CFN C-USA Preview

[Harry0569]

SMU
2011 CFN Prediction: 7-5

Sep. 3 at Texas A&M L
Sep. 10 UTEP W
Sep. 17 Northwestern St W
Sep. 24 at Memphis W
Oct. 1 at TCU L
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 UCF W
Oct. 22 at Southern Miss L
Oct. 29 at Tulsa L
Nov. 5 Tulane W
Nov. 12 Navy W
Nov. 19 at Houston L
Nov. 26 Rice W

[Harry0569]

Top 30 Preseason C-USA Players

1. QB Case Keenum, Sr., Houston
2. DE Vinny Curry, Sr., Marshall
3. WR/KR Damaris Johnson, Sr., Tulsa
4. QB Dominique Davis, Sr., ECU
5. QB G.J. Kinne, Sr., Tulsa
6. CB/PR Josh Robinson, Jr., UCF
7. CB Emanuel Davis, Sr., ECU
8. LB Marcus McGraw, Sr., Houston
9. RB Zach Line, Jr., SMU
10. WR Lance Lewis, Sr., ECU
11. RB Orleans Darkwa, Soph., Tulane
12. OT Kelvin Beachum, Sr., SMU
13. WR Patrick Edwards, Sr., Houston
14. QB Austin Davis, Sr., USM
15. FS Kemal Ishmael, Jr., UCF
16. QB Jeff Godfrey, Soph., UCF
17. LB Curnelius Arnick, Sr., Tulsa
18. LB Korey Williams, Sr., USM
19. OT Matt McCants, Sr., UAB
20. DT Frank Trotter, Sr., Memphis
21. QB Kyle Padron, Jr., SMU
22. LB Shawn Jackson, Sr., Tulsa
23. PK Danny Hrapmann, Sr., USM
24. S Marco Nelson, Soph., Tulsa
25. DT Dontari Poe, Jr., Memphis
26. DE Cordarro Law, Sr., USM
27. LB Trent Mackey, Jr., Tulane
28. SS Travaun Nixon, Sr., UTEP
29. LB Ja’Gared Davis, Jr., SMU
30. DE Scott Solomon, Sr., Rice

[Harry0569]

Key Question:

SMU

After sputtering too many times in 2010, will QB Kyle Padron and the rest of the run-and-shoot click in 2011? The junior threw for plenty of yards, but was light on big plays as the pilot of an attack that ranked 74th nationally in scoring.

Who’ll pick up the slack in the passing game now that Aldrick Robinson is with the Washington Redskins? The Mustangs have lost a top-flight wide receiver to the NFL in consecutive years, sending Emmanuel Sanders to the Pittsburgh Steelers following the 2010 season.

Can a feisty, aggressive D recapture its 2009 form, when it ranked third in the league with 28 takeaways? The Mustangs created only 15 turnovers in 2010, not nearly enough for a unit that strives to get the ball back to the offense as quickly as possible

[Harry0569]

Thoughts....

Back when Timmy Chang was doing his thing at Hawaii, I wrote a piece saying that no way, no how could anyone ever surpass his NCAA record 17,072 career yards, mainly because the circumstances were so crazy. Chang not only got a sixth year of eligibility, but he also played at Hawaii, who always got an extra regular season game, and was a regular on the bowl circuit. Houston's Case Keenum got the sixth year, and he has had the fun of bowl games, and he has had the benefit of two extra games on the résumé, playing in Conference USA championships. Now he's just 3,487 yards away from surpassing Chang, and he needs 28 touchdown passes to pass former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell for the most scoring passes thrown. (By the way, Chang threw 117, Harrell 134.) For his career so far, and this includes partially played games, Keenum has averaged 316 yards and 2.48 touchdown passes every time out. That's a lot of big stats, I don't care what type of offense he has been in or what kind of circumstances led to them.

- And he might not be the best quarterback in the conference.

