My college football previews 2014

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Central Michigan

Preview segment: The Central Michigan Chippewas

Last season: These guys from Mount Pleasant were one of the teams that finished 6-6 but got no bowl invite. However, they enter this season on a 3-game winning streak.

Good news: Remember T.Y Hilton from Florida International? The Chippewas has a guy like that in Titus Davis, so NFL scouts should pay attention.

Bad news: The defense is experienced, but needs to fill some holes. But the biggest problem is settling on a quarterback; they have 2 kids that can play, but neither have really stood out as "the man". Oh, and that 3-game winning streak to end last year? It came against teams who finished a combined 4-32.

Key games: 9/13 vs. Syracuse (The Chippewas better hope they find their QB before this big home game).
9/27 @ Toledo (This is the end of a brutal September for the Chippewas, where they must deal with not just Syracuse, but also Purdue and Kansas).
10/18 vs. Ball State (If coach Dan Enos wants to be taken seriously, he needs to beat a team he should not beat).

Bottom line: Aside from Titus Davis, I honestly can't find anything that is interesting about Central Michigan. Let me know when they do something, otherwise I have a losing season for them.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Western Michigan

Preview segment: The Western Michigan Broncos

Last season: Appalling; their only win was to 1-win UMass, and that was by 1 point.

Good news: The secondary looks to be good, and Corey Davis will create problems for MAC defenses. Plus, people associated with the MAC won't shut up about the recruiting class the Broncos got last winter, and the school is giving the football facilities much-needed renovations.

Bad news: Those newcomers must step up right away, because the Broncos have depth problems almost everywhere, especially on the lines.

Key games: 9/20 vs. Murray State (The Broncos are another team with a hard early slate, and this is their only home game of their first 4. Plus, they lost to Nicholls State last year, so they better win this one).
11/1 @ Miami-Ohio (This may be a battle to stay out of the MAC basement).
11/15 vs. Eastern Michigan (See my Eagles preview).

Bottom line: The Broncos will host the Eagles, so at least they won't finish last. But this is another team you can ignore.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Ball State

Preview segment: The Ball State Cardinals

Last season: The alma-mater of David Lettermen and Jim Davis had a very rare 10-win season in Muncie, but I bet they weren't happy after losing Godaddy.com to Arkansas State. A culture of winning is now in Muncie, though, so don't sleep on the Cardinals.

Good news: Jahwan Edwards is ready to grab a lot of records at the RB position, and he can be a WR too. The front seven looks good, and that winning culture will keep spirits high in Muncie.

Bad news: The only position that's shaky is the most important one: Quarterback. No one knows yet who's starting Game 1, and whoever gets the job will have almost no experience.

Key games: 9/6 @ Iowa (This is sandwiched in-between snoozers against Colgate and Indiana State. Problem for Ball State is, Iowa wants the Big-10 title this year).
9/27 @ Toledo (Whoever wins this gets a early jump on Northern Illinois in the MAC West).
11/5 vs. Northern Illinois (Speaking of the Huskies, I expect a great game from them and the Cardinals on this Wednesday night).
11/12 @ UMass (Sounds weird, but this could be a letdown game for Ball State after the Huskies).

Bottom line: Jahwan will push Ball State to a bowl, but I think the QB issue will take a few games to solve. And by then, Northern Illinois will have solved their issues, so no MAC West title for the Cardinals.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

My prediction for the MAC

My predictions for the Mid-American Conference:

MAC East:
1. Buffalo
2. Bowling Green
3. Akron
4. Kent State
5. Ohio
6. Miami-Ohio
7. UMass

MAC West:
1. Northern Illinois (Conference champs)
2. Toledo
3. Ball State
4. Central Michigan
5. Western Michigan
6. Eastern Michigan

And in just a few minutes, I take down the Mountain West! But I'm warning you all, it will not be easy. Mainly because I think ANY of the top 6 teams in that conference can win it.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Hawaii

The first preview segment for the Mountain West Conference: The Hawaii Warriors

Last season: Hawaii football has been known to throw the ball over and over and over to great effect. The last 2 seasons? Not so much, as last year's 1-11 record shows. The great offensive mind of Norm Chow is floundering in his 1st head coaching gig, and he'll be desperate to show some improvement.

