BoiseStateFan's 2017 College Football Predictions/Preview Thread

[outofyourmind]

I like the fucked up font better.
Easier to read.

Go with that on.e

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I like the fucked up font better.
Easier to read.

Go with that on.e

Wish I could figure out what it was

It does make the preview portion easier to read, but the predictions kind of look like a mess

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Troy Trojans

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Preview: Neal Brown has made quick work turning Troy into one of the top teams in the Sun Belt, after a rough first year Troy suddenly improved to 10 wins in an impressive season last year. Good news for Troy is he is still around and we get to see what he has in store for year 3.

Last Year started out with a bang, Troy put up 57 points in a destruction of their FCS opponent and then in week 2 they made headlines. Playing future national champion Clemson on the road. Troy was tied with Clemson at 10 a piece until Clemson took a field goal lead late in the half. In the 3rd quarter Troy seemingly stripped Clemson near the goal line and returned it for a TD that would likely have led to a 17-13 lead but it was ruled that forward progress stopped and Clemson scored the next play to make it 20-10 instead, Clemson would pull away before Troy scored 2 TDs in the 4th quarter to force Clemson to recover an onside kick to preserve the win, while Clemson made some mistakes it certainly served notice to the Sun Belt that Troy was a team to be reckoned with. Troy beat Southern Miss by 6 while Southern Miss was playing good, and then dominated their next 5 opponents to set up a huge conference showdown against Appalachian State. Troy scored a touchdown with 1:02 left to win a thriller in that game to seize control of the conference and enter the AP top 25. It was not to be, 5 days later Troy played Arkansas State and made numerous mistakes in all 3 phases of the game to lose 35-3. Troy would blow out a bad Texas State before suffering a disappointing loss to Georgia Southern. They did beat Ohio in their bowl game to finish 10-3.

Troy for the most part had a very steady and efficient offense last year, the run game struggled at times but they made life easier as they executed well on quick passes. What Troy returns could make this interesting. QB Brandon Silvers is back and he's a senior now, he is an accurate passer, and really runs this offense well, he's the best QB in the conference. Every single player who carried the ball and caught a pass last year returns. RB Jordan Chunn could stand to improve, he had some good games last year but struggled in others. If he doesn't Memphis transfer Jamarius Henderson could start to take over, he played well in limited action as a freshman in 2015. None of the receivers are big play threats but they're all reliable and 8 of them are seniors, this mature group will be fun to watch. The offensive line loses two all-conference tackles including Antonio Garcia who was a 3rd round pick in the NFL draft, good news is Garcia wasn't actually originally projected to start at left tackle last year, Johnathan Boring was but he got hurt and missed all of last year, so he should slide in and take over for Garcia. Two other linemen with experience are back.

Troy also had a fantastic defense last year, it was difficult to run on this team and they were strong against the pass as well. It all starts with the interior of this defense, Troy has an amazing rotation of defensive tackles in Jamal Stadom, Baron Poole II, Seth Calloway and Trevon Sanders, these tackles are the conferences best and could cause problems for any offense in their way. Troy does lose their two best defensive ends and four really good linebackers, but they return almost everyone in the secondary.

The schedule has a lot of breaks and some challenges too, and when you have a good roster like this you almost hope to get these opportunities. Troy gets some easier OOC games against Alabama State and Akron, but they get two big time road opportunities against Boise State and LSU, Troy could certainly pull an upset in either one(I'm sitting here shaking just thinking about this.) The conference schedule could really result in some controversy as Troy doesn't face Appalachian State, their biggest competitor for the Sun Belt crown, I'm sure the conference wishes it could have it's conference championship this year.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 @ Boise State: Big season opening game from Troy and their hopes to make a New Years 6 bowl, this certainly will be a close game, I'm going with Boise State in a close one. L
Sep. 9 Alabama State: Easy win here. W
Sep. 16 New Mexico State: W
Sep. 23 Akron: W
Sep. 30 @ LSU: Another big opportunity for Troy, they should at least be capable of giving LSU a tough time, but I'm not sure if they have enough to win this one. L
Oct. 11 South Alabama: Troy gets a little extra time to prepare and ensure South Alabama doesn't stun them. W
Oct. 21 @ Georgia State: W
Oct. 28 Georgia Southern: Revenge for last year: W
Nov. 2 Idaho: W
Nov. 11 @ Coastal Carolina: W
Nov. 25 Texas State: W
Dec. 2 @ Arkansas State: Troy will be very focused on this game to get revenge for last year's beating and make sure they don't let Appalachian State win the crown outright. W

Predicted Record: 10-2(8-0)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

UL-Monroe Warhawks

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Preview: We conclude our Sun Belt portion with a program that has flashed brilliance and stunning upsets at times but has struggled to have consistent success and overall has struggled in recent years. UL-Monroe can occasionally have big moments, in 2007 they upset Alabama in Nick Saban's first year there, but the only good year they've had was the amazing 2012 season that I basically reference every time I preview them. They opened the year stunning an at the time 8th ranked Arkansas, lost to Auburn by 3 in overtime the following week and then the following week lost 47-42 in a shootout against Baylor. They finished 8-5 that year and the Todd Berry era soon fell apart after. Matt Viator took over last year in hopes of finding success after a fantastic run as the head coach of McNeese State, for a rebuilding job...he did alright.

UL-Monroe opened the season beating Southern from FCS, and in week 3 barely lost to Georgia Southern, in between that were some blowout losses to Oklahoma and Auburn where they were clearly outmatched. UL-Monroe lost a close 3 point game to Idaho and then beat Texas State, then once again were badly outmatched in blowout losses to New Mexico and Arkansas State. They recovered and surprised South Alabama and beat Georgia State, before once again being blown out in the last 2 games.

UL-Monroe had a solid offense last year, and it was rather impressive when you consider that they were very young and didn't consistently have the same lineup each week. Sophomore QB Garrett Smith is promising but he was lost to an injury mid-season and two freshman played after. Several sophomores and freshmen took carries at RB, there wasn't a go-to receiver but several got involved in the offense and a lot of them are back. The offensive line had a lot of shuffling and freshmen had a lot of starts, there's also an infusion of transfers on the offensive line as well. Finding some consistency would make this a really good offense, it starts with Garrett Smith staying healthy.

