[BigdaddyQH]

Here is a partial list of teams that may suprise some this season. In no particular order:

Northwestern. They have 17 returning starters coming back, and a good RB who missed the entire 2013 season. The are part of the new Big 10 West Division, meaning that they do not play Ohio State or Michigan State this year. With 8 seniors scheduled to start on offense, and another 5 on defense, plus home games against both Nebraska and Wisconsin, this is the year that Northwestern can play a major role in the Big 10 West.

Texas A&M. Everyone knows that they lost QB Manzie, LT Matthews, and two WR's, but not much else. They return 7 starters on offense and 9 on defense. This will be the real test of just how good HC Kevin Sumlin really is. Their non-con schedule is very soft. They must play at South Carolina, Alabama, and Auburn, but get everyone else who is competitive at home. 9 wins is not out of the question if the defense can improve. Do not fall asleep against these guys.

Utah. Ever since joining the Pac 12, Utah has been a disappointment. HC Whittingham has a chance to change all of that this season with 6 players returning on offense including QB ilson, and 7 defensive starters returning from the 2013 camaign. The schedue is very challenging, with 5 away losses certainly possible, but this team has the look of one of those sneaky 6-6 teams that ends up 9-3 ATS.

Kansas. Another team that will have to scramble for 6 wins, but can be a headache ATS. No one expects anything out of this team, but Charlie returns 15 starters from last year's team. Their non-con schedule features a trip to Duke, and they play the round robin schedule in the Big 12. They do play TCU and Iowa State at home, so there is a possibility of Kansas improving on their three win performance of last season. Another team that can cost you some cash ATS.

[Urbanwildlife]

Nice job! The thing with Texas A&M is yes they have all these returning starters, but it is the key positions that they have to replace, which is going to be pretty much impossible to do. I am not sure what to think of them quite yet, without doing more research.

Northwestern will be very competitive, and I also feel they will play a big role in how the Big 10 West shapes up.

I am going to give things until next month before I start taking the time to post reports, as I am going to be attending the World Cup Games in Brazil this month, and I also kind want to see how the flow of the forum goes, as I am not going to put in my hard work and efforts to share information if this is going to be just a kiddie play ground. As I stated in a previous post on another thread, last year in the months of July and August there were several posters on the forum who really were posting good information, with the exception of Killer_Demo, so hopefully it will be the same this preseason.

[eeezzzz]

I would be surprised if Texas Am went .500 this year. They are going to get crushed without Manziel.

[BigdaddyQH]

I would be surprised if Texas Am went .500 this year. They are going to get crushed without Manziel.

Really? Have you bothered to look at their schedule for this season? Non-con games against Lamar, Rice, Louisiana Monroe and at SMU guarantee 4 wins. Miss. State and Arkansas should be two more wins. There are 6 wins without much trouble. I think that they can find one more win. They do finish at home against Mizzou and LSU. LSU is highly unlikely but Mizzou certainly is possible.

[Urbanwildlife]

Not really a surprise team, but watch out for the damage that Baylor is going to cause. From my homework so far this year, they stand out more so than any other team. They very well could end up being the national champion.

[homie1975]

Charlie weis sucks budd

[fsudboy]

Baylor has no defense. Cliché but true :"Defense wins Championships" period

[fsudboy]

Baylor will have a good D line. But they can't stop the pass to save their life. They are replacing most of their DBs so I don't see how they get any better against the Pass. Sure they will win a lot of games with their offense. But National Championship that's a lonnngggg shot

[Urbanwildlife]

@fsudboy,
You have a valid point and it is one I obviously looked at prior to making my post, as they have to replace basically there entire defensive backfield that was a weak link last year, however, I do think they will be fine with any kind of luck with a couple new recruits, and there backups having had a year of experience under there belts. Hopefully with a strong group of defensive linemen and linebackers returning it will help the defensive backfield out, but there success will ultimately be determined by how the defensive backfield comes together.

[BigdaddyQH]

There are two things that really hurt Baylor. First, their defense. Terrible is a good way to describe it. It always has been. This season will be no different. Next is their SOS. They play SMU and Northwestern State at home and go to Buffalo for their 3 non-con games. Blame Briles for this. He actually thinks that if his team wins the Big 12, no matter what their conference record is, they will get an invite into the playoffs. Not with that SOS. If Bayor goes 12-1, they lose out to every other zero or one loss team from ANY of the 4 other major conferences. Briles is just being a complete arse about this. He may be an offensive genius, but when it comes to understand how the new NCAA will work, he is a complete buffoon. With games at Texas and at OU, I give Baylor a very slim chance of making the playoffs. Not with that Mickey Mouse schedule and no CC game.

