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GoRedGoBlue wrote:Dear ALL:

Many misunderstand what FREE wins means.

Free Win = WE ARE MUCH BETTER AND SHOULD WIN.

Sporting News, Athlons, all publications point out that our inexperienced QB this year is BETTER than our JC's last year.

If you guys think that anything less than 3-1 is satisfactory in OOC, that is, you think that 2-2 would be acceptable, then what hope do we possibly have in our Conference schedule?

EVERY single CUSA team is better than UNT, ArkSt, and SHSU. If we go 2-2, then there is no reason to believe we would beat anymore than perhaps Rice (which better be a FREE WIN this year) in conference.

You cannot say we will beat UNT and SHSU, lose to ArkSt/TECH, and then will go 4-4 in CUSA.

What 4 wins are there then? Tulsa, UTEP, UAB, Marshall, Houston, Tulane, and East Carolina are ALL much better than ArkSt - or NT, a team on the decline in Athlon's - if that is your loss instead of ArkSt.

Incidentally, ArkSt is not the good team that won the SunBelt despite losses to MTSU and UL-Monroe last year - they lost their very good QB and their two talented RB's.

"The great backfield has to be replaced losing effective running backs Antonio Warren and Shermar Bracey along with veteran starting quarterback Nick Noce." - Fox Sports

Are you guys telling me that we cannot beat ArkSt, and that this isn't a team to pencil in a a "W"? If not, then the season is already lost.

Now, I RECOGNIZE that anything can happen, and all is not lost at 2-2 (thus, it is altogether within the realm of possiblities that we could have some turnovers and lose one of these FREE wins). Yes, I understand that.

However, the expectation HAS to be that we are 3-1 in conference. Period.

Thus, 6-6 means we went 3-5 in CUSA.

That is a step back. If so, then you can put it in 3" letters:

"Phil Bennett fired despite first non-losing season in 10 years"

7-5 is even to last year.

8-4 is an improvement.

Period.

Quit making excuses.

Obviously we have taken a step back in this poster's eyes, so keep an eye on the headlines.

BTW, for all the crap I gave GoRedGoBlue about his preseason predictions, including the FREE/GUARANTEED wins, I must say he was pretty damned close in the final analysis (except for the FREE win against NTSU). So cheers to you, for the soothsaying. I would have taken "even with last year" but oh well...

I would guess a lot of us were thinking along those same lines. My prediction was pretty on target, except for the NT loss, and flip the Tulsa/Houston games. I though 6-6 was at the low end of the target record. I would say the team underachieved this year, but I am torn on whether or not to give PB another chance. I like the young players and see the growth, but the defense isn't where it needs to be and I expect more out of his coaching staff in that regard. There sure are a lot of good coaches available this year, as well...


Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:01 am Post subject:

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Predictions:

at TT - Loss, and ends up looking pretty bad because we give up points late.
North Texas - Win, but it will be close because the team will be shell shocked after the Tech game.
SHS - Win
Ark St - Win
at Tulane - We are coming off three wins in a row, they are coming off geting killed by LSU. That is why I will predict a win.
at UTEP - Loss
Marshall - win, they will struggle to move the ball on us.
at ECU - Return a lot of players, and it is away, so loss.
UAB - very similar to us - return a lot of players, except at QB, lots of close games last year with the same record. Toss up, but I will say win at home.
Houston - we either lose this or Tulsa. I say we lose to Tulsa. Win
Tulsa - Loss, see above.
at Rice - Final game of the season. They are going to go through what Bennett did in his 0-12 season - try plugging people who don't fit into a new system. They will be better by the end of the year, but this should be a win.

That puts us at 8-4, but we could easily go 6-6. It will most likely come down to the Rice game to decide if we go to a bowl game or not.

JasonB wrote:
at Rice - Final game of the season. They are going to go through what Bennett did in his 0-12 season - try plugging people who don't fit into a new system. They will be better by the end of the year, but this should be a win.

And yet, somehow they made it work. With a converted WR at QB. And restrictive recruiting rules. And the list goes on and on...

somebody got the Poll results-I think approximately 85% said 7-5 or better.

One thing different next season (besides possibly a coach):

we flip & play the other teams from the East CUSA