Athlon picks North Texas #6 in C-USA West

[Harry]

After finishing 2012 on a five-game winning streak, Rice should be Tulsa’s top challenger in the West. The Owls return 18 starters and won’t play Marshall or East Carolina during the regular season.

Louisiana Tech and UTEP are neck-and-neck for the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. The Bulldogs suffered a plethora of personnel losses, but welcome Texas Tech transfer Scotty Young at quarterback. The Miners also have a transfer at quarterback – Jameill Showers from Texas A&M - but return only three starters on defense. Both teams have a new coaching staff, with UTEP under the direction of former player Sean Kugler, and Louisiana Tech led by former USF and Connecticut coach Skip Holtz.

Tulane, North Texas and UTSA round out the West Division predictions. The Green Wave should show some signs of improvement in 2013, and the schedule is favorable enough to expect a run at bowl eligibility. North Texas is also making progress under third-year coach Dan McCarney, but expecting a huge jump in win total is unlikely for 2013. The Roadrunners went 8-4 in their first season on the FBS level last season. However, the schedule is very challenging, and coach Larry Coker needs another year or two to build depth in the program.

Read more: http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/conference-usa-football-2013-predictions

[Harry]

Boy howdy - I thought Showers would have to sit out a season at UTEP... makes things tougher for us. Really can't argue with their analysis though. We are going to be labeled as "improving...but not there yet" until we start winning games again.

[North Texas Shep]

#6!?!? Well that sucks. I understand there reasoning but if we end lower than 4th I will be unhappy.

[wardly]

Not much difference in talent regarding the bottom numbers, 4 thru 7.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Listed in the 2 links below was Athlons and College Football News (Scout) 2011 college football magazines predictions for the Sun Belt Conference. Easy to say they missed it considering the school both polls picked "next to last" won the conference and had a very successful New Orleans Bowl appearance, too. (And didn't North Texas beat that same 2012 bowl bound school on an ESPN national televised game in the Fall of 2012....as in last football season)?

Athlons 2011 Prediction: #9 http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/athlons-2011-sun-belt-predictions

CFN's 2011 Prediction: #9 http://cfn.scout.com/2/1090741.html

North Texas, 2013:

Easy to see that Athlon's predictors do not include the Mean Green football players that most on this board know must develop to keep us out of their #6 West Division ranking so................"IF"..........most of that group actually develop (coupled with a few new surprise player contributions from a talented Frosh, RS Frosh and 8 NCAA FBS level Transfers) then I think we rise up the 2013 CUSA West Division totem pole admirably. (I also think 1 or 2 C-USA schools who are getting good rankings for Fall 2013 based on last Fall's success might be in for a disappointment, too). As they say....that's why they play the game.

A fair number of posters on this message board have said McCarney has really only had 2 full recruiting season classes (coupled with his burgeoning Senior Days program which was hardly in place before or right after he was hired at UNT; that is, until he implemented Senior Days as a vital part of his UNT recruiting agenda).

Some of us have said Year 3 (2013) would be Coach Mac's official coming out party in Mean Green Country with a team that could at least break even or even go above .500, but from what we've seen with his well attended Senior Days, ie, with

"400" H.S. seniors who were at Apogee Stadium last week with others planned might our future look brighter than it's been in a long time?..................Also, might the upcoming recruiting class (the Winter, 2014 class) possibly take him over the top giving Coach Mac the solid foundation he's so wanted to catapult North Texas back into winning seasons?

With our U of Iowa-graduated & self-professed Fry disciple Mean Green HFC some alums/fans see the glass as half full and some as half empty but with Coach Dan McCarney I see the glass slowing filling up toward the top.

A College Football Novices Forecast: I think North Texas will finish in the Top 3 of the CUSA's West Division based on who we have coming back along with all the new additions and also based on what some of our competitors in CUSA's West Division don't have coming back.

GMG!

Edited June 11, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[emmitt01]

I am somewhat pessimistic about this season, but I am not buying 3-9. And 3-9 would equal firing at any other school.

FIFY

Hate to say it folks, but nobody outside of North Texas sees the marked improvement so many of you do.

[ragpicker]

I have a feeling we will finish 6-6 or 7-5 and perhaps 3rd in the west, but it is based on nothing BUT a feeling.

[PlummMeanGreen]

More off season Mean Green football fat to chew on...

Hear Me Out Here: As far as the CUSA West Division goes what if all 4 UNT players that Phil Steele picked on his various 2013 All CUSA Offense teams all played at an All CUSA "First Team" level which begs another question: In CUSA just how much difference of quality do you really lose from 1'st team to 4'th team All CUSA?

Yet in a perfect college football world which we sometimes have in any Summer before 2-a-days on message boards; but with those "4" from UNT who very well could have 1'st Team All CUSA performances can North Texas with all our transfers, true Frosh and RS frosh find 7 more to complement those 4 CUSA All Stars wearing Mean Green?

Defense? A much bigger stretch here.

What if all 3 UNT players Phil Steele has on his various 2013 All CUSA Defense Teams performed at a 1'st Team level as well; then (again) with our 8 NCAA FBS level transfers, true Frosh and RS Frosh coming in to Fall Camp, can we find 8 more out of that group to complement the 3 that Steele had on various All CUSA Defense teams? Yes, the DL will be our burr under our saddle if we don't patch it up best we can but you know Abbe will be re-instated and maybe 1 or 2 offensive line prospects move over to the DL too. In fact, who would be the main prospect we have coming in to do that ?

http://www.philsteele.com/All_Conference/2013/2013_Preseason/CUSA.html

Edited June 12, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNT90]

FIFY

So, since you chose to drag me into this, do you honestly believe UNT fires DMac if 3-9 happens?

You do understand he will still have 2 years left, and all UNT's admin cares about is how much the payout will be, right?

DMac will get year #4 even if he goes 0-12.

Edited June 13, 2013 by UNT90