ESPN SBC Prediction

[BleedsGreen33]

They're predicting that we will finish 4th in the EAST and finishing below .500.

Predicting JMU to face ULL in the Conference Championship Game.

Marshall Thundering Herd​

Head coach: Charles Huff (fourth year, 22-17 overall)

2024 projection: 103rd in SP+, 5.4 average wins (3.7 in Sun Belt)

We've grown accustomed to first-year coaches loading up on transfers. It makes sense. If you're taking a new job, there's a good chance you're inheriting a roster in quite a bit of flux, and with signing day in mid-December, signing high schoolers on short notice might not bear much fruit. So you load up on transfers, hope for some instant success and hope you can wean yourself off the portal over time.

Marshall's Huff is hoping for a different portal boost. After winning 16 games with a pair of top-70 teams in 2021 and 2022, the Thundering Herd slipped to 6-7. The offense was decent enough, but after losing coordinator Lance Guidry and about seven starters, the defense collapsed from 17th to 98th in defensive SP+.

Combined with perpetually bad special teams, Marshall dove from 67th to 99th in SP+, and only a fast start and a 4-1 record in one-score finishes kept the Herd bowl-eligible. Then 34 players entered the portal. Huff didn't have much of a choice: He took in 30 transfers of his own.

On offense, with new coordinator Seth Doege -- approximately the 400th former Mike Leach quarterback coaching in college football -- taking the reins, Marshall could start a transfer at quarterback (Wake Forest's Mitch Griffis or Tulsa's Braylon Braxton), running back, all receiver and tight end spots, and a few offensive line spots. The defense welcomes seven transfer linemen, a pair of linebackers and a pair of DBs.

A few playmakers stayed in Huntington. Senior receiver DeMarcus Harris averaged 16.5 yards per catch; center Logan Osburn was honorable mention all-conference; defensive tackles TyQaze Leggs and Isaiah Gibson Sr. combined for 10 TFLs; sophomore defensive end Michael Green was strong as a backup; and junior nickel Josh Moten made 10 havoc plays. But this is a lot of turnover at a time when a head coach's culture is supposed to be kicking in. We'll see whether Huff's redo attempt takes hold.

My favorite player: DE Michael Green. Like Georgia Southern's Da'Shawn Davis, Green was a small-sample star in 2023. The Virginia transfer recorded a forced fumble and sack against Virginia Tech -- like a good Cavalier -- then made 4.5 TFLs, 4 run stops and 1.5 sacks in the last three games. He also finished with a stellar pressure rate of 14.4%, suggesting that he was close to a lot more than 4.5 sacks.

Sun Belt preview: Sizing up App State, Troy, JMU and other contenders

Outlooks, projections, players to watch and top games from one of the Group of 5's best conferences.

www.espn.com

 

[RhinoD]

Basically the ESPN predictor models think this years team is either going 6-6 or 5-7... (5.4 projected wins)... While I think we all are hoping for better, that seems like a reasonable expectation.

Just looking at the schedule, I think the absolute best case scenario is probably 8-4... Worst case is probably 4-8. So ESPN picking something dead in the middle makes sense.

 

[bgr30]

4-8 might be best case scenario.

 

[sluggo72]

4-8 might be best case scenario.

even at 4-8 I think they( Brad) extend Huff.

 

[RhinoD]

4-8 might be best case scenario.

Thankfully (I guess)... Our schedule this year is awful... We should absolutely beat Stony Brook (0-10 last year in FCS), Georgia State (lost everyone worth a damn, coach quit in April), Monroe (projected to be the worst team in the SBC), and Western Michigan (midling MAC team we play at home)... Anything beyond that, who knows, but we should definitely win at least 4 games.

Throw in some tossups with ODU, Southern Miss, and Coastal... I can see where ESPN is thinking 5 or 6 wins.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

even at 4-8 I think they( Brad) extend Huff.

I think more than half of the fanbase would walk away at that point.

This is year 4 with Huff and anything less than a championship is a failure. I know some will think that is stupid, but we fired our last coach because he choked away championships in 3 out of his last 4 seasons. Huff was brought in to win championships. Not be decent to good and he hasn't even been that.

