Is Vito Reporting From Afar ?

[cl_1_2008]

Yet he was a TE last season.

No he wasn't. He's been a tackle since the day he stepped on campus.

[H-towngreen]

No he wasn't. He's been a tackle since the day he stepped on campus.

You're right, I'm thinking of Graylin Hawkins, converted OL to TE, which I didn't understand. Johnson was TE turned OL.

[untjim1995]

Real high bar you got there.

0-12 is COMPLETELY unacceptable when you play in the Sun Belt Conference!! 2-10 would be a failure of a season. Chico won 2 out of 5 last year with a beat up, rag-tag football team. That is what good coaching gets you in this conference.

Assuming that Coach Mac and his staff is what all of us think they are, this team wins a minimum of 4 games this year. A minimum! If this team goes winless, it's a sign that we made a huge mistake with this coaching hire (and no, I don't think we did).

You do know that a couple of publications have picked us to finish third in conference, right?

You know that George O'Leary went 0-11 in his first year at UCF in that powerhouse conference known as CUSA, right?

IIRC, Mario Cristobal won one game in his first year at FIU in the SBC.

Look, I hope you are right and we are wrong. Winning 5 or more games this year would be amazing. If we do that, I think we are at least a year or two ahead of schedule. Coach Mac seems to be a guy that knows how to develop talent and puts a premium on HS recruiting. Usually, that pays out big time in about 3 years.

I always go back to the "SBC is an easy league to move upward" argument--its not. Since we dropped off, Troy has perched itself at the top, while FAU and MUTS joined them, too. Now, FAU has dropped and FIU looks to be ready to take their place, just like Troy did to us in 2005. Sure, Arky State, ULL, and ULM have had a decent season here or there in the last 6 years, but they have basically found consistent spots in the middle of the SBC, all while we and WKU have kept ourselves comfortable in the basement. It has been this way since 2005. Our main goal this year should be to find those 3-4 wins in SBC play that get us up to the middle of the league--we do that, then we can take aim at the next level in 2012. You then aim to win the darn thing in 2013 with all of your recruits in place in that new stadium. Its the exact same path that Cristobal took to get FIU to the top of the SBC and a bowl win in 2010, his third year there.

[GrandGreen]

While we all expect the team to do better now that we have better coaches, o say " if the injured riddled poorly coach team that everyone is lamenting about could get 3 wins last year, I don't see why we should be happy with those results this year" , would only be fair if we were playing the season over with the new coaches and less injuries. Since it's a new year, you cannot look at it that way. The team lost good players, and except for Zach Orr and Olen really have no impact players who played much last year. So I don't see how we can be better than last year. I'd say we'll be worse but better coaching evens that out and we get the same results but it doesn't taste like vomit this time around.

It is quite rare that any team does not lose good players year to year, yet many of those teams actually get substantially better. Forgot Dunbar did you? Players are not impact players until they are and NT has more than you mentioned including Hill, Johnson (center), Tomlinson, Phillips, Atterberry, and Chancellor. All these guys have a good shoot at all conference honors. There are teams returning more proven players just as there are many bringing back less. I would rate NT a little above average when you include the many players that play a lot before last year but were injured; Johnson (center), Cook, and Outlaw and more that althought not having played a lot were slated for significant play time last year: Ford, Thompson, Sashington, and Leppo,

Obvious, no one knows what is going to happen. I look at a team that was circling the drain until Canales took over last year and after that could play with anybody in the Belt. That team has retained the sparkplug of last year in Canales and added a bevy of good coaches. They have the intangibles of a new stadium and on paper the best coaching staff ever assembled in Denton. NT obviously lost some good players but should be better at a lot of positions including I think QB and undoubtedly running back, and defensive backfieid. I think the defensive will be much better just based on emphasis and coaching. The offense with Dunbar and some continuity at QB should be at least as good as last year. Special teams should be the best in a long time.

I'm not going to be real disappointed with any won/loss record has long as there is major progress. However, I do think this team is capable of significant record improvement over last year and it is just as likely to win 6 or 7 as 2 or 3.

[UNT90]

You know that George O'Leary went 0-11 in his first year at UCF in that powerhouse conference known as CUSA, right?

IIRC, Mario Cristobal won one game in his first year at FIU in the SBC.

Look, I hope you are right and we are wrong. Winning 5 or more games this year would be amazing. If we do that, I think we are at least a year or two ahead of schedule. Coach Mac seems to be a guy that knows how to develop talent and puts a premium on HS recruiting. Usually, that pays out big time in about 3 years.

I always go back to the "SBC is an easy league to move upward" argument--its not. Since we dropped off, Troy has perched itself at the top, while FAU and MUTS joined them, too. Now, FAU has dropped and FIU looks to be ready to take their place, just like Troy did to us in 2005. Sure, Arky State, ULL, and ULM have had a decent season here or there in the last 6 years, but they have basically found consistent spots in the middle of the SBC, all while we and WKU have kept ourselves comfortable in the basement. It has been this way since 2005. Our main goal this year should be to find those 3-4 wins in SBC play that get us up to the middle of the league--we do that, then we can take aim at the next level in 2012. You then aim to win the darn thing in 2013 with all of your recruits in place in that new stadium. Its the exact same path that Cristobal took to get FIU to the top of the SBC and a bowl win in 2010, his third year there.

