EARLY SOCON 2014 RANKINGS

[SCPALADIN]

Now that there are no more SOCON teams remaining in the playoffs, what are people's thoughts about preseason rankings?

My early thoughts:

1) Chattanooga
2) Furman
3) Samford
4) Wofford
5) the Citadel
5) Western Carolina
6) Mercer
7) VMI


...discuss

[melloware13]

I wouldn't be shocked if Mercer is higher, but it will be a step up in competition compared to what they had this year.

[chattanoogamocs]

Top 4 are all pretty close together...big question mark for Samford will be replacing QB1.

I never know what the Citadel will do...so they are always scary to pick against.

Be interesting to see if WCU will continue to climb.

Mercer will experience plenty of growing pains...but I still think they could win 5 or 6 game (I assume they will schedule a pretty weak OOC to ease in to scholarship ball).

I support VMI's return to the SoCon, but they are going to have to step it up.

[chattanoogamocs]

...and it just dawned on me...Chattanooga now has the highest enrollment of the football playing schools (until ETSU starts up).

[PaladinFan]

I wouldn't be shocked if Mercer is higher, but it will be a step up in competition compared to what they had this year.

Mercer will face a large step up in competition. I think of Elon's entrance to I-AA football as a good comparable. University is committed to making the thing work, but they are going to face some bumps in the road early on.

[PaladinFan]

Now that there are no more SOCON teams remaining in the playoffs, what are people's thoughts about preseason rankings?

My early thoughts:

1) Chattanooga
2) Furman
3) Samford
4) Wofford
5) the Citadel
5) Western Carolina
6) Mercer
7) VMI


...discuss

I don't disagree with that. I think Furman and UTC are the two programs hurt the least by graduation. Considering they were both SoCon champs, odds are good they'll be in the mix again.

Samford has to basically replace all of their star players. No small task.

Wofford will, as usual, be tough. Watching their games against Samford, App, and Furman, though, the Terriers have massive problems in the defensive backfield. They have to get some athletes on defense. You simply cannot win bailing out in pass coverage against teams that can actually throw and catch.

I'm not sure what to expect out of the Citadel. I anticipated they would turn a corner in 2013. They didn't, and now graduate the lion's share of their best players on offense.

Everyone has expected to see what WCU. I can just say from watching them against Furman, Furman is still bigger and stronger physically across the board. The Cats have some athletic talent, but they still need to turn the corner on physicality.

Mercer is an unknown. Talent, but generally going to be undersized.

VMI. Historically bad.

For me, I think you'll see UTC and Furman as the class of the SoCon. Samford, Wofford, and the Citadel battle it out in the middle tier. WCU avoid the cellar and Mercer and VMI slug it out for last.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I don't see how Furman won't be the preseason #1. Andy Summerlin, Fabian Truss, Chris Cephus, and Kelsey Pope are gone from Samford and they kind of fizzled out in the second half of the season. UTC loses Kadeem Wise, Wes Dothard, and D.J. Key. Don't see how they won't fall off defensively.

Anyone who has followed the SoCon should know not to count Wofford out in years like this, but that won't help them in preseason rankings.

[walliver]

I would tend to pick UTC first. They will have something to prove next year. When was the last time a SoCon champion didn't make the playoffs. Huesman still has issues winning the "big game" and will likely have a chip on his shoulder.
I would put Furman second
Samford will drop down a little, but won't drop off the map.
I would put Wofford fourth for preseason, but we will finish higher.
Citadel loses Ben Dupree and their offense will take a step backwards.
WCU will start in 6th.
VMI will start in 7th but may well finish last.
Mercer has yet to face a team with a single scholarship athlete. They were a good team in a horrible league last year. They will start the year as underdogs to every other SoCon team (including VMI), but I would rather play them early in the year than at the end of the year.
ETSU fans will travel to soccer games and longingly look at the football stadia of their conference mates and dream of 2015

[blueballs]

I would swap Furman and Chatty, and swap Samford and Wofford.