I do wonder where Smith and Spears will fall at season's end.

Keeping Huff, even if it's after an 8-10 win season, is just signing up for more years of perpetual mediocrity.

If you fire him, a move I would support, the new coach is going to take over a roster that will be lucky to have 40 players on it. Players have always transferred when coaching changes happen, but now with the portal you can expect those transfers to increase exponentially. I would imagine that the 2025 class would be hit hard too.

Just not a good time to be a struggling team.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Thankfully (I guess)... Our schedule this year is awful... We should absolutely beat Stony Brook (0-10 last year in FCS), Georgia State (lost everyone worth a damn, coach quit in April), Monroe (projected to be the worst team in the SBC), and Western Michigan (midling MAC team we play at home)... Anything beyond that, who knows, but we should definitely win at least 4 games.

Throw in some tossups with ODU, Southern Miss, and Coastal... I can see where ESPN is thinking 5 or 6 wins.

Everything you said is true. However other teams see us the same way.

-QB is a big question mark. If Cole wasn't Chad's son there'd be a lot more frustration from the fans.

-RB is a question mark. Ethan Payne is the only known commodity in the backfield and as much as I like Ethan, he isn't going to carry this team.

-WR has been lacking for years. We still haven't been able to find a solid #1 WR that commands respect. It's production by committee and that committee has been pretty subpar.

-OL is a mess.

-The defense is a complete rebuild.

-Special teams is just bad.

-Our new OC has never called plays

For the first time that I can ever recall there isn't one star player on this roster. Who's the big name? JJ Roberts? I know again some would say Pennington, but that is only because of his name. We don't have one single player that is a household name from their production. Even roster junkies have difficulty knowing who's out there right now.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

It's just time! BOG and Brad must do better!

 

[HerdFan73]

I think more than half of the fanbase would walk away at that point.

This is year 4 with Huff and anything less than a championship is a failure. I know some will think that is stupid, but we fired our last coach because he choked away championships in 3 out of his last 4 seasons. Huff was brought in to win championships. Not be decent to good and he hasn't even been that.

I do wonder where Smith and Spears will fall at season's end.

Keeping Huff, even if it's after an 8-10 win season, is just signing up for more years of perpetual mediocrity.

If you fire him, a move I would support, the new coach is going to take over a roster that will be lucky to have 40 players on it. Players have always transferred when coaching changes happen, but now with the portal you can expect those transfers to increase exponentially. I would imagine that the 2025 class would be hit hard too.

Just not a good time to be a struggling team.

I agree

It’s too easy to get good fast these days, to spend 5-6 years mired with a mediocre coach.

Huff accepted the job and the expectations. His quote “this is not a rebuild”.

I was so excited for his hire. I think we took the right risk. But he has now turned this job INTO a rebuild. It’s put up or shut up year.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I agree

It’s too easy to get good fast these days, to spend 5-6 years mired with a mediocre coach.

Huff accepted the job and the expectations. His quote “this is not a rebuild”.

I was so excited for his hire. I think we took the right risk. But he has now turned this job INTO a rebuild. It’s put up or shut up year.

I always wanted the guy from UL. At least he had some coordinator experience. We should never again hire a career assistant who hasn't been a coordinator or HC on some level.

 

[RhinoD]

I always wanted the guy from UL. At least he had some coordinator experience. We should never again hire a career assistant who hasn't been a coordinator or HC on some level.

For our next hire, give me a guy who has a proven record as a head coach... I don't care what level (MAC, FCS, DII, whatever).

Snyder - Career assistant (terrible all the way around)
Doc - Career assistant (solid, but couldn't win big games)
Huff - Career assistant (started fine and has gotten worse)

That's the last two decades of MU coaching.

 

[sluggo72]

I think more than half of the fanbase would walk away at that point.

This is year 4 with Huff and anything less than a championship is a failure. I know some will think that is stupid, but we fired our last coach because he choked away championships in 3 out of his last 4 seasons. Huff was brought in to win championships. Not be decent to good and he hasn't even been that.

