Surprise Team (good or bad) of year... (both B10 and NCAA)

H

HwkFn4Life

Well-Known Member
By surprise teams, I mean teams that will either add or drop three or more wins from last seasons W-L record.

In the B10, Minny has to be the team. Coming off a 6-7 season and a bowl trip, the goofs replace nearly there entire defense and will be working under a new O.C. for the third consecutive season. The O has playmakers, just not enough. A tougher than it looks non-con schedule @ Middle Tenn. and home vs. N. Illinois (both of which should compete for titles in there respective conferences), and of course, the Trojans come to town. The conf slate doesn't bode well for home wins, with PSU, OSU, Iowa and NW heading North. This season looks to be a possible 10 loss season for the goofs. Assuming a win vs. USD, the goofs might be underdogs in every other game this season.

Outside the B10, my surprise team is Kansas State. Coming off a 6-6 season, K St. is my leading candidate to win the Big 12 North (You heard me Bug Eaters) K St. has a favorable non-con after there opener at home vs. UCLA. This includes N. Texas, UCF and Mo. St. They get Nebby at home, in which K. St. should be 4-0 and IMO be ranked at this point. This game will also be the last of what starts as a 5 game homestand to start the season. Manhattan will be rocking for this ESPN nightgame. Assuming they can beat Nebby and go at least 4-1 in the North, there South slate is managable with home games vs. Texas and OK St and a trip to Baylor. Kansas St. returns the Big 12's leading rusher in Daniel Thomas, and 4 of 5 lineman in front of him. QB Coffman was the penciled in starter last season before relinquishing the spot to Gregory. Guy should be very familiar with the system though. I see Kansas St. going 10-2, winning the Big 12 North and playing Oklahoma in the Big 12 champ. game.

Your thoughts??
 
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I think the Big 10 team who has the best chance to surprise us is Purdue. Their defense has some holes, but they still have Kerrigan, so that helps a little. But if Marve can play to his potential, that offense will be downright lethal. I know Bolden is hurt with an ACL, but I think I remember reading that they thought he could be back fairly early in the season. Smith and Valentine make up one of the best WR duo's in the country this year. They won't win 10 games or anything, but 8-4 is certainly within reach, given their favorable schedule.
 
K-state will get trounced by Nebraska. They are also going to get trounced by ISU in Kansas City. They are less than a shadow of what they were in the old days...and even old snaggletooth isn't going to change that this time around. They do have a fairly easy schedule and "might" eek out 5 or 6 wins...might.
 
I'd have to say that the surprise team of the B10 is going to be Indiana. I think they will capitalize on the close losses last year and keep the leads this year. Although Bill Lynch is a little to outspoken for my tastes, I think he's got some good things in motion there in Bloomington.
 
I'll go Big Ten.
Michigan (bad). Lots of folks seem to think RichRod is going to have his breakout season this year. I don't see it. Team chemistry is obviously bad, just lost a key defensive player and he's going to feel the heat from the opening kickoff. Perhaps most importantly they have one highly-overrated fragile QB and one who can't throw to save his life. And then there's the NCAA. 2010 will be the lowest point for Michigan football in memory...and I'm 50.

Interestingly enough, Buckeye fans won't be able to enjoy it too much. They'll lose twice, maybe three times. Miami, Wisconsin and Iowa will all have a shot...and two of the three will beat tOSU. (there might even be an upset somewhere in conference. Pryor doesn't strike me as "Mr Leadership")

Wisconsin (good). With perhaps the best offense in the conference, Wiscy will play in a BCS bowl game, maybe the Rose Bowl. They'll be the "2009 Iowa" of 2010...going 6-0 (7-0 if they beat OSU at home) before playing Iowa. THAT game...not Iowa/OSU may be the defining game this year in the Big Ten.
 
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Mesaclone said:
K-state will get trounced by Nebraska. They are also going to get trounced by ISU in Kansas City. They are less than a shadow of what they were in the old days...and even old snaggletooth isn't going to change that this time around. They do have a fairly easy schedule and "might" eek out 5 or 6 wins...might.
Click to expand...

Saved for Later.
 
Mesaclone said:
K-state will get trounced by Nebraska. They are also going to get trounced by ISU in Kansas City. They are less than a shadow of what they were in the old days...and even old snaggletooth isn't going to change that this time around. They do have a fairly easy schedule and "might" eek out 5 or 6 wins...might.
Click to expand...

"Old Snaggletooth"? You should be so lucky as to have an "Old Snaggletooth" at cow college.

Boy, it just never ends with you twits does it? Envy, jealously, resentment, anger... rinse and repeat. Not the stuff "winners" are made of.
 
Surprisingly good -

Big Ten - Michigan State. I've got them at 10-2 (6-2) with losses to only Purdue and Iowa. Good QB play can take you places, and Cousins is a good one. Throw in a somewhat favorable schedule, and Sparty flushes the poor fortunes of 2009 en route to a memorable '10 and a New Year's Day bowl in Florida.

Nationally - Boston College. They went 8-5 with a bowl loss to USC last year, and I'm guessing they are the ACC's Orange Bowl representative this year with an 11-2 top 10 kind of season. Va Tech and Notre Dame both travel to Chestnut Hill and the only really tough road game for the Eagles is an October trip to Tallahassee.


Surprisingly bad -

Big Ten - Illinois. I've got them finishing 10th in the conference, with a lone conference win over the cellar-dwelling Gophers. It will once again begin with a predictable meltdown in St. Louis, and after struggling with the directional Illinois schools, it will completely fall apart in late September. Zook fired by Thanksgiving, mass transfers by Christmas, and the Illinois program in shambles for the foreseeable future.

Nationally - North Carolina. Loads of NFL talent, but I can see things falling apart here. With NCAA investigations swirling and a tough schedule, I'm predicting this preseason Top 20 team disappoints big time and does not go bowling.
 
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