Furman will be a top 10 team by the end of next year.

[kdinva]

1) Chattanooga
2) Furman
3) Samford
4) Wofford
5) the Citadel
5) Western Carolina
6) Mercer
7) VMI
...discuss

1) Wofford
2) UT-C
3) Furman
4) Samford
5) The Citadel
6) VMI
7) WCU
8) Mercer

[SpeedkingATL]

[QUOTE=SCPALADIN;2071362]Now that there are no more SOCON teams remaining in the playoffs, what are people's thoughts about preseason rankings?

My early thoughts:

1) Chattanooga
2) Furman
3) Samford
4) Wofford
5) the Citadel
5) Western Carolina
6) Mercer
7) VMI


That looks pretty good based on what we know today. UTC has some key losses but were pretty deep and continue to get better. Baby Hues should continue to improve as should their o-line. Furman made huge strides and has a young team that will get better. Sammy's graduation losses will be hard to replace especially at QB and on defense. I expect Bobby Lamb to build Mercer quickly, especially with lots of in state talent to draw from and of course no one is more entertaining to watch on the sidelines. Hopefully WCU will continue with their improvement but has to be disappointed in the results of this year and complete blowout in last game. This should have been Citdogs year........and it wasn't as they remain the Team Sybil of the SoCon that can beat anyone or lose to anyone on a given Saturday. VMI is still VMI. Should be an interesting battle between the top 2 teams as I see a top 2 middle 3 and bottom 3 conference with Wofford having a chance to make it a 3 team race.

[chattownmocs]

damn its a bitch to wake up from hibernation. I just had to say that DT Derrick Lott was granted a 6th year by the NCAA. Dline should be ridiculous next year

[chattownmocs]

LB is a question mark. Wakeel and and Leslie should do well. the 3rd spot is unknown. The secondary is going to be retooled with Wise, Key and Moore all gone. Believe it or not though, the talent in the secondary will be upgraded. Dee Virgin, Will Johnson and Cedric Nettles are going to be really good players.

[Reign of Terrier]

I would rank it as follows:

1) Chattanooga-Honestly, the shoe-in to make the playoffs. They will finally have experience and "a case of the wants" after being hosed by the playoff committee to compliment their talent and excellent coaching
2) Furman-young team this year, They bring a lot back. maybe they won't lose 5+ games for the first time under Fowler, and I don't mean that condescendingly; slow starts and inconsistency has plagued the 'dins since Ingle Martin graduated
3) Wofford-Will only improve offensively with Evan Jacks being the clear-cut number one and all of the RB's (spare injury plagued Donovan Johnson) coming back. Replacing the OL will be the key for offensive success as the OL was weaker this year than they have been in years past. Defensively we have to adjust better when it comes to pass defense. Teachey did okay for his first year, but he really needs to step it up; we had probably one of the best run defenses in the FCS this year, but if teams can pass on us, it offsets that. I don't think it's an issue of talent, at least not at the safety position, losing our 2 best corners last year may have been bigger than we thought, but other than the personnel was the same. When you have most personnel back and a change of coach, it may be attributed to scheme. Supposedly Teachey is more conservative than Woody was (Woody likes to blitz), and that may have hurt him this year.
4) Citadel-they lose Dupre which is huge, but they traditionally play good defense, and they weren't that bad this year as most if not all of their losses (spare Wofford) came by one score (same with their wins though). If I'm not mistaken, this is Higgins last year on his contract. He has to excel this year to keep his job. I don't see that happening; they may make the playoffs, but they won't win the Socon.
5) Samford-Wofford is probably one of the reasons Samford performed so poorly at the tail end of the season.....we injured them pretty hard. With that said, they lose most of their offensive output (if not all) and that's no small feat to overcome.
5) Western Carolina-Better team than people think. Also very young.
6) Mercer-A relative unknown, but I'll be a monkey's uncle if they win more than 2 or 3 conference games their first year.
7) VMI-They were pretty bad by Big South Standards. That doesn't bode well for them.

