CAA Preseason Poll

[bluehenbillk]

We need some July banter.

I'll go with:

1-Villanova
2-UNH
3-Towson
4-Richmond
5-Stony Brook
6-Maine
7-Delaware
8-JMU
9-W&M
10-Albany
11-URI

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

1. Villanova
2. Richmond
3. Delaware
4. Towson
5. JMU
6.UNH
7. SBU
8. W&M
9. Albany
10. Maine
11. URI

[RichH2]

I'll try

Nova
Richmond
Towson
UNH
UD
SB
Richmond
W&M
Albany
Maine
URI

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Rich, are you projecting that the Spiders will annex the Women's College for Teachers in Harrisonburg once and for all?!

[HailSzczur]

My stab for what its worth, which probably isn't very much

1. Nova
2. Richmond
3. Towson
4. SBU
5. UNH
6. JMU
7. UDel
8. Albany
9. Maine
10. W&M
11. URI

EDIT: flip flopped SBU and UNH

[UMaineD]

Maine 10th? Are you smoking crack?

[LoneStar]

1.Towson
2.Richmond
3.James Madison
4.Villanova
5.Stony Brook
6.Delaware
7.Maine
8.William & Mary
9.UNH
10.Albany
11.Rhode Island

[HailSzczur]

1.Towson
2.Richmond
3.James Madison
4.Villanova
5.Stony Brook
6.Delaware
7.Maine
8.William & Mary
9.UNH
10.Albany
11.Rhode Island

Curious on your reasoning for Nova and UNH's positions, they're much different than the other few posted. Are you just not drinking the Wildcat Kool-aid?

[LoneStar]

Regarding Villanova I see the the top 4-5 teams being pretty tight, however, it appears everyone has their eye on Nova in this thread and missing the two teams that were left out of last years playoffs. I would expect at least 4 teams from the CAA make the playoffs this year.

UNH? Just look at their last two games, they were destroyed by physical running teams with solid defenses. I'm sure the power teams in the CAA will use that blueprint.

[HailSzczur]

Regarding Villanova I see the the top 4-5 teams being pretty tight, however, it appears everyone has their eye on Nova in this thread and missing the two teams that were left out of last years playoffs. I would expect at least 4 teams from the CAA make the playoffs this year.

UNH? Just look at their last two games, they were destroyed by physical running teams with solid defenses. I'm sure the power teams in the CAA will use that blueprint.

Fair enough. I all honesty at this point in the summer I haven't really taken much look around me at the other teams in the CAA. Must say I agree with you on UNH, I tend to often think they are over rated.

Glad to have you aboard LoneStar!

[LoneStar]

Thanks Szczur,

Great name and that kid was one hell of a football player and classy person. I've talked him up to some of my friends that are Cubs fans.

[Tribal]

Nova
SBU
UNH
Richmond
Delaware
Towson
W&M
Maine
Albany
JMU
Rhody

[Seawolf97]

Nova
SBU
UNH
Richmond
Delaware
Towson
W&M
Maine
Albany
JMU
Rhody

Thank you. We beat Villanova 20-10 in last years opening round of the play offs . StonyBrook will come into the CAA very competitive in 2013.

[melloware13]

1. Richmond
2. Towson
3. Villanova
4. Delaware
5. UNH
6. JMU
7. SBU
8. Maine
9. Albany
10. W&M
11. URI

Although I won't fully stand by a prediction of the season until November, should be another fun year in the CAA.

[URMite]

Is this a thread about best to worst, or first to last? Not necessarily the same thing. For instance, Richmond misses UNH & Nova so that might be worth nearly one less loss than most others.

[Mattymc727]

Agree on UNH not being a top 4 team. Were a bit overrated last season. However, they are a top 6 in the CAA....

[TheBoyWhoSeaWolf]

My totally biased, preposterously uninformed guesswork says:

1-Richmond
2-Towson
3-Villanova
4-JMU
5-UNH
6-Stony Brook
7-Maine
8-Delaware
9-Albany
10-William & Mary
11-URI

I wish I could put the Seawolves higher, but they've lost so many of their best players. They have had a number of FBS transfers, but I have no idea who their QB is. Maybe they will win the battle for the butter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6LPEPHUNNY), and hopefully will beat down the Albany puppies.

[WrenFGun]

Regarding Villanova I see the the top 4-5 teams being pretty tight, however, it appears everyone has their eye on Nova in this thread and missing the two teams that were left out of last years playoffs. I would expect at least 4 teams from the CAA make the playoffs this year.

UNH? Just look at their last two games, they were destroyed by physical running teams with solid defenses. I'm sure the power teams in the CAA will use that blueprint.

Like they have for the last 8 years?

[WrenFGun]

Agree on UNH not being a top 4 team. Were a bit overrated last season. However, they are a top 6 in the CAA....