Good news: The defensive line looks good on paper, and what's this? A running back (Joey Iosefa) that can help the Hawaii offense? Sigh us up!

Bad news: Depth is razor thin in Honolulu, and the defense must show SOME level of competency if they want to finish games; Hawaii lost 5 games last year by 7 points or less.

Key games: 8/30 vs. Washington (It's at home, but it's Chris Petersen's debut as Washington coach, so this may get ugly for Hawaii).
10/11 vs. Wyoming (One of the teams Hawaii couldn't finish off last year comes to Honolulu).
10/25 vs. Nevada (If the Warriors want to catch a top Mountain West team napping, this may be their best chance).
11/29 @ Fresno State (Not a bad way to close out your season).

Bottom line: Hawaii should aim for some level of improvement this year. But if it doesn't happen, then maybe Norm should resign as coach and return to just being an offensive coordinator, where he's king of the table.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Fresno State

Preview segment: The Fresno State Bulldogs

Last season: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times for Fresno State. On one hand, Derek Carr broke almost all of his brother David's passing records, the team went 11-2, and they won the Mountain West title.
On the other hand, the 2 losses they had really stung. First, San Jose ruined Fresno's chance to make a BCS game, then in the Las Vegas Bowl they blew their chance to stop in-state bully Southern Cal. With so many new pieces this year, the fans in Fresno doesn't know what will happen in their quest to repeat.

Good news: The defense stays surprisingly the same, with the team looking to blitz more. Free safety Derron Smith has the NFL scouts drooling, and the running game will help the offense immensely.

Bad news: It's not just the obvious question of who'll replace Derek... ah, who am I kidding? It's all about who's the new QB, and not one of the 3 candidates has impressed the coaches yet.

Key games: 8/30 @ USC (Before last year's game between Boise and Washington, we have never seen bowl opponents match up in the first game of the following season. This year, we have two: Louisville vs. Miami is one, and this is the other one... and it may end up like the bowl game).
10/4 vs. San Diego State (Most people have the Aztecs taking the West division. Here's Fresno's chance to prove them wrong).
10/17 @ Boise State (Last year's win against the Broncos pushed Fresno into the Mountain West throne room... and Boise's gonna remember that).
11/8 vs. San Jose State (Make no bones about it, this is a straight-up revenge game).

Bottom line: With Derek now with the Oakland Raiders and with everyone in the Mountain West now ready to take it's best shot at Fresno, the pressure's on Tim DeRuyter to keep the good times growing. As I said, ANY of the top 6 teams can win the Mountain West, and the Bulldogs can repeat if they find any traction with the new offense... but I have Fresno with the worst odds of the top 6 to win it.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Utah State

Preview segment: The Utah State Aggies

Last season: A pretty good 9-5 mark, with a Mountain division title and a upset Poinsettia Bowl win over Northern Illinois... and this was without their big duel-threat QB Chuckie Keeton (He was out for the last 8 games of the season). Now he's back for 1 more year, and the fans in Logan are in churches praying for a Mountain West title.

Good news: It's not just Chuckie; the defense looks to be good again (they had a Top-10 defense last year). There's also depth at the WR position, and if Chuckie goes down the Aggies have a experienced back-up in Darell Garretson.

Bad news: It's not just Chuckie's health the Aggies are worried about; the RB position is a big question mark.

Key games: 8/30 @ Tennessee (Normally I go with the SEC on ALL of their big early non-conference games, but the Vols will have brand-new offensive AND defensive lines. If Chuckie gets going, watch out).
10/3 @ BYU (The Beehive Boot game looks to be a good one again).
10/18 @ Colorado State (Don't be fooled; the Rams will be in the mix for the Mountain West title too).
11/29 vs. Boise State (Guarantee you this will decide the Mountain division).