- And it's not even close, this year, there isn't another conference in America with more great quarterbacks than Conference USA. Keenum is going to be the NCAA all-time record holder for passing yards and touchdowns; East Carolina's Dominique Davis might throw for 4,000 yards; SMU's Kyle Patron is a lock for 30 touchdown passes; Tulsa's G.J. Kinne is an all-around playmaking star; UAB's Bryan Ellis is a nice passer who'll keep the Blazer offense moving; and Southern Miss senior Austin Davis will hang up 3,000 yards. Throw in UCF's Jeff Godfrey, who has a Conference USA title under his belt, and Tulane veteran Ryan Griffin, and the passing numbers are going to be flying.

- Considering all the returning quarterback talent, and with six of the nation's top 33 offenses returning, get your popcorn ready.

- Is it great offense or miserable defense, or a mix of the two. If also helps Conference USA's offensive cause that no one could play any defense, with seven teams ranking in the bottom 30 in America in total D, and with Eat Carolina finishing dead last, Memphis 115th, Tulsa 111th, Rice 107th, and Houston 103rd.

- Conference USA finished last year with four of the eight worst scoring defenses in America and six of the worst 25 scoring defenses.

- UCF finished 15th in the nation in total defense and eighth in scoring D. And the current Conference USA champion resides in Orlando.

- Conference USA, just get it over with. There's no reason to not take on Louisiana Tech and Troy. They're natural rivals for Tulane and UAB, respectively, and they'd add even more pop to an already entertaining league. It's also a good preemptive strike before someday losing UCF and East Carolina to the Big East and Houston and SMU to the Big 12.

- And if nothing else, you'd ease Louisiana Tech's geographic pain after having to play in the WAC.

- September 3rd: Houston at UCLA; East Carolina vs. South Carolina (in Charlotte); Marshall at West Virginia; Tulsa at Oklahoma; SMU at Texas A&M. Conference USA has a reasonable chance to make a big statement right out of the gate.

- No, I'm not including Rice at Texas or Mississippi State at Memphis.

- Here's the good and the bad for Conference USA. It's a good league with several strong teams, and while that makes for an entertaining year, it'll be next to impossible for one team to emerge from the pack and finally take the conference to another level like Boise State did for the WAC and TCU did for the Mountain West.

By Richard Cirminiello

While it’s highly unlikely it happens, this is as close as Conference USA has ever been to earning a BCS bowl bid. UCF, Houston, Tulsa, SMU and Southern Miss all have Top 25 aspirations this season.

This is an enormous season for UCF. Last year’s league champ—and Liberty Bowl winner over Georgia—has the right program and the right market to use 2011 as an audition for future inclusion in the Big East.

By the time he’s done in Orlando, UCF’s Jeff Godfrey could go down as one of the best quarterbacks in Conference USA history. Forget the fact that the sophomore is built more like a cornerback than a quarterback. He has those special ingredients, inherent to all winning athletes, which cannot be taught.

The UCF staff hasn’t stopped raving about the development of DE Troy Davis. The junior has the explosive first step and athleticism to be a worthy successor on the outside to all-time sack leader Bruce Miller.

With a little tinker here and a tweak there, June Jones’ run-and-shoot should be clicking with a higher degree of efficiency this fall. SMU mysteriously regressed in 2010 despite harboring talented QB Kyle Padron and league-leading rusher Zach Line.

The return of QB Case Keenum for a sixth year is big news, but Houston’s potential remains capped unless the defense can start making plays. Even when Keenum was ringing up more than 5,000 yards through the year, the Cougars seemed to hit a wall late in 2008 and 2009.

Sure, QB G.J. Kinne, WR Damaris Johnson and the rest of the Tulsa attack get most of the pub, but don’t sleep on this year’s defense. S Marco Nelson, LB Shawn Jackson and LB Curnelius Arnick lead an attacking unit getting way too little attention in the offseason.