I do wonder where Smith and Spears will fall at season's end.

Keeping Huff, even if it's after an 8-10 win season, is just signing up for more years of perpetual mediocrity.

If you fire him, a move I would support, the new coach is going to take over a roster that will be lucky to have 40 players on it. Players have always transferred when coaching changes happen, but now with the portal you can expect those transfers to increase exponentially. I would imagine that the 2025 class would be hit hard too.

Just not a good time to be a struggling team.

I dont disagree with you say, other than Doc was here more than 4 yrs. 4-8 and I think he stays, mostly because they wont have the nerve to move on from their hire.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I dont disagree with you say, other than Doc was here more than 4 yrs. 4-8 and I think he stays, mostly because they wont have the nerve to move on from their hire.

If they don't move on, expect lower season tix, donations and lower attendance in 2025.
Their call!

 

[RhinoD]

I dont disagree with you say, other than Doc was here more than 4 yrs. 4-8 and I think he stays, mostly because they wont have the nerve to move on from their hire.

4-8 and he's gone - no question.

The real question is, what if we end up another year with a perfectly mediocre 6-6?... Last year we got an "unacceptable" tweet from our AD (who then did nothing but put out a statement that Huff "is the right coach" for another year)... Would Spears and Co. have the stones to can Huff after a 6-6 year that ends in some form of a bowl game?

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I dont disagree with you say, other than Doc was here more than 4 yrs. 4-8 and I think he stays, mostly because they wont have the nerve to move on from their hire.

Doc got a long leash because of Hamrick and other relationships in the department. Hamrick has hid back until the end and that's why Doc never had the impression that he was going to be fired.

Huff doesn't have that. The president and AD that were here when he was hired are no longer here. The only reason that Smith and Spears would extend Huff is because they don't think we have the means to snag anyone to better our situation which would be depressing. Extending Huff would be exactly like when we extended Snyder. The administration doesn't fully believe Marshall can lure anyone better or they don't have the desire to spend more money on a better coach. They see Huff as a cheaper deal because if he goes 4-8 he'll be desperate to remain a HC.

It won't be nerve. It will be will. Brad Smith is has a reported net worth of $700M and ran a company worth nearly $2B. Neve is not an issue. Marshall has been stuck in this "woe as me" and "we do with what we have" mentality since 2005 and it sucks. I miss the days when we settled for nothing but excellence.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

If they don't move on, expect lower season tix, donations and lower attendance in 2025.
Their call!

If Huff gets another deal I for one will not renew my season tickets for 2025. I wrestled with shelling out the money for this season. The only reason I did is because I like the people I sit with. I could not get season tickets and still be able to get good seats for games because it's not like we're selling out every week.

Extending Huff for anything less than playing for a championship would signal that the administration isn't on board with pulling out the stops to build a winner. Their vision would be extremely short sighted.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

4-8 and he's gone - no question.

The real question is, what if we end up another year with a perfectly mediocre 6-6?... Last year we got an "unacceptable" tweet from our AD (who then did nothing but put out a statement that Huff "is the right coach" for another year)... Would Spears and Co. have the stones to can Huff after a 6-6 year that ends in some form of a bowl game?

I think it should all depend on where we finish. I still contend that win total doesn't matter. The OoC is almost certainly going to be 2-2. 6-2 could realistically put us in the title game. On it's face an 8 win season is not great, but with a championship 8-4 would be better than 10+ with no championship or even playing for one. Some of those double digit Doc seasons were soured from stubbing out toes at Charlotte or MTSU and handing FAU the EAST.

 

[i am herdman]

I think he is done if he doesn't get to the SBC championship game. 4 and 8 no way he survives.

 

[sluggo72]

If they don't move on, expect lower season tix, donations and lower attendance in 2025.
Their call!

nobody really cares about that, there will be more important considerations

 

[sluggo72]

4-8 and he's gone - no question.

