SportsRating.com On The Mean Green For 2013

MeanGreen61 · August 26, 2013

OK, here's another rating system for the doom and gloom folks to throw rocks at.

It's looking like a potential breakthrough season for North Texas but everything has to go just right. The Mean Green should beat Idaho pretty easily in the opener and they've got a good shot at Ohio but we favor the Bobcats there. Over the next four games they could go 3-1 or 0-4; we make them slight favorites over Ball State, Tulane, and MTSUand of course huge underdogs at Georgia. North Texas could conceivably be 5-1 at the mid-point, though 4-2 or 3-3 is a more realistic expectation.

The next two games depend more on the opponent, i.e. will Louisiana Tech take a big slide as expected this year? And, will Southern Miss bounce back? In both cases we think the edge goes to North Texas but both are road games so the opponents' state of affairs will determine the outcomes.

In the last four games, the Green should beat both UTEP and UTSA while Rice and Tulsa will be tough. Game-by-game that's 8-4, and the cumulative odds are right between 6-6 and 7-5. No matter how you slice it they should be bowl-eligible, and if they get C-USA's 5th tie-in (they're neck-and-neck with MTSU but "win" the head-to-head) that would be the Hawaii Bowl against a Mountain West team, possibly Boise State or San Diego State. If not, they'd have to find a fill-in slot somewhere else

8/31 Sat vs. Idaho 98% W

9/7 Sat @ Ohio 43% L

9/14 Sat vs. Ball State 55% W

9/21 Sat @ Georgia 1% L

10/5 Sat @ *Tulane 56% W

10/12 Sat vs. *M. Tennessee St. 59% W

10/19 Sat @ *Louisiana Tech 74% W

10/26 Sat @ *Southern Miss 69% W

11/2 Sat vs. *Rice 24% L

11/9 Sat vs. *UTEP 81% W

11/23 Sat vs. *Texas-San Antonio 68% W

11/30 Sat @ *Tulsa 24% L

Straight up: 8-4 Cume: 7-5 Bowl eligible: 76%

http://www.sports-ratings.com/college_football/2013/08/2013-pre-season-rankings-north-texas-mean-green.html

GoMeanGreen1999 · August 26, 2013

OK, here's another rating system for the doom and gloom folks to throw rocks at.
It's looking like a potential breakthrough season for North Texas but everything has to go just right. The Mean Green should beat Idaho pretty easily in the opener and they've got a good shot at Ohio but we favor the Bobcats there. Over the next four games they could go 3-1 or 0-4; we make them slight favorites over Ball State, Tulane, and MTSUand of course huge underdogs at Georgia. North Texas could conceivably be 5-1 at the mid-point, though 4-2 or 3-3 is a more realistic expectation.
The next two games depend more on the opponent, i.e. will Louisiana Tech take a big slide as expected this year? And, will Southern Miss bounce back? In both cases we think the edge goes to North Texas but both are road games so the opponents' state of affairs will determine the outcomes.
In the last four games, the Green should beat both UTEP and UTSA while Rice and Tulsa will be tough. Game-by-game that's 8-4, and the cumulative odds are right between 6-6 and 7-5. No matter how you slice it they should be bowl-eligible, and if they get C-USA's 5th tie-in (they're neck-and-neck with MTSU but "win" the head-to-head) that would be the Hawaii Bowl against a Mountain West team, possibly Boise State or San Diego State. If not, they'd have to find a fill-in slot somewhere else
8/31 Sat vs. Idaho 98% W
9/7 Sat @ Ohio 43% L
9/14 Sat vs. Ball State 55% W
9/21 Sat @ Georgia 1% L
10/5 Sat @ *Tulane 56% W
10/12 Sat vs. *M. Tennessee St. 59% W
10/19 Sat @ *Louisiana Tech 74% W
10/26 Sat @ *Southern Miss 69% W
11/2 Sat vs. *Rice 24% L
11/9 Sat vs. *UTEP 81% W
11/23 Sat vs. *Texas-San Antonio 68% W
11/30 Sat @ *Tulsa 24% L
Straight up: 8-4 Cume: 7-5 Bowl eligible: 76%
http://www.sports-ratings.com/college_football/2013/08/2013-pre-season-rankings-north-texas-mean-green.html

I would certainly take that and don't necessarily think that is a bad way of looking at it. I think Idaho will tell us a lot of where we stand.

outoftown · August 26, 2013

I'll add that other rating agencies like teamrankings also think that there is more than 50% chance NT will be bowl eligible this season, with almost 10% probability NT wins the division.

http://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/team/north-texas-mean-green/projections

Edited August 27, 2013 by outoftown

MeanGreen61 · August 26, 2013

I'll add that other rating agencies like reamrankings also think that there is more than 50% cahnce NT will be bowl eligible this season, with almost 10% probability NT wins the division.
http://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/team/north-texas-mean-green/projections

Careful, just quoting an outside source that isn't negative toward the mean Green will bring an accusation that you are a sunshine pumper.

