The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Home:
Central Michigan
Ball State
Kent State
Akron

Road:
Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Buffalo

The non-conference opponents have already been announced as:
Sept. 2, at USC
Sept. 9, at Michigan State
Sept. 16, Idaho
Sept. 23, Wagner

I see 8 wins, that's about it.

The thing that sticks out to me is that most of the hard games are on the road.

I think 8-9 wins is a reasonable expectation with that schedule. Game at MSU will tell a lot of things, as I think these two teams are pretty evenly matched as far as talent goes.

I would think 6-0 at home (Idaho will be a good game). Eastern and Buffalo should be wins. Where is NIU next year, Improved or not?. Toledo will be a close one, give them an advantage at home, will be better to play them later in year with QB getting into the system. I don't know what to think of MSU. It will be fun to watch us play in the Colosseum.

(01-23-2017 04:32 PM)BroncoPhilly Wrote:  I see 8 wins, that's about it.

Agreed.

And with the coaching change, along with the loss of some v-e-r-y talented seniors, I would be pleased with 8 wins, provided one is against CMU (no excuse to lose to CMU in Waldo).

Beating MSU would be thrilling, but that game is too early in the season to expect much with all the changes our program is experiencing.

I expect nothing less than 8 wins considering the talent we have returning. MACC and another bowl win should be in order, too.

(01-23-2017 05:39 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  I expect nothing less than 8 wins considering the talent we have returning. MACC and another bowl win should be in order, too.

Bam

Beating MSU would be another nice program-building step.

There's a lot of talent on this roster. The biggest question mark is who the QB is and how fast he develops in this new offense. There's a lot of young talent at WR, so I'm not too worried about them, but there will be growing pains with the new playbook and such.

I know it's very early for predictions (don't worry guys, we've got all spring and summer for that), but I'll rank the games as I see them right now from easiest to hardest. It's also tough because we don't know the dates or the order of the MAC games yet.

Should be wins:
- Wagner
- Kent State
- Ball State
- Buffalo
- Akron

Relative toss-ups:
- Central Michigan
- Eastern Michigan
- Northern Illinois
- Idaho
- Toledo

Probable loss
- Michigan State

Near-definite loss
- USC


So depending on our QB and WR situation and where they're at after fall camp, I can see anything from 6-6 to 10-2.

No matter how good or bad this coaching staff is in its first year, there's no way we lose more than 6 games with the amount of talent on this roster. At least 10 guys on defense that started a game in the 2016 season. Beastly RB corps. Strong O-line. No excuses not to hit .500.

At this point I think we can beat anyone... period. Speculate on... but right now we have a team ready to change its best. Let's be on board!

(01-23-2017 05:56 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  There's a lot of talent on this roster. The biggest question mark is who the QB is and how fast he develops in this new offense. There's a lot of young talent at WR, so I'm not too worried about them, but there will be growing pains with the new playbook and such.

I know it's very early for predictions (don't worry guys, we've got all spring and summer for that), but I'll rank the games as I see them right now from easiest to hardest. It's also tough because we don't know the dates or the order of the MAC games yet.

Should be wins:
- Wagner
- Kent State
- Ball State
- Buffalo
- Akron

Relative toss-ups:
- Central Michigan
- Eastern Michigan
- Northern Illinois
- Idaho
- Toledo

Probable loss
- Michigan State

Near-definite loss
- USC


So depending on our QB and WR situation and where they're at after fall camp, I can see anything from 6-6 to 10-2.

No matter how good or bad this coaching staff is in its first year, there's no way we lose more than 6 games with the amount of talent on this roster. At least 10 guys on defense that started a game in the 2016 season. Beastly RB corps. Strong O-line. No excuses not to hit .500.

Not sure how CMU @ home is a toss up. They will be bad next year.

On the bright side, USC has no good film or good information to game plan against our offense. Nobody know who we will roll out at QB or WR

(01-23-2017 06:31 PM)NYbronco Wrote:  On the bright side, USC has no good film or good information to game plan against our offense. Nobody know who we will roll out at QB or WR

So true there will be some new wrinkles in the whole game plan on both sides of the ball that will be new to our opponents.

