(07-16-2013 03:23 PM)brizzock Wrote:  I think the new CAA participants are going to be better than expected. Just a hunch.

Why? Have you paid attention to who they lost versus who they have coming back?

(07-16-2013 02:28 PM)bridgeforthduke Wrote:  Without doing any research, I have been anticipating this season with the belief that JMU will win 7 games, but I honestly don't know what to expect going into this season. Our team returns a decent amount of talent, but we aren't being ranked highly in national or CAA preseason lists. It's strange seeing fans of other teams say things like Stony Brook is lucky because they play "URI, Maine and JMU on the road." I know next to nothing about Albany and Stony Brook, other than that the latter was very good last year and that they lost a key linemen a few weeks ago.

Preseason polls don't mean much, but it seems JMU is being looked over due to uncertainty following the disappointing season last year and coaching/player turnover during the offseason. I expect Villanova, Towson and UNH to be good again this year as well which may also be contributing to how others are viewing JMU going into the season.

What are realistic expectations for this season?

According to the CAA preview, SB (after having lost their 1st team AA lineman) now returns only 10 starters (of 22), the least in the CAA, including only 4 on offense. They also lost their other 2 1st team AAs, the Payton runner up RB, and WR. Also lost their all conference QB.

According to the CAA preview, Albany only returns 12 of 22 starters (2nd least in the CAA). Lost 7 of their 9 who made all conference. And they only have 40 some on scholly (were working with the NEC limit of 36 last season).

(07-16-2013 05:36 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 03:19 PM)DoubleDDuke Wrote:  6-5 would be a huge disappointment considering the first 2 games should be like exhibition games and really, the third one needs to be a 'W'.

The Akron game is an exhibition to you?

No, I just think we should win the game. They're the worst team in the MAC.

(07-16-2013 06:17 PM)DoubleDDuke Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 05:36 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 03:19 PM)DoubleDDuke Wrote:  6-5 would be a huge disappointment considering the first 2 games should be like exhibition games and really, the third one needs to be a 'W'.

The Akron game is an exhibition to you?

No, I just think we should win the game. They're the worst team in the MAC.

"Were" the worst team in the MAC. They won't be this yr. I wouldn't be surprised if Bowden & that staff he assembled has them in the middle of the pack in the MAC this season.

You guys crack me up. We want our admin to stick our financial necks out there to go FBS and all of you except Cent, Jmad03 and myself are throwing out these extremely conservative numbers. I expect nothing short of an excellent Autumn of JMU football. Less than an 8 - 3 season and 9 - 4 overall, and we are losers and don't deserve the playoffs or FBS.

The way I see it, to get to 4 losses you guys predict we will go down to Towson, Villanova, Akron, and NH and once again be straddling the fence on a playoff spot. Gosh, I hope not.

(07-16-2013 06:47 PM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 06:17 PM)DoubleDDuke Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 05:36 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 03:19 PM)DoubleDDuke Wrote:  6-5 would be a huge disappointment considering the first 2 games should be like exhibition games and really, the third one needs to be a 'W'.

The Akron game is an exhibition to you?

No, I just think we should win the game. They're the worst team in the MAC.

"Were" the worst team in the MAC. They won't be this yr. I wouldn't be surprised if Bowden & that staff he assembled has them in the middle of the pack in the MAC this season.

They could have a revamped O-line of BCS transfers:

From the Akron message boards:
So here is the list of all the transfers that should be eligible this season:
QB Nick Hirschman (Colorado)
DT C.J. James (Colorado State)
DL Nordly Capi (Colrado State)
OT Moses MCCray (Florida State)
OL Henry Orelus (Florida State)
OL Joe McNamara (Wisconsin)
??? OL Justin Virbitsky (Pittsburgh) ???

its a little to early for season predictions since we don't know the final roster yet.
With that being said, I predict there will be zero fans in attendance at Bridgeforth for BOTH of the bye weeks.
Bozo the clown could have put together a better OOC schedule.

(07-16-2013 09:35 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  its a little to early for season predictions since we don't know the final roster yet.
With that being said, I predict there will be zero fans in attendance at Bridgeforth for BOTH of the bye weeks.
Bozo the clown could have put together a better OOC schedule.

