I see little drop off next season

[Harry]

People just don't understand -- I just do not expect we will see much of a drop off next season. Dajon Williams may be the best QB raw talent wise we have EVER had in this program. Our oline returns 4 starters. We have a bunch of redshirts like my boy Rheinhardt pumping iron and just foaming at the mouth to get on the field. Lee and a lot of defenders return. We will miss Brelan but Jones is no slouch. Jim Jim Will be back as will Pegram. This is no disrespect to the seniors as they have done a great job! But this program foundation isn't built on paper mâché anymore it's build on DANNY MAC CEMENT BABY!! ROCK ME ! GMG

[BillySee58]

Completely agree with you Harry. Also, don't underestimate our recruiting class. This one is shaping up to be Mac's best class yet and with more instant impact guys than he's had in a class yet. Future is bright!

[UNT90]

Harry, you shouldn't be gulping Emmitt's Mean Green mix so early in the morn.

We don't know what next year will bring. There are a bunch of contributors graduating this year that will be hard to replace, including a first ballot HOF QB.

Plenty of time to hash and re-hash after Jan. 1.

[MeanGreenTexan]

We're talking about losing 3 of the most prolific players in Mean Green History (say what you will about Thompson, but he's in on all of the records).

We're also losing Byrd & Smith on offense, and Boutwell, Abbe & Trice on defense.

I'm a little nervous. Lots of opportunities for people to shine though.

I'm VERY excited about next year's O-line though.

[outoftown]

People just don't understand -- I just do not expect we will see much of a drop off next season. Dajon Williams may be the best QB raw talent wise we have EVER had in this program. Our oline returns 4 starters. We have a bunch of redshirts like my boy Rheinhardt pumping iron and just foaming at the mouth to get on the field. Lee and a lot of defenders return. We will miss Brelan but Jones is no slouch. Jim Jim Will be back as will Pegram. This is no disrespect to the seniors as they have done a great job! But this program foundation isn't built on paper mâché anymore it's build on DANNY MAC CEMENT BABY!! ROCK ME ! GMG

He may be. But until he proves it on the field in a real game that is just an optimisitic assumption.

I think you are not doing next ears team any favors by increasing expectations all that much.

I am sorry but I think the whole hope for no drop off has to be coming from the thought that next years QB is significantly better than this years QB in order to make up for the incredible Brelan Chancellor and a whole host of great defensive players. Sure other players have also shown their potential but the sheer amount of great players leaving makes it difficult not to see some regression. But most importantly we have GREAT depth this year. next year that will not be the case. We will suffer particularly in the second halfs for it. Depending on the schedule i see somwhere between 5 and 7 wins right now.

That said, of course I hope that I am wrong and next years team is a 9 (maybe 10 or 11 with the post season) win team, just as this years team will be

Edited November 8, 2013 by outoftown

[meangreener]

I'm expecting a tiny drop off. Not much.

[edcollopy]

Beat SMU and watch that momentum just get bigger and bigger. If we replace our D-tackles, we'll be ok.

[pastorgrant]

I am encouraged by how much Coach Mac rotates players in. That will help a bunch. We are losing a lot of playmakers. I would not be surprised, though, to see new playmakers step up to fill their shoes. I'm in a wait and see mode, wouldn't be surprised either way.

[adman]

The larger issue isn't talent. It is leadership. Which players are going to step up and lead with their actions and their voices?

[UNT90]

The larger issue isn't talent. It is leadership. Which players are going to step up and lead with their actions and their voices?

Yep.

Losing Zach and Trice from the defense will really hurt in this area. Hopefully their leadership begats new leaders for next year. We shall see.

[KRAM1]

The larger issue isn't talent. It is leadership. Which players are going to step up and lead with their actions and their voices?

Exactly this! The seniors we are losing are leaders. We will need new leadership to emerge...I fully expect it will. Question is....who will take on the responsibility? Will be exciting, fun and interesting to see who emerges next season.

But, before we all go start debating next season...let's WIN OUT with this one and GO BOWLING!

Beat UTEP!

[MeanGreenTexan]

The larger issue isn't talent. It is leadership. Which players are going to step up and lead with their actions and their voices?

We'll still have the Badger on the O-line.

I would expect Lee to fill Trice's void as a leader in the secondary. Maybe Akunne will step up to be a vocal replacement for Zach?

[GOMG2013]

It will depend on if Wallace is the real deal. If he can step in for orr the defense should not fall off. A good defense is a system, philosophy, and attitude. This defense is not driven by one beast. When you have a defense like that, its not hard to plug in a person and not have much drop off. Our biggest issues on d has been one on one coverage and I expect that to improve with 3 starting dbs returning. Trice is the vocal leader and that will be missed, but that wont stop this team from hitting hard next year.

Our offense should at least be the same. Im expecting more with a mobile qb. DT has done a good job and has proven he can play D1 football at a high level. But lets not act like our offense is the reason for this team's sucess. Losing Brelan the WR is not as big of a loss like some think it is. We really do not use him (like we could). We are going to miss his return game much more.

DT has balled and ran the ball well with some timely calls, but he is not a threat to do lots of damage. First downs and an occasional qb draw close to the red zone. Once we add a qb that can rip off huge runs in this system, the offense will be hard to deal with. If we plan on running the qb more, we will have to have TWO qbs that are ready. they will take more hits if we truly plan on doing the read option the right way.