[Urbanwildlife]

The game that concerns me the most on the Baylor schedule is there game against Oklahoma State, as they always have trouble with them.

[eeezzzz]

Really? Have you bothered to look at their schedule for this season? Non-con games against Lamar, Rice, Louisiana Monroe and at SMU guarantee 4 wins. Miss. State and Arkansas should be two more wins. There are 6 wins without much trouble. I think that they can find one more win. They do finish at home against Mizzou and LSU. LSU is highly unlikely but Mizzou certainly is possible.

Miss state and Arkansas should be two more wins? Rice and LA Monroe have a very legitimate shot against TAMU and as far as Miss St and Arkansas games I believe they will be an underdog in both.

[BigdaddyQH]

IMO, Arkansas is just terrible. Their defense has to be completely reworked. Bielema still does not understand how offenses in the SEC really work. They could end up with a very similar record as last seasons effort. Their crossover games are against Georgia and at Mizzou. They have one losable non-con game at Texas Tech. 0'fer the SEC is entirely possible.

Miss. State is different. If they can rebound offensively and get past a rather difficult conference schedule (Games at LSU, Alabama, and Ole' Miss) they can easily win 6 games. As with some SEC teams, their non-con schedule is a gimme.

Since I oosted this thread, Texas A&M has lost two starters on defense. Starting NG Isaiah Golden and stating WLB Darian Claibourne are gone for the entire season. Both players were returning starters from a year ago. This really hurts the A&M defense, which has to carry the team until the new offensive skill players can figure things out. I will still stick to my belief that 7-5 is NOT out of the question, beause of the non-con schedule. Rice just lost their starting NG Mouchantaf again. Monroe will be lucky to win 6 games. We shall see.

[DvdBonan]

Ole Miss will be a surprise team... #1 recruiting class last year all with more experience + a 3yr starter at QB

[BigdaddyQH]

Ole Miss will be a surprise team... #1 recruiting class last year all with more experience + a 3yr starter at QB

I do not think they will be a surprise team because many people pick them to finish 3rd or higher in the SEC West. The lowest projection I have seen for Ole Miss is 8-4, while most have them at 9-3 or better. They play 3 easy non-cons against Lafayette, Memphis, and Presbyterian, plus a neutral site game against Boise State. Their crossover games are at Vandy and home against Tennessee. They get both 'Bama and Auburn at home. 10-2 is certainly possible for this team. If they want to climb higher, they are going to have to do a lot better against the Alabama teams. They are 0-10 against 'Bama, and 2-8 against Auburn in their last 10 seasons.

[Killer_Demo]

I do not think they will be a surprise team because many people pick them to finish 3rd or higher in the SEC West. The lowest projection I have seen for Ole Miss is 8-4, while most have them at 9-3 or better. They play 3 easy non-cons against Lafayette, Memphis, and Presbyterian, plus a neutral site game against Boise State. Their crossover games are at Vandy and home against Tennessee. They get both 'Bama and Auburn at home. 10-2 is certainly possible for this team. If they want to climb higher, they are going to have to do a lot better against the Alabama teams. They are 0-10 against 'Bama, and 2-8 against Auburn in their last 10 seasons.

[RiverBoatGambler]

IMO, Arkansas is just terrible. Their defense has to be completely reworked. Bielema still does not understand how offenses in the SEC really work. They could end up with a very similar record as last seasons effort. Their crossover games are against Georgia and at Mizzou. They have one losable non-con game at Texas Tech. 0'fer the SEC is entirely possible.

Miss. State is different. If they can rebound offensively and get past a rather difficult conference schedule (Games at LSU, Alabama, and Ole' Miss) they can easily win 6 games. As with some SEC teams, their non-con schedule is a gimme.

Since I oosted this thread, Texas A&M has lost two starters on defense. Starting NG Isaiah Golden and stating WLB Darian Claibourne are gone for the entire season. Both players were returning starters from a year ago. This really hurts the A&M defense, which has to carry the team until the new offensive skill players can figure things out. I will still stick to my belief that 7-5 is NOT out of the question, beause of the non-con schedule. Rice just lost their starting NG Mouchantaf again. Monroe will be lucky to win 6 games. We shall see.

I'll bet you one week paycheck (2700) that Arkansas will have a better record than last season and will not go 0'er in the SEC.

We can set it up via paypal, since you like talking how much money you have, this should be an easy bet for you.

[CWD]

depends what you consider a surprise

ucla
south carolina

[BigdaddyQH]

I'll bet you one week paycheck (2700) that Arkansas will have a better record than last season and will not go 0'er in the SEC.

