| 2016 SMU Football Predictions |

[vielsiehorsepower]

I WANT to believe, but ...

North Texas W
Baylor L
Liberty W
TCU L
Temple L
Tulsa L
Houston L
Tulane L
Memphis L
East Carolina L
USF W
Navy L

I think we'll lose some games by small margins. We'll be more competitive overall, but still short in the win column. Things will be better. We'll have new complaints about not closing out or finishing strong, rather than not showing up.

I will happily eat all of my words.

Why would you assume we would lose to tulane? Kind of have a big jump on them in program reboot and beat them what, 49-21 last year?

[Pony Boss]

And beating USF which is the AAC East favorite

[Pony Boss]

If we beat USF it means we can beat Tulsa, Tulane, Temple, ECU, Navy and Memphis.

[birddogger]

Hey, at least we'll be inconsistent!

[SMUstangs22]

Beers drank at blvd or Ford 》40

[Glenn Sosbee]

Big upset vs. frogs launches the suddenly confident Ponies to 7-5. We can beat the frogs, I saw it happen IN Fort Worth just a few short seasons ago under JJ. Rivalry game...anything can happen. We lose that game, we go 5-7.

"I hate the color purple". -Tom Rossley

[vielsiehorsepower]

If we beat USF it means we can beat Tulsa, Tulane, Temple, ECU, Navy and Memphis.

Theoretically. But beating any of those teams would likely be the 1 upset you got that kept everyone else on their toes, so really you probably wouldn't beat another one of them. For instance, if you beat memphis and have temple the next week temple will not take you lightly and so on and so forth

[gostangs]

The offensive improvement of our team from two years ago to last year was nothing short of amazing. Gotta assume some improvement in the line, plus upgrades at all other positions in talent and depth. Then you have a slightly improved secondary, a questionable LB groups still and a much better DL - and I have to go with 5 wins. My heart says Chad finds a 6th -but my head says no.

W's - NTSU, Liberty, Tulsa, Tulane, ECU

We aren't going to be able to beat Baylor or TCU - but TCU will be closer. Baylor has a TON of pent up frustration and much better athletes (for now), and they are at home. TCU at our place? You never know, but I think we know. Navy is the only one that might flat out embarrass us. I don't ever think I have seen an SMU team ever stay with Navy - its just weird.

A great QB would thrive here. Shocked we haven't found one yet. Chad is about to make someone into a hero.

[vielsiehorsepower]

The offensive improvement of our team from two years ago to last year was nothing short of amazing. Gotta assume some improvement in the line, plus upgrades at all other positions in talent and depth. Then you have a slightly improved secondary, a questionable LB groups still and a much better DL - and I have

We aren't going to be able to beat Baylor or TCU - but TCU will be closer. Baylor has a TON of pent up frustration and much better athletes (for now), and they are at home. TCU at our place? You never know, but I think we know. Navy is the only one that might flat out embarrass us. I don't ever think I have seen an SMU team ever stay with Navy - its just weird.

Baylor and tcu had little to no film on chads offense with smu. Once those gimmicks were figured out production decreased (see the latter half of last season) if tcu had as much film to study and figured they weren't playing a terrible team they blasted 56-0 the year before then the score might have been a bit more lopsided.

And I've seen an smu team stay with navy...in particular 2009,2010, and 2011 come to mind.

[Pony Boss]

The offensive improvement of our team from two years ago to last year was nothing short of amazing. Gotta assume some improvement in the line, plus upgrades at all other positions in talent and depth. Then you have a slightly improved secondary, a questionable LB groups still and a much better DL - and I have

We aren't going to be able to beat Baylor or TCU - but TCU will be closer. Baylor has a TON of pent up frustration and much better athletes (for now), and they are at home. TCU at our place? You never know, but I think we know. Navy is the only one that might flat out embarrass us. I don't ever think I have seen an SMU team ever stay with Navy - its just weird.

Baylor and tcu had little to no film on chads offense with smu. Once those gimmicks were figured out production decreased (see the latter half of last season) if tcu had as much film to study and figured they weren't playing a terrible team they blasted 56-0 the year before then the score might have been a bit more lopsided.

And I've seen an smu team stay with navy...in particular 2009,2010, and 2011 come to mind.

Disagree...I don't think it had to do with film. SMU played them well but it wasn't because they were shocked and had no tape. The latter part of the season had more to do with Matt Davis being inconsistent (I would venture out to say he was hurt but kept it hush) than anyone "figuring us out".

