Free for all Friday: The one game you expect a surprise

[DawgatAuburn]

Maybe if I am creative I will think of a question each Friday. Today's question is:

Which State game do you expect to be a surprise one way or another this year? Which one is everyone zigging, but you are zagging?

I'll say Bowling Green. I think most people see Bowling Green, and think oh, a MAC team, we'll kill them. I've watched way too much bad non-conference football in the last two years to fall into that trap (Troy, South Alabama, La Tech, UAB). They return the most starters in FBS and that team was talented enough to go to a bowl game last year. Two of the losses were their top RB and a dominating DT named Chris Jones (cue the irony). Lots of previews seem to point to BG as a possible contender for a division and a MAC championship, although they were picked second in their division and received the fourth most votes for the conference championship at MAC media days. There SHOULD be a talent disparity between us and BG, but we've seen that before and it doesn't always play out that way for us. I still think we have to count that as a probable win as of August 9, but I will not be surprised one bit if this is a down to the wire game.

Keep your responses on topic please. Invoking mod's privilege in this thread.

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[natchezdawg]

I think this is the year we get the Corndog monkey off our backs. Call me crazy.

 

[Heawww]

I think we beat LSU, and I think we beat Auburn badly.

 

[MSUDC11]

OSU and LSU. I think we've got a better chance of winning those two games than anybody's giving us credit for.

 

[msstate7]

Bama game. I don't think we win, but I expect us to play them very well this year.

 

[Negative Waves]

OSU will be like the 2000 BYU game. I keep getting the feeling we're going to

beat the crap out of them. I hope the wool doesn't get sheared.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

That deserves a replay of this.

 

[Heawww]

I think that's how we're going to beat Auburn. 40-20 type game.

Pokes game will be very close IMO.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

Wow. Video has come a long way.

 

[FirstPoetsThenSunDoggy]

I actually think we can win.

In NCAA football, expect the unexpected.

 

[Where'sWaldo]

Call me crazy but I feel better about the OSU game than I do Auburn. Malzahn is a very smart guy and will find a way to score points.

 

[hatfieldms]

OSU

I think we beat them

 

[OzarkaNSW]

that was 17n dirrrrttyyyyyyy

That deserves a replay of this.

nmnm

 

[johnson86-1]

Not really an answer, but I have no 17ing clue what our team is going to be like this year. I really would not be shocked for us to go out and win 9 games, and I wouldn't be shocked for us to win 4. Maybe that's not different from anybody else, but I feel like most people are either optimistic or not. I go from believing/hoping that fixing our DC and changing offensive play calling responsibilities will make us much better than expected, to thinking that Chris Wilson can't be that incompetent and be where he is and there's no reason to think offensive play calling will get better. Just don't have any feel for it. I also think that UM at home, Arky away and Aub away will all be about the same challenge, so a small difference in how good we are could swing 3 games pretty easily.

 

[LandArchDawg]

I agree with you. Judging by the responses here and generally comments on this board, I think most are going to be surprised to see us struggle to get to 6-6. I think the OSU and Auburn games set the tone for the season and will determine how well we do the rest of the way.

 

[DawgsOnTheWing]

Ditto.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Pretty much the same for me. I would be less surprised with four wins than I would with nine though.