Re: 2018 Season Expectations and Predictions
So here's my personal thoughts on the season and how the schedule breaks down. I always like to go through the schedule game by game just because some games end up being tougher than they would as a stand alone game due to who was played the prior weeks and where.
@Iowa St- Loss most likely. This isn't the same Cyclones team of years past if last year is any indication, a W here would be huge.
Montana St- Win. Was a troubling game and was shaping up to be a true OOC test until their QB was suspended for academics. We should take this one to bounce back from the season opener.
Arkansas PB- Win. If we lose this one, pack it in its going to be one hell of a rough year even if we are looking ahead to the Marker Game
@NDSU- Likely loss. They are just stacked this year it seems. A lot of experience returns for them, lots of talk comparing this team to their fabled 2013 team. They certainly won't be overlooking us and the Fargomall will be pretty rabid after going 1-2 against us the last two years. The Jacks fan heart in me is whispering in my ear that we win this one, but my head is telling me we don't (unless we are as good as I think we could be). Caveat to this prediction: Dating back to 07 we have never lost when I've had a close family member attend the game, and I will be attending with my wife and pa, so there's that
Indy St- Win. Can't lose this one. Might be closer than it should be if we have a mental letdown after the Marker Game, but we should win this one by a couple tds.
YSU (Hobo Day)- Win. For gods sake lets get a win on Hobo Day. Please. Dear lord. Please.
@UNI- Win. I'm going to guess win in this one, but its really 50/50 and depends on if we are as good as some of us think we are. It won't be easy, that's for sure. However this game is in the middle of a five game stretch of the Panthers that goes, NDSU, @USeD, SDSU, @WIU, ISUr. Thats one hell of a tough row to hoe for them, so I expect them to be a bit more beat up than we are for this game.
@ISUr- Loss. I don't fully buy into the Redbird hype train just yet that some people seem to be on, but we haven't played well in Normal recently, and if each team is half as good as some people think this will be a dogfight. Don't like our odds down there however. Hopefully we can shake the redbird blues.
Misery St- Win. Should be a win, even though their coach down there seems to be gradually improving their program they are still a bottom half of the MVFC team, that we should not lose to at home.
@SIU- Win. SIU is a team thats expected to take a big step this year, but unless they brought in some serious defensive talent I just don't see it. Still, we will need to have our pass rush ready to rock for this game and have our offense playing well to get a W here.
USeD- Win. We just don't lose to the varmints, and while we will eventually lose to them, I don't see it happening at home, especially when the game will likely have playoff implications for both teams. They won't be as bad as some people think, but they won't be as good as yote fans think. Likely a boarderline playoff team, this game is the one that keeps them below .500 in Valley play and keeps them out of the playoffs and keeps us in the discussion for a seed.
So, apparently my prediction is 8-3, while I could see anywhere from 9-2 to 7-4 depending on how a couple breaks go in different games. Thinking on it, this season somewhat reminds me of 2016, with a fairly highly touted FBS team on the schedule and it being incredibly important to win every home game to have a shot at a seed.
As far as my expectations go, with the Valley looking to be down this year and there being tons of unknowns throughout the FCS, anything less than making the playoffs and making the second round would be a massive letdown. I fully expect us to be in play for a seed in the 5-8 range going into the last week. I do think a lot of people saw the JMU game and remember the misses that TC occasionally had deep over the middle to Jake and Dallas. I really believe that's the only memories people have of him last year, and they mentally couple that with the big twos highlight reel catches so they say "hes going to have to do more than just chuck it up to Dallas and Jake". I rewatched the Marker Game the other day and I noticed a couple things. A) the first drive we went through that highly touted defense like a hot knife through butter and almost every pass went to a receiver not named Jake or Dallas. TC looked unstoppable, and much more fluid to me. B) when he did "just chuck it up" to Dallas or Jake a lot of those throws were put in spots where only Jake or Dallas could catch it, and the defender didn't have a chance. A couple of them he threw them open. I know its just one game and just one drive, but it sure gives me confidence that hes going to be just fine not having two "get them the damn ball" receivers. I honestly do believe that it might make him better to not feel like he has to get the ball to the guys who are getting all the attention. As for the JMU game, that was an utter abortion. That being said, two things I want to point out. One is I still feel pretty certain he had some sort of hand issue in that game, I don't ever recall seeing him just drop a ball before. Two, when perusing bisonville I noticed that a couple people who's football opinions I do really respect were commenting on how good of a job the JMU staff did at taking things away from them in their playoff loss. Its not outside the realm of possibility that some outstanding coaching had something to do with the outcome of that game as well. In the end, my biggest concern with TC isn't with his accuracy or the JMU game, its something I don't recall being mentioned here. I don't recall him leading us to a come from behind victory yet outside of the 2016 Marker Game. It seemed every game we lost last year were games that we got behind in early and never dug out of. I feel that's a team wide issue, but at the QB spot is magnified. I was always comfortable when we got a lead, and knew the offense would keep humming. When we got down early, it always seemed we never got on track. That's my biggest concern. Time will tell.
