Joe D.'s prediction...

[coachcap]

So yesterday was listening to WTIC Sportstalk: Joe D. was discussing with Gresh the preseason rankings of FBS teams. He mentioned that he thought that UCONN as ranked too low at he has the Huskies finishing 2nd in the AAC East behind USF.

 

[huskypantz]

So yesterday was listening to WTIC Sportstalk: Joe D. was discussing with Gresh the preseason rankings of FBS teams. He mentioned that he thought that UCONN as ranked too low at he has the Huskies finishing 2nd in the AAC East behind USF.

I am guessing that is where most posters would put the Huskies as well. Was he actually discussing with Gresh or was it more Joe D talking to himself?

 

[Dooley]

I think that is fair. UConn has every bit as much of a shot at the East as anyone else. Our two biggest nemesis of the past few years, UC and Temple, are home this year. If we get off to a fast start and can get a good atmosphere at the Rent for both of those games, it might help us finally beat those two.

USF on the road is obviously a huge game. ECU is winnable and Tulane at home in December better be a win or else.

 

[shizzle787]

I think we can finish second, and I definitely don't see Temple competing against us, USF, and Cincy.

 

[Nostical]

I'm supremely confident in the Huskies chances to win the AAC. I'm also waiting for a much delayed Delta flight. I may be delusional.

 

[TheDoggPound]

I think we're looking at 4-3 or 5-2 conference record; if we beat USF and go 5-2 that could get us in the Championship Game.

 

[UConnFranklin]

I think that is fair. UConn has every bit as much of a shot at the East as anyone else. Our two biggest nemesis of the past few years, UC and Temple, are home this year. If we get off to a fast start and can get a good atmosphere at the Rent for both of those games, it might help us finally beat those two.

USF on the road is obviously a huge game. ECU is winnable and Tulane at home in December better be a win or else.

We've played USF at their home and beat them. Remember Dave Teggarts 52 yard field goal. I was a thing of beauty. I've always thought we could beat USF everytime we've played them. I just don't understand ever losing to them. I think this year we are the better team and should beat them.

 

[Stinger92860]

we could have beaten USF last year. Stats wise that was one of our better games. I know they will get better also, but if we can improve on offense, we will have a chance to win on the road.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

We've played USF at their home and beat them. Remember Dave Teggarts 52 yard field goal. I was a thing of beauty. I've always thought we could beat USF everytime we've played them. I just don't understand ever losing to them. I think this year we are the better team and should beat them.

The thing about this series is there was only one loss to them (2006, our first visit to Tampa) that we couldn't have won and their fans can legitimately state that most of their losses to us could have gone the other way as well.

 

[uconndogs]

Some of these predictions baffle me. In our first seven games we have Navy, Houston and USF on the road. We'll be dogs in all of those and I would have to think Navy is the best bet for a W. Then we have Cincy at home along with Virginia and Cuse. Will be hard to get momentum with that schedule. Outside of the Black Bears, I see Cuse and Virginia as the more likely Ws to start the season. Folks talking about 8-9 win season and 5-2 in conference.....well, I would love it, but.............

To do that the offense would have to take a very big leap and BS has to stay healthy.

 

[specialisthusky]

I think we have a reasonable chance to start 4-0 going into the Houston game.

Maine is Maine. Navy will be replacing nearly their entire offense in a scheme that really flourishes with experience. UVA has a new coach after going 4-8 and will be returning from a cross country game against a likely top 25 Oregon. SU will likely be coming off of back to back beatdowns by Louisville and USF and looking towards a game against Notre Dame the following week. Plus they suck and Dino Babers new "orange is the new fast" campaign is going to fall on its face far faster than their offense will look in week 4.

Houston is going to crush us in a pay back game most likely.

The following two games likely make or break the season. We have some extra days to prepare for Cinci at home as the Houston game is on a Thursday night. If you go 1-1 against UC and @USF. We may be able to scrape our way to 2nd in the AAC East assuming (and that's a big assumption) we can beat Temple at home.

