Sun Belt poll, all-conference team out

[Brett Vito]

All-Conference, poll

[THOR]

damn....8th???

[Grant.UNT]

That's just somone's opinion. I bet we play out better than that.

[golfingomez]

i mean... i know the game wasn't that well attended last year, but the word got out on where UNT and Middle Tenn stood next to each other last year, right?

[greenminer]

damn....8th???

Vito touches on this in his previous post:

When you look at what UNT has, it’s hard to imagine the coaches voting the Mean Green anywhere near the top of the league. UNT lost its best player (Lance Dunbar), its best offensive weapon (again, Dunbar), arguably its best defensive player (Brandon Akpunku), its best pass rusher (again, Akpunku), its entire defensive secondary and more than a couple dozen guys total who contributed in a pretty major way. UNT didn’t go for the quick fix with a lot of junior college players, either.

Throw in the fact that a lot of Sun Belt teams have a lot back — Florida International, Louisiana-Lafayette, et cetera, you can see where UNT might be headed tomorrow.

[MeanGreenTexan]

That's just somone's opinion. I bet we play out better than that.

Not "just someone's" opinion... All of the SBC coaches. Nice to know they will all be overlooking us.

Unless he's injured again this year, Zach Orr will be on the 1st team post-season all-conference list, if not defensive MVP.

[Grant.UNT]

Not "just someone's" opinion... All of the SBC coaches. Nice to know they will all be overlooking us.

Unless he's injured again this year, Zach Orr will be on the 1st team post-season all-conference list, if not defensive MVP.

Do we really think that all those coaches sat down and filled out these surveys, or is it more likely that their grad assistants did it? I think the 2nd option. However, the loss of Dunbar and others will make it tough, but I think our boys are pretty motivated this year. We'll see.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Grant.UNT

[golfingomez]

Somewhere in New Orleans Dan McCarney has a big smile on his face... bulletin board material galore...

[Mean Green 93-98]

We don't have to play FIU. We get to play South Bama. We should easily be able to find a way to win enough conference games to put us at the middle of the pack, if not better.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Mean Green 93-98

[Side Show Joe]

I didn't expect us to be ranked at the top of the conference, but 8th is a slap in the face.

[Harry]

Don't forget the fact that the Sun Belt will try to keep FIU and UNT down this season, in terms of rankings and with the refs. I would love to see us have a solid finish to the Belt but am resigned to the fact that our first year in CUSA is more important in the grand scheme of things.

[drex]

I can tell you from experience that head coaches seldom mess with polls..their underlings are told to fill out the form.

[DeepGreen]

Don't forget the fact that the Sun Belt will try to keep FIU and UNT down this season, in terms of rankings and with the refs. I would love to see us have a solid finish to the Belt but am resigned to the fact that our first year in CUSA is more important in the grand scheme of things.

Good point Harry. And like golf, it's not how you drive, but how you arrive.

[MeanGreenTexan]

I can tell you from experience that head coaches seldom mess with polls..their underlings are told to fill out the form.

This isn't the coaches poll that you see every week during the season. With that poll, the coach has to assess the entire FBS and rank accordingly, during the season, when they have other things to do. So yes, they have GA's fill those out.

This is the SBC-conference-only poll that all coaches are asked to fill out one time, before the season starts. I'm willing to bet coach McCarney and the other HC's filled these out.

[hickoryhouse]

Good point Harry. And like golf, it's not how you drive, but how you arrive.

Exactly right. We have to get past the conference being pissed at us for leaving, past the refs and past the polls. Great coach and an improving roster will be good for us this year. Lets just look back at these pre-season polls and laugh at the end of the year...

[All About UNT]

Don't worry.....look how they voted last year.

Team

Points

1. FIU

75 (5)

2. Troy

66 (2)

T-3. Middle Tennessee

54

T-3. Louisiana-Monroe

54

5. Arkansas State

49 (1)

6. North Texas

33

7. WKU

28 (1)

8. Louisiana-Lafayette

26

9. Florida Atlantic

20

[UNTLifer]

Love the underdog role.

[GrayEagle]

EXCEPT, if they did it to us, why didn't they do the same to FIU?

[All About UNT]

That is because some people are thinking too hard into this... fact is that we were believed to be nothing fantastic without Dunbar. This doesn't have as much to do with us leaving as others would state. I don't agree with spot 8 but I can't state that we are any better than spot 6 going into the season with a complete lack of secondary, untested running backs, loss of AK and other factors. This will serve (hopefully) as motivation for playmakers to make a name for themselves and prove their mettle on the field.

[KRAM1]

Yawn...polls coming out in July long before the first games are played really don't get me very excited...one way or the other. Sure, I'd like to see UNT ranked #1 in the 'Belt, but as was said in a different manner earlier...it's not where "they" predict you to finish before the season starts, but rather where one actually finishes when all is said and done.

Bulletin board fodder at its best here folks...this looks like an early season "gift" to Coach Mac and Co. to me.

[UNT90]

Don't worry.....look how they voted last year.

Team

Points

1. FIU

75 (5)

2. Troy

66 (2)

T-3. Middle Tennessee

54

T-3. Louisiana-Monroe

54

5. Arkansas State

49 (1)

6. North Texas

33

7. WKU

28 (1)

8. Louisiana-Lafayette

26

9. Florida Atlantic

20

Yep, I was just about to bring up that WKU was picked near the bottom last year. All they did was win a share of the conference title.

Meaningless (and predicted more on past history than future prognosis).