East Carolina QB Dominique Davis is a fantasy owners’ dream. Not only did he account for 46 touchdowns in 2010, but the mealy Pirate D forces the offense to be aggressive at all times.

Once this season is over, DE Vinny Curry will go down as the best defensive NFL prospect in school history. A late bloomer, he brandishes the elite pass rushing skills to toy with league tackles.

It’ll be worth paying very close attention to Rice QB Taylor McHargue, one of the budding stars of the league. Beyond his dual-threat ability, the sophomore leader has already shown a knack for bringing out the best in the players around him.

How does Mike Price do it? He’s guided UTEP to five consecutive losing seasons, yet is still cashing paychecks for an eighth year in El Paso.

UAB is the league’s sleeper in 2011, a strong candidate to end a seven-year bowl drought. Fifth-year coach Neil Callaway has a strong base, led by QB Bryan Ellis and RB Pat Shed, returning from a team that darn near knocked off Tennessee and Mississippi State a year ago.

By Matt Zemek

Weird but real: Southern Methodist produced the most successful seven-loss college football season in history last year. Think about it for 15 seconds. Think about it for 15 more seconds. Think about it for 15 more seconds. Then think about it for 15 more seconds. Really – in one minute of careful thought, were you able to offer a legitimate counter? If so, be sure to let me know. For a program just beginning to put the 1987 death penalty in the rearview mirror, winning a division championship in Conference USA stands as a very sizeable feat. So what if the Mustangs lost by 25 points at home to a Case Keenum-less Houston team and then gacked away the Armed Forces Bowl to Army in a brutal performance from both quarterback Kyle Padron and coach June Jones? The Ponies still affirmed many of the things they began to establish in 2009. Their defense also showed a lot of backbone. A 7-7 mark never felt so solid.

UAB and Neil Callaway, no more excuses (and no missed field goals in the clutch). Deliver a winning record or find a new chief in Birmingham.

The heart wants Case Keenum to produce a brilliant, injury-free season of first-rate quarterbacking. The head says that his frail body won’t hold up. Here’s hoping the heart prevails (not that it normally does in the sports world).

Southern Mississippi Athletic Director Richard Giannini: Just why did you fire Jeff Bower? Wait a minute, you didn’t really do so. Larry Fedora’s record looks conspicuously like Bower’s so far. GENIUS MOVE!

George O’Leary will win Conference USA again… but that doesn’t mean he should be employed. What O’Leary did (or didn’t do) in the supervision of Ereck Plancher’s workout sessions a few years ago is worse than anything Ohio State, Oregon, North Carolina, and USC did when their programs lost institutional control.

Barrett Sallee
Follow me on Twitter: @BarrettSallee

- Case Keenum returns for his 15th season as the Houston quarterback, and will be in the discussion has a dark horse Heisman Trophy contender all year long. However, unless Kellen Moore and Boise State as a team both suffer epic failures, he won't get invited to New York.

- Some how, some way, Neil Callaway is still the head coach at UAB. That will change by Halloween.

- Southern Miss returns 14 starters and has a schedule that makes them not only the favorite to win Conference USA, but the Golden Eagles have an outside shot at going 12-0. That won't put them in the national title picture, but it will make Brett Favre happy

[Harry0569]

Unit Rankings:

Conference USA East Overall

Based on how good each team is and NOT the predicted finish

1. Southern Miss
2. UCF
3. East Carolina
4. UAB
5. Marshall
6. Memphis

Conference USA West Overall

Based on how good each team is and NOT the predicted finish

1. Houston
2. SMU
3. Tulsa
4. Tulane
5. Rice
6. UTEP

Offenses

1. Houston
Record-setting QB Case Keenum is back, and so is Houston’s swagger. The Cougars weren’t the same without their Heisman-contending passer after he was injured in September, lacking their customary potency and efficiency. The sixth-year senior will reunite with a number of familiar weapons, like RB Bryce Beall and electrifying receivers Patrick Edwards and Tyron Carrier. Throw in multi-dimensional backs Michael Hayes and Charles Sims, who’s expected back from academic suspension, and the attack will be flush with its usual artillery. The biggest roadblock to another season of fireworks will be an offensive line in transition. Three starters have exhausted their eligibility, leaving behind a collection of underclassmen hoping to take their place. If C Chris Thompson and LT Jacolby Ashworth are left to fend for themselves, Houston’s rocket-boosted attack could fizzle versus attacking defenses.

