Sporting News 2009 Big South Predictions

[EagleDawg]

Anyone see the full Big South 2009 Predictions and who can give a little of the background of the predictions. I saw another poster indicate that the top 3 are

1) Liberty
2)Coastal Carolina
3) Gardner-Webb

Can anyone fill in the rest? Only 82 days till the opener, can't wait for football season to get here.

[AtlantaMountaineer]

1. Liberty (Retooling but has some good FBS transfers)
2. Coastal (Strong Secondary)
3. Gardner Webb (Mario Brown top Defensive Player)
4. Stony Brook (Talented linebacker corps and leagues best backfield)
5. VMI (19 starters returning, dark horse in conference race)
6. Charleston Southern (Need to rebuild offensive line)
7. Presbyterian (New HC)

[Libertine]

3. Gardner Webb (Mack Brown top Defensive Player)


Mack Brown? I hope that's your misprint, AM, or I'm going to be disappointed in the Sporting News...again.

I can't really disagree with their assessment though.

[AtlantaMountaineer]

Sorry. My bad. Mario Brown. Didn't have my reading glasses.

[EagleDawg]

AM - You got that problem too? With me you add in the fumble fingers on the keyboard and lapses in grammar plus the reading glasses and there's no telling what I might post.

App. State is just outside my backyard figuratively speaking as I live right outside Winston-Salem and I root for the Mountaineers except of course when they play GWU. ASU has a great shot to win it all this year if the O-line stays healthy.

I have such a hard job here at the house with the wife a UNC grad, the oldest son a rising jr. at NC State and the youngest a incoming freshman football player at G-Webb. Saturday, Sept. 19th at NC State will be a fun but weird day. Here's hoping that the oldest can put aside school affiliation for a day and pull for the younger brother.

[AtlantaMountaineer]

Wow. That must make for some fun Saturday afternoons in the fall. Best of luck to your son at GW. I went to the App/NC State game a few years ago. They divide the visiting fans into the far corners of the stadium, but it was nice except for the outcome. Even though I live in Atlanta I make it up to Boone for as many games as I can.

[Redwyn]

Hmmm....Guess we'll see in a few months!


1. Liberty (Retooling but has some good FBS transfers)
2. Coastal (Strong Secondary)
3. Gardner Webb (Mario Brown top Defensive Player)
4. Stony Brook (Talented linebacker corps and leagues best backfield)
5. VMI (19 starters returning, dark horse in conference race)
6. Charleston Southern (Need to rebuild offensive line)
7. Presbyterian (New HC)

[Seawolf97]

I'm encouraged. Last year as the newcomers on the block we were picked for 4th and
finished tied for 2nd with 55 scholarship players. Now we are at 65 scholarship players and
still picked for 4th. I will venture a guess that the Liberty at StonyBrook game 11/21 will
decide the conference champion. Just a guessxthumbsupx

[g-webb1994]

Anyone see the full Big South 2009 Predictions and who can give a little of the background of the predictions. I saw another poster indicate that the top 3 are

1) Liberty
2)Coastal Carolina
3) Gardner-Webb

Can anyone fill in the rest? Only 82 days till the opener, can't wait for football season to get here.

Eagle - one thing I always like looking at in national mags is how many blunders they can make about G-W. Some of the more common are:

1. Garner-Webb

2. Gardner and Webb. What the hell, are we a William and Mary hybrid or something, or a law firm?

3. Boiling Spring, NC

4. Running Bulldogs

One of the worst I ever saw was in Street and Smith a few years ago, where it stated proudly that we played in "Spangleaker Stadium".xnodx

[kdinva]

1. Liberty (Retooling but has some good FBS transfers)
2. Coastal (Strong Secondary)
3. Gardner Webb (Mario Brown top Defensive Player)
4. Stony Brook (Talented linebacker corps and leagues best backfield)
5. VMI (19 starters returning, dark horse in conference race)
6. Charleston Southern (Need to rebuild offensive line)
7. Presbyterian (New HC)

If VMI can get both quality and quantity depth in the O-line, look out!:) Yet, our returning placekicker isn't returning......Sweeney will be #1 going into August camp.

[EagleDawg]

G-Webb 1994, if we all can laugh at ourselves and we should, then poking fun at those Nat'l Mags is more than in order. The poor copy is reminiscent of my small hometown paper, to small and underfunded to pay someone to carefully proof each article. On the other hand, I'll take any publication of info. we can get for the FCS, Big South and our Runnin Bulldogs.

On the football front, G-Webb probably has more returning starters than any other team in the conference. Can they build off another year's experience, strength training, plug those few open starting spots and have the newcomers provide depth where it's needed? We'll start to see soon enough, 81 days to be exact.

I'm surprised only at Coastal's selection at pre-season #2. They have to show great improvement over last season to get a whiff of that spot. I would push G-Webb and Stony Brook up and drop CCU to 4th with G-Webb and Stony Brook interchangeable at the #2 and #3 spots. An upset win over Liberty and either are in the hunt to win the league.