The real question is, what if we end up another year with a perfectly mediocre 6-6?... Last year we got an "unacceptable" tweet from our AD (who then did nothing but put out a statement that Huff "is the right coach" for another year)... Would Spears and Co. have the stones to can Huff after a 6-6 year that ends in some form of a bowl game?

got nothing to do with feckless Spears, 100% Brad's decision.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

If Huff gets another deal I for one will not renew my season tickets for 2025. I wrestled with shelling out the money for this season. The only reason I did is because I like the people I sit with. I could not get season tickets and still be able to get good seats for games because it's not like we're selling out every week.

Extending Huff for anything less than playing for a championship would signal that the administration isn't on board with pulling out the stops to build a winner. Their vision would be extremely short sighted.

Hopefully the administration hasn't thrown in the towel thinking we can compete with NIL and all, we'll just do what we can. I doubt that is there thinking but you never know.

 

[riflearm2]

We should never again hire a career assistant who hasn't been a coordinator or HC on some level.

Urban Meyer, Dabo Swinney, PJ Fleck, Jim Harbaugh, Jim Tressel, Kirk Ferentz, Willie Fitz, Sam Pittman, Shane Beamer, and Riflearm3 think you’re crazy and don’t understand the important major dynamics and traits needed as a head coach.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Urban Meyer, Dabo Swinney, PJ Fleck, Jim Harbaugh, Jim Tressel, Kirk Ferentz, Willie Fitz, Sam Pittman, Shane Beamer, and Riflearm3 think you’re crazy and don’t understand the important major dynamics and traits needed as a head coach.

Mark Smyder, Doc Holliday, Charles Huff. Nuff said. Poor hiring, poor searches

 

[riflearm2]

Mark Smyder, Doc Holliday, Charles Huff. Nuff said. Poor hiring, poor searches

Your argument is to never again hire an assistant who hasn’t previously been an HC or coordinator. Your defense of many highly successful coaches who fit that exact mold is listing one who didn’t work out, one who was solid during his tenure, and one who still has the jury out.

Seems a bit shortsighted to exclude many potentially quality HCs based on such a small and inconclusive sample size.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Your argument is to never again hire an assistant who hasn’t previously been an HC or coordinator. Your defense of many highly successful coaches who fit that exact mold is listing one who didn’t work out, one who was solid during his tenure, and one who still has the jury out.

Seems a bit shortsighted to exclude many potentially quality HCs based on such a small and inconclusive sample size.

I realize there have been many assistants turned HC's who have been successful. Most do start that way. But in Marshall's case, at least the last 20 years, the results have been subpar. And now that things have radically changed, for the worse; and money is king, I don't think we should consider a career assistant - we don't have the salary to offer the best candidates, thus we end up with a guy a booster wants, or a buddy hire; or someone tabbed the best recruiter --- for Alabama. We take chances and hope it works. I say it's time to look at an FCS HC or even lower division. Or at least get a D1 assistant that has years of being an OC or DC - but again, those guys want to start at 1.5 mil and we can't pay that. Jmho

 

[RhinoD]

got nothing to do with feckless Spears, 100% Brad's decision.

If this is true, and I don't doubt that it is... Then Spears is not the guy either (a fact that is becoming more clear over time).

We need to stop trying to make good middle managers into leaders - whether that is at head football coach, head basketball coach, baseball coach, or Athletic Director.

Keeping the light bill paid, the busses full of gas, the concession stands stocked, and making sure Judy in compliance gets flowers on her birthday shouldn't be what we are paying an athletic director to do.

 

[The Real SamC]

This team will, due to the lucky schedule, have a better record than it deserves. Probably 6-6, then bent over and assreamed in a pre-Christmas bowl by a team with a similar record, but different schedule. Non-leader CS will put out another press release saying it is "unacceptable", and then, again, accept it. The damage has already been done in a job that was self-described as "not a rebuild". For the next coach, it certainly will be a rebuild. This team has gotten worse every year since the cabal circumvented the normal procedures and thought it knew better than those paid to do the job.

