My 6th annual CFB preview thread (Part 1)

[Boise4Life]

I always found a lot of fun to use these previews as an opportunity to dive into teams that you normally wouldn't pay attention to (and probably won't again once the season starts)

I've been reading up when I can this year

I enjoy it. It’s good stuff.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Utah State

Preview segment: The Utah State Aggies

Last season: It's official: This decade is the best decade that Utah State football has ever had. With a powerful offense leading the way the Aggies went 11-2, smashed North Texas in a bowl game, and even finished ahead of Boise State in the final AP Poll (22nd overall). Just like the glorious 2012 season (when the Aggies finished 16th)!
But more often than not, that success usually means that mid-majors don't keep their head coaches for long. So now Matt Wells is at Texas Tech, and Utah State must go back to winning without him.

2019 X-factor: New head coach Gary Andersen- Oops, make that "returning head coach" Gary Andersen, as Gary is returning to the spot that launched his coaching career. On one hand, his stops at Wisconsin and Oregon State weren't exactly awe-inspiring, but on the other hand the transition in Logan has been very smoothly. Maybe this retread will work out!

Bad news: We'll find out soon enough, won't we? Only 2 starters from 2018's offense return, and the O-line USU has now are young and inexperienced.

Good news: Huh... returning QB Jordan Love will have more help than I first thought; he'll have RB Gerold Bright and a deep WR group for support. 7 starters from a darn-good defense is also returning to Logan, and the kicking game looks steady.

Key games:
8/30 @ Wake Forest (This is easily the biggest season opener for Utah State in many years. All of these new starters on offense are gonna get tested right away against a quality opponent.)
9/21 @ San Diego State (This is just part of a hard road slate for the Aggies; they'll later visit LSU and Air Force. Did I forget someone?)
11/2 vs. BYU (Another reason why this is the best decade in Utah State football history: They've now beaten BYU in consecutive years for the first time since the early 70's.)
11/9 @ Fresno State (Ah! THERE'S that missing road game! And it MIGHT be a preview of the Mountain West title game...)
11/23 vs. Boise State (...if Utah State is able to shock the Broncos [which they've did only once so far in their tenure in the Mountain West].)

Bottom line: Jeez. On this thread, @BoiseStateFan27 is really getting technical with all of these Mountain West teams. So what will he think about this Utah State team; they're missing a LOT from last year, but they DO have Jordan Love and a good defense (plus some youngsters wanting to prove themselves).
To me, the trick for Utah State in 2019 is to be as close as possible to Boise State when their game on 11/23 comes around.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Nevada Las-Vegas

Preview segment: The UNLV Rebels

Last season: The pressure's starting to mount for coach Tony Sanchez after last year's squad went 4-8. Now UNLV's athletic director is saying she wants a successful 2019 season "including bowl eligibility". Hoo boy...

Good news: The Rebels DO have the talent to win; they did beat San Diego State and Nevada late last year. The special teams look good, and 7 starters return on offense including solid WR's and QB Armani Rogers.

Bad news: Rogers has been injury-prone, and his main helper from last year [Lexington Thomas] is gone. The UNLV coaching staff is trying to quick-fix their porous defense with JU-CO players, but a hard schedule may render that plan minute.

2019 X-factor: Biaggio Ali Walsh- If Biaggio manages to get a waiver from the NCAA to be immediately eligible, this Cal transfer may be the spark at running-back that the Rebels need.

Key games:
9/7 vs. Arkansas State (An early swing-game for the Rebels and their postseason chances.)
9/28 @ Wyoming (Sure, going to Wyoming is gonna be hard for UNLV, but it won't be impossible for them to win here.)
10/26 vs. San Diego State (This game could end a miserable October for UNLV, as they'll deal with Boise State and trips to Vanderbilt and Fresno before this rematch with the rival Aztecs.)
11/30 @ Nevada (Another hard task: Trying to hold on to the "Fremont Cannon" in Reno against the rival Wolfpack.)