2. Tulsa
3. SMU
4. East Carolina
5. UAB
6. Southern Miss
7. UCF
8. Tulane
9. Rice
10. Marshall
11. UTEP
12. Marshall

Quarterbacks

1. Houston
The starter, Case Keenum, is a sixth-year Cougar on the brink of rewriting the record books and the backups are a savvy senior with JUCO experience and a sophomore who threw 24 touchdown passes in 2010. All eyes will be on Keenum as he continues to cement his place in FBS history, but Cotton Turner and David Piland have the talent and ability to bomb away if and when needed.

2. Tulsa
3. East Carolina
4. Southern Miss
5. SMU
6. UCF
7. UAB
8. Tulane
9. Rice
10. Marshall
11. UTEP
12. Memphis

Running Backs

1. Houston
One of the better-kept secrets in Conference USA, the Cougars will once again be loaded in the backfield. Particularly if Charles Sims returns and picks up where he left off in 2009, Houston will feature a diverse ensemble of backs capable of beating teams on the ground or by sneaking out of the backfield for dump-offs. Bryce Beall is the star of the show after running for 870 yards and 12 scores, but he’s not alone. Michael Hayes is a shifty back and Sims has tremendous upside.

2. SMU
3. UCF
4. Southern Miss
5. Tulane
6. Tulsa
7. Rice
8. UTEP
9. UAB
10. Marshall
11. East Carolina
12. Memphis

Receivers

1. Houston
Case Keenum will make sure that Patrick Edwards and Tyron Carrier are well-fed, but will also need to develop some rhythm with other less experienced receivers. It’s going be an important offseason for the pass-catchers, who’ll have to deliver in order to keep the prolific passing game humming. While the Cougars don’t often attract heralded recruits at the position, they do have a knack for taking good athletes, teaching them the system, and transforming them into exciting playmakers, and they’ll work behind Edwards and Carrier, who’ll put up astronomical numbers.

2. East Carolina
3. SMU
4. Tulsa
5. Southern Miss
6. Marshall
7. UCF
8. UAB
9. Memphis
10. Tulane
11. Rice
12. UTEP

Offensive Lines

1. SMU
Building for years to get to this point, the coaching staff is hoping to unveil one of Conference USA’s premier front walls. The Mustangs have patiently leaned on youth since the new staff arrived in 2009, which ought to really begin paying dividends this fall. SMU started five juniors in 2010, all of whom are back on an offensive line that’s flush with returning lettermen and all-star candidates. With left tackle Kelvin Beachum leading the charge, the Mustangs could put three or four players on the all-league squad.

2. Tulsa
3. UAB
4. UCF
5. East Carolina
6. Southern Miss
7. Houston
8. Rice
9. Tulane
10. Marshall
11. Memphis
12. UTEP

Defenses

1. Southern Miss
After one too many defensive implosions, head coach Larry Fedora decided to make a dramatic change on defense, hiring coordinator Dan Disch. The coach arrives by way of Illinois, armed with a new 4-2-5 alignment designed to get more playmakers on the field and compete with some of Conference USA’s better offenses. The Golden Eagles harbor a nice assortment of talent on the front six, including DE Cordarro Law and LB Korey Williams, which will frustrate opposing lines. A turnaround, however, will depend on the play of the secondary, the weakest defensive link a year ago. Southern Miss allowed 28 touchdown passes, wilting in the red zone. The current edition is a youthful one that’s hoping up-and-coming CB Deron Wilson can shake off some offseason issues and return to the team in August.