Recovery is now, even with the new and idiotic NCAA transfer and pay the players rules, is far more than a year away. This is now a rebuild.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

This team will, due to the lucky schedule, have a better record than it deserves. Probably 6-6, then bent over and assreamed in a pre-Christmas bowl by a team with a similar record, but different schedule. Non-leader CS will put out another press release saying it is "unacceptable", and then, again, accept it. The damage has already been done in a job that was self-described as "not a rebuild". For the next coach, it certainly will be a rebuild. This team has gotten worse every year since the cabal circumvented the normal procedures and thought it knew better than those paid to do the job.

Recovery is now, even with the new and idiotic NCAA transfer and pay the players rules, is far more than a year away. This is now a rebuild.

I just don't think the schedule is as easy or "lucky" as so many are saying it is. Especially given the current state of our roster.

Stony Brook should be a route, but probably won't because Huff won't pile it on. In typical fashion we'll take the air out of the ball two series into the 3rd quarter. Talent gap alone would cause a greater than 30 point win.

VT is much improved from when we last faced them. Most likely a 17+ point loss.

Ohio State is said to be down, but their team speed is always off the charts. Especially at WR. This could be a "name the score" game for tOSU. 60 something to 17 wouldn't shock me.

WMU is a trap game. Yes it's at home and yes they're not good, but we'll be coming off two brutal road games and a rivalry game vs Appy is the week after this game.

Appy is a well coached team and they return their record setting QB. It's at home and it's a rivalry game so rules don't apply, but it won't be easy.

So our three out of our first five games won't be easy and if it's been a brutal stretch you'll have to wonder where the team's collective headspace will be and how that affects them going forward.

Georgia Southern on the road won't be a gimme game. While we are 2-0 vs Southern the games have been hard fought.

Ga State turned it around last year and made a bowl game. Will they be able to build off of that? Anyone's guess, but we do get them at home. I would hope we handle business.

ULM is terrible. Should be a W. It better be a W.

Southern Miss on the road has always been a hard fought game. They've been somewhat of a rival for some time and always one of the more entertaining games every season. Coming out of Hattiesburg with a win won't be easy.

Coastal is a question mark. People will say that they lost McCall, but they turned us inside out with their #2 and #3 QBs last year in a complete route.

ODU at home last year was a shootout where we allowed several long TD runs and we play them on the road this year. The last time we went to ODU we won 12-0. They've proven to be a tougher out than they should be for us. So the game is not a gimmie.

JMU on the road won't be easy either. Yes their HC and QB are gone, but JMU is still a solid program that runs itself a lot like we used to before we decided to just settle for whatever. In my opinion the result of this game will hinge on how well the season is going. If we're over 8 wins by this point we'll win, but if not it could be rough as in years past this team just kind of throws in the towel around this time if the season hasn't went well.

I wish I could be more positive. In previous years I would look at this schedule and see at least 6-7 automatic Ws and fully expect us to handle business at home, but we have a HC that has proven he's not championship material, we don't have an established QB, the OL is a mess, for the first time in a long time we don't return a RB with production, WR is still lacking, we have yet another first time OC running the offense, kicking is beyond suspect and has been for a while, and the defense is almost a complete rebuild.

We're going to need Cole to have taken a huge step forward in the off season or Braxton to settle in and look way better than he did in camp. At one point he was good enough to be an All-American honorable mention. That guy needs to emerge for us.

 

[Herdguy04]

It's just time! BOG and Brad must do better!

OK!!!

 

[Herdguy04]

It's just time! BOG and Brad must do better!

OK!!

Doc got a long leash because of Hamrick and other relationships in the department. Hamrick has hid back until the end and that's why Doc never had the impression that he was going to be fired.

Huff doesn't have that. The president and AD that were here when he was hired are no longer here. The only reason that Smith and Spears would extend Huff is because they don't think we have the means to snag anyone to better our situation which would be depressing. Extending Huff would be exactly like when we extended Snyder. The administration doesn't fully believe Marshall can lure anyone better or they don't have the desire to spend more money on a better coach. They see Huff as a cheaper deal because if he goes 4-8 he'll be desperate to remain a HC.

