Greendylan

If this team only has 1 or 2 upsets in them this season, then we'll probably only win about 12 or 13 games. I hope you were only referring to non-conference games.

Damn that's a clever headline.

But what flavors?

This thread is depressing me . . . and not in the way I was expecting.

Competition? We have been eliminated. You don't officially announce your decommitment from a program if there is any chance that you could still sign with said program.

I mean, it could be interpreted as a bad omen, but personally, I don't think we should take away too much (positive or negative) from an exhibition game. Friday's game will tell us MUCH more about this team's potential.

Crazy things happen in exhibition games. At least we were able to gain valuable experience playing in a tight game down the stretch. Can't wait to see our new players in person on Friday.

Not very encouraging so far.

Maybe we should keep it classy and refrain from calling FAU a "garbage CUSA opponent." They did come into the game with a better overall and conference record than the good old Mean and Green.

I'm really excited to see our team this year, and I think that with an influx of some promising young players and a hungry Jordan Williams, we could finally see the right amalgam of skills. That's neither an endorsement of Benford nor a prediction for a sweet sixteen appearance (or some other stupidly unrealistic expectation). That's just the hope of a Mean Green fan who is eager to watch his school play while, technically, anything is still possible.

We do miss Thompson. I'm quite confident that if he were on the roster this season, he would be the best option. However, all of this is a misdirection away from the point that our defense is worlds behind last year's. On the road against one of the better teams in the conference, we scored 21 points. That point total last year would have won 8 games and sent another into overtime. I know, I know. . . the pick six hurt. The inconsistency on offense also puts the defense in some bad situations. But, you could also say that inept defense puts the offense in difficult situations where they have to desperately try to make a big play instead of playing it safe. Allowing an 88 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game should tell us everything we need to know about the state of the defense. For that past few weeks our defense has looked horrible even in the early stretches of the game before fatigue and offensive ineffectiveness could be considered factors.

That was SOOO McNulty's fault.

The last two weeks I predicted the Mean Green to lose and felt guilty about my lack of faith. They proceeded to lose both by even more than my pessimistic gut I had guessed. While I would love to see a magical turnaround this week, I fear that at this point any team with a pulse will blow out North Texas. 49-10 Rice

McNulty may not exactly be a dynamic QB, but he performed just fine last night. He was not the problem. What worries me the most is that the defensive line is visibly regressing from week to week. I fear that the coaches have lost this team.

19000

Do you wish it were 70?

How about Dajon "cursed by unrealistic fan expectations after one game against the worst FCS team in the nation" Williams?

Is it tough to beat out a Big XII program for a recruit? Yes, but it's not impossible. However, that's not what concerns me. This is what troubles me: We are lower in the Rivals rankings than schools such as South Alabama, Texas State, UTSA, Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Toledo, and well, just about everyone else in the nation. We are currently 106 and tied with Louisiana-Monroe. Is this acceptable? Are we shoulder to shoulder with ULM regarding assets to offer recruits? Do we have WAY, WAY less to offer than Western Michigan that is currently 50 spots ahead of us? They have a modest stadium built in 1939, 1 winning season in the past 5, MAC membership, and a location in Kalamazoo. They too are in a state that is a feasting ground for a major conference. I know I'm cherry picking the most extreme example at present, but those Rivals rankings reveal all sorts of "Group of Five" programs with no significant recent tradition of winning that are absolutely torching us at recruiting. We can either twist facts around for each one of them until we come up with an excuse for why that school just might have some slight advantage here or there. Or, we can admit that we suck at recruiting and address the problem.

We are really, really bad. I have been in denial for some time now, but it isn't some cruel coincidence that every team we play has a master defensive game plan. We are a bottom ten team with wins over two HORRIBLE teams. I hate to say this . . . but last year was an aberration with a senior-heavy team. We are headed for a losing record for the third time out of four McCarney seasons.

Yes we should be worried, and this is not new. Year after year after year we are ranked by both Rivals and Scout in the bottom half of our own conference. You don't build programs with recruiting rankings consistently in the 100s.

45-27 UAB

Yeah, I get what Vito meant. A win on the road over a two-TD favorite that hails from a better conference would really be a solid upset--and the Dajon Williams hype would reach the stratosphere. But . . . would it be a "monumental" win for the program? I have a hard time seeing it that way, considering we've already beaten Indiana in the only other meeting.

Lil Dajon and the Eastside Social Club Boyz

The Southland Slayer The Colonel Killer

Man, I'm starting to really respect you guys who survived that era and are still fans today.