Mean Green 93-98

As an outsider looking in, I'm somewhat surprised by Landon Peterson. A first year one-and-done transfer, when we have longtimers like Jett Duncan? Not doubting that he deserves it, just somewhat surprised.

Personally, I thought it was the least NT thing ever. Every coaching hire we had made previously (during my time following NT), we've always swung the pendulum to the opposite extreme. Dickey had a pro-set, smashmouth offense with minimal passing, so we hire a spread-offense guy who throws it all over the field. Then we go back to the other extreme with McCarney. Then we go back again to pass-happy with Littrell, at least his original offense with Graham Harrell. Morris was the first coach hired in years who was positioned to build on his predecessor's system and roster for immediate success. Morris's failure to capitalize on that, at least in his first year, is on him.

It depends on what you mean by "offer." The job was his if he agreed to their demands, and he wouldn't.

They'll need to win an at-large bid to get in.

Since Traylor's arrival, they have a program that doesn't rely all that much on the QB. Just solid play from the position, and they'll contend for a conference championship. We had otherworldly QB play last year, and we finished 5-7.

The wording is "Guaranteed bids for the top five conference champions in the CFP rankings." So yes, it would have to include at least one G5. It could theoretically include more in those guaranteed bids, but unlikely. E.g., if the American and MWC conference champs were both to outrank the ACC conference champs. My main point earlier was that winning the conference alone won't guarantee us a spot, even among the at-large bids.

It would depend on total resume. We could lose 2 OOC games, 1 conference game, and still win the conference. I highly doubt a 3-loss AAC champion gets into the playoff ahead of a 2- or 3-loss SEC or B1G team.

Or at least speak very softly and cough while saying the "16" part.

5. AAC The American Athletic Conference once again stands above its peers. The AAC is still the only Group of Five conference to produce a College Football Playoff team -- Cincinnati in 2021 -- and would have sent a team under the current format 12-team seven times since 2015. But it's not just the past elevating the AAC's ranking here. Preseason favorite Memphis has as good a shot as any other Group of Five team to make the playoff if it can live up to expectations. The Tigers return 17 starters from 2023's 10-win squad, including the program's most prolific passer in quarterback Seth Henigan. Even with SMU out of the fold, the AAC also returns three teams that managed at least nine wins a year ago. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2024-college-football-conference-power-rankings-sec-starts-season-on-top-but-big-ten-isnt-far-behind/

I really don't care where they put us at the beginning of the season. Sounds about right, to be honest. But if we're clearly the 116th-best team at the end of the season . . .

I've got to admit, that's strange talk to my ears. Do you ever recall hearing a coach saying that he literally doesn't care if the opposing team destroys you through the air, as long as they don't do it on the ground?

Thanks. I just became a little more optimistic about our chances in that game.

Joe Greene is a no-brainer, Abner Haynes is probably the closest to it. For coaches, I would probably pick Odus Mitchell over Fry or McCasland, largely because of tenure. And I would pick P.C. over Jamario, even though Jamario's freshman year was better than any single season of P.C. Add in P.C.'s success and loyalty as a coach, and I think he beats out any other RB candidate.

Yes, the South Alabama that destroyed Okie State in Stillwater and won their bowl game. I know they have some changes from last year, but when setting the line for the first game you have to go with what you've actually seen.

Where have you been? On paper, being 7 point underdogs is fairly generous--to us.

Yes. https://247sports.com/recruitment/seth-henigan-134887/recruitinterests/

Yeah, I doubt that's happening. With a 5-year contract, we don't have the resources to buy out that much contract and then hire a new coach. You can pretty well count on him being our coach the first game of 2025, regardless of what happens this season.

And Texas State--coached by G.J. Kinne, the guy against whom everyone is measuring Eric Morris--is predicted to be 1st in that division. That gives a little added meaning to our first game.

Here's hoping that, at the end of the year, that looks like a genius decision.

Let's see, what's the date . . . August 2nd? Yep, here are the buckets of unwarranted optimism, right on schedule! Hope you're right, though.

Here's the Day 2 Media Availability: I have to say, Coach Svoboda really makes a great interview. He's passionate, and really loves to talk ball.

He doesn't show as one of our commits on 24/7, so I'm guessing no?

Pretty sure Morris and McCollum are the only scholarship QBs on the roster.

AFAIK, we only have two scholarship QBs on our roster--one of those has been very injury-prone throughout his career, the other is a true freshman. An addition like this was absolutely necessary.