UNT90 · August 26, 2013

So they give us a better chance of beating USM and La. Tech on the road than UTSA at home?

And you really think they know what they are talking about?

PlummMeanGreen · August 26, 2013

Haven't we spent enough years hearing all the ugly? Doesn't some of all this "nice" sound better no matter how all this plays out?

If someone says something or wants to say something nice about you do we have some who would cut and run first good word that came out of those doing the praising mouths? We have a few who just need to get out of this being a Mean Green martyr mode. It just doesn't play well. Sheessssh......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL7YxIxHepI

GMG!

Edited August 27, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

outoftown · August 27, 2013

So they give us a better chance of beating USM and La. Tech on the road than UTSA at home?

And you really think they know what they are talking about?

Honestly I don't know why everyone underrates UTSA almost as much as they overrate La Tech.

Tech brings back exactly noone. And puts a new coach on top... and while that is a solid coach he has never been the kind that makes you think: instant success. UTSA may have only beaten 4 teams from FBS last season, and it's true those were the dregs of FBS, but NT did not beat more than 4 either, and they both bring back a lot of experienced players. If your computer values experience you will think NT and UTSA just might be better than USM (with a wild card at coach, after going 0-12, bringing back an average amount of players) and La tech. I see nothing wrong with that kind of prediction. i think we beat UTSA at home, but go look at my pick ems predictions right now, and you'll see me optimistic about taking those two teams on the road also. call me a homer, I don't care.

Edited August 27, 2013 by outoftown

jdennis82 · August 27, 2013

I wonder how much impact the disappointment of the last men's basketball season plays into fans' pessimistic outlook for the 2013 football season.

Those who are most invested naturally experience the greatest pain, right?

Having chosen to accept the failure of the men's hoops team early in the year, I guess my optimism has had time to rebuild which may explain my 7-6 (bowl loss) prediction compared with others'.

FirefightnRick · August 27, 2013

A picture speaks volumes about the excitement of our fanbase for the upcoming season...Mac speaking to the crowd that showed up for the 2013 kick off event.

There might have been 100?

See, unlike the new 18 year old freshman that is just now getting involved and has never seen us play, the invested fan has learned his/her history through no fault of their own to be somewhat skeptical. This is the attitude we are having to fight against, and the effort put forth to turn the tide is less than stellar. We need to win and beat good teams if its ever going to improve.

I pray this season is the beginning of a new era but ill take my skepticism as I always do and shelf it to show up to blindly support along with the rest of you.

Rick

Edited August 27, 2013 by FirefightnRick

UNT90 · August 27, 2013

Honestly I don't know why everyone underrates UTSA almost as much as they overrate La Tech.
Tech brings back exactly noone. And puts a new coach on top... and while that is a solid coach he has never been the kind that makes you think: instant success. UTSA may have only beaten 4 teams from FBS last season, and it's true those were the dregs of FBS, but NT did not beat more than 4 either, and they both bring back a lot of experienced players. If your computer values experience you will think NT and UTSA just might be better than USM (with a wild card at coach, after going 0-12, bringing back an average amount of players) and La tech. I see nothing wrong with that kind of prediction. i think we beat UTSA at home, but go look at my pick ems predictions right now, and you'll see me optimistic about taking those two teams on the road also. call me a homer, I don't care.

USM would have blown out UTSA last year and will this year (if they even play). Giving us less of a chance AT HOME to beat a team that has been playing football only 3 years and playing it's first full FBS schedule than to beat 2 established programs ON THE ROAD is just asinine.

La. Tech lost a hell of a lot, but they were a bowl team last year with the best offense in college football. Surely their backups aren't THAT terrible (at least on offense. Defense couldn't get any worse).

USM will be MUCH better with a new coach that knows what he is doing. They got the Benforded in Football last year. But guess what? They chose to correct the problem, unlike the school that originated Benforded as a verb.

I'm not necessarily saying that we won't win at USM or at La. Tech, but we damn sure have less of a chance playing on the road at those 2 schools than we do at home against Road Kill.

PlummMeanGreen · August 27, 2013

Hold the board!