[TIgreen01]

It's crazy to not expect some drop-off. How much is hard to tell since this season isn't over yet. We've got a ton of senior starters on defense, 2 or 3 of which are the best we've had at their positions in 10 years (Orr/Trice). But, as others have said, if we've got a dynamic QB to add to the mix that will certainly be an X-factor. Freshman QBs usually make mistakes, though. So, expectations should remain tempered...

Edit: Also, what coaches are we going to have to replace after this season?? You know teams all over the country are taking notice of our defense. So who are the guys that are gonna get shots at promotions elsewhere and will we be able to hold on to them with pay bumps? Historically we haven't done well at keeping a staff together after years of great success.

Edited November 8, 2013 by TIgreen01

[KingDL1]

I am hoping this is just the tip of the iceberg and it just gets better for years to come. It needs to our schedules will likely just get tougher as C-USA get stronger again.

[meangreendork]

Exactly this! The seniors we are losing are leaders. We will need new leadership to emerge...I fully expect it will. Question is....who will take on the responsibility? Will be exciting, fun and interesting to see who emerges next season.

But, before we all go start debating next season...let's WIN OUT with this one and GO BOWLING!

Beat UTEP!

I've been watching the Beyond the Green series, and when they have some of the underclassmen speaking or feature some of the younger players, I can see some of those men stepping up and leading in the coming seasons.

[BillySee58]

I am hoping this is just the tip of the iceberg and it just gets better for years to come. It needs to our schedules will likely just get tougher as C-USA get stronger again.

Our schedule will get tougher over time but as far as next year, replacing Tulane and Tulsa with UAB and Southern Miss will make things easier at least for next year. Southern miss won't be down long, but they've still got a ways to go.

UTSA loses Soza so I expect a bit of a drop off, UTEP still has a ways to go, La tech could be a tough team but we should get them at home, and then Rice loses a lot of seniors but will still probably be our biggest hurdle in the division, especially if we get them at home.

Another favorable schedule IMO.

[meangreener]

I think the defense will not be as good. The offense will probably get better. The lack of leadership will hurt. However, still, a 7-5 ballclub. No offense to any of our current players, but I don't think this team is the most talented in CUSA with the exception of Brelan, Orr, etc. But they have heart, guts and are incredibly intelligent. I don't think 99% of teams have half of what we have in that department. We will have more talent and hopefully maintain that heart, guts and intelligence in the future. That is a game breaker that's as equally important as talent. Most college teams lack that nowadays. (See: Oregon)

I'm all about this year right now though.

Edited November 8, 2013 by meangreener

[UNTLifer]

Leaders: Y'Barbo and Lemon on offense and Akunne and Lee on defense.

We may have a drop off, we may not. I'm tempted to call Orr our best LB ever, so you don't just replace someone like that, but Wallace, Akunne and Scott could. I mentioned in an earlier thread that we always say who's going to replace xxxx? Take runningback for instance, it was Galbraith, then Cobbs, then Cobbs/Thomas, then Dunbar, now a committee. Fitzgerald stepped up in Quinn's absense. Chancellor was a little know recruit and look what he has done. This program is on the way up with a coaching staff that know's what they are doing. We will be fine. Does Williams step right in for Thompson? I don't know, but he sure looked good late against Idaho. I'm with Harry.

But for now, let's focus on UTEP and giving these seniors and this team the sell out they deserve.

[KingDL1]

Our schedule will get tougher over time but as far as next year, replacing Tulane and Tulsa with UAB and Southern Miss will make things easier at least for next year. Southern miss won't be down long, but they've still got a ways to go.

UTSA loses Soza so I expect a bit of a drop off, UTEP still has a ways to go, La tech could be a tough team but we should get them at home, and then Rice loses a lot of seniors but will still probably be our biggest hurdle in the division, especially if we get them at home.

Another favorable schedule IMO.

We will also be the team to beat after being penciled in as a give me homecoming victim for the past few years.. I think teams will be more up for us.

[golfingomez]

Offense should be great... sure you're breaking in a new QB... but he has about as veteran of an Offensive Line as you could ask for...

defense will be the question... the entire front seven takes some huge hits...

who will step up and be the man in the middle?

[H-towngreen]

D tackle is the only spot that concerns me. We have depth at all positions where I feel comfortable with who is stepping in. BC will be tough to replace in the return game. Plus this class is shaping up rather nicely. We have a playmaker onboard in Fonzale.

[meangreener]

D tackle is the only spot that concerns me. We have depth at all positions where I feel comfortable with who is stepping in. BC will be tough to replace in the return game. Plus this class is shaping up rather nicely. We have a playmaker onboard in Fonzale.

Agreed. Our special teams is the difference maker, which is why I worry about the loss of Brelan.

[Harry]

I think people are misinterpreting my original post. I cherish the seniors on this team -- what they are accomplishing will put them in a very special place in the history of this program. What I am saying is that they WAY that Mac is building this program through high school players who are redshirted and given a year in the Wentrich system is different than what we have seen around here in the past. Heck Mac even redshirts Juco's like Chris Loving! My point is this isn't a one year miracle. We are developing a program that can compete for C-USA championships every single year.

[GOMG2013]

But, as others have said, if we've got a dynamic QB to add to the mix that will certainly be an X-factor. Freshman QBs usually make mistakes, though. So, expectations should remain tempered...

We do not have a prolific offense right now. we are going to have an unproven qb that will make mistakes, but is that any different than what we are dealing with now? People act like DT is playing mistake free ball. If the coaching staff plays conservative because of the new qb, how is it any different than this year? We're already used to it. We already give up pick 6s. Are we gonna run even more and give up 2 ints per game? I expect at minimum, similar results from the offense, and that is not asking for a lot.