Time for another post to restore "levity" to the board

[BiscuitEater]

Do you ...

I may do this weekly just to keep everyone as level headed as possible

have enough stuff to get us to baseball season?

With bowl game, recruiting season, our basketball team and the constant, multitude of bears emerging after a 3+ year hibernation ... all competing to suck the oxygen out of this board, we need a lot of "level headed as possible." If we had a suicide watch, they would be around 24/7.

 

[JML105]

This is more realistic,

Of the four SEC teams you listed, one beat us this year and the other three have nowhere to go but up. I wouldn't assume we'd beat Arkansas or Auburn just because we beat them this year. I seem to remember them having a pretty good streak going against us. Not to mention we'll be away for both of those games.

I'd put it like this:

Easy Wins: Alcorn
Likely Wins: Troy, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Toss Ups: Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss
Likely Losses: OSU, USC, A&M
Certain Losses: LSU, Bama

but I was trying to be optimistic. If we don't win at least two of the toss ups and maybe a likely loss, then what's the point really?

 

[Dawg1976]

Me too. Give me cup cakes every year and we will have a good chance to make it to a bowl game.

 

[MedDawg]

I think he was saying that OM would be 5-7 this year if either Auburn or Arkansas were as good as expected, and playing Texas OOC would have cost them a bowl (like playing OkSt might cost us a bowl next year).

 

[00Dawg]

South Carolina and Texas A&M are probable, but not absolute sure things. South Carolina isn't just oozing with talent and depth, and A&M won't have their magical OL next year (big reason for Johnny Football's success). I think they lose 2 to graduation and maybe 2 to the draft. Their D takes hits as well.

Their OL is currently 1 Sr, 2 Jr's, and 2 So's. One of those juniors is absolutely coming out if he's smart. They have 5 seniors on D, plus another junior that should come out.
Their top WR and RB are back, but they lose the next 3 WRs on the depth chart, plus their TE.

 

[tcdog70]

I want sprinkles on My cupcakes. We must win 4 OOC games every year. 17!, playing in the West is hard enough. Bring on the Little Sisters Of The Poor.

 

[maroonmania]

Yep, that's exactly what I was saying...

I think he was saying that OM would be 5-7 this year if either Auburn or Arkansas were as good as expected, and playing Texas OOC would have cost them a bowl (like playing OkSt might cost us a bowl next year).

in an earlier reply I made in this thread. The only reason the Texas game didn't cost OM a bowl this year while they had GA on the schedule (similar to our SC trip next year) even as improved as they are is because very unexpectedly both Auburn and Arkansas turned into dumpster fires this year to give them an extra 2 wins. I wouldn't count on that happening again even next year.

 

[JML105]

OM also lost to their UK, which was unexpected. Yes, Vandy was better than expected, but that still should have been a W for OM.

Point is, if one bottom feeder opponent from a major conference added to the ooc schedule keeps a team from a .500 season and a bowl, maybe that team shouldn't go bowling.

 

[RocketDawg]

What's so scary about Oklahoma State? Right now, they're 7-4 and may very well lose to Baylor. They haven't beaten a ranked team this year ... lost to 23 Texas, 7 Kansas State, and 12 Oklahoma. And they lost to unranked Arizona. Three of our losses were to the number 2, 9, and 10 teams. And we had one slip-up loss to unranked Ole Miss.

We had a tougher overall schedule than OKState ... and fared possibly better, depending on their final game.

One thing bad about the 4 cupcakes we played is that we the fans, and we the players, and possibly we the coaches got a little complacent, perhaps thinking we were better than we were with the "easy" wins. Throw in Auburn as easy, and Tennessee to an extent, and it's possible to see how we slipped up against Ole Miss ... we were over confident.

 

[maroonmania]

Point is...

OM also lost to their UK, which was unexpected. Yes, Vandy was better than expected, but that still should have been a W for OM. Point is, if one bottom feeder opponent from a major conference added to the ooc schedule keeps a team from a .500 season and a bowl, maybe that team shouldn't go bowling.

when you are playing in the best conference in America and don't have a lot of built in advantages (like us) then you don't need to make it even harder than it has to be to have a decent record and keep positive momentum in the program and with recruiting.

 

[JML105]

when you are playing in the best conference in America and don't have a lot of built in advantages (like us) then you don't need to make it even harder than it has to be to have a decent record and keep positive momentum in the program and with recruiting.

Agreed.

But it is not a bad thing to pick an ooc team from a major conference that's equal to us to help with perception and balance the schedule between lay ups and 3 point shots throughout the season. That was one of the problems this year. Our ooc opponents gave the team a false sense of superiority so when they played legitimate opponents, shell shock ensued and we laid down.

Look, OSU isn't OU or even Texas. They are a comparable team with us within their conference. It should be a winnable game.<o></o>

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

Is that a diplomatic way of saying we likely go 4-8?

It's in play. But 5-7 most likely. 6-6 or 7-5 could happen. dont see more than 7 wins though. The coaching carousel will determine a lot...