So please explain the huge jump in the level of play after Chico took over last year. With the same players.

Cristobal won the SBC with an FIU team 6 years removed from FCS play, and had only 9 years of existence in the sport of football. FIU was also picked by most to finish in the bottom 2 or 3 in conference last year (sound familiar).

If you believe Coach McCarney is the guy, then you can't also believe that 2 or 3 wins is justifiable. I go back to Dodge's first season when so many people ignored the obvious signs that he was unprepared to coach at the FBS level. I would have the same concerns of this staff if this team won between 0-3 games.

Good coaches win, and in the belt, they win quickly.

[GrandGreen]

You know that George O'Leary went 0-11 in his first year at UCF in that powerhouse conference known as CUSA, right?

IIRC, Mario Cristobal won one game in his first year at FIU in the SBC.

Look, I hope you are right and we are wrong. Winning 5 or more games this year would be amazing. If we do that, I think we are at least a year or two ahead of schedule. Coach Mac seems to be a guy that knows how to develop talent and puts a premium on HS recruiting. Usually, that pays out big time in about 3 years.

I always go back to the "SBC is an easy league to move upward" argument--its not. Since we dropped off, Troy has perched itself at the top, while FAU and MUTS joined them, too. Now, FAU has dropped and FIU looks to be ready to take their place, just like Troy did to us in 2005. Sure, Arky State, ULL, and ULM have had a decent season here or there in the last 6 years, but they have basically found consistent spots in the middle of the SBC, all while we and WKU have kept ourselves comfortable in the basement. It has been this way since 2005. Our main goal this year should be to find those 3-4 wins in SBC play that get us up to the middle of the league--we do that, then we can take aim at the next level in 2012. You then aim to win the darn thing in 2013 with all of your recruits in place in that new stadium. Its the exact same path that Cristobal took to get FIU to the top of the SBC and a bowl win in 2010, his third year there.

Well what conference is easier to move up in then? Obviously someone has to be at the top, the question is how good are those top teams. In the case, of the Belt even the champions are not going to strike fear in many. You judge the conference by how many oc wins they have. In the case of the Belt that is not good even though it is very misleading because of the number of away guarantee games. When your best team is rated in the 60's and about mid point of the NCAA it is hard to make the case of a strong conference. Not much difference in the Belt and Mac but the other conferences have all been significantly better. The WAC will quickly fall to worst but that is due to them getting much worse not the Belt getting better.

[UNT 90 Grad]

[MeanGreenHoops]

It is quite rare that any team does not lose good players year to year, yet many of those teams actually get substantially better. Forgot Dunbar did you? Players are not impact players until they are and NT has more than you mentioned including Hill, Johnson (center), Tomlinson, Phillips, Atterberry, and Chancellor. All these guys have a good shoot at all conference honors. There are teams returning more proven players just as there are many bringing back less. I would rate NT a little above average when you include the many players that play a lot before last year but were injured; Johnson (center), Cook, and Outlaw and more that althought not having played a lot were slated for significant play time last year: Ford, Thompson, Sashington, and Leppo,

Sorry I guess I wasn't clear. I meant impact players that weren't that last year. Guys like Orr and Olen are promising, but other than that no one else looked like they will yet. I'm sure that will all change now that we have better coaches, but based on what we've seen already we can't say that. I did think of Chancellor and probably should have mentioned him too, but I didn't because he hasn't done it on offense. That's a mistake on my part since Special teams is important too.

Obvious, no one knows what is going to happen. I look at a team that was circling the drain until Canales took over last year and after that could play with anybody in the Belt. That team has retained the sparkplug of last year in Canales and added a bevy of good coaches. They have the intangibles of a new stadium and on paper the best coaching staff ever assembled in Denton. NT obviously lost some good players but should be better at a lot of positions including I think QB and undoubtedly running back, and defensive backfieid. I think the defensive will be much better just based on emphasis and coaching. The offense with Dunbar and some continuity at QB should be at least as good as last year. Special teams should be the best in a long time.

If a QB, WR and LB steps up to become impact players this year, then we do markedly improve record wise. That's very critical positions where based on what I was thinking above only 1 Orr has showed that so far. Thompson a little but QB takes the longest to make an impact.

I'm not going to be real disappointed with any won/loss record has long as there is major progress. However, I do think this team is capable of significant record improvement over last year and it is just as likely to win 6 or 7 as 2 or 3.

Totally agree.

[jimbob]

You're going to see a vast improvement on Defense and some of the same solid play on Offense this year. Adjustments have to be made, but they are being made. You guys think this is Mac's first rodeo. Dickey couldn't carry this guy's clipboard. He has coached a National Championship Defense, RECENTLY! As far as Vito goes, maybe he's intimidated because Mac's used to talking to big time sports columnists or maybe Mac and his staff aren't big talkers, just guys that walk the walk.