Definitely overrated last year; didn't have to play Villanova, got destroyed by Towson and embarrassed in the end at ODU. We'll see how it goes this year but they'll have to make significant progress on defense and actually pick a QB to make any noise. Plenty of talent, at least offensively, though.

[Sitting Bull]

I just don't see W&M finishing near the bottom again this year. We lost so many close games on the road last year (UNH, Towson, JMU), these all with QB issues - which appears to be corrected. Laycock has never had three losing seasons consecutively - not that it can't happen, I just think he has good talent and some new assistants along with a QB now. I've seen this situation before.

I see us finishing 5-3 in the CAA with wins against URI, Delaware, JMU, Towson and UNH. The losses likely are road games at Maine, Villanova and UR.

We don't play SBU or UAlbany.

From experience following all this and just looking at the returnees, I would have to say Villanova, UR and SBU as the top three, in any order.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

1.Towson
2.Richmond
3.Villanova
4.James Madison
5.Stony Brook
6.UNH
7.William & Mary
8.Maine
9.Delaware
10.Albany
11.Rhode Island

[Mattymc727]

I honestly have no idea. I do think W&M will be better, and Towson was the best team I saw last year, so Id pick them for the top spot. Everyone else, we will wait and see.

[knucklehead]

1.Towson
2.Richmond
3.Villanova
4.James Madison
5.Stony Brook
6.UNH
7.William & Mary
8.Maine
9.Delaware
10.Albany
11.Rhode Island

I like this one pretty well ,but still think Richmond will end up at the top this year.....despite the OOC loss to Liberty. I'm also not sure how Stony Brook is going to fair just yet.

[alvinkayak6]

1. Towson
2. Richmond
3. Villanova
4. Maine
5. UNH
6. JMU
7. Stony Brook
8. Delaware
9. Albany
10. William & Mary
11.Rhode Island

[LeadBolt]

1. Richmond
2. Villanova
3. Towson
4. Stony Brook
5. William & Mary
6. UNH
7. Maine
8. JMU
9. Del
10. ALB
11. URi

edited. Missed the article on the loss of the AA Tackle by SBU

[danefan]

Its so weird to see Albany being ranked so low preseason. Its not wholly inaccurate, its just a different feeling for us Danes fans.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us in the middle of the pack though come the end of the season.

[SBUFAN33]

1.Villanova
2.Stony Brook
3.Richmond
4.Towson
5.James Madison
6.UNH
7.William & Mary
8.Maine
9.Delaware
10.Albany
11.Rhode Island

I Think us having Towson, UNH and Richmond at home will help us secure the 2 spot.

[etiger]

1.Towson
2.Villanova
3.Richmond
4.Stony Brook
5.UNH
6.JMU
7.William & Mary
8.Delaware
9.Maine
10.Albany
11.Rhode Island

I think the CAA gets 5 teams in the playoffs. Teams 1-5.

[jd of de]

6 teams chasing a maximum of 4 playoff spots

1. Richmond - Misses Villanova & UNH (really big) & Towson at home
2. UNH - Benefits from Villanova at home, missing Richmond & UD
3. SBU - Towson, UNH & Richmond at home help alot, URI, Maine & JMU on road help too
4a. Towson - UNH, Villanova & UD at home help, missing URI & Maine hurt
4b. Delaware -Miss UNH, have Richmond @ home & Villanova - at neutral site; Towson at semi-netural all help
4c. Villanova - Long slip for talent, but only real home games are SBU, URI & Maine

7. Maine - at Richmond, Villanova & UNH is killer
8. JMU
9. Albany
10. William & Mary
11. URI

[Great Dane in VA]

Its so weird to see Albany being ranked so low preseason. Its not wholly inaccurate, its just a different feeling for us Danes fans.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us in the middle of the pack though come the end of the season.

That's fine by me, let's hope Tom Coughlin taught Coach Ford a thing or two about flying under the radar...talk is cheap - play the game.

[andy7171]

1.Villanova
2.Stony Brook
3.Richmond
4.Towson
5.James Madison
6.UNH
7.William & Mary
8.Maine
9.Delaware
10.Albany
11.Rhode Island

I Think us having Towson, UNH and Richmond at home will help us secure the 2 spot.

Yep. UNH having us at home helped them get a first round bye last year. Wait, hows that???

[danefan]

That's fine by me, let's hope Tom Coughlin taught Coach Ford a thing or two about flying under the radar...talk is cheap - play the game.

welcome to the board.

[M Ruler]

welcome to the board.

I think Danefan meant we have been picked to win the NEC outright pretty much every year we were in the NEC and won the title 6 times. So seeing us picked 9th or 10th is unsettling.

I also believe UA could be middle of the pack this year. Not sure SBU will be as good as the past two years so that last game could be for a winning season. We need to come out of the gate 4-0 before we run into the buzz saw that is Old Dominion, etc.

[LoneStar]

I may have William & Mary ranked to low, very impressive performance versus WVU. I wouldn't be surprised if the finish in the top 5.