Predicting Next Year's Football Finish

[HawkHusky]

I came across this AAC forum: http://csnbbs.com/thread-670196.html (fans of AAC teams predicting where teams finish in the conference next year)

Two things stuck out to me:

1. Most posters chose UCF and East Carolina to finish on top. A good amount think East Carolina is gonna have their way with the league in their rookie year...I don't know much about them, but they did have some good wins this year versus ACC teams (@UNC, @NCState).

2. Most posters put UCONN last or next to last in the standings. Whatever crack they're smoking must be some good .

 

[FDNY99]

Our body of work the last 3 seasons doesn't really help us all that much.

 

[Dooley]

For people outside of our program and don't follow closely, it's tough to predict UCONN any higher than 4-5 wins. We lost to Towson, USF, Buffalo, and SMU last season. And it's not like Pasqualoni lured top recruiting classes while he was here either. Personally, I think UCONN can get to a bowl game next year if the players buy in to Coach Diaco's system and train this offseason like they never have before. I guess we will know more once spring ball starts.

 

[DW4UCONN]

From my experience with ECU fans is that they are fanatics that think ECU can runs through concrete walls. Great fan base that can be a bit annoying. Not surprised they think they will do so well. As for Uconn, I would be extremely happy if we finish in the top 8 and have a good recruiting class for 2014 to build on.

 

[Huskygrad88]

The question may be the balancing act of total wins vs. how the fans react early. Most people really seem to be hopeful for 6 so we make a bowl, but what happens to Diaco fever if we start 1-2 at home. Its a very likely scenario (we will not be favored, even at home, against BYU or Boise). Will folks abandon ship that quickly if it happens??

 

[sportsart]

I believe 9 teams got 6 wins this year and didn't go bowling. I think we need 7 this coming season to get to a bowl. I'm always optimistic, but who knows....

 

[whaler11]

I'd need to know who is in the league to make a prediction. Are Tulsa, Tulane and East Carolina all in next year?

 

[whaler11]

The AAC has 6 tie ins next year. Bortles declared or UCF would have had a heck of a shot at the access bowl to create 7.

UConn with 6 wins I'd put at 90-95% shot at a bid.

 

[noeynox]

I'd need to know who is in the league to make a prediction. Are Tulsa, Tulane and East Carolina all in next year?

Until we play these teams a few times it is hard to feel any type of connection to these teams. This is an odd conference in that sense.

 

[UCFBfan]

I think we should be better than at least Memphis and Temple and I'd give us an additional 1-2 wins in conference. Tulsa was pretty awful last season but I don't know anymore about them than that. I know Tulane went bowling this year but who do they return?

This conference is so unknown it's hard for anyone to predict where any of us will end up. Most AAC schools are C-USA schools so maybe their fans know other schools but they don't know anything about UConn other than this past season so it's not a shock to see us be predicted to finish near the bottom in their eyes.

 

[BlueMAB]

We don't even know the schedule yet, but I can't blame anyone for picking us last or near the bottom, we've earned it.

 

[UConnDan97]

Here are my less-than-properly thought out predictions for 2014:

1) UConn (Because 13-0, that's why!)
2) Houston (90% of their team comes back, including QB O'Korn)
3) UCF (Even with the loss of Bortles, all of the teams underneath them have so many question marks. Storm Johnson will be back)
4) ECU (QB Carden is back, although they lose their RB and 2 of their OL)
5) Cincy (I'm so tempted to have them higher, but they lose Legaux, Kay, Luallen, McClung, and 3 OLs)
6) Temple (Pretty high, but their young QB PJ Walker is exciting and I think will win with his arm and feet. Matakevich is young too)
7) SMU (Garrett Gilbert is gone, so it will be interesting to see what happens to their air attack without him)
8) Tulane (QB Montana is back, but unlike his father, he can't win games on his own. However, monster DT and LSU transfer Davenport is gone now)
9) Memphis (QB Paxton Lynch is back, and they look like they are steadily improving, but....it's still Memphis)
10) USF (It's unbelievable to me how far this team has fallen with all that FL talent, but no Eveld and no Lattimore makes a bad team worse)
11) Tulsa (They weren't good in a depressed C-USA, so I think it's fair that they start the American predictions here)

There you have it. My early and novice picks for 2014. Enjoy...

 

[whaler11]

There is zero reason to lose to Temple, Tulane, Tulsa or Memphis next year. UCF, Cincinnati and East Carolina all have legitimate teams.
USF probably won't be good. Houston has a heck of a quarterback prospect.

