It’s time for a UNT tradition — Get Your Rear on the Record

[Harry]

I keep focusing on Vito's point regarding his picks for this season:

My old adage is that the more a team in college athletics depends on players to do what they haven’t done in the past, the more likely that team is to see some of those players come up short and struggle as a result.

How short our memories are... we headed into last season with similar concerns (D-line, probably more in the secondary) and no, I don't recall Derek Thompson being considered a Heisman candidate at that point. It just seems to me that using this adage does not apply to last season's results -- why should it have to apply here? Sure there are questions, but to me, the Mac system and the fairly stable coaching staff (yes we lost a couple of assistant but not coordinators) combined with the returning talent and the schedule (it is not too bad) are MORE important.

[GOMG2013]

I keep focusing on Vito's point regarding his picks for this season:

How short our memories are... we headed into last season with similar concerns (D-line, probably more in the secondary) and no, I don't recall Derek Thompson being considered a Heisman candidate at that point. It just seems to me that using this adage does not apply to last season's results -- why should it have to apply here? Sure there are questions, but to me, the Mac system and the fairly stable coaching staff (yes we lost a couple of assistant but not coordinators) combined with the returning talent and the schedule (it is not too bad) are MORE important.

This time last year, the only DT experience that was discussed was bad experience. There were questions about the dline and secondary. There was also a debate about whether it was the pass rush's fault that we couldn't get off the field on 3rd downs, or if it was the coverage. Some were also down on Trice. Special teams was a question mark this time last year. Returns and coverage were issues.

I'm new to UNT football, but how many good games did DT have this time last year?

[Ben Gooding]

Rhetorical question? If not, not many.

Too be honest he only "won" 2 games for us last year, v Ball St and UNLV. Lost us 2 games as well, @Tulane and @Ohio. The rest of the games he managed the offense by handing off the rock and mainly working short to very short intermediate routes.

Point I'm trying to make, he's not irreplaceable. A lot of people are putting too much stock in his 2800 yards 14td and 11int. Those are pedestrian numbers that at the very least will be replaced.

Not trying to beat that dead horse. But I think we need to be behind whoever is named the starter and let him have a little mojo going into Austin. Again, 2800 14/11 will be replaced (hopefully improved) pending no injuries. GMG

Edited August 11, 2014 by Ben Gooding

[outoftown]

7-5 regular season. lets say 8-5 with a bowl

[LongJim]

6-6.

[edcollopy]

8-4

[letsgiveacheer]

7-5

Losses to Texas, Indiana, Rice and UTSA plus one of the other games we are supposed to win.

[UNTcrazy727]

Rhetorical question? If not, not many.

Too be honest he only "won" 2 games for us last year, v Ball St and UNLV. Lost us 2 games as well, @Tulane and @Ohio. The rest of the games he managed the offense by handing off the rock and mainly working short to very short intermediate routes.

Point I'm trying to make, he's not irreplaceable. A lot of people are putting too much stock in his 2800 yards 14td and 11int. Those are pedestrian numbers that at the very least will be replaced.

Not trying to beat that dead horse. But I think we need to be behind whoever is named the starter and let him have a little mojo going into Austin. Again, 2800 14/11 will be replaced (hopefully improved) pending no injuries. GMG

Well said, sir!

[MeanGreenTexan]

So hard to pick the conference games because the top 3 teams are breaking in new QBs. I'm gonna go:

@UT - loss - too much Gray/Brown.

SMU - win - This is going to be very close. Win the turnover battle & win the game.

LaTech - win - early crux game. Keep LaTech down. Start conf play 1-0. Apogee advantage strikes again.

Nicholls St - win - we'd better see reserves in the 3rd quarter at the latest.

@Indiana - loss - Guy on the inside with critical information about our D schemes + Potent Offense = too much for the Mean Green.

@UAB - win - UAB perpetually rebuilding. We should be able to handle them on the road.

USM - win - Apogee advantage wins out here in a game that's a little close for comfort. USM going to start winning games this year.

@Rice - loss - on the road. Tough team. Crux game #2, I just don't have a good feeling. Rice will have revenge on the brain (among other equations/formulas).

FAU - win - Bounceback statement game at home. This is going to be a tough game though.

@UTEP - win - Even with Showers, the Mean Green should be able to beat these guys pretty easily on the road.

FIU - win - FIU is just awful right now. They're not coming to Apogee and winning here.

@UTSA - loss - once again, this time on the road, these dudes find a way to beat us and dash our West division title hopes.

That's an optimistic 8-4 regular season with no CUSA title game.

Bowl - Depends on the bowl. HOD VS B1G = L. NM VS MWC = L. Hawaii/BocaRaton/Bahamas = W.