It won't be nerve. It will be will. Brad Smith is has a reported net worth of $700M and ran a company worth nearly $2B. Neve is not an issue. Marshall has been stuck in this "woe as me" and "we do with what we have" mentality since 2005 and it sucks. I miss the days when we settled for nothing but excellence.

This is false. Plenty of FCS head coaches would take the Marshall job. Even if it is a dumpster fire, it's an increase in everything for them.
There's absolutely no way a program could think, "we can't get anyone better" because there is always someone better.

Does Huff's contract expire after this season? If so, it's cheaper to just not re-hire him. As I have said often, Huff needs to win to get himself out of WV, MU needs Huff to win so he can leave.

 

[Herdguy04]

got nothing to do with feckless Spears, 100% Brad's decision.

What if it's known that Spears objected to a contract extension but Brad and the BoG forced it to happen?

 

[BleedsGreen33]

OK!!



This is false. Plenty of FCS head coaches would take the Marshall job. Even if it is a dumpster fire, it's an increase in everything for them.
There's absolutely no way a program could think, "we can't get anyone better" because there is always someone better.

Does Huff's contract expire after this season? If so, it's cheaper to just not re-hire him. As I have said often, Huff needs to win to get himself out of WV, MU needs Huff to win so he can leave.

I didn't say it was true or false. I was just posing hypotheticals based off of sentiments in the last 15 or so years from those in the administration.

As ot Huff's contract expiring. Yes this is his final season under contract, but don't assume it's cheaper not to rehire him. Long-term it's more costly for sure because of the fallout, but Huff would be desperate to remain a HC. Failed first time HCs usually don't immediately get another HC gig. At least not on the FBS level. Some never get another shot. Also let's not forget about how we handled Dan's situation with those back-to-back 1 year deals.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

What if it's known that Spears objected to a contract extension but Brad and the BoG forced it to happen?

Then it would be a repeat of Dan. Ultimately it does come down to the school president and the BoGs. The AD will have a voice, but those two parties have to have ultimate approval. Especially when it comes to football and MBB which are the two main revenue generators of the department.

 

[RhinoD]

I just don't think the schedule is as easy or "lucky" as so many are saying it is. Especially given the current state of our roster.

Stony Brook should be a route, but probably won't because Huff won't pile it on. In typical fashion we'll take the air out of the ball two series into the 3rd quarter. Talent gap alone would cause a greater than 30 point win.

VT is much improved from when we last faced them. Most likely a 17+ point loss.

You are being far far too kind to some of these teams... Even in a down year we are better than at least 4 of our opponents and on par with another 2 or 3.

Stony Brook -- The worst team in the entire FCS last year (0-10). Should be an easy 4-touchdown W at home.
VT -- Improved as last season went on, return a lot of talent, at their place - probably a 3 touchdown loss.
Ohio State -- They will name the score of this game. They are a top-5 team and will roll us.
Western Michigan -- Mid-pack MAC team we play at home. I agree this will not be a cakewalk, but we should win.
App State -- Beat the doors off us last season, they return everybody, they will beat us again. They probably win the SBC title.
Georgia Southern -- A true tossup.
Georgia State -- Lost their entire roster, coach quit in April, possibly the worst team in the SBC based on talent. We win.
Monroe -- The worst team in the league last year (2-10), and this is going to be a "down" year for them. We win.
Southern Miss -- A true tossup.
Coastal -- A true tossup.
Old Dominion -- A true tossup.
James Madison -- Probably the second best team in the East. Likely an L - if we have mailed it in, definitely an L.

4 games we definitely should win... 4 tossups... 4 games we are almost certainly going to lose

Anything between 4 and 8 wins would not shock me... Any worse than that, or somehow better, and I would be very surprised.

 

[sluggo72]

What if it's known that Spears objected to a contract extension but Brad and the BoG forced it to happen?

Again the HFC n HMBBC don’t answer to the AD they answer to the President. So it’s Brads call. In the BOG doesn’t like Brads call they will fire him like they did Gilbert
In the case you are describing, it’s grand standing by Spears. He doesn’t have a vote

 

[BleedsGreen33]

You are being far far too kind to some of these teams... Even in a down year we are better than at least 4 of our opponents and on par with another 2 or 3.