We can set it up via paypal, since you like talking how much money you have, this should be an easy bet for you.

First, why should I give you over 2/1 odds, and that is what you are talking about when you claim to make 2700 a week. Sol that is out. But just to make sure that I understand what you are saying, you are saying that Arkansas wins 5 games this season and wins one Conference game. I see wins against patsy Nicholls State, UAB and Northern Illinois. Care to tell us where the other two wins come from? I agree that they may win one conference game, but they will NOT win 5 games this season.

[BigdaddyQH]

depends what you consider a surprise

ucla
south carolina

My definition of a surprise team is any team that wins 4 or more games or more than they were predicted to win. That would eliminate both UCLA and South Carolina, both of which stand a decent chance of winning their respective Conferences.

[CWD]

My definition of a surprise team is any team that wins 4 or more games or more than they were predicted to win. That would eliminate both UCLA and South Carolina, both of which stand a decent chance of winning their respective Conferences.

regardless of your defintion of a surprise team, if either ucla or south carolina go undefeated or anything close to that i'm pretty sure a good amount of people will be surprised.

[RiverBoatGambler]

First, why should I give you over 2/1 odds, and that is what you are talking about when you claim to make 2700 a week. Sol that is out. But just to make sure that I understand what you are saying, you are saying that Arkansas wins 5 games this season and wins one Conference game. I see wins against patsy Nicholls State, UAB and Northern Illinois. Care to tell us where the other two wins come from? I agree that they may win one conference game, but they will NOT win 5 games this season.

I fully expect Arkansas to go to Lubbock, wear them down and get the upset victory. Arkansas brings back 7/8 starters. 2nd year under center for the QB. Literally can't be any worse than last season, kid has 1 full year under his belt seeing big time college football.

Also, Missouri should be Arkansas's 5th win. Missouri literally lost almost everything they have. Bring back 5\4 starters from last year. Brand new QB, lost the WR's, lost their gay stud on defense.

That's the 5 wins I predict.

[BigdaddyQH]

Arkansas returns 4 starters on both sides of the ball. T-Tech returns 3 on defense, but 7 on offense. That does NOT include QB Webb, who had a huge game against Arizona State in last year's Holiday Bowl. Arkansas did not win a road game last season and there is no real reason for that to change this season. Basically neither team is going to do much better than they did last year. I cannot see Arkansas "wearing down" T-Tech, especially in game 3 of the season. Bielema should be fired after this season. He simply does not get it.

[Killer_Demo]

BigDouche scared Riverboatgambler gonna own him on here BigDouche dont even have $2700 more like $27

[RiverBoatGambler]

Arkansas returns 4 starters on both sides of the ball. T-Tech returns 3 on defense, but 7 on offense. That does NOT include QB Webb, who had a huge game against Arizona State in last year's Holiday Bowl. Arkansas did not win a road game last season and there is no real reason for that to change this season. Basically neither team is going to do much better than they did last year. I cannot see Arkansas "wearing down" T-Tech, especially in game 3 of the season. Bielema should be fired after this season. He simply does not get it.

The fact that you think Arkansas only has 4/4 coming back is either a joke or you are an absolute moron.




I honestly hope you are joking.

[homie1975]

My definition of a surprise team is any team that wins 4 or more games or more than they were predicted to win. That would eliminate both UCLA and South Carolina, both of which stand a decent chance of winning their respective Conferences.

so a team that is predicted 5-7 but finishes 8-4 is not a surprise team?

i don't agree with that

9-3 predicted, but finishing 12-0, is also pretty damn good

i think 3 games +/- on the predicted victory total, is the right number to determine surprise teams (whether good or bad)

[BigdaddyQH]

so a team that is predicted 5-7 but finishes 8-4 is not a surprise team?

i don't agree with that

9-3 predicted, but finishing 12-0, is also pretty damn good

i think 3 games +/- on the predicted victory total, is the right number to determine surprise teams (whether good or bad)

I have no problems with that. + or - 3 seems to be a fair number. Some "surprise" teams are really not a surprise at all. Last season I predicted Auburn would win at least 8 games months before Steele did. It was that obvious, IMO.

Going by your theory, here is some teams that may surprise: N.C. State. +3 or more after a major rebuilding job last season. South Florida. They may get to .500 after 2 wins last season. Tulane. I think last season was a fluke due in part to a weak schedule. -3 or more this season off of a 7 win season. UCF will come back to earth after a 12 win season. -4 seems about right. TCU. Their defense may be strong enough to go +3 after a 4 win season in 2013. Air Force. +3 after an unusual 2 wins season last year. Boise State. 12 wins is certainly doable this season. Check the schedule. +4. Florida. They either win 7+ games or start the search for a new HC. +3. Vanderbilt. Back to earth for a team that loses 14 starters and their HC. -3.