2. Tulsa
3. UCF
4. Marshall
5. SMU
6. Houston
7. Tulane
8. UTEP
9. UAB
10. Memphis
11. East Carolina
12. Rice

Defensive Lines

1. Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles’ new 4-2-5 scheme requires their defensive line to be quick, feisty, and always attacking. There’ll also be new position in the mix, such as the “Bandit”, designed to put better athletes closer to the quarterback. From a personnel standpoint, Southern Miss needs to plug a couple of gaps on the inside after all-star Anthony Gray and veteran John Henderson used up their eligibility, but Cordarro Law and tackles Terrance Pope and Khyri Thornton ready to gom things up.

2. Marshall
3. SMU
4. UCF
5. Tulsa
6. Rice
7. Tulane
8. Memphis
9. Houston
10. UTEP
11. East Carolina
12. UAB

Linebackers

1. Southern Miss
With a pair of talented starters back – Korey Williams and Ronnie Thornton - and a shift to a 4-2-5 alignment, job openings will be scarce this fall at linebacker. And depth doesn’t figure to be a major headache unless injuries mount. While it’s always nice when this group can provide a little unexpected pressure, its primary objective is to fill lanes and stop the other guy’s ground game. Williams, in particular, is a candidate for league Defensive Player of the Year and will be getting paid this time next year.

2. Tulsa
3. Houston
4. Marshall
5. SMU
6. UTEP
7. UAB
8. UCF
9. Tulane
10. Memphis
11. Rice
12. East Carolina

Secondaries

1. UCF
After getting stretched to its limits in the middle of last season, the UCF secondary regrouped and finished 2010 on a positive note, keeping Georgia out of the end zone in the Liberty Bowl. Aided by the return of a pair of All-Conference USA first teamers – corner Josh Robinson and safety Kemal Ishmael - the Knights will attempt to keep that trend going this fall. Halfway to a dynamite defensive backfield, it’ll be up to the coaching staff to develop two new starters to replace Reggie Weams and Justin Boddie.

2. SMU
3. Tulsa
4. Marshall
5. UTEP
6. UAB
7. Tulane
8. Memphis
9. East Carolina
10. Southern Miss
11. Houston
12. Rice

Special Teams

1. Houston
The Cougars welcome back last year’s punter, placekicker, long snapper, holder, and primary return men, giving the program the ingredients of another fantastic group. The passing game gets most of the attention in Houston, but the staff has quietly manufactured a perennially solid special teams unit. Both kickers, PK Matt Hogan and P Richie Leone, are consistent, the return men are dynamic, and there are enough quality athletes to expect a turnaround from the coverage teams.

2. Southern Miss
3. Tulsa
4. UCF
5. East Carolina
6. UTEP
7. Rice
8. SMU
9. Marshall
10. Memphis
11. Tulane
12. UAB

[Harry0569]

Predicted Champion: Tulsa over East Carolina
3. SMU
Predicted Overall Record: 6-6
Predicted Conference Record: 5-3

Offense: The run-and-shoot will continue to be SMU’s preferred mode of transportation, though the program is hoping to operate it more efficiently this fall. The 2010 squad had no problem moving the ball, but putting up points on a consistent basis was another story. The Mustangs were 33rd nationally in total offense, but just 74th in scoring, a divide that could be explained by turnovers. The offense had way too many of them. Hope for a revival, however, comes from the return of all but one starter. SMU retains the services of prolific QB Kyle Padron, league-leading rusher Zach Line, and all of its linemen. If the attack can simply fine-tune some of the details and iron out a few wrinkles, it has the firepower and experience to finally reach head coach and architect June Jones’ expectations.