Bottom line: Uh oh... Things may have to break perfectly if UNLV's athletic director wants her team to go to a bowl in 2019. If we get improvement on defense and if Armani Rogers returns to his top form, then maybe it'll happen. Otherwise, an assistant from a "Power 5" school may just have his first head-coaching job in Las Vegas come next January.

 

[Boise4Life]

How the heck did Locksley end up at Utep? The kid was a 4 star recruit with a division 1 coach as his dad..

I didn’t realize how bad the kid sucked as a college QB until I read a recent article about the DUI, possession of weed/firearm, and terroristic threats he was just charged with. Granted he plays on a crap team but eight starts last year and still couldn’t throw for 1,000 yards to go with an under 50% completion percentage and a 3 to 9 TD to INT ratio. Those may be the worst stats I have ever seen. Our junior high team won 2 games my eighth grade season and our QB posted better numbers.

 

[ralphiewvu]

I didn’t realize how bad the kid sucked as a college QB until I read a recent article about the DUI, possession of weed/firearm, and terroristic threats he was just charged with. Granted he plays on a crap team but eight starts last year and still couldn’t throw for 1,000 yards to go with an under 50% completion percentage and a 3 to 9 TD to INT ratio. Those may be the worst stats I have ever seen. Our junior high team won 2 games my eighth grade season and our QB posted better numbers.

Ohh I didn’t realize that. So basically the kid is lucky to be on any roster. Especially a D-1A one.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Fresno State

The last preview segment for the Mountain West: The Fresno State Bulldogs

Last season: Last year was one of the greatest seasons Fresno State has ever had. Scoring a win over UCLA, taking the Mountain West title away from Boise State, and beating Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. That gave Fresno a 12-2 record and a #18 ranking in the final AP poll, second in the "Group of Five" only to UCF. So with all of those good vibes in the program... are Jeff Tedford and his team ready for a hangover?

Bad news: Let's just list the people who have left the program: QB Marcus McMaryion, his top 3 WR's including KeeSean Johnson, the offensive coordinator (He's now at Indiana), all but 1 starter from the O-line, and defensive stalwarts like Jeffery Allison and Mike Bell.

Good news: And now, let's see what Fresno has left. They got 2 proud tailbacks (Jordan Mims and bowl hero Ronnie Rivers), TE Jared Rice, a good secondary, and the kicker that gave Fresno that Mountain West in snowy Boise last December.

Key games:
8/31 @ USC (Yeah... This is gonna be QUITE the challenge for whoever Fresno's new quarterback will be. But remember this: The last time Fresno defeated Southern Cal, the Trojans fired their head coach right afterwards.)
10/12 @ Air Force (Be careful, Bulldogs; the Falcons have beaten you the last 2 times you met.)
11/2 @ Hawaii (A busy November for Fresno State begins with a visit to the islands of Hawaii to face an old rival.)
11/9 vs. Utah State (A glamour game for the Mountain West, where the loser will have their division chances dimmed.)
11/16 @ San Diego State (And speaking of divisions, the West division WILL be decided here one way or the other.)

Bottom line: In one offseason, Fresno has gone from being the "belle of the ball" to simply being the "wild-card" of the conference. You can't deny the winning culture that coach Tedford has installed, but going to Hawaii and San Diego will NOT be easy to overcome in 2019, especially while they're replacing a LOT of people. Fresno had better find a QB to replace McMaryion, and quick!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Mountain West predictions

Ahem... Here's what the Mountain West looks like to me in 2019:

West Division:
1. San Diego State
2. Fresno State
3. Hawaii
4. Nevada
5. UNLV
6. San Jose State

Mountain Division:
1. Boise State (Conference champs)
2. Utah State
3. Air Force
4. Wyoming
5. Colorado State
6. New Mexico

A little surprise is coming later today!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

UMass

Preview segment: The Massachusetts Minutemen

Last season: I thought we'd start our MAC previews for the year by taking a look at a team that I think should've stayed in the MAC: The Minutemen of UMass. These Minutemen now have a new coach as Mark Whipple is out and former Florida State offensive coordinator Walt Bell steps in.

