TheTastyGreek

The Sun Belt doesn't have Men's Soccer as a sport.

ULL is the only team that lost to a non-D1 last year. Harding has never beaten a D1 program before.

MeanMag and I are both making the trip down from the metroplex.

Everything I heard at the start of the season was that he'd likely never be able to play for us, even with a full year to get right with his academics. But he keeps making cryptic comments about being eligible soon... I'm not expecting anything, but who knows?

We should keep expectations reasonable. And when low is what's reasonable, that's where our expectations for a game ought to be. As much talent as we have, Mississippi State has more. A lot more. We brought in a couple of 3 star recruits. And I'm thrilled to have them... But our great salvation is Tony Mitchell. Meanwhile, Mississippi State has 2 guys as highly rated as Tony Mitchell was in his class (Tony = 12th, Hood and Sidney = 16th) currently active. The other 6 guys in their rotation are Deville Smith (74th in his class) and DeMarquis Bost (83rd), both Rivals 4-star prospects, Arnett Moultrie, Jalen Steele, and Wendell Lewis- all Rivals 3-star prospects. Brian Bryant was unranked by Rivals out of JUCO... He averages just under 10 ppg and 6 rpg. We have 13 scholarship players. 2 are not currently eligible. Of the remaining 11, only 4 have more than 3 games of experience in a North Texas uniform. And the recruiting experts that said our talent is good all say that almost every single guy in Mississippi State's rotation is better than our best available player. The only exception is a guard who currently averages almost 10 and 6. The way to beat superior talent is generally with a mixture of team cohesion and a little bit of good fortune. So far this season, we haven't shown much of either. Last year's team would have had a better shot at the upset. A young team that's struggling... I think we'd win about 1 in every 12 or 15 games like this, on average. That may even be optimistic. On top of the talent gap, we're playing on the road, and right after Thanksgiving (historically, not our recipe for success). We're facing a top 25 team (proportionately the same as playing a team in the top 8 or 9 in football). This looks to be, by far, our hardest game of the regular season. I want to see our guys go out and fight for the win like starving animals battling over food. But realistically, my expectations are not high for this game at this point in this season in this phase of our players' careers. To put it in our customary fashion: Can we? Yes. Will we? I hope so, but I'm not going to rant and rave if we struggle again in this game. We're struggling, they're hot, they're far more talented, and they're at home. With respects to SilverEagle- We'd better not go there to lose. JJ and the guys need to come out and give it everything they've got. They need to believe and play like they can win these types of games. Because I think eventually, they will. It's just going to be hard as hell to do it tomorrow.

GETTING BACK ON TOPIC... The SBC wouldn't be a problem at all if we could schedule more regional home-and-homes against schools our fans have actually heard of and recognize. Have we even TRIED calling Durmstrang?

I think he's unlikely to take the job. Scott CROSS, on the other hand... I've always liked that guy.

I'm generally inclined to let people be needled as aggressively as they've shown they'll dish out. Up to the point of profane attacks or name calling. I don't keep a hit list or anything, but this definitely isn't the first posting suspension I've issued for taking a personal disagreement over that line.

Y'know... Drew Brees is just 6' tall. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

Other relevant forum rules: Serve out the posting suspension and you'll be welcomed back in 14 days. Or, keep re-registering new accounts to circumvent it and get a permanent IP ban.

From the Forum Rules: Enjoy your vacation, and have a happy Thanksgiving (and beyond). See you after football season.

Denver beats Saint Mary's, 70-58. Home or away, that's a damn good win. Great OOC performance for Denver this year. A thrilling philosophical shift from what Joe Scott was saying last year.

They were? "Many"? Back in 2001-04?

Absolutely not. We turned out pretty heavily 2 years ago, and there wasn't anywhere near the enthusiasm people seem to have for this year's game. You're never alone with North Texas basketball, sir.

I'll be there.

ULL - 84 Nichols State - 57 ULL ran away in the 2nd half. MTSU rallied to take Belmont to overtime. Currently tied with less than 2 minutes to play in OT.

Ohio - 69 ASU - 54

Courtland wins. Entering today, the Sun Belt is 16-22 overall in OOC games against D-1 opponents this year. South Alabama and UALR, I think we can write them both off today as losses. Coming into the season, I would have put Arkansas State about even with Ohio... But at this point, I'll be surprised if ASU wins on the road. Not shocked, but quite surprised. Western is struggling this year, but I believe they have suspended players returning today. They're currently holding a small lead over VCU just before halftime. But, they've had solid first half showings and second half meltdowns in a couple of games this year. ULL should win at home, but then again they should have been able to beat a terrible Cal State Fullerton team yesterday. Middle is our best shot at a win today, which is not saying much. I don't mean that as disrespect to the Blue Raiders, who are off to a great start this year... But Belmont was a 30 win team last year, and they only lost to #6 Duke by 1 point (at Cameron). 3-3 is practically a miracle. 2-4 is (and it pains me to say this) a good day. I just hope we get more than 1 win today. This could very easily turn out to be an 0-6 showing. I hope that doesn't happen.

It was Revolution Day Eve in Mexico, so there go all our Mexican fans. That's the brunt of it right there. Frankly, I'm amazed that we were able to pull 17k on World Toilet Day. That's a pretty big travel and family holiday... Moral victory? I still had a good time yesterday.

And Troy lost to East Tennessee State. At least that one is a loss to a respectable team. On the other hand, for anyone keeping track... ULM lost to a Southland team (one that we usually buy games from) and ULL lost to a 20-loss Big West team. 2-3 on the night, 16-22 overall this year. Slipping down by the day, unfortunately.

Awesome.

Not sure when Jordan Williams made his first visit, but it definitely wasn't Texas Tech. Weeks after committing, we saw him in the stands at the Rice football game. And again for Louisiana-Lafayette, when Devonta Abron took his official visit.

14-19 vs. D1 opponents coming in to these games.

Arkansas State in 2007, nobody in 2009. We lost to WKU in the semis that year (f'ing A.J. Slaughter and his only 3 pointers of the game...). But, in 2010, we did win the tournament against Troy. Good, good times. Fun fact: If that fundamentally sloppy (TYPICAL CORKY NELSON, not that anyone can ever criticize Saint Corky) 1988 team could play defense, we wouldn't have lost that game. I blame the loss on their inability to lock down and sloppy coaching. Furthermore, that one gutwrenching last-minute loss turned the rest of the season into a retroactive failure. Sure, the 88 team might have APPEARED to have two huge OOC wins against power conference teams, but they lost dumb games against conference opponents and they couldn't close out that Texas game. Therefore, the whole year was a failure and I resent them. And don't anyone try to give me any bullcrap about injuries. Defense, defense, defense. If that 88 team could just play defense, they'd not only have held on against Texas, but they could have shut down Marshall in the postseason. Maybe the playoff game would be tied at 0-0, still going on 23 years later. I think it's obvious that 1988 team sucked, and any of their "accomplishments" that you folks might have enjoyed or remember happily today were pathetic and meaningless because of the losses in other games. Anyone who liked them, supported them, or remembered them fondly is a moron and ought to be ashamed of themselves. And if anyone (or everyone) here on the football forum disagrees, then they're wrong and I'm offended that they aren't more respectful of my carefully considered, politely presented opinion.

I'm surprised that 3 of us are tracking this game at noon on a workday. Pleasantly surprised, of course.