The weird thing about the future is that Wofford is contemporarily the best program in the league in terms of recent playoff appearances and overall success. Yes, we finished 5-6 this year, but the difference between say, 2010, and 2014 is that in 2014 we'll be the "status quo" more so than we were 3 years ago. We were without a doubt one of the best teams in the Socon in that time, but we were always said to be "good" but not "App State/GSU good." But now, we're kind of standard given Furman hasn't put together a 9-game win season in about a decade and Chattanooga hasn't made the playoffs, whereas we've done it multiple times in the last 5-6 years.

It'll be interesting how teams view playing Wofford from here on out and how Wofford approaches this new role. We used to be the sometimes hunted and sometimes hunter, now we're squarely the hunted.

[pike51]

damn its a bitch to wake up from hibernation. I just had to say that DT Derrick Lott was granted a 6th year by the NCAA. Dline should be ridiculous next year

When can we expect the "Who's Laughing Now 2014?" thread?

[chattownmocs]

When can we expect the "Who's Laughing Now 2014?" thread?

Ive been brainstorming Ideas for 2014. Im thinking maybe something like "Chattanooga Football 2014: The Culmination"

[PaladinFan]

My view is that UTC beat Furman, so as of now, they get the top spot. I'd have like to have seen those teams play with Reese Hannon under center.

[DP_ASU]

Ive been brainstorming Ideas for 2014. Im thinking maybe something like "Chattanooga Football 2014: The Culmination"

Chattanooga Football 2014: Expect to Fail

[citdog]

Ive been brainstorming Ideas for 2014. Im thinking maybe something like "Chattanooga Football 2014: The Culmination"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLT2erau3zo

[PaladinFan]

UTC might have a little touch of what Samford needs to deal with. If you can't make a run in the playoffs now, have you basically maxed out the leadership?

If Samford can squeak into the playoffs and then get trounced by a former rival with loads of talent on offense - is that as far as that coaching staff can take them? If UTC doesn't make a run with Huseman at the helm, is he in the same boat?

[CID1990]

For two years I have been an advocate for starting Aaron Miller over Dupree and running Dupree at slotback. Aaron has a rocket arm and is a stout runner in his own right.

Higgins and staff have some good points, but IMO the weak spot is putting the right people in the right positions. Higgins will have no choice but to start Miller this year. We have a good stable of good receivers, and our running game will be solid.

Anyone who stacks the box on us next year (which was the obvious thing to to against Dupree because he can't throw for crap) will get punished.

It is entirely possible that we will have the season in 2014 that we thought we would have in 2013.

[Reign of Terrier]

Wofford DC stepped down today. I don't know how I feel about this.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Wofford DC stepped down today. I don't know how I feel about this.

I know where there's an opening. That D was pretty good last time I saw.

[walliver]

I know where there's an opening. That D was pretty good last time I saw.

He resigned to take a job with a local church, apparently in youth ministry of some sort.

[FUBeAR]

Mercer has yet to face a team with a single scholarship athlete. They were a good team in a horrible league last year. They will start the year as underdogs to every other SoCon team (including VMI), but I would rather play them early in the year than at the end of the year.

Not necessarily disagreeing with anything else in your post, but just for the sake of accuracy...

Mercer played and beat Reinhardt & Warner in 2013, both NAIA Scholarship programs (max of 24 athletic schollies) who were start-up programs as well, but did have 2 years of scholarship classes in the fold. Also, if one wanted to parse it just a bit further, about 15 players on each of USD's and JaxU's teams were formerly scholarship athletes elsewhere prior to transferring to their current schools. Their players' bio's don't always cite that, but I know because I've been following their rosters pretty closely since early 2012. And...USD did disqualify themselves from the PFL Championship, essentially, BECAUSE they found that they had been accidentally giving athletic scholarships to football players.

Finally, Mercer presently has 15 transfers from FBS/FCS programs on their current roster (not sure all of them were scholarship-athletes at their prior schools, but I know most of them were) and 2 'committed' transfers from FBS schools who will be enrolling in the Spring Term. All told, I would estimate they will have 20-25 FBS/FCS transfers and 25 incoming scholarship Freshman on their roster for the 2014 season.