Good news: Bell's new spread offense could show signs of brilliance if QB Michael Curtis and his WR's learn their new schemes quickly. The defense has a good amount of experience...

Bad news: ...but not a lot of playmakers. If Curtis struggles or gets hurt, his backups are young and inexperienced, and the running game HAS to get better at some point.

Key games:
8/30 @ Rutgers (Rutgers is struggling right now, so if UMass's offense shows up they got a chance.)
10/5 @ FIU (Lucky dogs. UMass gets to visit sunny Miami 2 years in a row! Let's hope their game with FIU goes better for them than last year's.)
10/26 vs. UConn (Same scenario as the Rutgers game; UConn is struggling, so UMass has a shot if they show up.)
11/2 vs. Liberty (It's a rematch of a game UMass won 62-59 in 3-OT's last year.)

Bottom line: Walt Bell is already trying to improve local recruiting, so this is a "wait-and-see" for this rebuilding project in Amherst. Just don't expect it to show in 2019 as uncertainty at QB and on the defense could doom UMass to a 3 or 4-win season.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Utah State

Preview segment: The Utah State Aggies

Last season: It's official: This decade is the best decade that Utah State football has ever had. With a powerful offense leading the way the Aggies went 11-2, smashed North Texas in a bowl game, and even finished ahead of Boise State in the final AP Poll (22nd overall). Just like the glorious 2012 season (when the Aggies finished 16th)!
But more often than not, that success usually means that mid-majors don't keep their head coaches for long. So now Matt Wells is at Texas Tech, and Utah State must go back to winning without him.

2019 X-factor: New head coach Gary Andersen- Oops, make that "returning head coach" Gary Andersen, as Gary is returning to the spot that launched his coaching career. On one hand, his stops at Wisconsin and Oregon State weren't exactly awe-inspiring, but on the other hand the transition in Logan has been very smoothly. Maybe this retread will work out!

Bad news: We'll find out soon enough, won't we? Only 2 starters from 2018's offense return, and the O-line USU has now are young and inexperienced.

Good news: Huh... returning QB Jordan Love will have more help than I first thought; he'll have RB Gerold Bright and a deep WR group for support. 7 starters from a darn-good defense is also returning to Logan, and the kicking game looks steady.

Key games:
8/30 @ Wake Forest (This is easily the biggest season opener for Utah State in many years. All of these new starters on offense are gonna get tested right away against a quality opponent.)
9/21 @ San Diego State (This is just part of a hard road slate for the Aggies; they'll later visit LSU and Air Force. Did I forget someone?)
11/2 vs. BYU (Another reason why this is the best decade in Utah State football history: They've now beaten BYU in consecutive years for the first time since the early 70's.)
11/9 @ Fresno State (Ah! THERE'S that missing road game! And it MIGHT be a preview of the Mountain West title game...)
11/23 vs. Boise State (...if Utah State is able to shock the Broncos [which they've did only once so far in their tenure in the Mountain West].)

Bottom line: Jeez. On this thread, @BoiseStateFan27 is really getting technical with all of these Mountain West teams. So what will he think about this Utah State team; they're missing a LOT from last year, but they DO have Jordan Love and a good defense (plus some youngsters wanting to prove themselves).
To me, the trick for Utah State in 2019 is to be as close as possible to Boise State when their game on 11/23 comes around.

LOL called me out on that one. I don't get many chances to talk Mountain West football on the main board so I take what I can get.