Agreed on that point. Don't know the final roster, don't know who is or isn't going to get injured during the summer for JMU, don't know how well players are going to play in Aug. Same goes for JMU's opponents. Better to wait till late Aug.

(07-16-2013 07:08 PM)olddawg Wrote:  They could have a revamped O-line of BCS transfers:

From the Akron message boards:
So here is the list of all the transfers that should be eligible this season:
QB Nick Hirschman (Colorado)
DT C.J. James (Colorado State)
DL Nordly Capi (Colrado State)
OT Moses MCCray (Florida State)
OL Henry Orelus (Florida State)
OL Joe McNamara (Wisconsin)
??? OL Justin Virbitsky (Pittsburgh) ???

Replace that last transfer (the one with the ???s) with OL Zenel Demhasaj.

They will all be eligible this season, but I don't expect them all to start, especially the defensive linemen and QB. We had good talent, but zero depth at both positions, and that cost us several games last season where we were in it late and just wore down at the end.

8/31: Central Connecticut State 6p
9/7: @Akron 6p -
9/14: St. Francis 6p -
9/28: @Delaware 6p -
10/5: Albany (Family Weekend) 1:30p -
10/12: Richmond 3p -
10/26: @William & Mary 3p -
11/2: Villanova (Homecoming) 3:30p -
11/9: @New Hampshire 12p -
11/16: Stony Brook 3p -
11/23: @Towson 3:30p -

There are four games on the schedule I expect us to win: STFU, CCSU, Albany, and W&M.
There are three games on the schedule I expect us to lose: Towson, UNH, Villanova
There are four games on the schedule I consider toss-ups (at this point): Akron, UD, UR, SB

Let's assume Stony Brook really does struggle in their first CAA season and with the loss of several all americans. I'll narrow it down to three scenarios:

We go 8-3 with wins over STFU, CCSU, Albany, W&M, Akron, UD, SB, and UR
We go 7-4 with wins over STFU, CCSU, Albany, W&M, UD, SB, and UR
We go 6-5 with wins over STFU, CCSU, Albany, W&M, SB, UR

7-4 (my pick for our record) may get us in the playoffs with a field of 24 this year, but we'd likely be on the road.

(07-17-2013 07:29 AM)JMU_Newbill Wrote:  8/31: Central Connecticut State 6p
9/7: @Akron 6p -
9/14: St. Francis 6p -
9/28: @Delaware 6p -
10/5: Albany (Family Weekend) 1:30p -
10/12: Richmond 3p -
10/26: @William & Mary 3p -
11/2: Villanova (Homecoming) 3:30p -
11/9: @New Hampshire 12p -
11/16: Stony Brook 3p -
11/23: @Towson 3:30p -

There are four games on the schedule I expect us to win: STFU, CCSU, Albany, and W&M.
There are three games on the schedule I expect us to lose: Towson, UNH, Villanova
There are four games on the schedule I consider toss-ups (at this point): Akron, UD, UR, SB

Let's assume Stony Brook really does struggle in their first CAA season and with the loss of several all americans. I'll narrow it down to three scenarios:

We go 8-3 with wins over STFU, CCSU, Albany, W&M, Akron, UD, SB, and UR
We go 7-4 with wins over STFU, CCSU, Albany, W&M, UD, SB, and UR
We go 6-5 with wins over STFU, CCSU, Albany, W&M, SB, UR

7-4 (my pick for our record) may get us in the playoffs with a field of 24 this year, but we'd likely be on the road.

I'm starting to become more optimistic with our D being so solid. I think the O will struggle a little at first but luckily we have some early cupcakes to help us work those out. Teams will have a harder time preparing for more than just run right, run left, run middle... repeat.

When do we normally find out if any players are academically ineligible? It isn't surprising to lose a couple who don't take care of business each year.

(07-16-2013 07:01 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  You guys crack me up. We want our admin to stick our financial necks out there to go FBS and all of you except Cent, Jmad03 and myself are throwing out these extremely conservative numbers. I expect nothing short of an excellent Autumn of JMU football. Less than an 8 - 3 season and 9 - 4 overall, and we are losers and don't deserve the playoffs or FBS.