 

[TheDoggPound]

Some of these predictions baffle me. In our first seven games we have Navy, Houston and USF on the road. We'll be dogs in all of those and I would have to think Navy is the best bet for a W. Then we have Cincy at home along with Virginia and Cuse. Will be hard to get momentum with that schedule. Outside of the Black Bears, I see Cuse and Virginia as the more likely Ws to start the season. Folks talking about 8-9 win season and 5-2 in conference.....well, I would love it, but...

To do that the offense would have to take a very big leap and BS has to stay healthy.

If our offense was just marginally* better we would have won the USF & the Navy game last season. Just a couple key conversions we needed to convert would have made all the difference and got us a W. That would have given us 8 wins. I like to be optimistic that the team has improved and can seal the deal in a couple games that are tight this time around. If you aren't, that's cool.

 

[weyuo]

So, once again we all sit here contemplating a new season and once again since I've been following UConn football(pre Edsall) the same questions year after year. Offense, will it improve? QB situation: if it isn't, "Who's the starter?" going into the last week of fall camp it's "where's the QB depth?". Why are players being re-positioned OUT of the QB slot year after year and never anyone INTO the QB slot(that has any chance in hell of actually playing)? Oh, and the one I hear every year regardless, "Can the O-line pick it up(improve) this year?"

My angle on it, if they are 4-0 going into the game with Houston than anything can happen including dare I say it, a 10+ win season. If they are .500 then don't expect much better the rest of the way. At 2-2 going into Houston they haven't improved enough and answered enough of the lingering questions to beat the upper echelon of any conference. You may as well pencil them in at 2-3.

 

[gopher2]

Other than Maine, there is no game on the schedule I would be surprised to see us lose, except possibly UCF. Mediocre O-line, lack of big playmakers, lack of QB depth, no punt return game, conservative and predictable play calling, questions on the defensive front all suggest we are still a long way away from being a power in the AAC.

 

[sportsart]

Other than Maine, there is no game on the schedule I would be surprised to see us lose, except possibly UCF. Mediocre O-line, lack of big playmakers, lack of QB depth, no punt return game, conservative and predictable play calling, questions on the defensive front all suggest we are still a long way away from being a power in the AAC.

Hope springs eternal every summer, except at your house.

 

[The Viking]

Other than Maine, there is no game on the schedule I would be surprised to see us lose, except possibly UCF. Mediocre O-line, lack of big playmakers, lack of QB depth, no punt return game, conservative and predictable play calling, questions on the defensive front all suggest we are still a long way away from being a power in the AAC.

To put this post into context, last October you claimed we would win 4 games last year and MAYBE 5 this year....so since we won 2 more than you thought last year, lets bump your expectations this year to 7 wins, how about that negative nelly?

 

[gopher2]

To put this post into context, last October you claimed we would win 4 games last year and MAYBE 5 this year....so since we won 2 more than you thought last year, lets bump your expectations this year to 7 wins, how about that negative nelly?

I only said I would not be surprised if we lose to anyone on the schedule except Maine and UCF. That's different than saying I expect to lose to everyone except Maine and UCF. Would a loss to BC, Navy, Virginia, Cincy, USF, Houston, East Carolina, Temple, even Tulane shock you? Not me. That's all I said, Sunshine.

 

[weyuo]

If UConn loses to either BC or Syracuse then they belong in the AAC. Those are statement games to the world saying "we're the best in the Northeast. Bring on Penn St!!" Being the best in the Northeast might not carry a lot of weight around the country but it gives the team and the fans something. Those are moral victories for the team yes but especially for the fans and the fans need bragging rights over someone they care about bragging at. They don't care about bragging rights over Tulsa or Tulane fans. So even if the teams goes 7-5 or 6-6 please let two of those wins be against BC and the Cuse.

 

[2Infinity]

As for the Joe D prediction of 2nd, let's just hope he has a lot more luck this time than he did in predicting the local AL teams this spring. For those who may not recall, he unabashedly predicted the Yankees would finish FIRST and the Red Sox would finish LAST in the AL East.