The defense was a different story, it was awful. UL-Monroe had the worst run defense in the nation. Later in the year they made stopping the run a focus but it resulted in them being worse against the pass. They were very young on this side of the ball too. The defensive line returns a lot of the two deep from last year but size is a big concern. Every linebacker on the roster last year returns this year, the secondary does lose a few starters but they recruited heavily here in hopes of improvement.

This schedule is not favorable. UL-Monroe doesn't get the benefit of playing a FCS opponent, and I mean this non-conference schedule is brutal for a rebuilding team like this, UL-Monroe has two teams that made New Years 6 bowls last year in Florida State and Auburn, they have to play conference title contenders in Memphis and Southern Miss. They at least avoid Troy in conference play, though it would have been nice if they got to face New Mexico State.

Predictions:

Aug. 31 @ Memphis: This will be rough, UL-Monroe is way outmatched. L
Sep. 9 @ Florida State: I feel sorry for these guys. L
Sep. 16 Southern Miss: Most likely another mismatch. L
Sep. 23 UL-Lafayette: L
Sep. 30 Coastal Carolina: L
Oct. 7 @ Texas State: UL-Monroe is a little ahead on the rebuild, they finally get a win. W
Oct. 14 Georgia State: Another win! W
Oct. 21 @ South Alabama: Potential upset chance here but fall short. L
Oct 28 @ Idaho: Ouch still no bye week yet for UL-Monroe. L
Nov. 4 Appalachian State: L
Nov. 18 @ Auburn: L
Nov. 25 Arkansas State: L

Predicted Record: 2-10(2-6)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Sun Belt Conference

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Predicted Standings:

1. Appalachian State Mountaineers 10-2(8-0)
2. Troy Trojans 10-2(8-0)
3. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns 7-5(6-2)
4. Arkansas State Red Wolves 7-5(6-2)
5. Georgia Southern Eagles 6-6(4-4)
6. South Alabama Jaguars 6-6(4-4)
7. Idaho Vandals 6-6(4-4)
8. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 5-7(3-5)
9. UL-Monroe Warhawks 2-10(2-6)
10. Texas State Bobcats 3-9(2-6)
11. Georgia State Panthers 3-9(1-7)
12. New Mexico State Aggies 0-12(0-8)

Overview: It was rough trying to figure out the silly tiebreaker scenario since the Sun Belt doesn't have a championship game, and I'm sure in this scenario they'll wish they had one. Tiebreakers are settled head to head, then record against best team, then 2nd best and then finally 3rd best is where we solve the champion. Appalachian State is 1-0 against the Ragin Cajuns while Troy didn't play them, so Appalachian State wins the Sun Belt by this bizarre tiebreaker. Georgia Southern gets 5th by virtue of being 1-0 against teams in their tiebreaker (they beat South Alabama), South Alabama is 1-1 beating Idaho and losing to Georgia Southern, Idaho is 7th as they lost to South Alabama. We'll see if my faith in Louisiana-Lafayette pays off, Idaho and Georgia State are teams that could do better than I predicted.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Okay peeps hope you enjoyed this little teaser. I'll have to see how I am on time, I'm going on a vacation on Thursday and I'll be gone over a week. I'll see how I am on time tomorrow (depends on if I can sucker the wife into doing most of the packing lol) but I might squeeze in the previews for the Independents.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I'm back folks, tomorrow predictions will resume

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Charlotte 49ers

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Preview: Charlotte is a new program still finding their way on college football's highest level. As a startup they almost jumped straight into FBS, so it's no surprise that Brad Lambert deserves a long lease as he tries to make this program competitive.

Last year showed some promise, it didn't start well as they first gave people notice of Lamar Jackson when he put up an insane game's worth a stats in the first half. They recovered to blow out Elon of FCS the next week before taking 3 blowout losses in a row to eventual bowl teams in Eastern Michigan, Temple and Old Dominion. Charlotte finally turned things around beating Florida Atlantic in a hurricane delayed road game, then losing by 1 at home to FIU, and winning on the road over Marshall and most surprisingly an 11 point road win over Southern Miss. They then blew a 21-0 lead to lose by 1 against Rice, they lost a wild 38-31 home game to Mid Tenn State who started a backup QB, and then collapsed in a blowout loss in the finale.

Charlotte's offense struggled in parts of last season but played a little better late. So far in FBS Charlotte has had a lot of QB shuffling despite coming into each season with a clear starter, usually that starter struggles compared to the previous year and then loses the job. Greg Olsen's brother Kevin Olsen had the job entering last year, but struggled and lost the job, he is no longer on the team. Hasaan Klugh took over midseason and Charlotte's offense picked up as a result, he comes into this year as the starter and Charlotte is hoping he sticks, it's possible he doesn't as he struggled later in the year. The RBs are exciting, Robert Washington was a high recruit for Charlotte and as a freshman he immediately made an impact, he had some good performances but also some bad ones, another sophomore Benny LeMay will also get carries. They bring a lot of receivers back from a passing game that was pretty bad last year, maybe it can improve. The offensive line needs to be re-worked after 3 long time starters are gone.

Charlotte's defense had some highlights, but the pass defense was just awful and it weighed down the entire defense as a result. The run defense was great but now has to be retooled. On the defensive line Larry Ogunjobi was an absolute anchor against the run and now he's the program's first ever draft pick after being selected in the 3rd round, several other players on the defensive line are gone as well. Linebacker should still be a strength despite one of it's strongest run defenders in Nick Cook departing. One of the reason's Charlotte's secondary was so bad was because it was led by 3 freshman safeties, that's never a good thing but it should mean some improvement this year and a good jump last year. Corner Terrance Winchester was the lone highlight, but he barely played last year because of injuries and then he graduated so it least it gave them a head start on life without him.

The schedule is alright, at least a lot of the games are winnable. Non-conference only features one impossible opponent in Kansas State, they play Eastern Michigan who is not as bad as they usually are but it's always possible they could struggle, and very winnable home games against NC A&T and Georgia State. Conference schedule does them a possible favor with UAB at home, but playing Southern Miss on the road again will be tough. Overall 2018 looks like the breakthrough year, but for now 2017 will be rough.