So here's my personal thoughts on the season and how the schedule breaks down. I always like to go through the schedule game by game just because some games end up being tougher than they would as a stand alone game due to who was played the prior weeks and where.
@Iowa St- Loss most likely. This isn't the same Cyclones team of years past if last year is any indication, a W here would be huge.
Montana St- Win. Was a troubling game and was shaping up to be a true OOC test until their QB was suspended for academics. We should take this one to bounce back from the season opener.
Arkansas PB- Win. If we lose this one, pack it in its going to be one hell of a rough year even if we are looking ahead to the Marker Game
@NDSU- Likely loss. They are just stacked this year it seems. A lot of experience returns for them, lots of talk comparing this team to their fabled 2013 team. They certainly won't be overlooking us and the Fargomall will be pretty rabid after going 1-2 against us the last two years. The Jacks fan heart in me is whispering in my ear that we win this one, but my head is telling me we don't (unless we are as good as I think we could be). Caveat to this prediction: Dating back to 07 we have never lost when I've had a close family member attend the game, and I will be attending with my wife and pa, so there's that
Indy St- Win. Can't lose this one. Might be closer than it should be if we have a mental letdown after the Marker Game, but we should win this one by a couple tds.
YSU (Hobo Day)- Win. For gods sake lets get a win on Hobo Day. Please. Dear lord. Please.
@UNI- Win. I'm going to guess win in this one, but its really 50/50 and depends on if we are as good as some of us think we are. It won't be easy, that's for sure. However this game is in the middle of a five game stretch of the Panthers that goes, NDSU, @USeD, SDSU, @WIU, ISUr. Thats one hell of a tough row to hoe for them, so I expect them to be a bit more beat up than we are for this game.
@ISUr- Loss. I don't fully buy into the Redbird hype train just yet that some people seem to be on, but we haven't played well in Normal recently, and if each team is half as good as some people think this will be a dogfight. Don't like our odds down there however. Hopefully we can shake the redbird blues.
Misery St- Win. Should be a win, even though their coach down there seems to be gradually improving their program they are still a bottom half of the MVFC team, that we should not lose to at home.
@SIU- Win. SIU is a team thats expected to take a big step this year, but unless they brought in some serious defensive talent I just don't see it. Still, we will need to have our pass rush ready to rock for this game and have our offense playing well to get a W here.
USeD- Win. We just don't lose to the varmints, and while we will eventually lose to them, I don't see it happening at home, especially when the game will likely have playoff implications for both teams. They won't be as bad as some people think, but they won't be as good as yote fans think. Likely a boarderline playoff team, this game is the one that keeps them below .500 in Valley play and keeps them out of the playoffs and keeps us in the discussion for a seed.
So, apparently my prediction is 8-3, while I could see anywhere from 9-2 to 7-4 depending on how a couple breaks go in different games. Thinking on it, this season somewhat reminds me of 2016, with a fairly highly touted FBS team on the schedule and it being incredibly important to win every home game to have a shot at a seed.
As far as my expectations go, with the Valley looking to be down this year and there being tons of unknowns throughout the FCS, anything less than making the playoffs and making the second round would be a massive letdown. I fully expect us to be in play for a seed in the 5-8 range going into the last week. I do think a lot of people saw the JMU game and remember the misses that TC occasionally had deep over the middle to Jake and Dallas. I really believe that's the only memories people have of him last year, and they mentally couple that with the big twos highlight reel catches so they say "hes going to have to do more than just chuck it up to Dallas and Jake". I rewatched the Marker Game the other day and I noticed a couple things. A) the first drive we went through that highly touted defense like a hot knife through butter and almost every pass went to a receiver not named Jake or Dallas. TC looked unstoppable, and much more fluid to me. B) when he did "just chuck it up" to Dallas or Jake a lot of those throws were put in spots where only Jake or Dallas could catch it, and the defender didn't have a chance. A couple of them he threw them open. I know its just one game and just one drive, but it sure gives me confidence that hes going to be just fine not having two "get them the damn ball" receivers. I honestly do believe that it might make him better to not feel like he has to get the ball to the guys who are getting all the attention. As for the JMU game, that was an utter abortion. That being said, two things I want to point out. One is I still feel pretty certain he had some sort of hand issue in that game, I don't ever recall seeing him just drop a ball before. Two, when perusing bisonville I noticed that a couple people who's football opinions I do really respect were commenting on how good of a job the JMU staff did at taking things away from them in their playoff loss. Its not outside the realm of possibility that some outstanding coaching had something to do with the outcome of that game as well. In the end, my biggest concern with TC isn't with his accuracy or the JMU game, its something I don't recall being mentioned here. I don't recall him leading us to a come from behind victory yet outside of the 2016 Marker Game. It seemed every game we lost last year were games that we got behind in early and never dug out of. I feel that's a team wide issue, but at the QB spot is magnified. I was always comfortable when we got a lead, and knew the offense would keep humming. When we got down early, it always seemed we never got on track. That's my biggest concern. Time will tell.
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