Without knowing when and where the conference games are this is an impossible exercise. They should beat Stony Brook and Army and it's hard to see a win over BYU - but Boise was already a shell of their past glory and we all know what happened.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Uconn won its last 3 and have its best qb in 10 years. Cochran's presence keeps the safeties back, which makes the running game better.

Most importantly, the conference sucks. 7 wins is bare minimum, and 8 is very reasonable.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

He's our best QB in 10 years already? Let's avoid putting the hype machine into overdrive too soon. Cody Endres had great games Tyler Lorenzen had a good first season. While I think Casey might be the best since Danny O, he only won 3 games. Let's allow him to build that rep before crowning him too soon. Those who are too quick to crown you are often first in line to behead you.

 

[Colt house75]

Season's tickets tomorrow.....but....
Near impossible to predict.
SEASON of "HOPE & CHANGE" . PREDICT AN EXCITING SEASON AS WE SEE A RENAISSANCE ...but we will take our lumps...SO I AM NOT DRINKING THE KOOL AID in 2014.

PREDICTION #1
We will prove the pundits wrong and being the AAC League spoilers upset crew.
Willing to look past the final record this first year.

PREDICTION#2
Depending on the schedule of conference games, DESPITE THE LOSS of senior dominated offensive line as well as Yawin, SS and JJ on Defensive front seven, new systems, lack of full recruiting season for
new coaches, lack of experience in kicking game (especially losing CW) see us as competitive in TEN games due to coaching change and ability of HCBD. (Tough teams for an unseasoned o line and D line: Houston, ECU, UCF, CINCY,... as well as BOISE, BYU.....)

Positives:
1) best depth/ skill in receiving corps I can remember and the QB smarts/ return of CC ....
2)Coach Foley will overcome the lack of depth on O=line as we move through the year
3)Diaco, Poindexter, Brown rebuild the defense and front 7 through the year.
4) Coaching staff...period!!!
5) Depth at RB: Arkeel, MAX and a 4 year starter in a tough 175 lb kid who endured GDL

Prediction#3
HCBD overcomes the stench of the PPGDL, makes the RENT a fun place and AT BEST: 5, maybe 6 wins....

 

[TouchdownHusky]

We don't even know the schedule yet, but I can't blame anyone for picking us last or near the bottom, we've earned it.

What he said. Let's start beating some of these teams. A few years ago, mention of adding UCF to the conference was ridiculed. Now? East Carolina should always have been a target of the Big East. But . . . then again the Big East was successfully managing itself, so who am I to be critical?

 

[coachcap]

Navy doesn't play in the AAC until 2015, so that leaves 11 teams for this season. Will be interesting to see which teams the conference slots UConn against. Tough to make a prediction without knowing the opponents. I'll shoot for 8-4, which a significant improvement over the last 3 seasons. Nine wins or better is gravy.

 

[Carl Spackler]

After the past few seasons, winning 8 games seems like a Herculean thing. I know it's not, but it's just difficult to think about. Even in 2010, we were 3-4 at the halfway point. My opinion is that our 2008 and 2009 teams were our very best recently, those teams, seemed to have squandered what could easily have been double digit win seasons......whatever....

I'm not in the habit of predicting numbers of wins and losses, I just don't see the use, but I do want to see us compete for a league title through the duration of the season in 2014, and I want us in the post season. I would be very happy, to have a strong winnign record at home, nad going undefeated at home, should be a high priority, and break even on the road next season. For wins and losses, that would seem to put us at a bare minimum of 7-5.

 

[Huskyforlife]

6 wins at bare minimum, But we should really win more then that. No matter the record HCBD gets 1 year pass

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

The question may be the balancing act of total wins vs. how the fans react early. Most people really seem to be hopeful for 6 so we make a bowl, but what happens to Diaco fever if we start 1-2 at home. Its a very likely scenario (we will not be favored, even at home, against BYU or Boise). Will folks abandon ship that quickly if it happens??

Might be a poor turn out at that Stony Brook game Week 3 if we lose our first 2 at The Rent against perenial bowl favorites.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Other than UCF, which of next year's AAC opponents looked unbeatable? Temple, Memphis, Tulane and Tulsa are guarantee game caliber schools. WVU, Pitt and Louisville are gone, and USF's last coach was worse than UConn's. We are not trying to win against a Big East schedule any more.

 

[uconnbill]

A lot depends on how the players move from the past staff.

My guess is bowl bound

 

[CTGoonie]

Is there an AAC championship game next season or do we have to wait for Navy in 2015?

 

[UConn Dan]

Is there an AAC championship game next season or do we have to wait for Navy in 2015?

2015