There's a great chance Utah State is the MWC game we lose this year, hopefully for our sake they lose the San Diego State and Fresno State games

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Might as well finish this off and comment on the last two LOL

Nevada Las-Vegas

Preview segment: The UNLV Rebels

Last season: The pressure's starting to mount for coach Tony Sanchez after last year's squad went 4-8. Now UNLV's athletic director is saying she wants a successful 2019 season "including bowl eligibility". Hoo boy...

Good news: The Rebels DO have the talent to win; they did beat San Diego State and Nevada late last year. The special teams look good, and 7 starters return on offense including solid WR's and QB Armani Rogers.

Bad news: Rogers has been injury-prone, and his main helper from last year [Lexington Thomas] is gone. The UNLV coaching staff is trying to quick-fix their porous defense with JU-CO players, but a hard schedule may render that plan minute.

2019 X-factor: Biaggio Ali Walsh- If Biaggio manages to get a waiver from the NCAA to be immediately eligible, this Cal transfer may be the spark at running-back that the Rebels need.

Key games:
9/7 vs. Arkansas State (An early swing-game for the Rebels and their postseason chances.)
9/28 @ Wyoming (Sure, going to Wyoming is gonna be hard for UNLV, but it won't be impossible for them to win here.)
10/26 vs. San Diego State (This game could end a miserable October for UNLV, as they'll deal with Boise State and trips to Vanderbilt and Fresno before this rematch with the rival Aztecs.)
11/30 @ Nevada (Another hard task: Trying to hold on to the "Fremont Cannon" in Reno against the rival Wolfpack.)

Bottom line: Uh oh... Things may have to break perfectly if UNLV's athletic director wants her team to go to a bowl in 2019. If we get improvement on defense and if Armani Rogers returns to his top form, then maybe it'll happen. Otherwise, an assistant from a "Power 5" school may just have his first head-coaching job in Las Vegas come next January.

There's been flashes of potential each year for UNLV under Tony Sanchez, they just have never been able to put it all together for a full season.

@Peter Gozintite who do you want if you can Sanchez?

Fresno State

The last preview segment for the Mountain West: The Fresno State Bulldogs

Last season: Last year was one of the greatest seasons Fresno State has ever had. Scoring a win over UCLA, taking the Mountain West title away from Boise State, and beating Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. That gave Fresno a 12-2 record and a #18 ranking in the final AP poll, second in the "Group of Five" only to UCF. So with all of those good vibes in the program... are Jeff Tedford and his team ready for a hangover?

Bad news: Let's just list the people who have left the program: QB Marcus McMaryion, his top 3 WR's including KeeSean Johnson, the offensive coordinator (He's now at Indiana), all but 1 starter from the O-line, and defensive stalwarts like Jeffery Allison and Mike Bell.

Good news: And now, let's see what Fresno has left. They got 2 proud tailbacks (Jordan Mims and bowl hero Ronnie Rivers), TE Jared Rice, a good secondary, and the kicker that gave Fresno that Mountain West in snowy Boise last December.

Key games:
8/31 @ USC (Yeah... This is gonna be QUITE the challenge for whoever Fresno's new quarterback will be. But remember this: The last time Fresno defeated Southern Cal, the Trojans fired their head coach right afterwards.)
10/12 @ Air Force (Be careful, Bulldogs; the Falcons have beaten you the last 2 times you met.)
11/2 @ Hawaii (A busy November for Fresno State begins with a visit to the islands of Hawaii to face an old rival.)
11/9 vs. Utah State (A glamour game for the Mountain West, where the loser will have their division chances dimmed.)
11/16 @ San Diego State (And speaking of divisions, the West division WILL be decided here one way or the other.)

Bottom line: In one offseason, Fresno has gone from being the "belle of the ball" to simply being the "wild-card" of the conference. You can't deny the winning culture that coach Tedford has installed, but going to Hawaii and San Diego will NOT be easy to overcome in 2019, especially while they're replacing a LOT of people. Fresno had better find a QB to replace McMaryion, and quick!

