Sporting News Bowl Projections

[EAGLE83]

NORTH TEXAS TO THE NEW ORLEANS BOWL.

[greenjoe]

I beg your pardon ?

[MDH]

link?

[EagleMBA]

What...me worry?

If this is not a hoax, I'm glad to see that some journalist has the huevos to give life to that hope which springs eternal in my Mean Green breast.

[EAGLE83]

Sporting News College Football MAgazine 2011

[Harry]

Wow, that's really suprising but good to hear.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Is any rationale provided for the pick?

[KRAM1]

Positive press for the Mean green. I like!

But, can you imagine what Coach Mac might think when he hears about this prediction? man, I would like to be a "fly on the wall" to see his reaction when he gets wind of this prediction!

Maybe a tad optimistic for the first year for Coach mac, but, hope springs eternal in the spring each year. There is a possibility that this prediction could turn out to be 100% true! Could happen. I think we have all witnessed similar seemingly odd predictions come true in the wide world of sports.

So, the prediction was made...let's see where it goes. Have to like the positive press.

GO MEAN GREEN!

[MeanGreen61]

vs who ? Other predictions for Belt teams ?

[greenjoe]

This is a hoax. The Sporting News predicts Troy over Ohio 48-21. It also shows Troy at 8-5 / 6-2. So I guess Troy loses to NT and to somebody else in the Sun Belt.

GO MEAN GREEN

[scrappyman1]

Send us a link so we can see all projections

[MeanGreen61]

This is a hoax. The Sporting News predicts Troy over Ohio 48-21. It also shows Troy at 8-5 / 6-2. So I guess Troy loses to NT and to somebody else in the Sun Belt.

GO MEAN GREEN

Is that THIS year or last year ?

[MeanGreen61]

This thread from the CUSA boad sez Sporting News is projecting North Texas vs UAB in the New Orleans Bowl.

http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=498614

[Harry]

This thread from the CUSA boad sez Sporting News is projecting North Texas vs UAB in the New Orleans Bowl.

http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=498614

Is this Coaching staff that good to engineer this type of 1 year turnaround? Will certain previously dormant players emerge? Can Dunbar have a monster year despite 11 defenders targeting Him? Is QB Derek Thompson a baller? Will WR Stradford have a breakout year along with Carey? Will LB Zachary Orr receive unanimous All Sun Belt votes? Will UNT have the best special teams in the league? Will a late qualifying defensive tackle show up this summer? These are all plausible questions!!

[GreenStreet]

UAB would be a fun match up. Wouldn't mind a second place SBC standing maybe go to a bowl up north. Regardless a winning 4 is where we need to start.

[Side Show Joe]

I was over at the Barnes and Noble today and decided to see if I could find the Sporting News, and compare it to other football magazines. I don't think any of us expected to be picked as a bowl team this season. I found the Sporting News and Lindey's college football preview mags. Lindey's was picking us to finish just ahead of WKU. Although they feel McCarney will do great thing for North Texas, they just can't see him doing it in his first season. We all know the Sporting News picked us to finish 3rd in the Sun Belt and go to the N.O. Bowl. After reading their article I found out why. The SN is giving North Texas alot of credit for keeping Canales, and hiring exceptional assistants like Bowen. I don't know if that is a complement to the staff McCarney has assembled, or a slap in the face to the level of competition in the Sun Belt. Lindey's didn't even mention our assistant coaches.

I'm guessing Phil Steele will also pick us a little higher then most other publications. Steele does his homework too.

North Texas bowling in 2011?!!!

It's a reach, but hey, why not North Texas?

[GrayEagle]

Ding! Ding! Ding! I think that you've discovered why we will win six games this year. That would be the coaches.

I had the good fortune to get to visit for a few minutes with Clint Bowen when I went to make my seat selection. His quiet optimism and enthusiasm for what we might be capable of this coming year really pumped me up. Last year at WKU, he took a team that had been near the bottom in every defensive category nationally and ended up the best in the Belt based on conference play.

Coach Bowen knows that we lost some talent from last year, notably one of our best linebackers ever and a couple of good defensive tackles. He may have a linebacker who will be near the equivalent of Robertson, and decent depth. He will keep fresh bodies in there so that fatigue won't be a factor as it often was last year. Since defense wins championships we might very well be in New Orleans.

We all know how Mike Canales was able to rally the offense in the last five games and I expect near the same this coming year. He seems to be the type of coach that always has produced.

The other coordinator, Kent Riddle, was the architect behind Boise State's special teams. They became among the best in the country. He has the conference's best kicker and second best punter and return specialist to work with. He should also have a little more speed on his coverage teams. I look for special teams to be the best in the Sun Belt.

Furthermore, our coaches have appeared in 80 bowl games so they know what it takes to win. They may not be able to make bold predictions at this stage but I can. I don't have any pressure.

[Texas Stranger]

Another thing often overlooked by the no-homework magazines and websites is the experience gained by a large number of underclassmen last season due to the ridiculous injury situation. It can be effectively argued that we return 16-19 starters. The 2 most vulnerable positions are unfortunately probably the 2 most important, QB and DT, but the rest of this cupboard is not bare at all.

Worst case: 3-9

Best case: 7-5

Can't see anything better than that, the schedule just doesn't break well, especially in SBC play. The home games are ULM and 3 teams a banged-up bunch beat on the road last year (WKU/FAU/MTSU). All the expected SBC contenders this year are road games.

[untjim1995]

Another thing often overlooked by the no-homework magazines and websites is the experience gained by a large number of underclassmen last season due to the ridiculous injury situation. It can be effectively argued that we return 16-19 starters. The 2 most vulnerable positions are unfortunately probably the 2 most important, QB and DT, but the rest of this cupboard is not bare at all.

Worst case: 3-9

Best case: 7-5

Can't see anything better than that, the schedule just doesn't break well, especially in SBC play. The home games are ULM and 3 teams a banged-up bunch beat on the road last year (WKU/FAU/MTSU). All the expected SBC contenders this year are road games.

I agree with this range, although I think that 7 wins would be absolutely outstanding in Coach Mac's first year. I think 3-5 wins is probably the most likely range, though.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I picked up the Sporting News preview today. A couple other things North Texas of note:

All Sun Belt:

RB Lance Dunbar

K Zach Olen

Rating the Sun Belt:

Most Elusive RB Lance Dunbar

Also Lance is mentioned as one of 3 active RBs "knocking on the door" of the all-time career rushing yards record.

Edited June 3, 2011 by Mean Green 93-98

[GreenStreet]

With FIU being first it makes the first game that much more important. But I wonder why they have us going to the NO Bowl if we are ranked 3rd?

[THOR]

champions don't have to go to the NO Bowl...proximity/ticket sales/fan travel/etc, play into where the teams will go

[GrayEagle]

champions don't have to go to the NO Bowl...proximity/ticket sales/fan travel/etc, play into where the teams will go

True, but I don't see us having more than two invites and we only have two guaranteed bowls. So assuming that the champion chooses the bowl in Mobile where does the runnerup go?

[UNT 90 Grad]

True, but I don't see us having more than two invites and we only have two guaranteed bowls. So assuming that the champion chooses the bowl in Mobile where does the runnerup go?

Sporting News has FIU (champion) going to the BBVA Compass Bowl and Troy (runner up) going to the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

[GrayEagle]

Sporting News has FIU (champion) going to the BBVA Compass Bowl and Troy (runner up) going to the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

That'll be tough since the BBVA Compass Bowl is between the Big East and the SEC. If I remember correctly we (SBC) have been removed from the secondary list.