[PaladinFan]

Not necessarily disagreeing with anything else in your post, but just for the sake of accuracy...

Mercer played and beat Reinhardt & Warner in 2013, both NAIA Scholarship programs (max of 24 athletic schollies) who were start-up programs as well, but did have 2 years of scholarship classes in the fold. Also, if one wanted to parse it just a bit further, about 15 players on each of USD's and JaxU's teams were formerly scholarship athletes elsewhere prior to transferring to their current schools. Their players' bio's don't always cite that, but I know because I've been following their rosters pretty closely since early 2012. And...USD did disqualify themselves from the PFL Championship, essentially, BECAUSE they found that they had been accidentally giving athletic scholarships to football players.

Finally, Mercer presently has 15 transfers from FBS/FCS programs on their current roster (not sure all of them were scholarship-athletes at their prior schools, but I know most of them were) and 2 'committed' transfers from FBS schools who will be enrolling in the Spring Term. All told, I would estimate they will have 20-25 FBS/FCS transfers and 25 incoming scholarship Freshman on their roster for the 2014 season.

It's hard to really mitigate anything about Mercer's season. As a startup program, they beat a lot of very established teams. As is often the case, you can only play who is on your schedule, and Mercer did a bang-up job at beating that group. Of course, the difficulty level will ramp up significantly next season. Good news for Mercer is they have a coaching staff that knows that difficulty level better than most.

You'll find that FBS transfers are not all of the same flavor. Most will be guys that flamed out at the FBS level, and will be roster fillers at the FCS level. Still, every now and then you'll find Joe Flacco or Ingle Martin.

[PaladinNation]

For two years I have been an advocate for starting Aaron Miller over Dupree and running Dupree at slotback. Aaron has a rocket arm and is a stout runner in his own right.

Higgins and staff have some good points, but IMO the weak spot is putting the right people in the right positions. Higgins will have no choice but to start Miller this year. We have a good stable of good receivers, and our running game will be solid.

Anyone who stacks the box on us next year (which was the obvious thing to to against Dupree because he can't throw for crap) will get punished.

It is entirely possible that we will have the season in 2014 that we thought we would have in 2013.

You make a great point… I think one of Coach Fowler's biggest differences between Lamb. Is getting people in the right positions. Moving Magwood late in the season to the bench to move McMorris to linebacker, was centered around getting more talent on the field a true freshman at safety, and of course McMorris up closer to the line of scrimmage.

As far as Higgins goes I think he's a helluva coach… he always scares me.

[PaladinNation]

I think next season will be a mix of challenging games and blow out games in the SoCon…

UTC
Furman
Citadel
Wofford
Samford

are my top five picks but I could see Western finally getting into the party. Also don't underestimate Coach Lamb, he can recruit, and coach, and I love his passion.

In years past, I think Furman got some of their #1 recruits but also settled for best available at any position which led to the depth issues the 2013 team faced, mainly in the trenches. Fowler has recruited 14 linemen on both sides of the ball in the last two years, if these guys are as good as recruiting analysts think Furman could be moving toward a streak of being at or near the top of the SoCon. That said recent years have made me a humble Furman fan.

[PaladinFan]

You make a great point… I think one of Coach Fowler's biggest differences between Lamb. Is getting people in the right positions. Moving Magwood late in the season to the bench to move McMorris to linebacker, was centered around getting more talent on the field a true freshman at safety, and of course McMorris up closer to the line of scrimmage.

As far as Higgins goes I think he's a helluva coach… he always scares me.

That was some of the most incredible portions of Furman's season. If you looked at the positions on the roster, and then looked on the field, you would have seen offensive linemen playing defensive tackle, linebackers playing DE, safeties playing linebackers, offensive linemen flipflopping positions during the game, a defensive back at quarterback.