Are we seeing 2 different photos of last night's event at Apogee of which Coach Mac said there were thousands there?

Yes, I know I'm 62, in my 40'th year of following UNT football fairly closely (whether at the stadium or when not there on the MGRN) but I just need some clarification on the 2 very different pics I have now seen on this thread

And do I need to get negative, too, running off prospective new faces, new fans and new students who get turned off by such and could say....damn, I'll just go home this weekend instead?. Let them have their own Mean Green experience without trying to ruin it for them, too. Sheeeesh........

All this Mean Green business is still the toy section of our department store of life, folks. There is a real world of problems out there such as that which is now going on in Syria where innocent adults & kids are dying in their sleep because of poisonous chemicals; another disease has silenced a favorite of mine Linda Ronstadt who now has Parkinsons and can't talk (least of all sing), etc, etc, etc,...........so for the love of ??????, please don't mess up our toy section, too, which gives many of us a few hours of getting away from life's problems?

Edited August 27, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

FirefightnRick · August 27, 2013

Hold the board!

Are we seeing 2 different photos of last night's event at Apogee of which Coach Mac said there were thousands there?

Yes, I know I'm 62, in my 40'th year of following UNT football fairly closely (whether at the stadium or when not there on the MGRN) but I just need some clarification on the 2 very different pics I have now seen on this thread

And do I need to get negative, too, running off prospective new faces, new fans and new students who get turned off by such and could say....damn, I'll just go home this weekend instead?. Let them have their own Mean Green experience without trying to ruin it for them, too. Sheeeesh........

All this Mean Green business is still the toy section of our department store of life, folks. There is a real world of problems out there such as that which is now going on in Syria where innocent adults & kids are dying in their sleep because of poisonous chemicals; another disease has silenced a favorite of mine Linda Ronstadt who now has Parkinsons and can't talk (least of all sing), etc, etc, etc,...........so for the love of ??????, please don't mess up our toy section, too, which gives many of us a few hours of getting away from life's problems?

Plumm, that's two separate events.

Rick

ColoradoEagle · August 27, 2013

A picture speaks volumes about the excitement of our fanbase for the upcoming season...Mac speaking to the crowd that showed up for the 2013 kick off event.
There might have been 100?

I don't think it's a fair statement, especially since the kickoff event is going the extra mile for fans who are losing patience, and the event itself is awful. Somewhere between 2011 and 2013 it went from hot dogs and beer/wine to popcorn and soda. It's a small difference, but enough of one that kept me away. If I'm gonna sit and listen to Mac blow hot air about Iowa State and Florida for 30 minutes, I need some alcohol.

PlummMeanGreen · August 27, 2013

Plumm, that's two separate events.
Rick

Oh............then...

Edited August 27, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

meangreener · August 27, 2013

I don't think it's a fair statement, especially since the kickoff event is going the extra mile for fans who are losing patience, and the event itself is awful. Somewhere between 2011 and 2013 it went from hot dogs and beer/wine to popcorn and soda. It's a small difference, but enough of one that kept me away. If I'm gonna sit and listen to Mac blow hot air about Iowa State and Florida for 30 minutes, I need some alcohol.

Exactly. Everyone left because the event was awful. I came, had a hot dog, got a jersey and left.

Don't be deceptive.

outoftown · August 27, 2013

USM would have blown out UTSA last year and will this year (if they even play). Giving us less of a chance AT HOME to beat a team that has been playing football only 3 years and playing it's first full FBS schedule than to beat 2 established programs ON THE ROAD is just asinine.
La. Tech lost a hell of a lot, but they were a bowl team last year with the best offense in college football. Surely their backups aren't THAT terrible (at least on offense. Defense couldn't get any worse).
USM will be MUCH better with a new coach that knows what he is doing. They got the Benforded in Football last year. But guess what? They chose to correct the problem, unlike the school that originated Benforded as a verb.
I'm not necessarily saying that we won't win at USM or at La. Tech, but we damn sure have less of a chance playing on the road at those 2 schools than we do at home against Road Kill.

We must agree to disagree on this one. I believe that UTSA will be better than at least one of those schools this year. The good thing is there will be games played and at the end of the season we will have empirical evidence to support or revise our beliefs

UNT90 · August 27, 2013

We must agree to disagree on this one. I believe that UTSA will be better than at least one of those schools this year. The good thing is there will be games played and at the end of the season we will have empirical evidence to support or revise our beliefs

No doubt.

Except there will be no beliefs at the end of the year, just box and final scores.