With the 8-4 record, I hope we get NM, and that will leave us at an optimistic 8-5.

[foutsrouts]

11-2. One fluke loss in conference play, and another loss to either Indiana or Rice after we whup Texas.

[Green P1]

It's an effort in futility until we know who's taking the snaps.

[Green59]

Texas W

SMU W

LA Tech W

Nichols St W

Indiana L

UAB W

South Miss W

Rice L

FAU L

UTEP W

FIU W

UTSA L

8-4

[akriesman]

UT - loss

SMU - loss

LaTech - win

Nicholls State - win

Indiana - loss

UAB - win

Southern Miss - win

Rice - loss

FAU - loss

UTEP - win

FIU - win

UTSA - win

7-5 Strong finish. No Bowl. I really like our QB depth. But, I am concerned that no true #1 will emerge from the battle and we will see a lot of inconsistency.

[UNT90]

It's an effort in futility.

Dead on.

But since when has that ever stopped anything on this forum?

[bleedgreen4ever]

Honestly, too tough to predict.

So I say we go undefeated and just miss out on the NC game because another undefeated G5 team pass us by and gets in the playoffs instead.

[Travis]

I was originally going to say 6-6 based purely on looking at what we left. But, when you look in detail to the other teams on our schedule I will now change my stance to 7-6 with a bowl game loss... if we make 7-5 bowl games will want us since we have proven we can travel pretty well. I want to be wrong and the record be like Pastorgrant's.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Several posters saying that 7 wins won't get us into a bowl game. I think we're still thinking from a Sun Belt perspective. I really don't think a 7-win C-USA team sits at home.

[Jason Howeth]

It's an effort in futility until we know who's taking the snaps.

Would you really change a W to an L, or vice versa, based on who is under center?

[Green P1]

Would you really change a W to an L, or vice versa, based on who is under center?

Lots of them.

[Jason Howeth]

Several posters saying that 7 wins won't get us into a bowl game. I think we're still thinking from a Sun Belt perspective. I really don't think a 7-win C-USA team sits at home.

There will be some good teams this year, but I doubt we're going to have enough over a 7-5 record to cover all of our bowl tie-ins. a few 6-6 C-USA teams will still make a bowl over 7-5 or even 8-4 Sun Belt teams.

[LongJim]

I keep focusing on Vito's point regarding his picks for this season:

How short our memories are... we headed into last season with similar concerns (D-line, probably more in the secondary) and no, I don't recall Derek Thompson being considered a Heisman candidate at that point.

Good point, Harry, but also remember that the receiving corps stepped up last year in a big way, and not just Brelan. The year before, the production from the receiver corps was pathetic. So to your point--it may be a fantastic year if new players step up and fill the void. Should be exciting.

[adman]

Rhetorical question? If not, not many.

Too be honest he only "won" 2 games for us last year, v Ball St and UNLV. Lost us 2 games as well, @Tulane and @Ohio. The rest of the games he managed the offense by handing off the rock and mainly working short to very short intermediate routes.

Point I'm trying to make, he's not irreplaceable. A lot of people are putting too much stock in his 2800 yards 14td and 11int. Those are pedestrian numbers that at the very least will be replaced.

Not trying to beat that dead horse. But I think we need to be behind whoever is named the starter and let him have a little mojo going into Austin. Again, 2800 14/11 will be replaced (hopefully improved) pending no injuries. GMG

Agreed. With the exception of Ball St.

I watched that Ball St game again last week and from where I sat DT didn't win that game for us. Our defense and the Texas heat won that game for us.

What DT did do was come out in the second half and make the right decisions which is what Mac preaches. Protect the ball, make the right decision. I think some have looked at that game and said he won it for us because he uncharacteristically played above his normal level. (i.e. no game killing mistakes in the second half) but in actuality he just went out and drove the bus.

The UNLV game, he played lights out and threw the best ball of his career.

So my prediction to get this back on topic.

If our QB can drive a bus well and our defense is at least 85% as good as last years

8-5

9-4 is achievable as is 6-6.

I think our OL/running game is too good for the wheels to completely come off this thing and finish less than 6-6. Although the QB will be new with our OL he should be upright most times and not be running for his life which is going to help immensely.

Edited August 11, 2014 by adman

[forevereagle]

I am going to enter a prediction of 7-5 with current conditions, but I reserve the right to revisit this based on the starting QB. I think we make a bowl, but not going to add a prediction there since we have no clue who or where we would play.

[Travis]

Would you really change a W to an L, or vice versa, based on who is under center?

This post made me laugh.... out loud.

Very underrated and should get many plus ones.

[untjim1995]

I see us at 8-5--losses to UT, Indiana, Rice, UTSA, and in the bowl game.