Greendylan

I don't necessarily have any data in front of me to prove this, but it seems like most players transferring (in general, I mean, not just this year) are doing so to get more playing time. It seems far less common for star G5 players to be poached by P5 programs simply to improve their visibility. There are exceptions, of course, but I don't think that an acceleration of transferring will convert the G5 into a "minor league" of sorts for the P5. At least, so far I don't see evidence of that. In fact, it might actually have the opposite effect and water down the depth of P5 programs losing players who were top recruits but unwilling to wait years to start.

If only there were a way we could immediately prove that this was no fluke . . .

It's a concern. To be fair, though, we're seeing at this point a number of our players announce that they are entering the portal--not that they have committed to their new team. So, it is plausible that we could hear about a huge influx of transfers in a few days. I wouldn't necessarily bet on it, but it is within the realm of possibility.

It'll be interesting to see if the transfer portal ultimately ends up being a net negative or positive for us when all is said and done. If, in a few weeks, we feel better about our depth chart than we did at the end of the early signing period, then I would say it's proof we've been overreacting. And yes, I know we won't really know anything for certain until we see the team take the field in 2021.

It feels like the defense is a sinking ship. Players know it, and potential DC hires know it too. Of course, players transfer quite a bit these days (especially given the Covid exemptions), so I don't think we should overreact to losing a few, but . . . something has definitely seemed off about Littrell ever since the K-State deal fell through. Perhaps this is just my impression, but he comes across as unenthused (which is nothing like the Littrell we saw in the first couple years), and I fear that is trickling down to the players.

This should be an easy, decisive win, but let's be fair to LSU-Alexandria. They have had some success against D1 teams in recent years, and they have lost this year to SFA and ULL by 18 and 15, respectively.

NT: around 17-20 APP State: as many points as they want to score Big Picture: There's no downside to playing in a bowl game during a rebuilding year, so even a blowout loss would constitute a step forward.

Murray brings a lot of energy to both sides of the court, and his teammates seem to really be rooting for him. I suspect that McCasland's been trying to figure out where exactly his role will be (and if he can be trusted in critical stretches of a game) during non-conference play. I'm all for that, but I also hope there is a way to get Jalen Jackson some more meaningful minutes to see what he can do with a little development.

Ousmane's really struggling right now.

Isn't this the third time?

I'll take it! But . . . we probably should be about 30 point underdogs.

This defense makes every opposing offense walk away thinking they are full of Heisman candidates.

Apparently we thought 29 points was enough for the game.

No kidding. I thought he was about to announce his retirement and just walk away.

JJ Murray is making the most of these minutes.

Also, WVU is getting away with some over-the-back non-calls in their offensive rebounding.

We touch the ball for an average of about five seconds every possession before turning it over.

You know, if you put any stock into ESPN's power index, which gives North Texas a roughly 20% chance to win each of its 4 road games against power conference opponents, then you'd think there'd be a decent shot of winning one of them. But, yeah, Mississippi State was probably the best opportunity, and WVU will be the toughest.

Sadly, after a decent start, this appears to be headed for a blowout loss. I was really hoping we would play better against them vs last season, but that is not happening at all.

Why can't we ever just lose a game like a normal team? Why does it have to be an absolute epic embarrassment every time they're not playing their best? We specialize in making mediocre teams feel like they are top 10.

Nah, he's just right.

Bean had a terrible half. Still, he is the only possible hope to lead a comeback. Aune might not throw as many ints, but he also won't score many TDs.

And . . . the worst defense in the nation is back!

Yes, the people of El Paso are still to this day singing forlorn corridos about the great Hayden Fry massacre (maybe more than one?!!) in the 70s.

It's the "we now know the rest of the season is meaningless" game. It's the "other teams want it way more than we do" game. It's the "we're right back where we were during McCarney's last season" game.