Predictions:

Sep. 1 @ Eastern Michigan: While it is possible Eastern Michigan could struggle I like what they return and I think Charlotte will easily lose this one. L
Sep. 9 @ Kansas State: L
Sep. 16 NC A&T: NC A&T was strong at the FCS level as they made the playoffs last year and beat Kent State in 4 overtimes, but Tarik Cohen was a rare star for them and he's gone so Charlotte should win. W
Sep. 23 Georgia State: This one is a toss-up game, and I'm going with Georgia State in this one. W
Sep. 30 @ FIU: FIU returns a lot, and it will be tough for Charlotte to keep up with them. L
Oct. 7 Marshall: Marshall I think will take a step back up this year and they beat Charlotte in this one. L
Oct. 14 @ Western Kentucky: Despite the loss of some good players Western Kentucky is still one of the few teams completely out of reach for Charlotte in this league. L
Oct. 21 UAB: UAB is a mystery to me, since their players have never played in a game I'm going with the pessimistic outlook for them, allowing Charlotte to win this toss-up. L
Nov. 4 @ Old Dominion: L
Nov. 11 Mid Tenn State: Mid Tenn State's passing game is scary considering how bad this secondary is. L
Nov. 18 @ Southern Miss: No repeat of last year's upset. L
Nov. 25 Florida Atlantic: Another passing game that will be too much. L

Predicted Record: 2-10(1-7)

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[BoiseStateFan27]

Florida Atlantic Owls

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Preview: As everyone knows it's definitely a new era for Florida Atlantic football, after years of struggles they have turned to a big name to try to make their struggling program relevant. With the hire of Lane Kiffin they have already succeeded at that, Florida Atlantic is more relevant than ever...question is will wins follow?

Last year this team was just awful, they struggled in their season opener and won by 8 over Southern Illinois, a FCS team that went 4-7. It was followed by blowout losses to Miami fl and Kansas State. Florida Atlantic then was more competitive but dropped 4 winnable games in a row against Ball State, FIU, Charlotte and Marshall...all 1 possession losses. They were then blown out by Western Kentucky before playing a little better late in the year as the offense improved, they beat Rice and UTEP, were blown out by Old Dominion and then ended the year losing a ridiculous 56-77 shootout against Mid Tenn State.

The offense should be a lot of fun to watch as always with Kiffin teams...add in the controversial Kendal Briles and we are in for a fun ride. At QB they brought in a JUCO transfer De'Andre Johnson a former Florida State commit who was dismissed for a disgraceful act, but has been a good citizen since speaking to recruits against doing such things. He definitely won't get the starting job easy as FAU returns QB Jason Driskel who struggled most of the year but some improvement in the running game late in the year gave him more openings in the passing game and he was fantastic late in the year. That ground game improvement was when Devin Singletary a freshman last year took over as the starter and was fantastic, he should be one of the best backs in the conference. Finding players to catch the ball will be interesting TE Tyler Cameron really caught fire late in the year but he's now gone and of the receivers by far the best that was slated to return was Kalib Woods but he was arrested for battery charges and likely won't be on the team any longer. Some unproven options could be 4 star freshman D'Anfernee McGriff and a transfer from Texas in DeAndre McNeal. The offensive line last year went through a lot of shuffling due to injury but now returns 8 players with starting experience including left tackle Reggie Bain who missed all of last year due to a motor scooter incident...man this FAU offense is filled with interesting stories.

The defense on the other hand is going to need quite the rebuild. In case you didn't read, they ended last year giving up 77 points to Middle Tennessee State, Mid Tenn State didn't even have their starting QB that game! The defensive line was very thin and only had one highlight and that was Trey Hendrickson who was drafted and is now in the NFL, at least there's one boost in Ray Ellis a projected starter for last year but injured his knee, he will be back. There were two good linebackers in Azeez Al-Shaair who does return and was one of the best players on this defense, but the other good linebacker Nate Ozdemir missed the final 4 games of last year and has left to pursue a career in the military. The secondary was rather inexperienced last year and didn't get much help from up front, but almost everyone returns which should allow for some improvement.

The schedule starts out really tough as Florida Atlantic has some rough games against Navy and Wisconsin to open the year, it gets a little easier afterwards with Bethune-Cookman and Buffalo as the other non-conference games. The conference schedule would be better if they didn't have to play Louisiana Tech but North Texas is at least very winnable.

Predictions:

Sep. 1 Navy: This could be a shootout for a while, but this defense is going to let FAU down. L
Sep. 9 @ Wisconsin: Wisconsin will likely blow them out. L
Sep. 16 Bethune-Cookman: Bethune-Cookman was a pretty bad FCS team last year, was blown out 41-20 by North Texas last year, expect a blowout here. W
Sep. 23 @ Buffalo: Buffalo will likely be in for another rough year so Florida Atlantic should win this one. W
Sep. 30 Mid Tenn State: Yet another game where the defense proves incapable of making stops, I don't think it will be quite the 77-56 shootout of last year though. L
Oct. 7 @ Old Dominion: L
Oct. 21 North Texas: Bye week proves helpful for Florida Atlantic as they easily roll past North Texas. W
Oct. 28 @ Western Kentucky: Finally Lane Kiffin gets a highlight as FAU pulls off the upset. W
Nov. 3 Marshall: In Lane Kiffin style they follow it up by losing this game at home. L
Nov. 11 @ Louisiana Tech: FAU gets blown out here. L
Nov. 18 FIU: The first Butch Davis vs Lane Kiffin battle, it turns out to be a close one with the Kiffin's coming out with the win. W
Nov. 25 @ Charlotte: W

Predicted Record: 6-6(4-4)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Florida International Golden Panthers

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Preview: FIU is a program that has struggled to find much success since joining the FBS ranks. So far their only notable events were the massive brawl against the Miami Hurricanes, which was perhaps one of the biggest brawls ever and FIU did make back to back bowls under Mario Cristobal their two most successful years and after one step backwards they fired him. That step backwards actually would still have been a normal year in the Ron Turner era, now it Butch Davis' turn to try to find success.

Last year was not a good year for FIU. They opened with two home games against Indiana and Maryland and were blown out in both, they then finished their non-conference losing at UMass and getting absolutely destroyed 53-14 by UCF at home. Turner was fired after the UCF game, and FIU then hit a 3 game winning streak to start conference play, although it was mostly close wins against bad teams. They followed it up by losing 3 in a row, being blown out by Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky but almost beating Mid Tenn State before throwing a pick 6 late to lose, they managed to beat Marshall before ending the year losing to Old Dominion.