Bottom line: From the doldrums of the FBS to solid contender, the Aggies form Logan, Utah have come a long way. They could break through this year as they face only 2 of the other "Top 6" schools in their conference. And the X-factor is Darell, who can step in again if need be. With that, the Aggies are my pick to win the conference... but it's not a overwhelming choice.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Nevada

Preview segment: The Nevada Wolfpack

Last season: Nevada's defense was AWFUL last year, and it led them to a 4-8 record. So why are they one of my "Top 6" schools that could win the Mountain West?

Good news: Almost everyone from 2013 is back, including their new star QB Cody Fajardo. The receivers will really help out Cody, and I think a few tweaks to Nevada's defense will make a BIG difference, especially with a strong defensive line. Plus, Nevada has all of it's hard conference games at home.

Bad news: The secondary needs the biggest amount of tweaking, and the team needs to play a full 12 games this year; they went 1-6 in their last 7 games in 2013.

Key games: 9/6 vs. Washington State (The Wolfpack has 2 battles with PAC-12 teams this year. They won't beat Arizona, so they should focus on this one).
10/4 vs. Boise State (This is Nevada's first step to reclaiming some of their past glory).
11/1 vs. San Diego State (By this time, we'll know what both teams can do, especially the Aztecs).
11/29 @ UNLV (The Wolfpack needs to be careful, because UNLV will treat this Fremont Cannon rivalry game like their bowl game).

Bottom line: There's a lot of upside for this team in Reno, so the pressure's on coach Brian Polian to put it all together. If he does, Nevada has a good of a chance as anybody to take the West division.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

New Mexico

Preview segment: The New Mexico Lobos

Last season: The Lobos haven't done ANYTHING interesting since their last bowl in 2007, and in 2013 they went 3-9. But (and I just found this out), the Lobos had NCAA sanctions against them, and this spring coach Bob Davie had full-contact practice for the first time since he got to Albuquerque. With things looking up, can the Lobos make a run?

Good news: Most of it's big conference games are at home, and the offense has depth at running back. Plus, the defense has the potential to be better than the offense...

Bad news: ...and boy, do Lobos fans hope that's the case; the defense has been New Mexico's Achilles heel for years. And the NCAA sanctions are lifting, but depth is still a issue.

Key games: 9/27 vs. Fresno State (After the Rio Grande rivalry game with New Mexico State, the Lobos start conference play with the defending champs).
10/11 vs. San Diego State (The Lobos almost beat the Aztecs last year in San Diego).

Bottom line: Bob Davie has brought the Lobos back from the absolute pits of the FBS, so that's something. But let's leave this squad alone until they do something big, like surprise a big Mountain West team.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Wyoming

Preview segment: The Wyoming Cowboys

Last season: Talk about being schizophrenic; the last few years of Wyoming football has been this: Bowl, awful year, bowl, awful year, awful year. But now the Cowboys have a new boss after a 5-7 season last year, and they're hoping for more consistent winning.

Good news: That new boss is Craig Bohl, the man that made North Dakota State the bullies of the FCS for the last 3 years. The defense returns 8 starters, and that will help with the transition to Bohl's new system.

Bad news: The offense, however, will take MUCH longer to get going, as the QB position is still up for grabs.

Key games: 9/6 vs. Air Force (2 lower-tier Mountain West teams fight in Laramie to get much-needed momentum).
9/13 @ Oregon (Like Eastern Michigan at Mich. St, the Ducks will either be arrogant or mad as hell. Either way, this may not be pretty).
9/27 @ Michigan State (And just their awful luck, they get the Spartans too!)
10/25 @ Colorado State (The Battle for the Bronze Boot may be Wyoming's last chance to get momentum before a brutal November slate with Boise, Fresno, and Utah St.).

Bottom line: Everyone's excited in Laramie to see what Craig does at Wyoming, and a slew of returning starters will make the transition easier. But if a QB is not found by August, Wyoming should steel itself for a long season.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Preview segment: The Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels

Last season: Coach Bobby Hauck was THIS CLOSE to getting fired at UNLV... until he got his team to their first bowl game since 2000 (Before this Bobby was 6-32). With the fans pacified, the Rebels can focus on being a better team... even with some obstacles.

