2021 Predictions

GOMeanGO · August 20, 2021

15 hours ago, 97and03 said:

Sounds like coaching.

A lot of these problems are self inflicted wounds, some is coaching, and some are players just not living up to expectations set for them.

GrandGreen · August 20, 2021

The major reason even NT fans are predicted a poor year is that is what the pronostigators are projecting.

These projections for the most part or based on the last two years of play. 2019 was a definite rebuilding year. Last year was a disaster because of the coronavirus.

Likewise there are no big reasons for optimism.

However, there are several reasons to be hopeful for much better than a 4 win season:

This is a deep team, good recruiting classes after good recruiting classes

It is almost impossible to have a worst defense than NT last year

Bennett may or may not be the answer, but he definitely represents attention to the defense is a priority

Novil, Murphy, Murphy and one to be determined, looks like not just an improved DL, but one that can be the best in CUSA

Despite his many distrators on this board, I think Littrell is a good HC

I like the schedule, wins are going to be difficult in 3 oc games, but this should prepare NT for a conference that overall is not not good

If NT can hit big on just a few transfers, the team could take a big step up

Pre season discussions are fun, but I believe most of us are ready for kickoff

97and03 · August 21, 2021

9 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Despite his many distrators on this board, I think Littrell is a good HC

I would bet if we stop distracting Seth, he might be able to pay more attention to the game and coach better! 😉

greenminer · August 21, 2021

11 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Despite his many distrators on this board, I think Littrell is a good HC

I like to read this - including the erroneous lack of 'c' - to the sound of Strong Bad's voice.

GrandGreen · August 21, 2021

10 hours ago, 97and03 said:

I would bet if we stop distracting Seth, he might be able to pay more attention to the game and coach better! 😉

8 hours ago, greenminer said:

I like to read this - including the erroneous lack of 'c' - to the sound of Strong Bad's voice.

Thanks for the proofreading. Any comments on the substance of the post?

97and03 · August 21, 2021

1 hour ago, GrandGreen said:

Thanks for the proofreading. Any comments on the substance of the post?

Of course it wasn’t personal, I just found that particular typo amusing given the context.

I mostly agree. The Dline could be special. And frankly we need it to be. Our LBs are good enough I guess but not spectacular and our secondary has subpar. Much of that was due to COVID but not all. I think the secondary is still a massive question mark but the DL can help them out a ton with consistent pressure.

greenminer · August 21, 2021

2 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Thanks for the proofreading. Any comments on the substance of the post?

22 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

If NT can hit big on just a few transfers, the team could take a big step up

I've been pretty vocal about the turnaround SL has made with recruiting, but this also means the SL defenders are running out of excuses.

My opinion? As of 2021 and beyond, if we have issues it is not a problem with the quality of the athletes. We shouldn't need "one more transfer/playerXYZ" to turn this around anymore.

untlynchka1 · August 22, 2021

On 8/13/2021 at 5:55 PM, WanderingEagle said:

I see 9-3 or 3-9 and no inbetween. I know it's a point that has been beaten to death but I really believe if our defense makes marginal improvement, even to the point of just being bad instead of being awful, we can win a handful of close games. Losing Darden is huge but it's a position we're deep at.

NW State - UNT wins along the 55-21 lines and we get a clear picture of who the QB is from here on out.

@ SMU - I would like to think our players are pissed off after last year's embarrassment - at least in my young fan's memory the worst UNT game i've ever watched, but i've only been a student/fan since 2017. Blessed. Anyway I hate them so much and would rather go 1-11 if it meant beating them but give me a 50-30ish loss along the lines of the 2017 game.

UAB - We absolutely have to win this game or @ LA tech and i don't think we win that one. Marshall is good and Liberty may be the best team we face all year. A 1-7 start derails the entire program so they have absolutely got to win one of these. I think UAB is the most realistic at home. Give me a 28-24 UNT win.

@ La Tech - Tough loss that falls apart in the fourth quarter but not a blowout. 41-28 loss.

@ Mizzou - Loss and not close. We don't stand a chance unless we're 4-0.

Marshall - Give me a 40-31 UNT win. Once again a must win after what's very likely a 1-4 or 2-3 start.

Liberty - Likely a big loss but it's at home? I don't know. Obviously they're way better now but Liberty wasn't awful in 2018 and we handled them - again obviously with a much better roster, the sides have flipped, but something tells me we don't get blown out again. I'll say something like a 38-24 loss.

@ Rice - Need a road win. 30-20 UNT.

@ USM - Will Hall is an exciting prospect but I don't see him making the turnaround year one. If the defense has improved enough by this game we take it in an exciting road win. 45-37 UNT.

UTEP - We better not even think about it. 52-21 UNT win.

@ FIU - On paper this should be a win. If we're healthy and FIU continues on their downward spiral the last few years this is a winnable game. I don't know that UNT is capable of four consecutive wins this year but to hell with it. Mean Green win 34-13.

UTSA - I think we lose this game but I also think it's one that we can win. If McCormick doesn't push for 300 rushing yards against us last year it's not a blowout loss, or at least it's not as bad. Entirely depends on the defense but i'll chalk it up as a 48-28 loss.

Or Jace Ruder kickstarts a heisman campaign and we go 11-1. A good defense gets us 8 wins in this schedule. An okay defense gets us 6 and a bad to awful defense gets us 4-5 at best. Defense defense defense. Man I am ready for football.

I agree with your 9-3 or 3-9. Lol

I feel like if we give up 21 to NWST it’s not a good sign of things to come for our D. Just not.

I’ll hope for a win against SMU, but man I’ve been impressed with what Sonny Dykes has done.

We ABSOLUTELY HAVE to beat all of the CUSA teams we play early on to have a real shot at turning this around.

I disagree, unless I’m misreading it, that we had a much better roster in 2018. We had a much better qb, that’s about it. I don’t think Liberty is drastically more talented outside of their QB. He is special.

Mizzou is a loss unless Grant McCasland decides to come help us out for a game.

Win the rest of the CUSA games, and that’s how we get to 9-3.

We absolutely have the talent. We have to figure out a way to do a little of what we did in 2013 which is control the clock. As good as our O was last year, there was too many times we would follow up an opponents td with a 3 and out. That just can’t happen for us to have a chance.

Even when we had decent D’s under McCarney we would do this and they’d get run down. The difference under Littrell is that his teams are able to rack up the stats when the game is out of reach.

untlynchka1 · August 22, 2021

On 8/14/2021 at 5:27 PM, NorthTexasWeLove said:

I don't know many people who came out and said MF would NEVER start a game. Actually, I don't recall any here on GMG or around Denton.

But the logic behind backing SL through hell or high water has no legs to stand on. It stinks of a Tony Benford scenario. It's old thinking. The man has more losing seasons than he does winning. No significant wins of merit (unless we want to count beating a what I believe was a 2-10 or 1-11 Arkansas Razorback team which also dropped games vs Co St and WKU in the same season). 0 bowl wins. 0 conference championships. Overall losing records. Most of his teams come out flat and do not seem inspired and sometimes uninterested. And a couple handful of really, really embarrassing losses to boot. That's more than the burden of proof.

Now, please, someone explain to me how he's a good coach and has been for us?

First off, don’t you know you never try to respond to a PMG post.

Secondly, it’s so funny because after year 3 you couldn’t have found many people that would’ve said otherwise. Including AD’s. I’m also shocked this hasn’t lead to more love for Harrell. Our offense completely fell apart without him which was shocking.

I also am at a loss as to why our team has not been able to show up for a big game since Arkansas in SL year 3.

Seems like we were on a roll then that’s dam. La Tech game happened and it’s never been the same.