There is a lot of experience back on both sides of the ball. The offense started to play a little better later in the year. QB Alex McGough was bad to start the year but started playing a little better before getting hurt, he returns and so do his backups that played later in the year. RB Alex Gardner is solid as he almost topped 1,000 yards last year. There's a lot of experience back at receiver including two good receivers in Thomas Owens and Stanley Thomas. There are 4 linemen with starting experience returning.

FIU had a bad defense last year, as there really wasn't much they could stop, typically teams could methodically work their way down the field against them with ease. The defensive line returns a lot of it's rotation but the players they lose also happened to be some of the largest players on the line. Linebackers Anthony Wint and Treyvon Williams who return were strong against the run but could find stopping the run more difficult without the space eaters up front. The entire secondary is back which should mean improvement.

The schedule isn't as bad as year's past, they open with UCF on the road, get a FCS game against Alcorn State, the tough one is Indiana on the road and they get Tulane at home though Tulane might be improved this year. They draw Rice and UTSA from the West division, which might not be the worst draw. This is one of the most experienced teams in the country but Davis typically likes to build with his players, it's tough to tell how this team will play.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 @ UCF: UCF will likely be too much for FIU, so this will be a blowout loss. L
Sep. 9 Alcorn State: Alcorn State was 5-6 in FCS last year, lost 52-10 to Arkansas, should be an easy win. W
Sep. 16 @ Indiana: L
Sep. 23 @ Rice: This game could be a close one, depending on how improved Rice is, I'm going with FIU. W
Sep. 30 Charlotte: FIU easily beats Charlotte. W
Oct. 7 @ Mid Tenn State: Even with some improvements its really difficult to see FIU keeping up with Mid Tenn State's offense. L
Oct. 14 Tulane: Tulane I think will be slightly improved, they will beat FIU in a close game. L
Oct. 28 @ Marshall: Marshall will take a slight bounce back this year, and Chase Litton will lead them to a win over FIU. L
Nov. 4 UTSA: A small upset as FIU takes down UTSA. W
Nov. 11 Old Dominion: FIU keeps it rolling with another small upset. W
Nov. 18 @ Florida Atlantic: Kiffin takes round one. L
Nov. 25 Western Kentucky: Western Kentucky still has too much talent. L

Predicted Record: 5-7(4-4)

 

[outofyourmind]

Charlotte 49ers

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Preview: Charlotte is a new program still finding their way on college football's highest level. As a startup they almost jumped straight into FBS, so it's no surprise that Brad Lambert deserves a long lease as he tries to make this program competitive.

Last year showed some promise, it didn't start well as they first gave people notice of Lamar Jackson when he put up an insane game's worth a stats in the first half. They recovered to blow out Elon of FCS the next week before taking 3 blowout losses in a row to eventual bowl teams in Eastern Michigan, Temple and Old Dominion. Charlotte finally turned things around beating Florida Atlantic in a hurricane delayed road game, then losing by 1 at home to FIU, and winning on the road over Marshall and most surprisingly an 11 point road win over Southern Miss. They then blew a 21-0 lead to lose by 1 against Rice, they lost a wild 38-31 home game to Mid Tenn State who started a backup QB, and then collapsed in a blowout loss in the finale.

Charlotte's offense struggled in parts of last season but played a little better late. So far in FBS Charlotte has had a lot of QB shuffling despite coming into each season with a clear starter, usually that starter struggles compared to the previous year and then loses the job. Greg Olsen's brother Kevin Olsen had the job entering last year, but struggled and lost the job, he is no longer on the team. Hasaan Klugh took over midseason and Charlotte's offense picked up as a result, he comes into this year as the starter and Charlotte is hoping he sticks, it's possible he doesn't as he struggled later in the year. The RBs are exciting, Robert Washington was a high recruit for Charlotte and as a freshman he immediately made an impact, he had some good performances but also some bad ones, another sophomore Benny LeMay will also get carries. They bring a lot of receivers back from a passing game that was pretty bad last year, maybe it can improve. The offensive line needs to be re-worked after 3 long time starters are gone.

Charlotte's defense had some highlights, but the pass defense was just awful and it weighed down the entire defense as a result. The run defense was great but now has to be retooled. On the defensive line Larry Ogunjobi was an absolute anchor against the run and now he's the program's first ever draft pick after being selected in the 3rd round, several other players on the defensive line are gone as well. Linebacker should still be a strength despite one of it's strongest run defenders in Nick Cook departing. One of the reason's Charlotte's secondary was so bad was because it was led by 3 freshman safeties, that's never a good thing but it should mean some improvement this year and a good jump last year. Corner Terrance Winchester was the lone highlight, but he barely played last year because of injuries and then he graduated so it least it gave them a head start on life without him.

The schedule is alright, at least a lot of the games are winnable. Non-conference only features one impossible opponent in Kansas State, they play Eastern Michigan who is not as bad as they usually are but it's always possible they could struggle, and very winnable home games against NC A&T and Georgia State. Conference schedule does them a possible favor with UAB at home, but playing Southern Miss on the road again will be tough. Overall 2018 looks like the breakthrough year, but for now 2017 will be rough.

Predictions:

Sep. 1 @ Eastern Michigan: While it is possible Eastern Michigan could struggle I like what they return and I think Charlotte will easily lose this one. L
Sep. 9 @ Kansas State: L
Sep. 16 NC A&T: NC A&T was strong at the FCS level as they made the playoffs last year and beat Kent State in 4 overtimes, but Tarik Cohen was a rare star for them and he's gone so Charlotte should win. W
Sep. 23 Georgia State: This one is a toss-up game, and I'm going with Georgia State in this one. W
Sep. 30 @ FIU: FIU returns a lot, and it will be tough for Charlotte to keep up with them. L
Oct. 7 Marshall: Marshall I think will take a step back up this year and they beat Charlotte in this one. L
Oct. 14 @ Western Kentucky: Despite the loss of some good players Western Kentucky is still one of the few teams completely out of reach for Charlotte in this league. L
Oct. 21 UAB: UAB is a mystery to me, since their players have never played in a game I'm going with the pessimistic outlook for them, allowing Charlotte to win this toss-up. L
Nov. 4 @ Old Dominion: L
Nov. 11 Mid Tenn State: Mid Tenn State's passing game is scary considering how bad this secondary is. L
Nov. 18 @ Southern Miss: No repeat of last year's upset. L
Nov. 25 Florida Atlantic: Another passing game that will be too much. L

Predicted Record: 2-10(1-7)

​

Dude
I don't think I have even heard about this team.
You made this up didn't you.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Dude
I don't think I have even heard about this team.
You made this up didn't you.

