GrandGreen

Every game is a window of opportunity, NT has to get better, has nothing to do with CUSA. NT was an awful team in the Belt since 2004 and just got to mediocre last year. On paper there is nothing to say that NT will be any better if as good as last year. NT needs a season like 2001 when things just begin to click. I don't think NT can rely on an exception recruiting class like spawned the 2001 through 2004 domination of the Belt. What NT has to rely on is the beginning of a winning McCarney system. Better preparation, coaching and training should begin to show if it in fact exists. You build for 2013 by getting a lot better in 2012.

Not sure I understand the turn that this tread has taken at all. I assume those that dismiss NT history, at least acknowledge that NT was the first by years in the state of Texas and most of the South to integrate. Damn important and something all fans should be proud of, no matter if most were born years afterward. I don't expect fans who were not alive for the Greene, Ramsey or Fry teams to be overly impressed with something that happened decades ago; but it is important to realize that NT has a long athletic history. More remember the DD 26 game Belt winning streak but that is old history to some. The subject loss/robbery to Arkansas to me was much more significant than the 1988 UT game; that Arkansas team was much better but before downgrading the UT game remember that NT was a fc/1aa team playing a UT team that was down that year. Also that NT beat Rice and Tech that year. I hope fans have a lot more landmark games to look back on, years down the road. However, that doesn't change history; it just adds to it. To dismiss the past because it is not relevant anymore, is incredibly short sighted.

Don't forget that Feeley has actually started two years. Mc is prone to exaggeration, but he said that Johnson was 6'7 320 now. I think the offensive line may not only be the strongest part of the team this year, but could be the unit that allows this team to go up a notch. I see a good runner game despite the loss of Dunbar who with the exception of a couple of games last year was playing hurt. I don't see any star running backs, but a lot of depth.

Plum, thanks for the video. As someone who has literally listened to hundreds of his NT broadcasts, he was definitely one of the best. He was a NT homer and I loved every minute of it. Sometimes, he sounded like he had a tin can for equipment but he was always a professional. Anyone who is a long time fan of NT, has to have appreciated Bill. He did an excellent job with poor equipment and often little support. If the room dedication video is still available on the official cite, you would enjoy it. Mercer can still talk a good game.

10. Determining if Coleman is the answer at center 9. senior years for Holmen, Niko, Franklin and Walton 8. Patton actually play 7. Resurgence of dynamic soph. duo: Williams and Jones 6. Benford comparison to J Jones 5. All time attendance record 4. Sun Belt Championships (regular and tournament) 3. First victories in NCAA tournament 2. View best player in NT history, Mitchell 1. View best team in NT BB history

Talk about a fruitless discussion. Who cares the differences are so scant between automatic entry standards of most of the state schools: UH, Tech, NT, TSSM, UTSA and UTA that you are getting in to the deep weeds to tell the difference. Then you get into how many are admitted that don't meet the standards, enough in some cases to make the stated numbers almost meaningless. One think I do believe after looking at a lot of college stats, that are used in the endless fan debates: athletic budget, attendance, academic metrics, etc.; is that most reported numbers are at best slanted and provide very little more than a very broad view.

Actually I had much rather schedule non-div 1 teams than the bottom of div 1, like some of the SWAC teams. The non div 1 do not count in the rpi, were playing low rated teams even if you win by big margins can cost a lot in the rpis.

Alzee is the most underrated player on the team IMO. I don't think he will have big numbers with the team next year but he will be the one of the most consistent players on the team. He can do it all, play defense, drive to the basket, and his outside shoot is improving. A tall guard with great quickness, he saved the team last year playing the point; but should be a better player at the off guard.

I am looking forward to what should be the best NT team to ever go on to the court.

My guess, getting games with anybody that have not already been scheduled are going to be difficult. Most teams are not going to want any part of Mitchell and Company.

You know there is a big difference between hope and results. All NT fans hope for improvements in recruiting and in the field. I have no doubt that McCarney and staff just have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful than most of NT's prior staffs and certainly the last two HC's. The current football staff should be the best overall that NT has had, just based on experience. While, the strenght and conditioning function appears to be much improved, most FB schools have had similar efforts for a much longer period; but I think it is progress for NT's program. I have no idea of the player relationship with either Dodge or McCarney and I am not sure that is a big factor anyway. The usual setup is the HC is always popular with most players, as he leaves the dirty work with the players to the assistants. At this point, McCarney hasn't had the opportunity to prove that he is any better evaluating and/or developing players than the norm. It is going to take a year or two to make that determination.

History should tell you, that only having three QB's ready is dangerous. If either Thompson or Osborn is injured, then a redshirt for McNulty would be difficult if that is the plan. More than one injured QB which as happened frequently at NT would be very bad. Going into a game with Dodson or Jones in the two deep would be very risky.

Obviously, as mentioned before, Farmer is making excuses and trying to placate ULL's fan base. It is odd, he mentioned NT directly and so often; it won't help him if ULL does get considered for CUSA. NT will have a vote.

Lots of schools live on jucos, although it is getting less common. With the new eligibility rules on the horizon, they will be even less a factor in both football and basketball. Even the premier teams cherry pick the jucos, but like high school recruiting; Belt schools are not getting the cream. Troy maybe an exception with their over signing and academic risk taking. Off topic, but some of the Troy fans are the most vocal against NT and FIU moving on. What they fail to fully realize is that Troy is likely never going anywhere and it is not their location, it is their academic reputation. It will be interesting to see how far Troy can go as rules tighten on transfers and over signing. Last years, performance might not be just a bad year for them.