Defense: Without any attention outside—or even inside—Dallas, coordinator Tom Mason continues to do a fantastic job with the Mustang defense. A switch to a 3-4 alignment in 2009 put another quality athlete on the field, allowing the team to attack with more speed and frequency. While SMU didn’t produce nearly as many takeaways as two years ago, it did rank second only to UCF in the conference in total defense and scoring D. Mason retains most of that group, including six of the eight Mustangs who earned at least All-Conference USA honorable mention. Ends Taylor Thompson and Margus Hunt, linebackers Ja’Gared Davis and Taylor Reed, and FS Chris Banjo all believe their careers won’t stop on the Hilltop. More than anything else, Mason wants more big plays, like turnovers and sacks, than his kids produced in 2010. If that happens, SMU will have a fighting chance of improving its lackluster efficiency on third downs and in the red zone.

[Harry0569]

First Team Preseason
All-CUSA Offense
QB - Case Keenum, Sr., Houston
RB - Orleans Darkwa, Soph., Tulane
RB - Zach Line, Jr., SMU
WR - Damaris Johnson, Sr., Tulsa
WR - Lance Lewis, Sr., ECU
TE - Luke Willson, Jr., Rice
OL - Clint Anderson, Sr., Tulsa
OL - Kelvin Beachum, Sr., SMU
OL - Jake Hicks, Sr., Rice
OL - Matt McCants, Sr., UAB
OL - Chris Thompson, Sr., Houston
PK - Danny Hrapmann, Sr., USM
KR -

First Team Preseason
All-CUSA Defense
DL - Vinny Curry, Sr., Marshall
DL - Cordarro Law, Sr., USM
DL - Dontari Poe, Jr., Memphis
DL - Frank Trotter, Sr., Memphis
LB - Curnelius Arnick, Sr., Tulsa
LB - Marcus McGraw, Sr., Houston
LB - Korey Williams, Sr., USM
DB - Emanuel Davis, Sr., ECU
DB - Kemal Ishmael, Jr., UCF
DB - Marco Nelson, Soph., Tulsa
DB - Josh Robinson, Jr., UCF
P - Kyle Martens, Sr., Rice
PR - Damaris Johnson, Sr., Tulsa

Second Team Preseason
All-CUSA Offense
QB - Dominique Davis, Sr., ECU
RB - Bryce Beall, Sr., Houston
RB - Sam McGuffie, Jr., Rice
WR - Aaron Dobson, Jr., Marshall
WR - Patrick Edwards, Sr., Houston
TE – Adam Nissley Sr., UCF
OL - Tyler Holmes, Sr., Tulsa
OL - Ronald Leary, Sr., Memphis
OL - Nick Pieschel, Sr., UCF
OL - Ryan Tillman, Sr., Marshall
OL - C.J. Wood, Sr., Marshall
PK – Michael Barbour, Sr. ECU
KR – Quincy McDuffie, Jr., UCF

Second Team Preseason
All-CUSA Defense
DL - Elliott Henigan, Sr., UAB
DL - Dezman Moses, Sr., Tulane
DL - Scott Solomon, Sr., Rice
DL - Taylor Thompson, Sr., SMU
LB - Ja’Gared Davis, Jr., SMU
LB - Shawn Jackson, Sr., Tulsa
LB - Trent Mackey, Jr., Tulane
DB - Travis Bradshaw, Sr., Rice
DB - Omar Brown, Sr., Marshall
DB - Travaun Nixon, Sr., UTEP
DB - Shakiel Smith, Jr., Tulane
P – Ian Campbell, Jr. UTEP
PR - Josh Robinson, Jr., UCF

[GiddyUp]

SMU
2011 CFN Prediction: 7-5

Sep. 3 at Texas A&M L
Sep. 10 UTEP W
Sep. 17 Northwestern St W
Sep. 24 at Memphis W
Oct. 1 at TCU L
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 UCF W
Oct. 22 at Southern Miss L
Oct. 29 at Tulsa L
Nov. 5 Tulane W
Nov. 12 Navy W
Nov. 19 at Houston L
Nov. 26 Rice W