Not many people notice just how much Fresno State is replacing, it's stunning how well the Tedford hire has worked out for them so it's hard to see them not being a factor still

 

[Peter Gozintite]

Might as well finish this off and comment on the last two LOL



There's been flashes of potential each year for UNLV under Tony Sanchez, they just have never been able to put it all together for a full season.

@Peter Gozintite who do you want if you can Sanchez?



Not many people notice just how much Fresno State is replacing, it's stunning how well the Tedford hire has worked out for them so it's hard to see them not being a factor still

Man, I have no idea. I honestly hope they keep Sanchez for another year, regardless of what happens.

UNLVs problem has not been coaching. Its always been shit facilities, and recruiting suffers because of it. They are building a bad ass practice facility now, and they will be playing in an NFL stadium, next year.
That will be a game changer for talent. Talent is the problem, not coaching. If they shit can him, whoever comes next will be inherting a huge recruiting advantage that no other UNLV coach has ever had.
They should be better than 4 wins, but not sure they win 6 or 7, to be bowl eligible.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Man, I have no idea. I honestly hope they keep Sanchez for another year, regardless of what happens.

UNLVs problem has not been coaching. Its always been shit facilities, and recruiting suffers because of it. They are building a bad ass practice facility now, and they will be playing in an NFL stadium, next year.
That will be a game changer for talent. Talent is the problem, not coaching. If they shit can him, whoever comes next will be inherting a huge recruiting advantage that no other UNLV coach has ever had.
They should be better than 4 wins, but not sure they win 6 or 7, to be bowl eligible.

Fan support for Sanchez hasn't gone away surprisingly, I can see them wanting to start over when they get the fancy new stadium though. The schedule seems too tough to yield a bowl bid, it's up to the fans for the most part this year. As unexciting as it will be to go see a 4 win team play in an old stadium, if attendance doesn't drop it could save Sanchez's job

 

[Peter Gozintite]

Fan support for Sanchez hasn't gone away surprisingly, I can see them wanting to start over when they get the fancy new stadium though. The schedule seems too tough to yield a bowl bid, it's up to the fans for the most part this year. As unexciting as it will be to go see a 4 win team play in an old stadium, if attendance doesn't drop it could save Sanchez's job

In my opinion, its talent. No coach has a chance til that changes.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Buffalo

The first preview segment for the Mid-American Conference: The Buffalo Bulls

Last season: I thought it would be hard for Buffalo to play a season with actual expectations... but I was wrong. Lance Leipold is now working wonders in Western New York as the Bulls won the MAC East and ended up with the best record of any MAC team in 2018.
Trouble is, that record did NOT include the MAC Championship (the Bulls lost a heartbreaker to NIU) or a bowl win (a 42-32 loss to Troy). And now in 2019, the Bulls will NOT have Tyree Jackson or any or his helpers.

Bad news: Those "helpers" I mentioned are all-MAC WR's Anthony Johnson and K.J Osborn. Also gone are LB Khalil Hodge and 6 other starters on defense.

Good news: Hey! Buffalo's been stockpiling talent on the offensive line, and it should be the team's strength this year. This is great news for running backs like Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks (who can both score). Oh, and at least the Bulls defense will have a good secondary that can help.

Key games:
9/14 @ Liberty (Don't scoff at this one, folks! Something tells me that in this road game in Lynchburg, Virginia, the Bulls will find their "QB of the future".)
9/28 @ Miami-Ohio (This could be a tough conference opener for the Bulls; the Redhawks are 16-6 over their last 22 MAC games.)
10/5 vs. Ohio (Any shot Buffalo had at a ranking in 2018 died when Ohio destroyed them 52-17 in Athens. Now Buffalo is hoping they can extract revenge and stun the Bobcats.)
11/20 vs. Toledo (This game may be in Buffalo, but the Rockets are gonna be ANGRY over the Bulls beating them 31-17 in the Glass Bowl last year.)

