Surprising

[Ionbull]

If you wander over to Garnet and Black Attack the overall vibe seems to be happiness to make a bowl game again after a bad year last year mixed with unsettling dread that this is another Clemson game. Only thing that bothers me is how much CWT not being there affects the team. I always assume you still play to win, and in his offense it's more making something happen than playing a chess match but who knows. Bowl games are so strange soemtimes

[BullyPulpit]

5 minutes ago, Ionbull said:

If you wander over to Garnet and Black Attack the overall vibe seems to be happiness to make a bowl game again after a bad year last year mixed with unsettling dread that this is another Clemson game. Only thing that bothers me is how much CWT not being there affects the team. I always assume you still play to win, and in his offense it's more making something happen than playing a chess match but who knows. Bowl games are so strange soemtimes

If you look at the track record of AAC teams with interim HCs over the past two years it doesn't bode too well. Memphis lost badly last year, Houston lost badly this year, Temple plays today, but against a Wake Forest team that was 6-6 and lost 5 of its last 6, with the lone win being over a terrible Virginia team by 7. 

It is always interesting to see how college kids respond to bowl games. Last year, with it being a new experience, I expect that a few of our players (and coaches) really weren't ready, but I don't think that will be the case this season. I'm hoping for a blowout, but wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be a close game. 

[Azmodi]

1 minute ago, BullyPulpit said:

If you look at the track record of AAC teams with interim HCs over the past two years it doesn't bode too well. Memphis lost badly last year, Houston lost badly this year, Temple plays today, but against a Wake Forest team that was 6-6 and lost 5 of its last 6, with the lone win being over a terrible Virginia team by 7. 

It is always interesting to see how college kids respond to bowl games. Last year, with it being a new experience, I expect that a few of our players (and coaches) really weren't ready, but I don't think that will be the case this season. I'm hoping for a blowout, but wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be a close game. 

I wouldn't take Wake Forrest for granted. It may just be that all of their opponents this year have had their plays and game plan in advance.

 

Sad but, a real possibility.

[BullyPulpit]

Just now, Azmodi said:

I wouldn't take Wake Forrest for granted. It may just be that all of their opponents this year have had their plays and game plan in advance.

 

Sad but, a real possibility.

Could be, but I doubt that Tulane had the game plan in that 7-3 thriller they played the opening week. Temple is too good defensively to lose this game. I'll take Temple 27-13. 

[Azmodi]

1 minute ago, BullyPulpit said:

Could be, but I doubt that Tulane had the game plan in that 7-3 thriller they played the opening week. Temple is too good defensively to lose this game. I'll take Temple 27-13. 

That's all well and good but, I thought the same thing before Temple played Army.

[Ionbull]

4 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

If you look at the track record of AAC teams with interim HCs over the past two years it doesn't bode too well. Memphis lost badly last year, Houston lost badly this year, Temple plays today, but against a Wake Forest team that was 6-6 and lost 5 of its last 6, with the lone win being over a terrible Virginia team by 7. 

It is always interesting to see how college kids respond to bowl games. Last year, with it being a new experience, I expect that a few of our players (and coaches) really weren't ready, but I don't think that will be the case this season. I'm hoping for a blowout, but wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be a close game. 

Last year they played a conference champion in WKU; I knew that matchup was a miss match going in, but I do believe the new experience didn't help with prep and execution.  They just have more athletes and speed than USCe this year, so it would be a massive breakdown to lose IMO and only see that if they don't let QF cook or the guys play disinterested. 

Some of those games were also mismatches. SDSU was a good team, Houston played sporatic all year. Memphis vs Auburn was another mismatch. WKU didn't have trouble with Brohm gone, it can happen.

[BullyPulpit]

1 minute ago, Azmodi said:

That's all well and good but, I thought the same thing before Temple played Army.

That was early in the season. Temple was clearly not the same team that they have been the last 5 games. Since they played us, they have given up a total of 33 points in 5 games. 6 ppg is crazy good. Combine that with a Wake Forest offense that ranks 125 out of 128 in total offense and 122 out of 128 in scoring offense and I will take Temple all day. 

[Ionbull]

5 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

That was early in the season. Temple was clearly not the same team that they have been the last 5 games. Since they played us, they have given up a total of 33 points in 5 games. 6 ppg is crazy good. Combine that with a Wake Forest offense that ranks 125 out of 128 in total offense and 122 out of 128 in scoring offense and I will take Temple all day. 

Yeah after that Memphis game I felt worlds better about Temple; obviously didn't work out. Honestly think they got healthy at the right time and the win against USF was the momentum starter they needed. Darn shame on our part but heck of a year for the Owls.

[BullyPulpit]

2 minutes ago, Ionbull said:

Last year they played a conference champion in WKU; I knew that matchup was a miss match going in, but I do believe the new experience didn't help with prep and execution.  They just have more athletes and speed than USCe this year, so it would be a massive breakdown to lose IMO and only see that if they don't let QF cook or the guys play disinterested. 

Some of those games were also mismatches. SDSU was a good team, Houston played sporatic all year. Memphis vs Auburn was another mismatch. WKU didn't have trouble with Brohm gone, it can happen.

Auburn wasn't world beaters last year (6-6 heading into the bowl with an OT win over Jacksonville State). They certainly weren't 21 points better than Memphis was with Paxton Lynch at QB. Losing Fuentes hurt them quite a bit. Also, SDSU might be "good" but they were sporadic at times this year as well, losing to South Alabama, Colorado State, and Wyoming (all has at least 6 losses on the season). 

I don't think USF suffers a letdown and I think the players are "up" for playing an SEC team in a bigger bowl game than the Miami Bowl, but bowl games are funny like that sometimes. These are college kids at the end of the day. 

[BullyPulpit]

Well, I will gladly eat crow on my Temple prediciton, but I think their performance does support my earlier statement that the AAC getting their coaches raided before the bowl season takes its toll on the players and the coaches. I hope USF sees this and comes out with something to prove.