The level doesn't matter. Football, men's basketball, and baseball will continue to be mediocre as long as thugs control the school. When athletics return to WMOT, you'll know they care.In spite of the portal system, NIL or the other crap college football has become, we should be able to get 5-6 wins from this schedule. If not, we need to drop from FBS and try to win at a lower level.
I agree.The level doesn't matter. Football, men's basketball, and baseball will continue to be mediocre as long as thugs control the school. When athletics return to WMOT, you'll know they care.
We can play Rhodes and Sewanee.In spite of the portal system, NIL or the other crap college football has become, we should be able to get 5-6 wins from this schedule. If not, we need to drop from FBS and try to win at a lower level.
Yes we will be doing previews by position. They are waiting for the transfer cycle to be over before doing it.Any chance the GoMiddle folks are going to do a position breakdown of the roster?
I was looking at our Corners, Safeties, and Linebackers and had a hard time telling who was returning and who was new.
I know folks aren't disposed to giving this program any benefit of the doubt (and why would you, they haven't earned it), but damn there were some injury problems in the secondary and linebacker corps last year that may have made a difference on the field.
I know coaching got a lot of heat, but from my watching last year, it was at least 50% an issue of athleticism. Our guys just looked perpetually behind a lot of the guys they were supposed to cover. It makes the margin for error so small and makes things like a bad angle just look so bad.
Let's hope the Football Gods smile at us for once and we stay healthy this year.
When is it done till December?Yes we will be doing previews by position. They are waiting for the transfer cycle to be over before doing it.
When is it done till December?
Question, are there different portals for the different seasonal sports? I guess football is all I ever paid much attention to.
Floor is 5 ceiling is 8. When looking at our roster im not sure how competitive we'll be against some of these teams that arent p5ESPN has our Strength of Schedule at 134 going into the season. Out of 136 FBS teams.
FIU 79
SHSU 86
NMSU 93
UTEP 95
LaT 100
WKU 101
Mizz St 102
KSU 114
Delaware 117
Jax 135
Liberty 136
There is zero reason for us to not have a winning season.
I’m still not convinced that we will be any better. Hope I’m wrong but I’m feeling the ceiling is 6 and I’d put the over/under at 3.5 wins.Floor is 5 ceiling is 8. When looking at our roster im not sure how competitive we'll be against some of these teams that arent p5
I’m still not convinced that we will be any better. Hope I’m wrong but I’m feeling the ceiling is 6 and I’d put the over/under at 3.5 wins.
Delaware is likely going to beat us imo. On the road and a good group. The others are winnable but I’m not convinced we’ve solved the problems we had last year. Luckily for CDM, the schedule is the most manageable we’ve had since I’ve been a fan. Hopefully I’m wrong but my expectations are really low.3.5?
I'd take the over on that one easy. But if you made it 4.5 or 5? Much harder.
We may not be great, but we have one FCS lightweight so we really only need 3 more wins and there are a lot of teams on the schedule that are struggling as much or more than we are.
Check out this mid-season run:
Marshall, @ Kennesaw, Missouri State, @ Delaware - 2 newbs, Kennesaw with a new coach, and Marshall with a new coach and they lost like their entire roster.
We absolutely must win at least 3 of those - and possibly expect to sweep them - they should all be behind us in the rebuilding program timeline.
If Mason's going to make it, we need to show a 2nd year bump. I think we will.
Doug, one of MT's most entrenched traditions is granting FBS noobs their first win. So there's that.
Delaware won't be easy. Even as FCS last year, their 2024 ESPN SP+ ranking put them around 100 in the FBS. We were 131 for reference. They return 65% of their production while we return 60.
I'm not saying we will lose, but I'm not saying it is a gimme win either.
KSU should be better too. Mack is a good coach and I'm super intrigued to see how he does, as he is who I wanted us to hire. And we all know Simmons now at FIU can coach too.
Gibby at Marshall is a first time head coach, but is a WV boy and knows Marshall and the players they need. As said above, they are super depleted as Huff took the bulk of last year's 10 win team with him to S. Miss. Same for Kelly at Jax being first time/first year. Longo at SHSU has one stint 20yrs ago as head coach at La Salle with a 7-14 record. So with all three, who knows.
As of right now we are predicted with around a 50% chance of 6+ wins in most places. In other words, the ball could bounce either way. Pundits are more often wrong than right, but many don't see much improvement in CDM's second year.
on the defensive side of the ball our DT's are small. I know we have an attacking style defense, but for it to work consistently the tackles will have to win 1on1 blocks or be able to hold the gap.3.5?
I'd take the over on that one easy. But if you made it 4.5 or 5? Much harder.
We may not be great, but we have one FCS lightweight so we really only need 3 more wins and there are a lot of teams on the schedule that are struggling as much or more than we are.
Check out this mid-season run:
Marshall, @ Kennesaw, Missouri State, @ Delaware - 2 newbs, Kennesaw with a new coach, and Marshall with a new coach and they lost like their entire roster.
We absolutely must win at least 3 of those - and possibly expect to sweep them - they should all be behind us in the rebuilding program timeline.
If Mason's going to make it, we need to show a 2nd year bump. I think we will.
Have no idea why they didn't hit the portal hard for D Lineman. I'm wondering if they just struck out on the ones they wanted?on the defensive side of the ball our DT's are small. I know we have an attacking style defense, but for it to work consistently the tackles will have to win 1on1 blocks or be able to hold the gap.
Nope, not after what happened with Tennessee Tech last year.I wouldn't count Austin Peay as a sure win.
on the defensive side of the ball our DT's are small. I know we have an attacking style defense, but for it to work consistently the tackles will have to win 1on1 blocks or be able to hold the gap.
I also take y1 with a grain of salt because it was a transition year. But allowing 6.67yds/a play and 20 sacks isn't good. Fitting gaps and getting pressure is important in both the run and pass game. While we may not have 'elite' talent size does play a part. Only having one true NT we'll definitely be rotating our 4i guys. In my opinion linebacker/edge play is even more important.How many opponents on our schedule will have an OL that can take advantage of that though? Or, as I like to think of it - what happens when the stoppable force meets the moveable object?
We don't have to be good in the Ohio State sense of football where every position is filled with talent and size and experience - we just need to be better than at least 5-6 of the other extremely flawed teams on the schedule.