Stony Brook -- The worst team in the entire FCS last year (0-10). Should be an easy 4-touchdown W at home.
VT -- Improved as last season went on, return a lot of talent, at their place - probably a 3 touchdown loss.
Ohio State -- They will name the score of this game. They are a top-5 team and will roll us.
Western Michigan -- Mid-pack MAC team we play at home. I agree this will not be a cakewalk, but we should win.
App State -- Beat the doors off us last season, they return everybody, they will beat us again. They probably win the SBC title.
Georgia Southern -- A true tossup.
Georgia State -- Lost their entire roster, coach quit in April, possibly the worst team in the SBC based on talent. We win.
Monroe -- The worst team in the league last year (2-10), and this is going to be a "down" year for them. We win.
Southern Miss -- A true tossup.
Coastal -- A true tossup.
Old Dominion -- A true tossup.
James Madison -- Probably the second best team in the East. Likely an L - if we have mailed it in, definitely an L.

4 games we definitely should win... 4 tossups... 4 games we are almost certainly going to lose

Anything between 4 and 8 wins would not shock me... Any worse than that, or somehow better, and I would be very surprised.

I'm not saying some of those teams are unbeatable. In previous years I would say we'll possibly split VT and tOSU and were gifted a conference slate that is ripe for a dominant run.

However on the surface this is the least accomplished roster we've ever started a season with. I know the Snyder years sucked. They did. They absolutely did, but we at least went into seasons with known star players.

JJ Roberts and Cole Pennington are probably the only players most fans would readily recognize and only one of those is based off of play. That's not to say a RB won't emerge as that always happens. Taliaferro came out of nowhere as did Ali. Ali much more so. Maybe the OL finally returns from South Bend. Who knows. We've added some talented P5 WRs to the mix so hopefully they emerge and someone finally becomes a dependable #1. Then there's the staff so while in year's past this schedule was nothing special, this year really could go either way. I'm just worried if tOSU, VT, and Appy for that matter stomp a mudhole in us that the team might just pack it in.

 

[RhinoD]

I'm just worried if tOSU, VT, and Appy for that matter stomp a mudhole in us that the team might just pack it in.

I think this is absolutely a fear for all of us... If we get laughed out of the building in 3 of our first 5 games, does this team have the leadership and experience to keep with it?... Or do we get beat by Ga. Southern and shit really starts rolling down hill.

The three games that will decide if we make a bowl game (not whether its a successful season, just get to 6-6) are Western Michigan, Georgia Southern and Old Dominion, in my opinion.

Here's why --

If we lose to Western Michigan and start 1-4, it will be time to que up the Don Meredith. Turn out the lights, the party's over.
Georgia Southern is a chance to get a 50/50 win and maybe get some momentum heading into two "easy" (must win) games.
ODU could very well be a matchup of 5-5 teams playing for a bowl birth.

 

[MUMAN3419]

Lots of pain and anguish is how I assume the season will play out for us fans.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Lots of pain and anguish is how I assume the season will play out for us fans.

Just hope for the best, but see the reality of our situation. I'm not saying to expect sub. 500, but come to the understanding now that is a legit and probably outcome. Then it won't be as painful.

 

[Herdguy04]

I didn't say it was true or false. I was just posing hypotheticals based off of sentiments in the last 15 or so years from those in the administration.

As ot Huff's contract expiring. Yes this is his final season under contract, but don't assume it's cheaper not to rehire him. Long-term it's more costly for sure because of the fallout, but Huff would be desperate to remain a HC. Failed first time HCs usually don't immediately get another HC gig. At least not on the FBS level. Some never get another shot. Also let's not forget about how we handled Dan's situation with those back-to-back 1 year deals.

Why would Huff want to remain HC at MU when he has been putting his name out for other places?
You also do realize he could go back to being a coordinator and could make more at that, than he did as a HC at MU, right?

Dan was a different situation because of his ties to MU and his family member being in the BoG. That's an entirely different situation and a real stretch by you.