Good news: The secondary and the offensive line will keep the Rebels in games.

Bad news: A new QB and RB must be found very quickly, because the Rebels have a hard schedule. But the biggest obstacle is this: Because of low APR scores, there'll be no bowl return this year for the team.

Key games: 8/29 @ Arizona (This nationally-televised game could help the Rebels find their starting QB).
10/11 vs. Fresno State (After road trips to San Diego and San Jose, UNLV will relish this chance against the conference champs).
11/29 vs. Nevada (See my Nevada preview).

Bottom line: Low APR scores are never good, but at least Bobby has some momentum to keep the fans quiet. I have this team as the dividing team between the "Top 6" teams and everyone else.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

San Jose State

Preview segment: The San Jose Spartans

Last season: Let's be honest; it was a VERY weird year for these Spartans. After finishing #20 in the final AP poll in 2012, they thought they could win the Mountain West despite losing their architect Mike MacIntyre, mainly because of their record-setting QB David Fales. But the pressure got to them as they finished 6-6 with no bowl, and now with no more Fales to help them, what can the Spartans honestly do this year?

Good news: The lower expectations may actually help San Jose, and the offense has a chance to be good despite no more Fales; there are play-makers at the offensive skill-positions.

Bad news: Part of the reason for last year's disappointment... okay, THE reason for last year's disappointment was their defense, and things might not be any better this year. Plus, having to fight for recruits with USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Fresno, San Diego, Washington, Oregon, Alabama, Mount Union... I think you get the picture.

Key games: 9/27 @ Nevada (After road games with Auburn and Minnesota, San Jose must start conference play against it's dark horse contender).
10/18 @ Wyoming (This may seem strange, but this will be huge for San Jose as they try to stay afloat in the Mountain West).
11/29 @ San Diego State (I think this could be a nightmare game not for the Spartans, but for the Aztecs).

Bottom line: This is another team that unless they do something big early on, you can safely ignore.

 

[Boise4Life]

Preview segment: The Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels

Last season: Coach Bobby Hauck was THIS CLOSE to getting fired at UNLV... until he got his team to their first bowl game since 2000 (Before this Bobby was 6-32). With the fans pacified, the Rebels can focus on being a better team... even with some obstacles.

Good news: The secondary and the offensive line will keep the Rebels in games.

Bad news: A new QB and RB must be found very quickly, because the Rebels have a hard schedule. But the biggest obstacle is this: Because of low APR scores, there'll be no bowl return this year for the team.

Key games: 8/29 @ Arizona (This nationally-televised game could help the Rebels find their starting QB).
10/11 vs. Fresno State (After road trips to San Diego and San Jose, UNLV will relish this chance against the conference champs).
11/29 vs. Nevada (See my Nevada preview).

Bottom line: Low APR scores are never good, but at least Bobby has some momentum to keep the fans quiet. I have this team as the dividing team between the "Top 6" teams and everyone else.

UNLV is good for a bowl game assuming they have the record and are invited. They appealed the decision on the bowl ban and won.

 

[Red_Alert]

Preview segment: The Fresno State Bulldogs

Last season: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times for Fresno State. On one hand, Derek Carr broke almost all of his brother David's passing records, the team went 11-2, and they won the Mountain West title.
On the other hand, the 2 losses they had really stung. First, San Jose ruined Fresno's chance to make a BCS game, then in the Las Vegas Bowl they blew their chance to stop in-state bully Southern Cal. With so many new pieces this year, the fans in Fresno doesn't know what will happen in their quest to repeat.

Good news: The defense stays surprisingly the same, with the team looking to blitz more. Free safety Derron Smith has the NFL scouts drooling, and the running game will help the offense immensely.

Bad news: It's not just the obvious question of who'll replace Derek... ah, who am I kidding? It's all about who's the new QB, and not one of the 3 candidates has impressed the coaches yet.