Notice I have no Pac 12 teams listed. I also skipped over the 2nd and 3rd year teams, for the most part.

[BigdaddyQH]

The fact that you think Arkansas only has 4/4 coming back is either a joke or you are an absolute moron.




I honestly hope you are joking.

Name your returning STARTERS. I am NOT talking about some guys who may have played in a game or two. I am talking about STARTERS. Then name the SEC teams that you think Arkansas can beat, other than Missouri, which we have discussed.

[Microbetter]

Name your returning STARTERS. I am NOT talking about some guys who may have played in a game or two. I am talking about STARTERS. Then name the SEC teams that you think Arkansas can beat, other than Missouri, which we have discussed.

Stop dancing. Put up the $2700 both of you and let's see a bet. Alot of people around here like to talk big and propose bets, but never finish. You and RBG agree on an escrow and let's see this thing happen.

[BigdaddyQH]

Microbetter. I see you are one of those weak little nothings that has to have a avatar of a woman to prove your alleged masculinity. Too bad. Here is a clue for you. I understand that your comprehension skills are low, but try to understand this. You are on my "ignore" list, which means I see nothing you post unless I choose to, and I do not choose to see anything a mental midget like yourself posts. Save the effort because I will not waste my time on someone like you and I am sure that everyone else really does not give a crap about what you post.

[mik5058]

Name your returning STARTERS. I am NOT talking about some guys who may have played in a game or two. I am talking about STARTERS. Then name the SEC teams that you think Arkansas can beat, other than Missouri, which we have discussed.

Offense
QB Brandon Allen
RB Jonathan Williams
WR Keon Hatcher
TE Hunter Henry
RG Denver Kirkland
RT Brey Cook
LT Dan Skipper

Defense
DT Darius Philon
DE Trey Flowers
OLB Braylon Mitchell
MLB Brooks Ellis
CB Carroll Washington/Will Hines
CB Tevin Mitchell
SS Alan Turner

Still, they probably will not win a single SEC game this year and will most likely end up 3-9 again.

[Microbetter]

Microbetter. I see you are one of those weak little nothings that has to have a avatar of a woman to prove your alleged masculinity. Too bad. Here is a clue for you. I understand that your comprehension skills are low, but try to understand this. You are on my "ignore" list, which means I see nothing you post unless I choose to, and I do not choose to see anything a mental midget like yourself posts. Save the effort because I will not waste my time on someone like you and I am sure that everyone else really does not give a crap about what you post.

Once again you respond with insults. That proves what a mental midget you are. Stop with the macho crap that no one is buying and put up the $2700 for the bet. You are always doing that to others and now when RBG does it to you, you can't put. Put up or shut up. And why is it that when I google your handle, you have been banned from other sites for being a douche?

[RiverBoatGambler]

Once again you respond with insults. That proves what a mental midget you are. Stop with the macho crap that no one is buying and put up the $2700 for the bet. You are always doing that to others and now when RBG does it to you, you can't put. Put up or shut up. And why is it that when I google your handle, you have been banned from other sites for being a douche?

Put up the bread!!!!

[BigdaddyQH]

Offense
QB Brandon Allen...He bacame the starter after the season started. 49% completion rate.
RB Jonathan Williams...Starter. This is the strongest part of the offense.
WR Keon Hatcher...He was part of a rotation, NOT the starting WR.
TE Hunter Henry...Starter
RG Denver Kirkland...Starter
RT Brey Cook...Starter
LT Dan Skipper..Starter. So I was mistaken. 5 starters return.

Defense
DT Darius Philon...Not a starter.
DE Trey Flowers...Starter.
OLB Braylon Mitchell...Starter.
MLB Brooks Ellis...Not a starter.
CB Carroll Washington/Will Hines...Neither one a starter.
CB Tevin Mitchell...Starter
SS Alan Turner...Starter

Still, they probably will not win a single SEC game this year and will most likely end up 3-9 again.

I totally agree with you. Arkansas will be very lucky to win 5 games. Thwey will go 0-5 on the road. and lose to Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss at home. They will probably lose to Georgia in Little Rock. Even a win at Missouri gives them just 4 wins.

[Microbetter]

Put up the bread!!!!

He's ignoring you. Too bad. I really wanted to see one of these challenges go down. Oh well!