl game. 9 wins is good but Cincinnati had one of the easiest schedules in the nation last year, and there were some questionable losses, a 45-17 one to Illinois and a loss to South Florida. A win at Houston was a strong point for Cincinnati though. This year Cincinnati might add more than they lost, they add Gunner Kiel who was the number 1 QB a few years ago, it will be interesting to see him in action, I don't truly know what to expect from him, if he's as good as he was supposed to be look for Cincinnati to be the non-power 5 team in a big bowl.

Predictions: Cincinnati oddly enough doesn't start the season until September 12th when they play Toledo, an oddly late start, this will be Toledo's 3rd game. Moving beyond how oddly late Cincinnati starts their season, they do beat Toledo in the opener and then win pretty easily over Miami of Ohio. Then Cincinnati has a big road game against Ohio State, who their fans seem to hate more than anyone, it will be an interesting in state battle that I see Ohio State winning. Cincinnati wins over Memphis, then loses to the other Miami they play this year in Miami of Florida. Cincinnati will probably lose a random road game, I see it being against SMU. Cincinnati wins over USF and Tulane, wins one of their big conference challenges over East Carolina, wins easy road games over UConn and Temple. Then wins the conference by beating Houston at home.

Predicted Record: 9-3(7-1)

 

[H2S]

SportsHoopla should share & promote A+ Threads like this...

The OP's ACC Preview© is done.
Done as well (imo) as any such preview you might find elsewhere in the cfb media universe.
I think the OP's ACC Preview© should be re-structured as a single "copyrighted press release" (the first of many) by SportsHoopla™ and offered to the rest of the cfb media universe.

BSF27's effort is a perfect example of what I was getting at with this thread:
http://www.sportshoopla.com/forums/...s/138653-getting-werd-out-sharing-wealth.html

 

[7Samurai13]

The OP's ACC Preview© is done.
Done as well (imo) as any such preview you might find elsewhere in the cfb media universe.
I think the OP's ACC Preview© should be re-structured as a single "copyrighted press release" (the first of many) by SportsHoopla™ and offered to the rest of the cfb media universe.

BSF27's effort is a perfect example of what I was getting at with this thread:
http://www.sportshoopla.com/forums/...s/138653-getting-werd-out-sharing-wealth.html

Make sure you get your cut as his agent.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

The OP's ACC Preview© is done.
Done as well (imo) as any such preview you might find elsewhere in the cfb media universe.
I think the OP's ACC Preview© should be re-structured as a single "copyrighted press release" (the first of many) by SportsHoopla™ and offered to the rest of the cfb media universe.

BSF27's effort is a perfect example of what I was getting at with this thread:
http://www.sportshoopla.com/forums/...s/138653-getting-werd-out-sharing-wealth.html

Why thanks sir

I'm just doing this for my entertainment as well as others

though what you're bringing up could be good for the SportsHoopla.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Connecticut Huskies


Preview: Connecticut had an awful season last year, they started out 0-9 before winning the last 3 games all 3 wins occurred while UConn fans were occupied with basketball so most of them likely don't even know they won last year. The 0-9 stretch was really bad, it included a 33-18 loss to Towson, losing to an equally struggling USF at home and getting housed by Buffalo, Cincinnati and UCF. As one would expect it resulted in a coaching change as UConn moved on and now has former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco as head coach. Diaco I think will do a good job here, he doesn't have too much talent to work with at the moment, but UConn will be better then they were last year and that's good enough for now.

Predictions: UConn opens with a home loss to BYU, and then will beat Stony Brook. UConn loses to Boise State and on the road to USF and then picks up a win over Temple. UConn loses road games to Tulane and East Carolina along with losing at home to UCF. UConn wins over Army and loses to Cincinnati and Memphis. UConn does end the season with a solid win over SMU.

Predicted Record: 4-8(2-6)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

These logos always get me LOL

 

[Red_Alert]

Why thanks sir

I'm just doing this for my entertainment as well as others

though what you're bringing up could be good for the SportsHoopla.

I always enjoy your pre-season predictions......Sir.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I always enjoy your pre-season predictions......Sir.

Thanks sir! They definitely do provide some good entertainment for us during this offseason.

I always enjoy doing them.

Always good to hear that you all like them too.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

East Carolina Pirates


Preview: Lots of people didn't notice it, including me at first, but East Carolina had a fantastic season last year. East Carolina went 2-1 against their ACC opponents losing a close one to Virginia Tech, but blowing out their in state opponents North Carolina and NC State. Only downer was ECU was upset by Tulane in overtime and were blown out by Marshall in their regular season finale. ECU won their bowl game over Ohio though. Now East Carolina begins their first season in the American conference, usually teams tend to struggle joining a new conference but the American has gone through so many changes the change shouldn't bother ECU too much, the schedule is slightly more difficult though. East Carolina does though have a very talented team to compete with the schedule, they are a contender for the American(which I just noticed I forgot to list ECU as a big bowl contender earlier, pretty embarrassing will a mod fix it?)

Predictions: East Carolina will have an easy opener against North Carolina Central, they should win that pretty big. Then East Carolina will face a tough 3 game stretch against South Carolina, Virginia Tech and North Carolina, I think they take the game against North Carolina in an upset and lose the other two but are still competitive. ECU gets a bye week to recover and then gets their first conference game against SMU, I think they win that one and beat USF the following week as well. ECU beats UConn and Temple to complete a 4-0 start in the American, their first American loss will occur on the road to Cincinnati, East Carolina beats fellow newcomers Tulane and Tulsa in consecutive weeks and ends the regular season by beating UCF.

Predicted Record: 9-3(7-1)

 

[pennstatenut]

I like it but the math is off a bit. You have 55 conference wins and 57 losses.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I like it but the math is off a bit. You have 55 conference wins and 57 losses.

I'll have to take a look, I knew I was prone to an error somewhere LOL

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I found the issue

will a mod please edit Pitt's record to 9-3(6-2)

I had both Pitt and Syracuse losing the game against each other

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Houston Cougars

Preview: Last season ended up being a highly resurgent season under a freshman quarterback, Houston got off to a strong start and while they didn't finish extremely strong it was still a very successful season for Houston. Houston doesn't lose much from last year's team and will remain aggressive at getting turnovers, this combination should lead to an even more successful year.

Predictions: Houston opens with Texas-San Antonio who should be pretty good but Houston will win the game, Houston then plays Grambling State which could get really ugly, Grambling State is struggling in the subdivision. Houston then loses at BYU and beats another FCS team in Tennessee Tech(really Houston?) Houston wins at home over UCF and then beats Memphis, Temple, USF, Tulane, Tulsa and SMU to complete an 8 game winning streak. This winning streak will end on the road against Cincinnati.

Predicted Record: 10-2(7-1)