Yes sir, I decided to create a few extra teams in my head and add them to my predictions

Honestly I'm glad I do these every year or I wouldn't know some of these teams existed LOL

 

[ericd7633]

Good stuff @BoiseStateFan27. Always enjoy reading through these. After reading through the Sun Belt if you're scenario plays out, that would be a shitty way to not win a conference. lol.

Also one of the more intriguing week 1 games is FAU vs. Navy. Navy is always a fun watch with their offense and add in the Kiffin effect, that's a game I'll definitely be watching.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

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Preview: Louisiana Tech has quickly become one of the most consistent programs in Conference-USA under Skip Holtz, after a rough debut season Louisiana Tech had been at the top of the conference...which is the good news, the bad news is every year they fall just short of a C-USA title.

The offense was almost unstoppable last year as Louisiana Tech put up a lot of points on almost everyone but there will be a lot of change this year. QB Ryan Higgins was a solid QB but he is now gone, his replacement will be J'Mar Smith who is a sophomore, he does have some experience as due to a suspension for Higgins he played against Arkansas in last year's opener and nearly led Louisiana Tech to the upset. RBs Jarred Craft and Boston Scott are both good and they both return. Louisiana Tech has a lot of changes at receiver as they had two fantastic receivers in Carlos Henderson and Trent Taylor who both were NFL draft picks, there are several talented but unproven options at receiver. The offensive line has to replace a few starters.

Louisiana Tech became a pretty fun team to watch last year because they paired that fantastic offense with a terrible defense. The defensive line returns almost everyone and the star of the unit is defensive end Jaylon Ferguson. Linebacker is going to be a huge question mark, after losing their top 3 linebackers entering last year they enter this year losing 3 of their top 4 again. The secondary struggled badly last year and that was with NFL draft pick Xavier Woods at safety. Their best corner Ephraim Kitchen returns but he has struggled to stay healthy, Louisiana Tech's secondary will make a good improvement if he can stay healthy.

The schedule doesn't shape up too badly, they play FCS Northwestern State and they have winnable but tricky games against Mississippi State, South Carolina and South Alabama. In conference play they draw a potential conference title preview against Western Kentucky, and get an easier game against Florida Atlantic. With so much turnover it's possible Louisiana Tech could fall back to the pack but Skip Holtz has earned the benefit of the doubt at this point.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Northwestern State: Northwestern State was a terrible FCS team last year, they went 1-10. W
Sep. 9 Mississippi State: Potential upset opportunity here but I think Louisiana Tech falls just short. L
Sep. 16 @ Western Kentucky: Last few years these two have gotten in quite the shootout, I'd say it will be one again with Western Kentucky outscoring La Tech. L
Sep. 23 @ South Carolina: Stopping Jake Bentley will prove to be too much for the Louisiana Tech defense. L
Sep. 30 South Alabama: South Alabama specializes in random upsets like these. L
Oct.7 @ UAB: Louisiana Tech pulls it together and starts to return to winning. W
Oct. 21 Southern Miss: Having a bye week prior to this proves beneficial and Louisiana Tech wins a huge game for the division race. W
Oct. 28 @ Rice: W
Nov. 4 North Texas: Another dominant win. W
Nov. 11 Florida Atlantic: This should be a wild shootout with Louisiana Tech winning it. W
Nov. 18 @ UTEP: W
Nov. 25 UTSA: This should be a tough one, but I'll go with Louisiana Tech. W

Predicted Record: 8-4(7-1)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Good stuff @BoiseStateFan27. Always enjoy reading through these. After reading through the Sun Belt if you're scenario plays out, that would be a shitty way to not win a conference. lol.

Also one of the more intriguing week 1 games is FAU vs. Navy. Navy is always a fun watch with their offense and add in the Kiffin effect, that's a game I'll definitely be watching.

Thank you sir

Yes the Sun Belt put themselves in a bit of a box there, and it pretty much would take an upset to prevent Appalachian State and Troy from going unbeaten. I will say there are a few brutal scenarios in my predictions.

Navy vs FAU is definitely a game for those who like to see a lot of points, it will be tough for either defense to get a stop

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Marshall Thundering Herd

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Preview: Marshall is another program that has consistently been at the top of Conference-USA in recent year, for the longest time you've been able to count on them being a contender. They have a coach in Doc Holliday who has been a fantastic fit for the program both by his philosophies and the fact that he likes coaching there and is willing to take his time before jumping to a big program...it was all going well... and then suddenly everything came crashing down last year.

There were several stunning collapses last year and other than Michigan State, Marshall's collapse to 3-9 was the most surprising. They opened the season looking fine rolling past FCS Morgan State 62-0 but quickly things fell apart in a rather stunning 65-38 collapse against Akron. That game was followed by expected blowout losses to Louisville and Pitt, and then a more surprising 38-21 loss to North Texas. Marshall finally grabbed another win beating Florida Atlantic, and then were a little more competitive but lost to Charlotte, Southern Miss and Old Dominion. They got another win taking advantage of Mid Tenn State's collapse without their QB in a 42-17 blowout, Marshall then ended the year with a loss to FIU and a 60-6 blowout loss at home to Western Kentucky.

The offense played a part in this collapse, though injuries definitely hurt the offenses performance. QB Chase Litton is very talented, he has great size and a great arm so much so that you can expect some NFL scouts in Huntington this year, but he could stand to make less mistakes and most of all Marshall needs him to stay healthy as he was among the players injured last year. The run game was just absolutely terrible, Marshall couldn't go anywhere running the ball, only one RB made it through the entire season without getting hurt but someone needs to emerge to actually gain yards this year. WR Michael Clark was really the only receiver capable of moving the ball downfield and he is now gone, so is Deon-Tay McManus who entered the NFL draft for whatever reason(I don't think he's even on a team right now.) There's a lot of raw fast receivers on the roster, some of them will have to emerge. 2 starters are back on the offensive line.