You would also see Furman's lineup change weekly depending on the opponent. The use of Magwood and Robinson, I think, goes right to that question. I cannot remember a time where Bobby Lamb would tailor his lineup directly to counter the strengths of the opposition.

[citdog]

He resigned to take a job with a local church, apparently in youth ministry of some sort.


Dungeon Joe got his hooks in him. Those Holy Orders are tough to disobey.

[citdog]

For two years I have been an advocate for starting Aaron Miller over Dupree and running Dupree at slotback. Aaron has a rocket arm and is a stout runner in his own right.

Higgins and staff have some good points, but IMO the weak spot is putting the right people in the right positions. Higgins will have no choice but to start Miller this year. We have a good stable of good receivers, and our running game will be solid.

Anyone who stacks the box on us next year (which was the obvious thing to to against Dupree because he can't throw for crap) will get punished.

It is entirely possible that we will have the season in 2014 that we thought we would have in 2013.

Totally agree. Miller gives the Cadets more of a chance to be dynamic. Hope Higgins can teach him some touch though. Aaron throws everything like Craig Kimbrel.

[BlackNGoldR3v0lut10n]

Here's my swing at it:

1) Furman - Defending SoCon champions/autobid winner starts here.
2) Chattanooga - Will have a chip on their shoulder.
3) Samford - can they repeat last season and improve?
4) Wofford - is end of season collapse harbinger of things to come?
5) Western Carolina - will have their best season in quite some time.
6) The Citadel - how will they replace their best QB in years.
7) Mercer - finds out quickly that they're not in Kansas anymore.
8) VMI - see Mercer
ETSU - got their first bricks (commits) recently with more on the way.

[CID1990]

Chatty
The Citadel
Furman
Wofford
Samford
Western
VMI
Mercer

Take it to the bank

[Big_Fan]

Wofford or
Furman

Citadel

Samford or
Chatty

VMI
Mercer
WCU

'Nooga has a lot of good young players coming back, but Coach Huesman is coming back as well.

JSU plays @ UTC in September... the only thing that worries me about that game is that we will be coming off of a game against Michigan State and might be a bit banged up.

[chattownmocs]

Wofford or
Furman

Citadel

Samford or
Chatty

VMI
Mercer
WCU

'Nooga has a lot of good young players coming back, but Coach Huesman is coming back as well.

JSU plays @ UTC in September... the only thing that worries me about that game is that we will be coming off of a game against Michigan State and might be a bit banged up.

You guys won't beat us at our place unless you bring your refs with you. Just hope its not 3 TDs like last time.

[Big_Fan]

You guys won't beat us at our place unless you bring your refs with you. Just hope its not 3 TDs like last time.

LOL. You are 2-6 against us in the last 8 games.

Call me when you can beat UTM and Samford.

Crowe is not the coach at JSU anymore. You still have Huesman.

We will be much better in 2014.

Just hope we don't beat you worse than we did Sammy.

[chattownmocs]

LOL. You are 2-6 against us in the last 8 games.

Call me when you can beat UTM and Samford.

Crowe is not the coach at JSU anymore. You still have Huesman.

We will be much better in 2014.

Just hope we don't beat you worse than we did Sammy.

You seem to think that Jacksonville State has done something overly impressive. It was all just arbitrary luck of the draw. There is nothing really concrete to suggest that you or either of the teams you beat even deserved to be in the playoffs over Chattanooga. You certainly do anything to make you the favorite to win at Chattanooga next your let alone be able to blow them out on your best day. You had a chance to beat a great team and prove yourselves yesterday and you lost. The teams you beat arentnvery impressive and neither are you.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

You seem to think that Jacksonville State has done something overly impressive. It was all just arbitrary luck of the draw. There is nothing really concrete to suggest that you or either of the teams you beat even deserved to be in the playoffs over Chattanooga. You certainly do anything to make you the favorite to win at Chattanooga next your let alone be able to blow them out on your best day. You had a chance to beat a great team and prove yourselves yesterday and you lost. The teams you beat arentnvery impressive and neither are you.