Bottom line: Okay, I ragged a little bit on Buffalo early on, but 2018 was still the most successful season that the Bulls have ever had. But replacing big names like Tyree, Osborn, and Hodge might be impossible for the Bulls to overcome.
On the other hand, nobody else seems to be a threat to Ohio in the MAC East this year, so we'll see what happens if the Bulls beat them on October 5th. Hopefully they'll have a QB ready by then.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Kent State

Preview segment: The Kent State Golden Flashes

Last season: Another miserable season as Kent went 2-10. But at least the energy's up in the program!

Good news: Recruiting has taken an upswing, and QB Woody Barrett and RB Jo-El Shaw has the potential to spark the offense to more wins. The secondary should hold up in this pass-happy conference...

Bad news: ...but the D-line may not; it's missing 3 key starters from a year ago. Stopping the run is gonna be crucial for the Flashes to get better this year.

Key games:
10/12 @ Akron (Ideally, Kent will be 2-3 by the time the "Battle For the Wagon Wheel" rivalry takes place.)
10/19 @ Ohio (Kent DID push the Bobcats hard last year before losing by only 1 point.)
10/26 vs. Miami-Ohio (After playing 5 of their first 7 games on the road, hosting the Redhawks will be a welcome relief for the Flashes.)
11/23 vs. Ball State (Poor Kent hasn't won a "Senior Day" game in 5 years, but they'll have a shot this time.)

Bottom line: Kent has "payday games" against Arizona State, Auburn, and Wisconsin this season, so I don't think we'll see the Golden Flashes in the postseason.
But hey! At least the arrow's pointing upwards in Sean Lewis's 2nd year at Kent. If things come together, Kent could double their win total from last year. And winning at least 1 of those in-state games in October will immensely help Kent with their recruiting efforts.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Akron

Preview segment: The Akron Zips

Last season: After 7 seasons of highs and lows, a MAC East division title, and their 1st-ever bowl win, the Zips and Terry Bowden decided to part ways. So after a 4-8 record, Akron is trying to rebuild with a new coach.

Good news: QB Kato Nelson returns to be the centerpiece of the Zips offense, along with 3 returning starters on the O-line and an array of WR's.

Bad news: It's all about the running game: Akron needs to do better at stopping the run all while starting up their own running game. Not easy to do when you have a new coaching staff and 8 starters leaving from 2018's decent defense.

Key games:
9/14 @ Central Michigan (It's Jim McElwain and Tom Arth's first-ever MAC game, and it's against each other.)
9/28 @ UMass (If Akron's defense does it's job, this game looks winnable.)
10/12 vs. Kent State (Last year, Akron defeated their rivals from Kent 24-23 in a OT thriller.)
11/2 @ Bowling Green (Another game that looks winnable for the Zips.)

Bottom line: With holes to fill on defense and an overall lack of depth, this will be a rebuilding year for Akron as the new coaching staff takes hold. We can ignore the Zips in 2019... unless of course, a surprise happens.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Northern Illinois

Preview segment: The Northern Illinois Huskies

Last season: On paper, this glamour program in the MAC had another successful season in 2018. NIU overcame a rough non-conference slate to win the MAC West and score a come-from-behind win over Buffalo to take home another conference title.
But beneath the surface, a malaise had formed in Dekalb; a lot of their wins in 2018 were close and they would finish 124th in total offense. Maybe that's why Rob Carey decided to leave for Temple in the winter.

Bad news: Thomas Hammock is the new head man at Dekalb, but this is his first head coaching job. And he'll be missing playmakers like Sutton Smith (now with the NFL Steelers) and Max Scharping.

Good news: The Huskies' top 3 running backs WILL come back to the team, and despite losing Sutton the linebacker position will still be a position of strength. And Thomas has done one thing right already: He's improving in-state recruiting, particularly in Chicago.