[vielsiehorsepower]

The offensive improvement of our team from two years ago to last year was nothing short of amazing. Gotta assume some improvement in the line, plus upgrades at all other positions in talent and depth. Then you have a slightly improved secondary, a questionable LB groups still and a much better DL - and I have

We aren't going to be able to beat Baylor or TCU - but TCU will be closer. Baylor has a TON of pent up frustration and much better athletes (for now), and they are at home. TCU at our place? You never know, but I think we know. Navy is the only one that might flat out embarrass us. I don't ever think I have seen an SMU team ever stay with Navy - its just weird.

Baylor and tcu had little to no film on chads offense with smu. Once those gimmicks were figured out production decreased (see the latter half of last season) if tcu had as much film to study and figured they weren't playing a terrible team they blasted 56-0 the year before then the score might have been a bit more lopsided.

And I've seen an smu team stay with navy...in particular 2009,2010, and 2011 come to mind.

Disagree...I don't think it had to do with film. SMU played them well but it wasn't because they were shocked and had no tape. The latter part of the season had more to do with Matt Davis being inconsistent (I would venture out to say he was hurt but kept it hush) than anyone "figuring us out".

It all has a cumulative effect. Matt may have been hurt but he still looked like a deer in headlights a lot of times. It seems as aPasser he is not hard to scheme for. I agree with the factors you listed about playing tcu well but that doesn't mean mine also are not true. It makes plenty of sense to me..you have 2 games of tape with a teamspersonnel or you have 8 games of tape. Which one is going to give you a more complete picture of how to defend against them?

[Mestengo]

ECU away is no cake walk with a good team..

[lwjr]

0-0-13 Ties.

[JasonB]

The offensive improvement of our team from two years ago to last year was nothing short of amazing. Gotta assume some improvement in the line, plus upgrades at all other positions in talent and depth. Then you have a slightly improved secondary, a questionable LB groups still and a much better DL - and I have

We aren't going to be able to beat Baylor or TCU - but TCU will be closer. Baylor has a TON of pent up frustration and much better athletes (for now), and they are at home. TCU at our place? You never know, but I think we know. Navy is the only one that might flat out embarrass us. I don't ever think I have seen an SMU team ever stay with Navy - its just weird.

Baylor and tcu had little to no film on chads offense with smu. Once those gimmicks were figured out production decreased (see the latter half of last season) if tcu had as much film to study and figured they weren't playing a terrible team they blasted 56-0 the year before then the score might have been a bit more lopsided.

And I've seen an smu team stay with navy...in particular 2009,2010, and 2011 come to mind.

Disagree...I don't think it had to do with film. SMU played them well but it wasn't because they were shocked and had no tape. The latter part of the season had more to do with Matt Davis being inconsistent (I would venture out to say he was hurt but kept it hush) than anyone "figuring us out".

Replace Davis with Sutton playing hurt and you might be on to something.

OL is still the weak point on offense, which is going to kill a high level of consistency. Last year, however, was boom or bust on offense and I expect it to be more consistent this year with a better running game, more playmakers, and both Jones and West are built to turn the 20 yard games from last year into 40 yarders.

As a result, I think you see a slight uptick in offense, but significant improvement in defensive numbers as the offense can keep them off the field. Last year there were games where the offense would post 5 3 and outs in a row and get the defense killed. I don't think that happens this season.

Defensively, I think you will see a significant improvement in the play of the secondary, both corner and safety. Our safeties in particular will be one of the better units in the conference. DL will improve some because of an influx in depth. Still need a playmaker to let Lawler loose, but there is a chance the depth of the line could free him up late in games to make some things happen. LB is going to hold us back. I think we will see a lot of 0-2 yard gains on running plays and then a lot of 15 yards. Not much in between - they either get past the line or they don't. I liked the multiple formations that I saw in practice; I think we are going to make much better use of our talent.

Overall, I think we are good enough to beat bad teams, and hang in with "ok" teams. We beat Liberty, UNT, and Tulane. Tulsa, ECU, Memphis and Navy I think may all be "meh" this year with Memphis and Navy unknown at QB and losing others to graduation. Split those games and we win 5 games this year (Navy will be an awful matchup for us still with our LB and OL). 3 wins or less would be a disappointment. A bowl would be a pleasant surprise, but not out of the realm of possibility. Any team we play that struggles offensively and relies on defense is a potential upset for us.

[ReedFrawg]

If you go 2- 2 out of the gates then the key to me would be winning either at Temple or at Tulsa. Lose both and come home 2-4 and 6 wins is probably out the window. Win 1 of those 2 and come home at 3-3 and a bowl bid is very possible. I think you get close but end up at 4 or 5 wins.