Key games: 8/30 @ USC (Before last year's game between Boise and Washington, we have never seen bowl opponents match up in the first game of the following season. This year, we have two: Louisville vs. Miami is one, and this is the other one... and it may end up like the bowl game).
10/4 vs. San Diego State (Most people have the Aztecs taking the West division. Here's Fresno's chance to prove them wrong).
10/17 @ Boise State (Last year's win against the Broncos pushed Fresno into the Mountain West throne room... and Boise's gonna remember that).
11/8 vs. San Jose State (Make no bones about it, this is a straight-up revenge game).

Bottom line: With Derek now with the Oakland Raiders and with everyone in the Mountain West now ready to take it's best shot at Fresno, the pressure's on Tim DeRuyter to keep the good times growing. As I said, ANY of the top 6 teams can win the Mountain West, and the Bulldogs can repeat if they find any traction with the new offense... but I have Fresno with the worst odds of the top 6 to win it.

Hosting Nebraska on Sept 19th isn't a key game?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Updated UNLV preview

Preview segment: The Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels

Last season: Coach Bobby Hauck was THIS CLOSE to getting fired at UNLV... until he got his team to their first bowl game since 2000 (Before this Bobby was 6-32). With the fans pacified, the Rebels can focus on being a better team... even with some obstacles.

Good news: The secondary and the offensive line will keep the Rebels in games. Plus the Rebels HAD a bowl ban, but I just received this update:

UNLV is good for a bowl game assuming they have the record and are invited. They appealed the decision on the bowl ban and won.

Bad news: A new QB and RB must be found very quickly, because the Rebels have a hard schedule.

Key games: 8/29 @ Arizona (This nationally-televised game could help the Rebels find their starting QB).
10/11 vs. Fresno State (After road trips to San Diego and San Jose, UNLV will relish this chance against the conference champs).
11/29 vs. Nevada (See my Nevada preview).

Bottom line: At least Bobby has some momentum to keep the fans quiet. I have this team as the dividing team between the "Top 6" teams and everyone else, but time will tell if that will be enough for a bowl game.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

San Diego State

Preview segment: The San Diego State Aztecs

Last season: This is what I thought after the Aztecs lost to Eastern Illinois to start 2013: "Well, that's it. No way these losers will do anything this year."
Thanks to coach Rocky Long, the Aztecs made me feel like a idiot; they beat Boise State and won a bowl game to finish 8-5. Now some people have them taking advantage of QB turnover in the West division and going to the Mountain West title game.

Good news: A lot of starters from last year's defense has left, but some experienced players will look to fill the holes. They also have a solid QB in Quinn Kaehler and a lot of good receivers, plus Rocky Long proved to me last year that he can seriously coach up his players.

Bad news: Special teams were not the Aztecs' strong suit last year, and that needs to change. Plus, I really don't know if the new players will get up to speed fast enough to deal with a lot of road tests on the schedule.

Key games: 9/6 @ North Carolina (The Aztecs SHOULD be able to beat Northern Arizona [and avoid an embarrassment like last year], so let's focus on this. The trick will be how well those Aztec receivers help out Quinn).
9/20 @ Oregon State (The Aztecs will have 2 weeks to get ready for the Beavers's passing game).
10/4 @ Fresno State (San Diego was SO CLOSE to beating Fresno last year; if they want the division, they have to take them out this time).
11/15 @ Boise State (Like Fresno vs. San Jose, this will be a revenge game... but I'll bet Rocky will have something planned for this).

Bottom line: San Diego is one of the "Top 6" teams in the Mountain West, so if Rocky works his magic again the Aztecs has a good chance to win the division and take the title. But just don't put too much money on these guys; there are WAY too many intangibles that could screw the Aztecs up.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Air Force

Preview segment: The Air Force Falcons

Last season: Remember that cousin I mentioned in my Navy preview? I bet she was saying this after Air Force ended their 2013 season: "HAHAHAHAHAHAAA! LOSERS!"
But seriously, it WAS one of the worse years the Air Force academy has ever had in football; they abandoned their triple-option run game and went for a more balanced attack, and it backfired as they went 2-10 with no conference wins. Now coach Troy Calhoun is on the hot seat, and he needs to show SOME improvement quick.