(01-23-2017 06:16 PM)PezKingGL1 Wrote:  Not sure how CMU @ home is a toss up. They will be bad next year.

You never know with rivalry games. I fully expect our Broncos to destroy the chimps again next season, but strange things have happened in this rivalry before.

(01-23-2017 07:59 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  

(01-23-2017 06:16 PM)PezKingGL1 Wrote:  Not sure how CMU @ home is a toss up. They will be bad next year.

You never know with rivalry games. I fully expect our Broncos to destroy the chimps again next season, but strange things have happened in this rivalry before.

I'd buy this argument if the game were in Mount Pleasant. With Rush gone, with the game at Waldo, and with what we return, IMO the CMU game should be in the "should be wins" column.

I'd also move the game at EMU and the home game against Idaho to that list. Idaho was a good team in 2016, but they're flying cross-country to us. And until a contending EMU team goes through us and knocks us off, that game belongs in that column.

The Stampede is going to flip out if we lose any of those eight games.

(01-24-2017 12:20 AM)The Colonel Wrote:  

(01-23-2017 07:59 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  

(01-23-2017 06:16 PM)PezKingGL1 Wrote:  Not sure how CMU @ home is a toss up. They will be bad next year.

You never know with rivalry games. I fully expect our Broncos to destroy the chimps again next season, but strange things have happened in this rivalry before.

I'd buy this argument if the game were in Mount Pleasant. With Rush gone, with the game at Waldo, and with what we return, IMO the CMU game should be in the "should be wins" column.

I'd also move the game at EMU and the home game against Idaho to that list. Idaho was a good team in 2016, but they're flying cross-country to us. And until a contending EMU team goes through us and knocks us off, that game belongs in that column.

The Stampede is going to flip out if we lose any of those eight games.

New HC, new OC and offensive scheme, new DCs and probably new defensive scheme, new QB and new receivers.

I know there's talent on this roster, but that's a lot of changes in one year.

It's hard to say At This Point. New QB, new WR crew... Whole New Coaching Staff -- and obviously new motif. That's definitely enough to shift gears in some way, and to expect it to some degree. So whatever is said, IMO, is in clay when it comes to anything winnable/losable.

Definite Wins:
- Wagner
- 2 of [KSU, BSU, @Buffalo]

Should-Be Wins:
- 1 of [KSU, BSU, @Buffalo]
- Akron
- Central Michigan

Toss-Ups [No "Whoah! Did Not See That Coming", Either Way]:
- @NIU
- @EMU
- Idaho
- @Toledo

Should-Be Losses:
- @Michigan State

Definite Losses:
- @USC

So yeah, I basically see us going 8-4. Due to transition, it would be of no grand disappointment/surprise us going 7-5 if injuries occurred, etc. I would be majorly impressed if we went 9-3, but I think getting over that 8-4 hump will be Very difficult, and shouldn't to be expected.

If things go alright, my psychic tells me that we'll go 8-4/6-2:

L: @USC, @MSU, @Toledo, @EMU
W: @NIU, Idaho, CMU, Akron, BSU, KSU, @Buffalo, Wagner

Tough schedule for new staff with new systems.

Have to believe MSU and NIU will bounce back at least somewhat this year.

Playing in the Glass Bowl has always been tough although we got them there last time.

We have also struggled at EMU over the years. Were the Hurons a fluke last year who will regress to their norm in '17?

Don't sleep on Idaho either.

Quote:Home:
Central Michigan
Ball State
Kent State
Akron

Road:
Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Buffalo

The non-conference opponents have already been announced as:
Sept. 2, at USC
Sept. 9, at Michigan State
Sept. 16, Idaho
Sept. 23, Wagner

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect at least a 9-win season given that schedule. I think we probably go something like 9-3, (7-1).

We return a strong OL and running game, which should help relieve some pressure for whoever starts at QB next season. IMO, it should come down to us and Toledo again in the West. Call me extremely disappointed if we lose one home game on that schedule.