Marshall's defense had just a few good moments last year but was mostly bad. There is some promise on the defensive line as a lot of contributors return last year, there's a lot of depth and they actually had some good moments last year. There's a few starters back for a linebacker unit that kind of struggled and Miami transfer Juwon Young is already the most sure thing on this unit he will plug and play right away, there's several unproven players that have a lot of talent as well. Marshall's secondary gave up way too many big pass plays last year but everyone returns so more experience should help.

The schedule's difficulty depends on how much improvement Marshall makes, they have an easy non-conference game against Kent State and they also have somewhat tough but possibly winnable games against Miami (OH), NC State and Cincinnati. They didn't get a good conference draw as Southern Miss and UTSA are some of the tougher teams in the West division. I'm taking a bit of a chance here, this team has a lot of unproven talent and I certainly don't think Doc Holliday has lost it so I think a rebound to at least a bowl game should happen for Marshall.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Miami(OH): Marshall sets the tone for a better year as they pull a minor upset over Miami (this being an upset was unthinkable last year.) W
Sep. 9 @ NC State: I can't rule it out but I'm not sure Marshall would be able to win this one. L
Sep. 16 Kent State: W
Sep. 30 @ Cincinnati: This one is a close game and I think Marshall just barely loses to Cincinnati. L
Oct. 7 @ Charlotte: This will be a dominant win for Marshall. W
Oct. 14 Old Dominion: Marshall truly shows they're a team to watch for in beating Old Dominion. W
Oct. 20 @ Middle Tennessee State: Even with the improved secondary I don't think Marshall will be able to stop this passing game. L
Oct. 28 FIU: Marshall is able to march their way down the field consistently to win this game. W
Nov. 3 @ Florida Atlantic: A good defensive performance as Marshall forces turnovers to beat FAU. W
Nov. 11 Western Kentucky: Amazingly Marshall hasn't beaten Western Kentucky since Randy Moss played for them. L
Nov. 18 @ UTSA: Marshall struggles in this one and loses. L
Nov. 25 Southern Miss: Marshall has a strong finish to the regular season to take down Southern Miss. W

Predicted Record: 7-5(5-3)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders

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Preview: It's amazing to look at how long coaches have managed to stay at their respective programs and with how the sport has been lately long tenured coaches are tough to find. Yet here we are one of the longest tenured coaches in college football is right here at Middle Tennessee State, Rick Stockstill is in his 12 year! Normally at this level of football coaches either get poached by a bigger school or they get fired, somehow Stockstill hasn't been poached by a higher school and Mid Tenn State has been patient to not fire him when he's had a bad year. It has paid off as Mid Tenn State has been solid since jumping up to Conference-USA. Still they've only surpassed 8 wins once since the jump to FBS, can this be the year they surpass that?

Last year was a good year but also one that really was so tantalizingly close to so much more. After a dominant win in the opener Mid Tenn State had a disappointing performance against Vanderbilt where they moved the ball almost at will especially in the first half and outgained Vanderbilt by over 150 yards but lost 47-24 due to making several mistakes. Their error prone ways continued in a monsoon flooded field game against Bowling Green but still won 41-21. They beat Louisiana Tech 38-34 in a wild game and crushed North Texas. More disappointment hit as Mid Tenn State lost at home 44-43 in double overtime to Western Kentucky thanks to their extra point getting blocked. Mid Tenn State recovered to win a wild 51-45 shootout at Missouri and used a late pick 6 to survive a potential dud against FIU. Then it all came crashing down, in the 2nd quarter against UTSA, QB Brett Stockstill(Rick Stockstill's son) broke his collarbone, Mid Tenn State collapsed losing 42-25 and then being blown out 42-17 against an otherwise bad Marshall team. They survived Charlotte and won a wild 77-56 shootout over FAU. Stockstill came back for the bowl but it was a disaster 52-35 blowout loss to Hawai'i.

This offense is going to be so much fun to watch if everyone stays healthy this year. Stockstill is the coaches son and is a very smart QB, he also has an excellent release and is fantastic at running this offense. He has some fantastic receivers at his disposal. Junior receiver Richie James is undersized but is a fantastic talent and is impossible to stop at times, he had over 400 total yards in that FAU game where he ran the ball, caught the ball and even threw the ball. He's not the only weapon, sophomore Ty Lee was also great last year, even some of the receivers further down the depth chart are strong. The running game has a reset though. I'Tavius Mathers had over 1500 rushing yards last year and is now gone, so are 3 starters on the offensive line. With this passing game the running game only needs to be mediocre for this offense to be great.

The defense is a huge question mark though. A new defensive coordinator could help, Scott Shafer was brought in, he struggled as the head coach for Syracuse but was great as a defensive coordinator prior. The defensive line wasn't great as it was last year and almost every contributor is gone, so some big questions here. Most of the contributing linebackers are back, Chris Melton and Darius Harris are the best of those they combined for 14 TFL last year, this could be a good unit with any sort of help from the defensive line. The secondary was ok last year and should be fine this year. Their best member from the secondary in Jeremy Cutrer is goen but everyone else meaningful is back.

