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Bill Connelly always does a very thorough preview of each team (although there are a couple errors- Malik Clements and Bryan Wright were moved to linebackers.

His prognostication is similar to mine-- I suspect we'll finish slightly better than last year, hopefully at least 6-6 so that we can go to a bowl and get our youngsters 15 more practices.


https://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal...ule-roster

I thought this would likely drop today. His previews are always the best.

Agree overall with his preview of the 2018 squad. We are clearly still in retooling mode for this season and maybe into the next one as well. I would love to see Geddis take a step up in development at the wide out spot. He had some good moments last year and I like his height at 6'3" but he could use a few more pounds on his frame. That aside, there are so many question marks for this team that if they finish 6-6 I would be EXTREMELY happy with that result.

Great assessment as always. I'm just disappointed that we couldn't find a QB grad transfer. I think with a capable QB this team has the talent to get to 8 wins with our schedule. Moore just can't make big plays, period. This allows team to stuff the box which kills our running game.

My other major concern this year is the OL and DB positions. The OL desperately needs some young guys to really overachieve relative to their recruiting ratings coming out of HS. Hopefully an improved DL is able to rush the QB more to alleviate some of the pressure on the young but talented CBs.

The thing he got wrong was the Miami Ohio game he has it at their place. It is at PBS so that should change the stats on that game. It is more a home game for us now.

(04-18-2018 11:29 AM)UCbball21 Wrote:  Great assessment as always. I'm just disappointed that we couldn't find a QB grad transfer. I think with a capable QB this team has the talent to get to 8 wins with our schedule. Moore just can't make big plays, period. This allows team to stuff the box which kills our running game.

My other major concern this year is the OL and DB positions. The OL desperately needs some young guys to really overachieve relative to their recruiting ratings coming out of HS. Hopefully an improved DL is able to rush the QB more to alleviate some of the pressure on the young but talented CBs.

I don't know how hard we are looking for a QB specifically, but the grad transfer market isn't closed yet. There's another group that will be graduating in the spring and thus become eligible to transfer then. Burrow, as one example, hasn't decided if he is staying or going yet from OSU. Somehow Urban manages to keep telling everyone that he knows he owes Burrow a candid take on his status but still isn't ready to give him one.

Dude lost me with his crack about being a mid major basketball conference.

(04-19-2018 11:33 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Dude lost me with his crack about being a mid major basketball conference.

Despite being an otherwise excellent preview, I have to agree. The conference did not pull down UC football and UConn basketball. Incompetent coaching did.

(04-19-2018 11:33 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Dude lost me with his crack about being a mid major basketball conference.

You're saying that the AAC is high-major? When you look top to bottom, the average performance is mid-major.

(04-22-2018 05:35 PM)Not Duane Wrote:  

(04-19-2018 11:33 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Dude lost me with his crack about being a mid major basketball conference.

You're saying that the AAC is high-major? When you look top to bottom, the average performance is mid-major.

Basketball is clearly above mid-major level. IIRC, they beat out the PAC 12 on the conference rankings.

I think AAC football also finished ahead of the pac 12 last year.

I've always maintained in basketball a team's status holds more weight than its conference. The West Coast Conference is full of mid-major teams, but does anyone actually believe Gonzaga is a mid-major basketball team? Does anyone here actually believe Rutgers is a high-major or a "power" basketball program? The answer to both is of course not. ]

What does it mean to be a high or mid major anyway? Its all about the investment into the program... the resources... the facilities.. the commitment to winning. It doesn't have a *** **** thing to do with what conference patch you wear on your jersey.

(04-23-2018 08:41 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  I've always maintained in basketball a team's status holds more weight than its conference. The West Coast Conference is full of mid-major teams, but does anyone actually believe Gonzaga is a mid-major basketball team? Does anyone here actually believe Rutgers is a high-major or a "power" basketball program? The answer to both is of course not. ]

What does it mean to be a high or mid major anyway? Its all about the investment into the program... the resources... the facilities.. the commitment to winning. It doesn't have a *** **** thing to do with what conference patch you wear on your jersey.

This is fair. Honestly the AAC is kind of between mid major and major in college basketball. I think Gasaway has a set of criteria he uses for major v. midmajor and AAC meets about half the major criteria. There are major programs in the AAC, UC among them, but I wouldn't quite consider it a major conference (though it can be every bit as good as a major conference or two in a given year).

(04-23-2018 09:06 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(04-23-2018 08:41 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  I've always maintained in basketball a team's status holds more weight than its conference. The West Coast Conference is full of mid-major teams, but does anyone actually believe Gonzaga is a mid-major basketball team? Does anyone here actually believe Rutgers is a high-major or a "power" basketball program? The answer to both is of course not. ]

What does it mean to be a high or mid major anyway? Its all about the investment into the program... the resources... the facilities.. the commitment to winning. It doesn't have a *** **** thing to do with what conference patch you wear on your jersey.

This is fair. Honestly the AAC is kind of between mid major and major in college basketball. I think Gasaway has a set of criteria he uses for major v. midmajor and AAC meets about half the major criteria. There are major programs in the AAC, UC among them, but I wouldn't quite consider it a major conference (though it can be every bit as good as a major conference or two in a given year).

The American is a major basketball conference. Does the conference earn at-large bids and receive single digits seeds. If the answer is yes, major conference in basketball.

Some of the talking heads began referring to the "seven major conferences" in college basketball the past couple of years--to include the New Big East and the American. Both meet the test using any of several objective criteria. And in their respective short histories, both conferences have produced national champions (UCONN, Villanova twice). The Big Ten hasn't produced a basketball national champion in 18 years. And does anyone reasonably expect to see us crown a champion from the MAC, Sun Belt or Missouri Valley anytime soon?

I think labeling the AAC mid-major demonstrates ignorance of college basketball. P5 was never about basketball but has become a convenient covering term for the uninformed.

The PAC 12 is a dumpster conference.

(04-24-2018 05:32 PM)doss2 Wrote:  The PAC 12 is a dumpster conference.

Saturated with "dumpster juice."