Next time just provide a link http://cfn.scout.com/2/1080328.html

This is exactly what I have for our W/L

[PonyPlayer4]

Post count brah

[texasmustang10]

SMU
2011 CFN Prediction: 7-5

Sep. 3 at Texas A&M L
Sep. 10 UTEP W
Sep. 17 Northwestern St W
Sep. 24 at Memphis W
Oct. 1 at TCU L
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 UCF W
Oct. 22 at Southern Miss L
Oct. 29 at Tulsa L
Nov. 5 Tulane W
Nov. 12 Navy W
Nov. 19 at Houston L
Nov. 26 Rice W

This is the "Worst Case Scenario" for our schedule... There are 6 tough games on the schedule, do they really expect us to lose 5?
I think we beat A&M, mainly based on my theorem that the higher A&M is ranked preseason, the less wins they will have. This theorem has been tested extensively

[AusTxPony]

Games that scare me:
Memphis - overlooking these guys while focusing on TCU.
Navy - how many injuries will we sustain facing a huge game with Houston the next week.
Prediction 7-5 with no great improvement on offense; 9-3 with Padron, DJohnson, Line on fire and no major injuries.
Defense will win us a couple of games.

[PonyPlayer4]

Our defense is getting no respect in the overall and unit rankings. No way we have the 5th best defense in CUSA.

[sbsmith]

SMU
2011 CFN Prediction: 7-5

Sep. 3 at Texas A&M L
Sep. 10 UTEP W
Sep. 17 Northwestern St W
Sep. 24 at Memphis W
Oct. 1 at TCU L
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 UCF W
Oct. 22 at Southern Miss L
Oct. 29 at Tulsa L
Nov. 5 Tulane W
Nov. 12 Navy W
Nov. 19 at Houston L
Nov. 26 Rice W

This is the "Worst Case Scenario" for our schedule... There are 6 tough games on the schedule, do they really expect us to lose 5?
I think we beat A&M, mainly based on my theorem that the higher A&M is ranked preseason, the less wins they will have. This theorem has been tested extensively

The WCS for our 2011 schedule is 5-7, we lose all 6 big games and the Navy game and win the 5 slam dunk games. 7-5 looks like a safe prediction, can't expect them to have much confidence in our ability to win big road games when we've only won 5 out of 13 the past 2 seasons and none over teams that finished .500 or above.

[Mitch McConnell]

If SMU is going to become the program that June Jones wants this to be and thinks it can become, then it better find a way to pick off 1 or 2 of these road games and show that it means business. I think the Mustangs will.

The Mustangs won at Tulsa two years ago -- few thought we could win there.
The Mustangs won at ECU last year -- that was a very iffy proposition.

It is time for this program to start winning big games -- CONSISTENTLY. We're in year 4 of the Jones era. This is the year where this program must show itself as a contender and not just a nice little program with some Dec. 18-20 bowl game appearances.

I have my issues with June but I also recognize that this is going to be his most talented team. And I do expect this team to be playing in the CUSA championship game. There I said it.

I think some of you fear success because you've not really seen it with this program. It's a mentality. This is a very good team. This defense could be really really good. Pittman just adds to it. I think our DEs are the best in CUSA.

I'm very confident Padron will make the adjustment and grow into leader and make plays. I do think his ankle injury last year in the ECU game really took something away from him.

I think the running game will be fine between Line and K.C. (if he plays). And I think our WRs are going to be very good. If Johnson grows up, you have a great playmaker. Holman will bust out.

And this OL...well, if it surrenders more than 18 sacks, I'll be shocked -- is the best unit on the team.

The kicking game is a concern. Hopefully, Gansz has used the summer to put a plan in place so those guys have it right mentally and physically.

[The PonyGrad]

#2 Secondary, seriously? The potential MAY be there but preseason #2?