UNT vs. LSU 2012 Preview

[Harry]

North Texas is a program that appears to be on it's way back to the good old days when they dominated the Sun Belt, recovering from a lost half-decade caused by the failed experiment of Todd Dodge, a Texas HS Football coach who jumped straight to a D1 HC job and only managed 5 SBC wins before being fired. Now in his 2nd season, UNT HC Dan McCarney is a coach who is well liked and respected in the college football world because of his decent success (and shocking firing) at Iowa St., where he led the Cyclone's to 5 bowls over a decade. McCarney walked into a tough situation in Denton, but managed to post the most conference wins in 6 years (4) and a shocking win over a BCS team at home (yeah, it was Indiana. Still counts) Now settling in for his 2nd year at their new home stadium, and hopefully suffering no Ill effects from a mid-spring stroke (which he wanted to self-medicate with a bit of Grey Goose), The Mean Green look to build upon the momentum of a strong finish that left them 1 game short of bowl eligibility. Too bad they have to start against LSU.

Read more: http://www.andthevalleyshook.com/2012/7/2/3130676/2012-season-preview-sept-1-vs-north-texas-mean-green

[Harry]

It's not pretty but it's hard to argue with what they say. Again, 2-3 years down the road this could be an interesting game but based on where the program has been (not where it's going) I can understand their sentiments. Let's hope like hell we prove them wrong. Mac inherited a really nasty schedule (non-conference and improved Belt) this season and we must pay the price for trying to "save" Todd Dodge's job.

[oldguystudent]

Honestly, I think this season is a bit of a write-off between the four and a half home games to clear us up for CUSA and the empty cupboard from Todd ” Mr. Football Plan” Dodge mortgaging the farm on jucos in hopes that his deer in the headlights everyone go long unwavering strategy would eventually work.

DMac salvages a not embarrassing season this year. We break out next year.

[TIgreen01]

I know we lost a ton of letterman, but we are looking at a potentially bad-ass offensive line and for the first time in a LONG time we have a returning starter manning the QB position. As DT goes, so goes the team.

[foutsrouts]

I know we lost a ton of letterman, but we are looking at a potentially bad-ass offensive line and for the first time in a LONG time we have a returning starter manning the QB position. As DT goes, so goes the team.

If the "skill position" guys come through on offense, I think this team has the potential to score a whole lot of points. Defensively we have just got to avoid injuries in a big way, as well as have a couple of nice surprises at the DB positions. I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Mean Green 93-98]

If the "skill position" guys come through on offense, I think this team has the potential to score a whole lot of points. Defensively we have just got to avoid injuries in a big way, as well as have a couple of nice surprises at the DB positions. I'm cautiously optimistic.

Are we talking about the LSU game? Or the whole season?

[UNT90]

Honestly, I think this season is a bit of a write-off between the four and a half home games to clear us up for CUSA and the empty cupboard from Todd ” Mr. Football Plan” Dodge mortgaging the farm on jucos in hopes that his deer in the headlights everyone go long unwavering strategy would eventually work.

DMac salvages a not embarrassing season this year. We break out next year.

Ya, because signing 2 away games with no return with Iowa really helps the home scheduling.

No season should ever be a throwaway. Quite frankly, scheduling is a HUGE weakness of the AD.

[untjim1995]

Ya, because signing 2 away games with no return with Iowa really helps the home scheduling.

No season should ever be a throwaway. Quite frankly, scheduling is a HUGE weakness of the AD.

Exactly--we need to get better at OOC scheduling for sure. I am still just shocked that our only home OOC game this year is against Texas Southern--not Texas State, UTSA, or Sam Houston, but Texas Southern. There won't be 15K for that game, especially after the "Please Don't Let the Check Bounce or Get Anyone Seriously Injured Game" at LSU.

I suspect that this will be a hard year for us, since the officiating for teams in their last year of being in a conference generally is atrocious. We aren't gonna get many calls to go our way in SBC games and we don't have the overal talent yet to dominate all of those teams. I see us at 1-3 in OOC for sure, but the SBC schedule is hard to forecast, at least to me. Because of that, I'll predict 4-4 in SBC play (which includes the USA provisional game).