Good news: To be fair, the Falcons started a lot of youngsters last year. That experience could mean good improvement, and a good offensive line and a lot of receivers will help Air Force do what they haven't done in years: Throw the football well.

Bad news: Many teams are no longer scared of Air Force, and that's a HUGE issue in my books. They have to get back that fear factor, but the defense could hold them back like they did last year.

Key games: 9/27 vs. Boise State (I expect the Falcon running-backs to be fully prepared for this big match).
10/4 vs. Navy (Or maybe they won't, since this military match-up is right afterwards).
11/1 @ Army (If the Falcons lose this one, Troy might as well start packing his bags).
11/28 vs. Colorado State (The Ram-Falcon rivalry game could be a chance for Air Force to ruin the Rams's season).

Bottom line: Air Force is dedicated to rebuilding the program with a revamped coaching staff, but if improvement doesn't come in 2014, they'll be looking for a new coach... and my cousin will resume laughing at them.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Colorado State

Preview segment: The Colorado State Rams

Last season: The Rams got their first bowl berth since 2008, and then won a VERY memorable New Mexico Bowl. And since they're one of the "Top 6" teams in their conference, I think they can win the Mountain West... but will they?

Good news: It begins and ends with Garrett Grayson, who has a lot of returning targets at WR. The special teams are all set for the Rams as well.

Bad news: Remember a dude named Kapri Bibbs, who persevered through hardships to join Barry Sanders in the NCAA record books (8 games with at least 3 rushing TD's)? He's now in the NFL, and his backup left during the spring citing personal issues. Throw in a rebuilding offensive line, and I'm not so confident in the Rams anymore.

Key games: 8/29 vs. Colorado [in Denver] (One of the best underrated CFB rivalry games out there. The Rams should be dialed in for this...)
9/6 @ Boise State (...which COULD be a problem as Boise awaits the Rams right afterwards).
10/11 @ Nevada (A QB duel will ensue between Garrett and Cody Fajardo here. But the Rams must be careful...)
10/18 vs. Utah State (...because Chuckie Keeton comes to Fort Collins the very next week. Fortunately, the Rams's schedule lightens up after this).

Bottom line: The running game could be a train going nowhere, so will Garrett and the defense be enough to lift the Rams to title contention? Sure, why not?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Boise State

The final preview segment for the Mountain West: The Boise State Broncos

Last season: For the first time since 2001, Boise won fewer than 9 games. And Chris Petersen knew he had to leave Boise when Washington whipped Boise in the opener, Fresno took their "top dog" status in the Mountain West, and San Diego ruined their run at the title game. But hey, what other coach... Okay, I'll stop talking about Chris (more on him when I get to Washington) and focus on what Boise will do without him.

Good news: New coach Bryan Harsin was an assistant under Chris for a long time, so he knows what he needs to do to win at Boise. The defensive secondary will be better than last year's mediocrity, and RB Jay Ajayi may be arrogant, but his play backs up the talk. Oh yeah, and Boise's notoriety will continue to lure in top-tier talent.

Bad news: Of course everyone will be nervous over no more Chris Petersen, but no one is talking about the offensive and defensive lines. And I think they'd better do so, because the lines' lack of depth COULD be an issue.

Key games: 8/28 vs. Ole Miss [in Atlanta] (Give Bryan credit; he knows that if Boise wants to stay nationally relevant, it needs to keep fighting the big monsters of the FBS).
9/13 @ Connecticut (Boise State in East Hartford. Just sounds weird).
10/17 vs. Fresno State (Just know this: Boise wants sweet revenge for Fresno ruining the 2013 season).
11/15 vs. San Diego State (Ditto for this game against the Aztecs).
11/29 vs. Utah State (See my Utah State preview).

Bottom line: I think if Boise State calms down from losing Mr. Petersen, they'll have a great chance to reclaim a conference title. The X-factor is how well Bryan can ape his former boss in Boise.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

My prediction for the Mountain West

My predictions for the Mountain West conference:

West division:
1. San Diego State (via tiebreaker)
2. Nevada
3. Fresno State
4. UNLV
5. San Jose State
6. Hawaii

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

A big surprise will be coming for you tomorrow!