POWER RANKINGS: Post spring for FBS teams in Texas

[Dannymacfan]

9. NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN

A new coach always provides renewed excitement, but it also causes roster turnover. North Texas wasn’t immune. The Mean Green must replace expected returners such as defensive end Cam Robertson, linebacker Larry Nixon III, and wide receiver Jyaire Shorter. That’s not to mention breaking in a new quarterback and replacing the production of KD Davis, who graduated as the program’s all-time leading tackler. All while playing in a tougher conference. The good news is that the front half of the schedule is easier than the back half. 

read more:  https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2023/05/15/post-spring-power-rankings-for-fbs-teams-in-texas?ref=article_preview_img

[UNTLifer]

I'm sorry.  It is too early to tell and nothing more than a prediction.  For instance, they comment that we must break in a new quarterback, but don't think this is an issue for SMU with Stone.  I watched Stone in high school.  Sorry, didn't get the all-world hype.  He is physically gifted, but he still hasn't done anything.  UT won't be the best in the state because they always fail somewhere along the way.

[tmjerm]

I know TCU lost a lot of their roster but having just played for a national championship and being this low proves that’s not a credible list.  Especially with sack at 2. 

[Dpony14]

4 minutes ago, tmjerm said:

I know TCU lost a lot of their roster but having just played for a national championship and being this low proves that’s not a credible list.  Especially with sack at 2. 

Look at LSU 2020. Obviously there were other things going on in the world in 2020, but its very difficult to replace that kind of production. 

[tmjerm]

2 minutes ago, Dpony14 said:

Look at LSU 2020. Obviously there were other things going on in the world in 2020, but its very difficult to replace that kind of production. 

Sure but to be #5 is a joke. 

[Tom McKrackin]

Ain't no damn way we are 9th.  We damn near won the conference last year.  I am beginning to think noone outside of our fans respect the magical elf.

[NT93]

2 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

they comment that we must break in a new quarterback

Don’t most UNT fans see this as a positive?

[El Paso Eagle]

47 minutes ago, NT93 said:

Don’t most UNT fans see this as a positive?

It's still an unknown until we play our games. It would have been nice if one of the players came out of Spring well ahead of the others. 

[NT93]

52 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

It's still an unknown until we play our games. It would have been nice if one of the players came out of Spring well ahead of the others. 

Agreed, but I still think most fans are excited to see someone new under center.  If our QB play is worse this year, we are screwed, and I might take back my post that there’s no way we finish 12th in the AAC.  I expect improved QB play this year.

[MGNation92]

12 hours ago, NT93 said:

Agreed, but I still think most fans are excited to see someone new under center.  If our QB play is worse this year, we are screwed, and I might take back my post that there’s no way we finish 12th in the AAC.  I expect improved QB play this year.

Based on Morris' track record, if we don't see improved QB play this season, I'll be very worried. I feel like that was one of the biggest reasons we brought him here, well that and he's actually won something of meaning in his coaching career (even if it's just FCS, it's more than Littrell can say).

Edited May 16, 2023 by MGNation92

[Jonnyeagle]

2 hours ago, MGNation92 said:

Based on Morris' track record, if we don't see improved QB play this season, I'll be very worried. I feel like that was one of the biggest reasons we brought him here, well that and he's actually won something of meaning in his coaching career (even if it's just FCS, it's more than Littrell can say).

Listen to me.  We can't base anything on Morris' track record at a lower level school like UIW.  This is the AAC!  This is a conference that had a member in the 4 team playoff.  I get tired of everyone saying well they lost Houston and UCF etc.  Good programs but so is Tulane. 

It boils down to this, we never won the C-USA in football.  Now is that due to Littrell's incompetence or just the historical struggles of the program itself?  I really do believe Littrell was an absolute bust but others like @Brett Vito think we should have kept him here forever.  We will find out soon enough but to think we could be in the upper half of this conference with all the portal defections and no QB is pretty wishful thinking.

 

[MGNation92]

Just now, Jonnyeagle said:

Listen to me.  We can't base anything on Morris' track record at a lower level school like UIW.  This is the AAC!  This is a conference that had a member in the 4 team playoff.  I get tired of everyone saying well they lost Houston and UCF etc.  Good programs but so is Tulane. 

It boils down to this, we never won the C-USA in football.  Now is that due to Littrell's incompetence or just the historical struggles of the program itself?  I really do believe Littrell was an absolute bust but others like @Brett Vito think we should have kept him here forever.  We will find out soon enough but to think we could be in the upper half of this conference with all the portal defections and no QB is pretty wishful thinking.

 

I by no means think we'll he in the upper half, but somewhere in the middle. Littrell was a bust and it showed as soon as Mason Fine graduated and Graham Harrell left, Wren was just too chickenshit to pull the trigger.

But that's my point. How many QB's has Littrell coached? Zero would be the correct answer. Morris took a bottom dweller at UIW and turned them into conference champions, he then took his FCS QB to a P5 school and showed his QB evaluation could have success at higher levels. As much as an entire team is important, a good QB makes decent teams great. If we are to go .500 or better this season, QB play will play a huge factor, and for that I trust Morris infinitely more than I trust Littrell.