2019 X-factor: Quarterback- By the way, Thomas also threw the starting QB job wide open in the spring. I would complain, but Northern Illinois will have some new sets of plays on offense in 2019, so having the right QB will be key. Whether it's gonna be the returning Marcus Childers or graduate-transfer Ross Bowers, a correct choice would be the spark NIU's offense really needs.

Key games:
10/5 vs. Ball State (After going through another brutal non-conference slate [Utah, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt], facing rival Ball State will be a sight for sore eyes for the Huskies.)
10/12 @ Ohio (Another contest between these 2 glamour MAC programs.)
11/13 @ Toledo (The Huskies has beaten Toledo in 7 of their 9 meetings this decade. If NIU can surprise the Rockets again...)
11/26 vs. Western Michigan (...then maybe they can defend their MAC West title by defeating the Broncos on this big Tuesday night game.)

Bottom line: No one can deny that Northern Illinois has been consistently good, but with a new coaching staff and no more Sutton Smith, I don't think that NIU is repeating as MAC champions this year. Around 7 wins would be fine for NIU in 2019 as they look to establish a new identity.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

You know what I keep forgetting? Somehow Akron beat Northwestern last year

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Toledo

Preview segment: The Toledo Rockets

Last season: By Toledo's standards, 2018 was a down year as they only got 7 wins and no bowl trophy. Then again, it was the 9th straight winning record for the Rockets... and they do have enough returning talent to make them a favorite in the MAC again.

Bad news: Toledo had 3 All-MAC wide receivers last year, but all of them are gone now. Holes need to be filled on the D-line, and a secondary that got gashed over and over last year needs to improve tremendously.

Good news: But at least that secondary has experience, and so does a tough O-line. The Rockets can win with either Mitchell Guadagni or Eli Peters as their quarterback, and their running game looks to carry the team.

Key games:
8/31 @ Kentucky (Kentucky will be missing a LOT from last year's incredible team [especially in the secondary], so we'll see if the Rockets can take advantage.)
10/5 vs. Western Michigan (That's strange... Toledo's fate in the MAC West could actually be decided in their very first conference game as the Broncos come to visit.)
10/12 @ Bowling Green (And of course, Toledo has to be careful of a hangover when they visit an old rival.)
11/13 vs. Northern Illinois (It all depends on how close NIU is to the division title, but this one could be another doozy.)

Bottom line: Talent is not an issue [Toledo has had 3 stellar recruiting classes over the last 4 years]. Neither is motivation after that 7-win season from a year ago. Problem is, I see someone else winning the MAC West this year, so apologies to Toledo as they'll miss out on the MAC championship.
But unlike last year, they WILL be in the mix from beginning to end.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Bowling Green

Preview segment: The Bowling Green Falcons

Last season: It was a miserable 3-9 season, so good bye Mike Jinks! And say hello to your replacement: Ohio local-hero Scot Loeffler.

Good news: Loeffler is known as a "QB guru", and if that's true then Jarret Doege and his RB's will score a LOT more points this season.

Bad news: Overall team depth is terrible, which will not help a defense that's missing good linebackers and corners.

Key games:
9/14 vs. Louisiana Tech (I know this game doesn't look too exciting, but winning this will be crucial for the confidence of Bowling Green's defense.)
10/5 @ Notre Dame (It's the Falcons' first-ever game against the historic Fighting Irish! ...Shame it'll be one of the biggest mismatches of the year.)
10/12 vs. Toledo (And after that nightmare trip to South Bend, the Falcons will get a visit from an old rival that wants a MAC title this year.)
11/19 vs. Ohio (There ARE some winnable games for Bowling Green in November. There's Akron, Miami-Ohio, and a Senior Day date with the Bobcats.)

Bottom line: This rebuild is gonna take a while; Mike Jinks REALLY f--ked this program up badly. So maybe Falcons fans should just forget about a bowl game in 2019 and just hope for an improved product on the field.