Jacksonville has played football games in December. Compared to chatty, that's pretty impressive

[mountaineer in Cane Land]

If Chatt doesn't make the playoffs next year, then the administration has to consider getting rid of Huesman, with the talent he has had the last 4 years its amazing that he has not made the playoffs. Its tough because he recruits so well, but there is no excuse for not have made the playoffs by now.

[Big_Fan]

Jacksonville has played football games in December. Compared to chatty, that's pretty impressive

Chatty did at least make the first round in 1984. With App and GaSou gone, maybe Chatty can make the playoffs again.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Chatty did at least make the first round in 1984. With App and GaSou gone, maybe Chatty can make the playoffs again.

That's what he was hoping for this year. The default championship

[Big_Fan]

You seem to think that Jacksonville State has done something overly impressive. It was all just arbitrary luck of the draw. There is nothing really concrete to suggest that you or either of the teams you beat even deserved to be in the playoffs over Chattanooga. You certainly do anything to make you the favorite to win at Chattanooga next your let alone be able to blow them out on your best day. You had a chance to beat a great team and prove yourselves yesterday and you lost. The teams you beat arentnvery impressive and neither are you.


Well, Samford did beat you head to head.

We monkey stomped them. McNeese was the #6 ranked team in the country with a win over a BCS conference team and a team that finished the season ranked in the top 15. From the looks of it, Chatty didn't beat a single team that finished the season ranked. We played one common opponent in the regular season. JSU beat them by 2 TD's on the road, Chatty lost by 10 at home.

Soundly beating the #6 team on the road is pretty impressive... traveling 2000 miles and even though we lost we had the #3 team on the ropes before our QB got injured... that is pretty impressive.

You are just a typical deluded Chattown fan who has snorted too much of that papermill riverwater.

[PaladinFan]

Well, Samford did beat you head to head.

We monkey stomped them. McNeese was the #6 ranked team in the country with a win over a BCS conference team and a team that finished the season ranked in the top 15. From the looks of it, Chatty didn't beat a single team that finished the season ranked. We played one common opponent in the regular season. JSU beat them by 2 TD's on the road, Chatty lost by 10 at home.

Soundly beating the #6 team on the road is pretty impressive... traveling 2000 miles and even though we lost we had the #3 team on the ropes before our QB got injured... that is pretty impressive.

You are just a typical deluded Chattown fan who has snorted too much of that papermill riverwater.

Glad to see the Gamecocks are going to restart a series with Furman. Played JSU three seasons in a row in the mid-2000s, and at least two of those games were really good. That one visit to Greenville in the playoffs, well, you probably want to forget that one.

[longtimemocfan]

My view is that UTC beat Furman, so as of now, they get the top spot. I'd have like to have seen those teams play with Reese Hannon under center.

I would have too. Not sure he (Hannon) would have made up the difference in the game we played.

[PaladinFan]

I would have too. Not sure he (Hannon) would have made up the difference in the game we played.

Perhaps. It was a one score game at the half. Furman was playing with a fourth stringer way over his head. That kid quite literally had the headset on the first week of the season. He wasn't expected to see a college snap for probably 3 or 4 years. He's a talented player, but that's tough duty.

It's one thing to play with a backup. Quite another to play with a backup's backup's backup's backup. UTC has a good defense, and they were favored in the game and probably would have won anyway, but Hannon performed pretty well in the post season against two of the FCS' top defenses. I anticipate he would have performed well against UTC's group also.

[chattownmocs]

Well, Samford did beat you head to head.

We monkey stomped them. McNeese was the #6 ranked team in the country with a win over a BCS conference team and a team that finished the season ranked in the top 15. From the looks of it, Chatty didn't beat a single team that finished the season ranked. We played one common opponent in the regular season. JSU beat them by 2 TD's on the road, Chatty lost by 10 at home.

Soundly beating the #6 team on the road is pretty impressive... traveling 2000 miles and even though we lost we had the #3 team on the ropes before our QB got injured... that is pretty impressive.