[EagleDawg]

kdinva - The Keydets can score with that ground attack but they will need to stop people to have a better shot to move up in the standings. Sparky's a great coach, looking forward to making the trip to Lexington in October. I've never been their and I understand it's a great place to take in a game that time of year with all the pageantry and traditions that occur pre-game, etc.

[kdinva]

kdinva - The Keydets can score with that ground attack but they will need to stop people to have a better shot to move up in the standings. Sparky's a great coach, looking forward to making the trip to Lexington in October. I've never been their and I understand it's a great place to take in a game that time of year with all the pageantry and traditions that occur pre-game, etc.
Dawg: the VMI coaches reportedly have done some tweaking with the defensive personnel & schemes, and all look forward to how that platoon plays in 2009.

The Corps has a pre-game parade on The Hill at 10:30, then the march-on at about 1:15. You'll enjoy the day, no matter who wins on the field, I promise.

[BJuice]

6. Charleston Southern (Need to rebuild offensive line)

We surprised people last year. We'll just have to do it again. We'll see!!!

[Punchykky]

I gotta tell you all, I was shocked and surprised when Liberty didn't get an at-large bid to participate in the playoffs last year.
I think it will all boil down to Liberty and Coastal coming out of the Big South this year. But I could be wrong, though!

[Hoseinexile07]

Presbyterian is purposely laying low and luring you all into a false sense of security...
xwhistlex

[EagleDawg]

Hose - I see, it's all about having the right strategy or is it strategery? I guess the Flames could flame out, the Chants get roasted, the Running Dawgs stay on the porch, the Seawolves trapped on the island, the Bucs ship never comes in and the Keydets stay hunkered down in the Shenandoah but then again you can only lay low for so long and then it's time to take the field. The Flames could burn you, the Chants claw, the Dawgs chomp, the Seawolves rip, the Bucs attack and the Keydets outflank, if that happens what's a Blue Hose to do? All said in good fun you know!xlolxxlolxxlolx

[Hoseinexile07]

if that happens what's a Blue Hose to do? All said in good fun you know!xlolxxlolxxlolx

I don't know what we would do. We're socks.

[EagleDawg]

Just don't let everyone knock your socks off! How's that?

[Hoseinexile07]

Just don't let everyone knock your socks off! How's that?

There's nothing I'd like more than that. It'd be nice for a change.

[g-webb1994]

Remember...Presbyterian is predestined to lose!:)

[Hoseinexile07]

Remember...Presbyterian is predestined to lose!:)

Shut it, reprobate. ;)

[GridFan]

If Stony Brook's at 65 scholarship players in 2009, then they'll be on probation ... given that the DI FCS limit is 63 ;)

That said, SBU should be better or as good as all three teams in front of them.

[IaaScribe]

Very difficult conference to prognosticate this year ... Liberty's replacing so much on offense. Stony Brook was difficult to figure out because it showed up last year for some games and laid down for others. And the quarterback situation was a total disaster. Gardner-Webb has this maddening tendency to just stink at the end of the year. Charleston Southern, tough to pick higher with that quarterback situation. Coastal, maybe the coaching staff shakeup invigorates the Chants. VMI always plays hard, but they rarely stop anyone.

[Seawolf97]

If Stony Brook's at 65 scholarship players in 2009, then they'll be on probation ... given that the DI FCS limit is 63 ;)

That said, SBU should be better or as good as all three teams in front of them.

My BAD xpeacex

[Hoseinexile07]

Very difficult conference to prognosticate this year ... Liberty's replacing so much on offense. Stony Brook was difficult to figure out because it showed up last year for some games and laid down for others. And the quarterback situation was a total disaster. Gardner-Webb has this maddening tendency to just stink at the end of the year. Charleston Southern, tough to pick higher with that quarterback situation. Coastal, maybe the coaching staff shakeup invigorates the Chants. VMI always plays hard, but they rarely stop anyone.

You forgot someone...

[I-AA Fan]

If Stony Brook's at 65 scholarship players in 2009, then they'll be on probation ... given that the DI FCS limit is 63 ;)

That said, SBU should be better or as good as all three teams in front of them.

I-AA/FCS allows partials.

[Libertine]

I-AA/FCS allows partials.

What he said. It's rather common for FCS schools to have 65 scholarship players while only giving out 63 total scholarships.

[IaaScribe]

Sorry, Hose. Don't think Presby will be a factor at all this year. Come 2011 though, I think the Blue Hose will not only be decent, but could be in title hunt. Harold was a solid hire down there. Just from talking to him, you can sense he's got the enthusiasm and patience to get things done the right way.

[Libertine]

Harold was a solid hire down there. Just from talking to him, you can sense he's got the enthusiasm and patience to get things done the right way.

Any chance he'll start a blog? xreadx