CFN Projects SMU Goes 7-5

[Harry0569]

REALLY?!!?

SMU
2012 CFN Pred: 7-5
2012 C-USA Pred: 6-2

Sep. 2 at Baylor L
Sep. 8 Stephen F. Austin W
Sep. 15 Texas A&M L
Sep. 22 OPEN DATE
Sep. 29 TCU L
Oct. 6 at UTEP W
Oct. 13 at Tulane W
Oct. 18 Houston W
Oct. 27 Memphis W
Nov. 3 at UCF L
Nov. 10 Southern Miss L
Nov. 17 at Rice W
Nov. 24 Tulsa W

[ponyte]

Interesting. They have us beating the West but getting beat by the East.

Once again, if we can turn around the turnover deficiencies, we could be a heck of a lot better than 7-5.

Hold on to the ball on offense and get the O consistent through the entire season and it could be the best season since the mid 80s.

[Alaric]

8-4, God willing and the crik don't rise, we go 9-3.

We win at least one of the big 3 games (Baylor, A&M & TCU), split the UCF & USM games but no way we beat ALL the teams we're supposed to beat

[PonyPlayer4]

Breaking the season into 3 sections, we need to go 2-2, 3-1, 3-1. End up at 8-4. Bowl games finally gets us to 9 wins this year. Won't be easy.

[SC Pony]

I break the season down as follows:

Baylor, Stephen F. Austin, A&M & TCU: 1 - 3 WIns (Predict 2 wins)
UTEP, Tulane, UCF & Rice (Conf. Road): 2 - 3 Wins (Predict 2.5 wins)
Houston, Memphis, Southern Miss & Tulsa (Conf. Home): 2 - 3 Wins (Predict 2.5 wins)

Totals: 5 - 9 Wins (Wide Range)
My prediction: 7 - 5
My (realistic) Hope: 9 - 3

[ponyte]

I guess as predictions go I have a different spin. Basically, we had a brand spanking new QB after the first quarter of the first game last year. Not this year. So I think we are much better at QB than we have been in a while. Our D is based around a strong LB corp. We have depth and experience there we didn't have last year at the LB corp.

Yes we have gaps to replace but that happens every year. Starting the season I think we will be better than last year’s start (overall).

So 7-5 seems a bit low to me.

[ojaipony]

I think 7-5 seems about right. My hope, though, is that we do much better.

Think about it ... until proven otherwise (based on history), we lose to BU, aTm, UH, Tulsa, and SoMiss (wins against any of these teams would be huge). Do I think we could/should run the table? Absolutely! Just being cautious right now.

It could go any way this year and will be based on the following positions:

- Right OT (if Lowe's development continues to go slow as it seems it has been)
- the DE opposite Hunt
- both safety positions
- the Z WR opposite Thompson (JJ is fine - I saw all I needed to see against TCU last year ... Holman, I'm not so sure of yet -- I think he definitely has the potential, but we have to see it).

If those positions suck, we might have a losing record. If adequate, we are 7-5. If stellar, 9-3.

Of course, all this assuming no major injuries and we are as deep as I think we are.

Personally, I'm pulling for an undefeated season and BCS buster, baby!!

[GreenbeltPony]

Baylor, A&M, TCU: At least 2 L.
At UCF: They're stacked this year so L.
Southern Miss: They're rebuilding so W.
The rest should be Ws.

8-4 or 9-3 if we stay healthy and Gilbert shows a great grasp of the playbook.

[PonyPlayer4]

Baylor, A&M, TCU: At least 2 L.
At UCF: They're stacked this year so L.
Southern Miss: They're rebuilding so W.
The rest should be Ws.

8-4 or 9-3 if we stay healthy and Gilbert shows a great grasp of the playbook.

Bold saying that Houston and Tulsa should be Ws. Even at UTEP for that matter. We never play well in El Paso, Tulsa returns a lot of talent and has a Big 12 QB transfer like us, and we haven't beaten Houston too many times to count.

[GreenbeltPony]

Baylor, A&M, TCU: At least 2 L.
At UCF: They're stacked this year so L.
Southern Miss: They're rebuilding so W.
The rest should be Ws.

8-4 or 9-3 if we stay healthy and Gilbert shows a great grasp of the playbook.

Bold saying that Houston and Tulsa should be Ws. Even at UTEP for that matter. We never play well in El Paso, Tulsa returns a lot of talent and has a Big 12 QB transfer like us, and we haven't beaten Houston too many times to count.

Completely forgot about UH and Tulsa. I think we'll win at least one of those, since UH has some major rebuilding to do.

7-5 or 8-4 then.

[GiddyUp]

Major injury / 6-6 or 7-5

[ojaipony]

I think 7-5 seems about right. My hope, though, is that we do much better.

Think about it ... until proven otherwise (based on history), we lose to BU, aTm, UH, Tulsa, and SoMiss (wins against any of these teams would be huge). Do I think we could/should run the table? Absolutely! Just being cautious right now.

It could go any way this year and will be based on the following positions:

- Right OT (if Lowe's development continues to go slow as it seems it has been)
- the DE opposite Hunt
- both safety positions
- the Z WR opposite Thompson (JJ is fine - I saw all I needed to see against TCU last year ... Holman, I'm not so sure of yet -- I think he definitely has the potential, but we have to see it).

If those positions suck, we might have a losing record. If adequate, we are 7-5. If stellar, 9-3.

Of course, all this assuming no major injuries and we are as deep as I think we are.

Personally, I'm pulling for an undefeated season and BCS buster, baby!!

Can now add CB opposite Acker as another position that really is questionable. I like Chris Parks, though. Gives us a little height - I'm not sure on his speed ... looking over the roster - boy are we thin at CB with Middleton now gone.

[Stallion]

I think 7-5 is very reasonable although I have a feeling CUSA is going to much weaker at the top and just about any of the top 5 teams could get on a roll and do much better. I could see SMU doing that if Gilbert plays like an top national QB-but that's a pretty big assumption right now. I seen him play many times and I'm not ready to jump to that conclusion

[Charleston Pony]

agree that 7-5 looks pretty realistic coming in. have to upset soeone on the non-conference schedule to have a shot at a really strong season

[GRGB]

7-5 means:

5-0 vs:

5 teams ranked #100 or worse in Div1a (SFA-1aa, at Tulane, at Rice, at UTEP, Memphis), and

2-5 vs:

[5 home/2 road games]

3 teams ranked worse than us
- at Baylor - new QB,
- S.Miss - new QB/Coach,
- Houston - new QB/Coach

2 teams barely ranked above us
- at UCF,
- Tulsa

2 teams ranked above us, both home games
- aTm (new QB/Coach)
- TCU (after we have a bye week)


The schedule doesn't get any better than that.