You are just a typical deluded Chattown fan who has snorted too much of that papermill riverwater.

Georgia State ring a bell? Major fail. Stfu.

[chattownmocs]

Perhaps. It was a one score game at the half. Furman was playing with a fourth stringer way over his head. That kid quite literally had the headset on the first week of the season. He wasn't expected to see a college snap for probably 3 or 4 years. He's a talented player, but that's tough duty.

It's one thing to play with a backup. Quite another to play with a backup's backup's backup's backup. UTC has a good defense, and they were favored in the game and probably would have won anyway, but Hannon performed pretty well in the post season against two of the FCS' top defenses. I anticipate he would have performed well against UTC's group also.

He would have been on his back all night. Furman's entire offense was dominated. The best QB in the country wouldn't have overcome it.

[Big_Fan]

Georgia State ring a bell? Major fail. Stfu.


We still beat Georgia State.

You lost to UT-M and Samford.

Major fail does describe your post.

[longtimemocfan]

Perhaps. It was a one score game at the half. Furman was playing with a fourth stringer way over his head. That kid quite literally had the headset on the first week of the season. He wasn't expected to see a college snap for probably 3 or 4 years. He's a talented player, but that's tough duty.

It's one thing to play with a backup. Quite another to play with a backup's backup's backup's backup. UTC has a good defense, and they were favored in the game and probably would have won anyway, but Hannon performed pretty well in the post season against two of the FCS' top defenses. I anticipate he would have performed well against UTC's group also.

Furman got healthy as the season progressed and played much better. Chattanooga on the other hand was really rocked hard by injuries late. Would have been a different game had it been played later in the year. Be a fun game to watch in Greenville next year.xthumbsupx

[smallcollegefbfan]

Now that there are no more SOCON teams remaining in the playoffs, what are people's thoughts about preseason rankings?

My early thoughts:

1) Chattanooga
2) Furman
3) Samford
4) Wofford
5) the Citadel
5) Western Carolina
6) Mercer
7) VMI


...discuss

Chattanooga should be number 1. The question is can they mentally get over the hump? I'm hesitant to agree with them there but based on talent I think you nailed the top 3. Citadel is a sleeper. I think they could really move up the board. It would not surprise me to see Mercer beat Western Carolina and finish 5th.

[PaladinFan]

He would have been on his back all night. Furman's entire offense was dominated. The best QB in the country wouldn't have overcome it.

You do realize one of the reasons the offense was "dominated" was because Furman's offense was run by a guy that didn't know what he was doing, right?

A truly dominant defense performance was Furman's last visit to UTC, when Terrell Robinson threw more completions to Furman defensive backs than UTC receivers.

[chattownmocs]

We still beat Georgia State.

You lost to UT-M and Samford.

Major fail does describe your post.

In overtime. We were up 42-0 in the 4th. You will not win in chattanooga. Stop now.

[Big_Fan]

In overtime. We were up 42-0 in the 4th. You will not win in chattanooga. Stop now.


We were up 41-27 over UT-M after the end of the 4th quarter at their place. How much did Chatty beat them by at home?

[SCPALADIN]

You do realize one of the reasons the offense was "dominated" was because Furman's offense was run by a guy that didn't know what he was doing, right?

A truly dominant defense performance was Furman's last visit to UTC, when Terrell Robinson threw more completions to Furman defensive backs than UTC receivers.

You're getting sucked in by the biggest idiot on the AGS...

[PaladinFan]

You're getting sucked in by the biggest idiot on the AGS...

I was just thinking that this conversation was getting out of hand again. Nothing kills a thread better than comparing scores of unrelated games.

I do my best to stamp out idiocy wherever it may be found. It's a habit I have to kick.

[longtimemocfan]

I was just thinking that this conversation was getting out of hand again. Nothing kills a thread better than comparing scores of unrelated games.

I do my best to stamp out idiocy wherever it may be found. It's a habit I have to kick.

Hard to ignore them (AGS idiots) sometimes,but it's actually the best defense.