The schedule is tough yet full of opportunity. Mid Tenn State starts the year with their first 3 games against middling teams from the 3 best conferences in college football (Vanderbilt, Syracuse, and Minnesota.) They also play Bowling Green who was at the top of the Mac in recent years before a collapse last year. Mid Tenn State gets a very favorable conference draw as they get UAB and UTEP from the west but for the division title race it goes through a road game against Western Kentucky.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Vanderbilt: After last year's disappointment, Mid Tenn State opens the year by redeeming themselves and pulling off a huge win over Vanderbilt. W
Sep. 9 @ Syracuse: Yet another opportunity here especially with Shafer against his former team but that defensive line is just too questionable for me to pick Mid Tenn State here. L
Sep. 16 @ Minnesota: This is the worst matchup of the 3 as Mid Tenn State will have a very difficult time stopping Minnesota's strength which is their run game and Minnesota has a defense that should still be good against the pass. L
Sep. 23 Bowling Green: Even if Bowling Green improves Mid Tenn State will blow them out. W
Sep. 30 @ Florida Atlantic: The score won't be 77-56 again but Mid Tenn State wins yet another shootout against them. W
Oct. 7 FIU: Mid Tenn State easily moves down the field to win this one. W
Oct. 14 @ UAB: Probably safe to assume UAB won't be competing at the top of the conference. W
Oct. 20 Marshall: Mid Tenn State easily moves up and down the field in a win. W
Nov. 4 UTEP: Should be a blowout. W
Nov. 11 @ Charlotte: Another blowout win. W
Nov. 17 @ Western Kentucky: This proves to be a big game, and these teams go back and forth before Western Kentucky pulls off the win late. L
Nov. 25 Old Dominion: Mid Tenn State's division hopes aren't over by any means, they outscore Old Dominion to keep those alive. W

Predicted Record: 9-3(7-1)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

North Texas Mean Green

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Preview: Seth Littrell could end up having some very good success here. North Texas after all is in good recruiting territory and his first year was definitely much better than expectations. He took a team that lost 66-7 to Portland State the year before and brought it to a bowl (although the bowl was on a technicality as they were 5-7 but made it by APR score.) Making North Texas a contender for Conference USA won't happen this year though there's still a lot of questions.

Last year North Texas started out with a 34-21 loss to SMU, in the end that was probably expected, they beat their FCS opponent easily before a horrible game against Florida giving up 32 points was not awful on the defensive side but it was the offensive side that was embarrassing. They followed it up by beating Rice in double OT, they had another rough effort against Mid Tenn State before a 2 game winning streak by beating Marshall and upsetting Army. North Texas hit a defensive collapse late as they lost 3 straight to UTSA, Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky. They upset Southern Miss out of nowhere before completely collapsing in the regular season finale in a 52-24 loss to UTEP. Still North Texas got in a bowl but lost a rematch to Army in overtime to finish with a bizarre 5-8 record.

The offense is definitely a question. At a small program like this it's definitely good to have an identity which is what North Texas is trying to do, they run an airraid offense and want to throw the ball all over the field, one problem....they weren't capable of doing that. As a result this offense was really bad at times..that embarrassing effort against Florida...53 total yards and 0 points, they only put up 13 points on a bad Mid Tenn State defense. QB Mason Fine was giving the starting job as a true freshman and he struggled like one. He had a few good games but was awful in others, he also got hurt later in the year and Alabama transfer QB Alec Morris took over. Morris is gone now so Mason Fine is likely they starter. Fine is athletic and has a big arm but is undersized but they will be hoping for him to make a big step forward this year. RB Jeffrey Wilson is probably the highlight of this offense he's a decent runner and can catch passes out of the backfield. The receiving corps struggled last year and now some starters are gone, there's some young talent here but very unproven at this point, North Texas needs someone to emerge. The offensive line shuffled a lot last year but has a lot of starting experience returning for this season.

North Texas had a defense that was mostly bad against the run but they were capable of stopping the pass. The run defense may have a hard time improving also, there's a lot of contributors gone from the defensive line but at least the returning nose tackles occasionally had success against the run. A lot of the primary starters at linebackers are gone but Brandon Garner was decent at times and Joshua Wheeler put up 7.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks in limited action last year. The secondary loses two starters but there were a lot of contributors in this unit and some of the better ones in safety Kishawn McClain and corners Nate Brooks and Eric Jenkins return.

The non-conference schedule is almost the same as last year's, Army and SMU are again on the schedule, Lamar is a FCS team that should provide a win and instead of Florida, North Texas plays Iowa which while a little bit easier is still a guaranteed loss. They draw a potentially improved Florida Atlantic and solid Old Dominion from the east division though. There's some promise but North Texas not being able to establish the identity they want concerns me and has me thinking they might take a step back in Littrell's 2nd season.

Predictions:

Sep.2 Lamar: Lamar went 3-8 in FCS last year, lost 42-0 to Houston and Coastal Carolina transitioning to FBS beat them 38-14, should be an easy win. W
Sep. 9 @ SMU: SMU was improving last year and should be even better this year, they likely crush North Texas in this one. L
Sep. 16 @ Iowa: L
Sep. 23 UAB: UAB's lack of playing experience could mean struggles and a North Texas win here. W
Sep. 30 @ Southern Miss: No repeat of last year's upset win. L
Oct. 14 UTSA: I don't think they bye week will help them find any way to move the ball on UTSA's defense. L
Oct. 21 @ Florida Atlantic: I can see North Texas struggling to contain FAU's spread offense. L
Oct. 28 Old Dominion: Bad news for North Texas, Old Dominion is a strong running team. L
Nov. 4 @ Louisiana Tech: L
Nov. 11 UTEP: This game could be tough because UTEP's offensive line will dominate but North Texas has a good offensive effort to get revenge for last year's blowout. W
Nov. 18 Army: It's odd with North Texas struggling against the run that they managed to be so competitive against Army, I'm not sure that happens again this year. North Texas loses. L
Nov. 25 @ Rice: North Texas lays an egg in the finale. L

Predicted Record: 3-9(2-6)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Old Dominion Monarchs

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Preview: Old Dominion was one of the first of the schools that decided to add football and within a few years of having a football program made the move up to FBS. Of the several schools that have done this Old Dominion has had perhaps the most steady improvement, and with only one coach in Bobby Wilder (very underrated coach by the way.) they are the most steady. During their FCS years they were always solid and steadily got better, they moved to FBS and immediately went 6-6, in 2015 they regressed for the first time and went 5-7 but they stayed the course and surged to an amazing 10-3 season last year. Can they continue the rise?

Last year actually didn't even start the best, they beat Hampton 54-21 but were blown out in consecutive weeks by Appalachian State and NC State. Old Dominion did rebound with easier competition, easily beating UTSA, Charlotte and UMass, but then Old Dominion was destroyed 59-24 by Western Kentucky. They once again rebounded and easily beat UTEP, Marshall, Southern Miss, FAU and FIU to close the regular season on a 5 game win streak. They extended that to 6 with a bowl win over Eastern Michigan. For the most part Old Dominion had a solid team but didn't have much to offer against the better teams.