One interesting thing about Farmer's rant is he keeps comparing newspaper coverage between NT and ULL. How ULL is front page news in the Lafayette rag, but NT is only infrequently covered in the back page of the DMN. Number one, newspaper coverage is dying everywhere but besides that isn't NT covered fairly extensively in the DRC. Denton and Lafayette are close to the same size, so why is coverage in the Advertiser more important than in the DRC. Add to that NT is covered as much as any team maybe with the exception of SMU in the DMN and it appears his comments are not only slanted but intentionally misleading.

Funny how large media markets are always downplayed by teams not in them. ULL did great last year in football, both in attendance and records; but historically they are just a blip in a LSU dominated region. No one thinks that NT or any other college controls the DFW, Houston, fill in the blank market. NT does have a presence in the DFW market which has great value. I have seen a lot of comments and this article kind of hints at it, that Denton really isn't all that close to Dallas and Fort Worth. It makes you wonder if any of these people have ever been to this area. It is one big mass of people and structures and the only way to tell one municipality from another is the city limit signs. Also the biggest growth areas are to the North of Dallas and Fort Worth.

My post was confusing which isn't rare, I was referring to conference affiliation; not the overall status of the program. I also think that you are correct in that the dedication and approach to recruiting is substantially better under McCarney, but I don't think the results are yet. Yes, it is better than dying programs under both Dodge and Dickey in their last few years but I don't see any significant improvement over early Dickey or Dodge. Hopefully, this will be the year that happens.

I hope recruiting substantially improves but offering players and signing them are far different. CUSA will help some as will Apogee, but the facts are most Texas teams are still ahead of NT on a conference basis and one team UTSA that NT was definitely ahead of is now equal. As far as other potential Western CUSA teams, Tulane's new coach is definitely beating NT for La recruits, and La Tech and Tulsa both have that winning thing above NT at this time. This will be McCarney's third class and it is certainly time for at least an improvement, and I think that will happen. The question is to what extent will recruiting improve? All these offers to a higher level of athlete are good, but nothing will be accomplished till they actually sign in February. Any team can offer, it doesn't mean much if anything.

Well I wonder what happened to the Troy invite, if recent football results is all that matters. For that matter, why were Tulsa and USM not invited to the BE? Winning football has never been as big a factor, as many think. Support and resources are and that is most directly tied to winning. But if it was only winning, NT would have been in CUSA for years, as at the time that decision was made: NT had a good football program and UTEP historically has been one of the worse in the nation. Boise is the poster boy for what winning can do, but for most it is a combination of factors. I doubt Houston or SMU would be in the BE is they were located far from population centers. Of all factors, winning football is a big one; but I think this latest round of realignment clearly points to geography and potential as being bigger.

I care, and actually NT has done more in the last decade than ever before. Sure NT has to get better but to suggest that losing key teams from CUSA won't hurt NT is false. One of NT biggest problems has always been conference affiliation, on the outside looking into Texas. NT entry into CUSA is a big step for the program, not close to as big as it would have been years ago when NT was a finalist, but still a step in the right direction. Losing one or more of the CUSA current heavyweights: Tulsa, ECU or USM would substantially reduce that progress. Any team CUSA loses is going to be replaced by a move up or Belt team, and although NT will still be in a more regional conference, the separation over any other league diminishes and CUSA could fall way behind the MWC. Winning big certainly got Boise moved up, but that step was not all that great and playing across the nation may not turn out well. Houston has been up and down on the football field, but they like NT have the market advantage. TCU is the one that really progressed going to the B12. If NT can post double digit wins for 5 or more years, then they could move up based on winning but not many teams can do that.

Hard to believe that Tulane, even their most optimistic fans are thinking Big 12. At this time they have a destination city going for them but little else. You realize what a down reputation NT has when you read threads like this. FIU is thought to be a good add but NT is seldom mentioned in a positive light. There is only one thing that La Tech and FIU have advantages over NT, recent football history.

Odoh didn't exactly just step off the boat and enter the USA. Lets see Odoh has now played for two different Jucos, signed and been released from USM and NT, so he should have a fair understanding no matter what his language skills are of what is going on. It really doesn't bother me that Odoh wanted to change schools after the coaching change. However, as I stated above; it does bother me that he didn't have the courtesy or fortitude to meet directly with the new coach of the University he signed a contract with. I am sure he is being "guided" by someone, whether it is his juco coach, potential agent or a member of NT's old coaching staff; but that doesn't clear him of the responsibility of his actions. It is obvious that Odoh had nothing to lose and potentialy something to gain by meeting with Benford. Odds are he is being guided by someone who has a lot more than Odoh's best interest as a motive.

Assuming 4 oc games and one a guaranteed away game, than you have few schedule options. If you balance the home schedule,. NT is going to have to buy a game which would mean a fc division game. The fc ranks are getting thinning and even those games will be more expensive. The other option is that NT will alternate 2 oc games a year with one the next. The only 5 home games a schedule is what everyone is bemoaning next year. The point is that NT may only have a couple of home and away series a year. NT like everyone is going to try to schedule those series against the most attractive opponents that they can. It really doesn't have anything about being too good to schedule anyone. Getting a one and one with a premier program is probably not gong to happen. That leaves the MWC, Belt, MAC, BE and two service academics. The most attractive schools to me, would be Houston, SMU, Army, Navy, and ULL. Second tier; MTSU, Nevada, UNLV, Co. State, NMSU, USA, and ASU. .

Not sure what you are referring to. I don't think there are many out there that sign with a school than don't even give that school the courtesy of an interview after a coaching change.

My guess there were more people involved than Odoh in that decision. Why would he under any circumstances refuse to talk to the new coach of the team he signed with? I can understand why NT attempted to play hardball with him. This kid didn't deserve a release.