The way I see it, to get to 4 losses you guys predict we will go down to Towson, Villanova, Akron, and NH and once again be straddling the fence on a playoff spot. Gosh, I hope not.

Well, over the last 4 seasons we have gone 6-5, 6-5, 8-5, and 7-4. That's 27-19, divide be 4, and that approximates 7-5.

Unless these new coaches come in and light the world on fire or we find another year for Landers, I am sticking with our running 4 yr average.

We've been mediocre. I don't expect that to change this year.

Depth, talent, experience, scheme, SIZE, speed, and health all factor in my 6-5 prediction. We're a far cry from 2008 IMO. That being said, I'm rooting for an undefeated season.

Also, on the financial point above, my donation won't vary based on individual season success. I would hope that our administration doesn't work in such a short sighted way as well.

I remember a season, almost a decade ago, where we had a question mark at QB, a solid D, and were picked middle of the pack to last in the CAA...

If this one turns out like that one, we'll be okay...

(07-17-2013 10:47 AM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  I remember a season, almost a decade ago, where we had a question mark at QB, a solid D, and were picked middle of the pack to last in the CAA...

If this one turns out like that one, we'll be okay...

hear hear

(07-17-2013 10:27 AM)brizzock Wrote:  Depth, talent, experience, scheme, SIZE, speed, and health all factor in my 6-5 prediction. We're a far cry from 2008 IMO. That being said, I'm rooting for an undefeated season.

Just trying to determine your reasoning for the list above.

If you're trying to say the 2008 team had far greater size, I believe you are wrong. The 2008 team had a smaller d-line than what we're projected, by a fair amount at that. The linebackers are about the same. The only difference between the O-lines is really one player from the 2008 squad, a 335lb OT, Terrence Apted.

Speed-wise, are we really any slower than the 2008 team? There are two positions that are obvious, Landers was far faster than Birdsong, not even close, and in the return game we had Scotty. Other than that, I don't believe the speed difference is there, but that could be considered a big enough difference. We obviously won't be asking Birdsong to do the same things as Landers.

Depth, yeah, I'd agree we don't appear to have much depth, not sure how it compares to 2008.

Talent, not sure how to measure this outside of size, speed, and technique, but it feels like our recruiting classes were rated just as good as the ones that built the 2008 team.

Experience, goes back to depth, just not a bunch there. Probably need some rFr to step up in the rotation.

Health, we lost a few guys to injury as usual. Not sure how it compares to 2008.

Scheme, 2008 scheme only worked because of Landers, I wouldn't say it was a great scheme, since it only worked for a once in a lifetime player. This year is TBD.

All in all, I don't think we're in bad shape. Our biggest problem has been coaching attrition. Luckily, this year we have some pretty good names coming in.

EDIT: Just to caveat, I grabbed most of the roster info and size info off of JMUsports.com, and based starters on what was written in bio's. Not sure if it's 100% accurate.

(07-16-2013 03:23 PM)brizzock Wrote:  I think the new CAA participants are going to be better than expected. Just a hunch.

I wouldn't rely on your hunches too much....
SBU 5-6/3-5
Albany 1-11/0-8

(07-16-2013 03:48 PM)JMU2004 Wrote:  7-4 or 6-5.

As the OL and Birdsong go, so goes the season.

OL sucked

(07-17-2013 08:43 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 07:01 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  You guys crack me up. We want our admin to stick our financial necks out there to go FBS and all of you except Cent, Jmad03 and myself are throwing out these extremely conservative numbers. I expect nothing short of an excellent Autumn of JMU football. Less than an 8 - 3 season and 9 - 4 overall, and we are losers and don't deserve the playoffs or FBS.

The way I see it, to get to 4 losses you guys predict we will go down to Towson, Villanova, Akron, and NH and once again be straddling the fence on a playoff spot. Gosh, I hope not.

Well, over the last 4 seasons we have gone 6-5, 6-5, 8-5, and 7-4. That's 27-19, divide be 4, and that approximates 7-5.

Unless these new coaches come in and light the world on fire or we find another year for Landers, I am sticking with our running 4 yr average.

We've been mediocre. I don't expect that to change this year.

I rest my case.