Old Dominion had a very good offense last year but keeping that level up could be a challenge. The most important position is a massive question mark, last year's QB David Washington ran out of eligibility and their starter in 2015 transferred. Finding a solution here is the highest priority as this could ruin Old Dominion's progress, it would be a shame because there's a lot of good things with the rest of the offense. RBs Ray Lawry and Jeremy Cox combine to be one of the better running duos in the conference and while last year's leading receiver Zach Pascal is gone, there were a large variety of receivers who could passes last year so this unit will be strong. 4 starters return on the offensive line as well.

Old Dominion's defense made some huge strides last year and could still be good this year. The defensive line is a strength, they lose Rashaad Coward who was the top tackle, there were some solid backups who could lead the rotation as well as the unproven but mammoth Brandon Tyson who is 337 pounds! Some interesting names will be leaders at defensive end, Oshane Ximines returns after having 11.5 TFL and 7.5 sacks last year and so does Bunmi Rotimi who had 10 TFL and 7 sacks, and the backups are good in rotation as well. Linebacker is a major question, as only one of their top 5 contributors might be back. Yes I said "might" as Isaiah Worthy's status is uncertain at this point. Old Dominion also returns almost everyone in the secondary, they have some good starters here and a lot of depth so this unit will be strong.

The schedule will be difficult. They get Albany as a FCS opponent, but the rest of the non-conference is a tricky road trip to UMass and really difficult games against North Carolina and Virginia Tech. The west division draw isn't bad as Old Dominion gets North Texas and Rice. This could be a strong team, I'm worried about the QB position though, with how competitive the East division will be this year, it could cause some regression, but find a strong answer and Old Dominion is a contender to win the conference.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Albany: Albany was solid at the FCS level last year they went 7-4 and even upset Buffalo in their opener. I still think Old Dominion will beat them though. W
Sep. 9 @ UMass: UMass started to get tricky to play last year they were able to hang with some of the opponents they played from the SEC, Old Dominion struggles but wins. W
Sep. 16 North Carolina: This is actually a bit of a grudge match, during Old Dominion's transition year in 2013 North Carolina put up 80 points on them in 3 quarters to win 80-20, the 4th quarter was shortened and North Carolina even took a knee on 4th and goal in the 4th quarter to avoid scoring. Old Dominion will be much more competitive this time around though it's still a loss. L
Sep. 23 @ Virginia Tech: A shot at a big in-state team is nice, but I don't see Old Dominion pulling it off despite Virginia Tech's knack for random upset losses. L
Oct. 7 Florida Atlantic: Old Dominion's run game will bowl over FAU, while their secondary will help make some stops to win. W
Oct. 14 @ Marshall: Marshall pulls off an upset. L
Oct. 20 Western Kentucky: Old Dominion is much more competitive with Western Kentucky this time around, but with that unsettled QB position I can't pick them with confidence. L
Oct. 28 North Texas: W
Nov. 4 Charlotte: W
Nov. 11 @ FIU: The QB position has me seeing Old Dominion more vulnerable to upsets, they lose another kind of surprising one here. L
Nov. 18 Rice: Old Dominion easily beats Rice in this one. W
Nov. 25 Mid Tenn State: Old Dominion looks to play spoiler in the division race, but I have them falling just short. L

Predicted Record: 6-6(4-4)

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Rice Owls

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Preview: David Bailiff is another one of the few small school coaches who has managed to stick around for a long time. He's in his 11th season at Rice and this is despite having a losing record as a head coach there. Bailiff has had some fantastic seasons with Rice and some bad ones, a lot of his great seasons were thanks to Rice being patient through his rough patches. He might be in another rough patch right now.

Rice had a very rough year last year, overall they were awful. They opened the year with 3 consecutive blowout losses to Western Kentucky, Army, and Baylor. They became a little more competitive in a double overtime loss to North Texas, and then losses to Southern Miss and UTSA. Rice finally got a win beating Prairie View A&M 65-44. They promptly fell apart again losing to Louisiana Tech 61-16, and then 42-25 to FAU. They did finally win some games beating Charlotte by 1 and blowing out UTEP. They ended the year with an expected loss to Stanford.

Rice's offense struggled a lot of times last year. Their QB Tyler Stehling was decent at times but he is now gone, several QBs will compete for the job. Of those Jackson Tyner is the only one with experience he had a good performance subbing in late in the year against UTEP, and was awful against Stanford but they were outmatched. Rice will have a new starting RB in Sam Stewart who looked very promising in limited action. There's some turnover at receiver so some unproven options will have to emerge. Rice has some promise on the offensive line as injuries caused a lot of shuffling last year and now there's 7 players returning with starting experience, this unit has good size.

Rice had a very bad defense last year, they could hardly stop anyone. Injuries hit the defense hard, and several players missed a few games. Rice had 11 players take significant snaps on the defensive line, the good news is 10 of 11 defensive linemen. Linebacker was more sturdy, and only one of their top linemen return, the best of which is Emmanuel Ellerbee who had 94 tackles and 8 TFL. Rice's secondary had mass lineup changes thanks to injuries in the secondary as well, they had an awful pass defense as a result, but a lot of those players who played last year are back which should lead to some improvement.

The schedule is rough. The non-conference schedule includes 4 teams that went to bowls, Stanford, Houston, Pittsburgh and Army. They draw FIU and Old Dominion from the East division. We might see just how patient Rice will be because this is likely another rough year.

Predictions:

Aug. 26 Stanford (Australia): Rice playing Stanford in Australia has to be one of the most bizarre games this year. L
Sep. 9 @ UTEP: Rice's defense will struggle against UTEP and their offensive line and they lose a close one. L
Sep. 16 @ Houston: This will be another blowout loss. L
Sep. 23 FIU: Another loss for Rice. L
Sep. 30 @ Pitt: L
Oct. 7 Army: L
Oct. 21 UTSA: Rice will struggle offensively in this one. L
Oct. 28 Louisiana Tech: L
Nov. 4 @ UAB: This is a toss up but I think UAB will at least play a little better later in the year. L
Nov. 11 Southern Miss: L
Nov. 18 @ Old Dominion: L
Nov. 25 North Texas: Luckily Rice at least pulls off a win late in the year. W

Predicted Record: 1-11(1-7)