2015 season predictions

[jpfalcon09]

We're roughly a week away from kicking off the season and I wanted to gather everyone's thoughts on expectations for the season. What games intrigue you? Will the Falcons be making another trip to Detroit? My predictions:

Tennessee - L
Maryland - L
Memphis - W
Purdue - W
Buffalo - W
UMass - L
Akron - W
Kent State - W
Ohio - W
Western Michigan - L
Toledo - W
Ball State - W

Overall: 8-4 (6-2)

[Falcon137]

Tennessee - L
Maryland - L
Memphis - L
Purdue - L
Buffalo - W
UMass - W
Akron - W
Kent State - W
Ohio - W
Western Michigan - L
Toledo - L
Ball State - W

6-6 (6-2)

East Champs

Lose to WMU in Detroit. (6-7)

I'll preface this by saying, I have absolutely no feel for this team and there are so many variables. But, UT, Maryland Memphis and Purdue all have more talent top to bottom, so I'll say those are L's. If the offense can click early I could see splitting the non conference.

Still think BG has more talent than any team in the East and getting UMass and Akron at home are big. Not convinced Dino's offense holds up in any sort of weather and new coordinator or not, I am doubtful a D gets better after losing 4 guys to the NFL.

Toledo is an L until proven otherwise at this point, road game against a very talented WMU team is a L.

WMU wins the West and wins in Detroit.

[Falconfreak90]

I'm thinking 8-4, 9-3 overall and 7-1 or 6-2 MAC. But, we could easily end up 6-6 as well with this schedule. The D is the key to the difference.

[Siborg]

Offense will be much improved. ST will be solid and help us in a few close games. D will be improved but not great. the key with our D will be forcing turnovers and not giving up the huge plays. It will be a fun year if you love scoring.

Tennessee - L - 45-23....just too strong across the board.
Maryland - L - 38-35...shootout loss.....we could win this one but I'm guessing we get 2 of the 3 remaining OOC games.
Memphis - W - 46-41....shootout win
Purdue - W - 41-38....another shootout win
Buffalo - W - 52-23
UMass - W - 37-35
Akron - W - 27-14
Kent State - W - 66-24
Ohio - W - 38-21
Western Michigan - L - 48-38
Toledo - W - 51-27
Ball State - W - 54-23

Overall: 9-3 (7-1)
MACC win over Toledo - 41-38, last second FG
Bowl - win - over a P5 team.....47-37

11-3 overall.

[Schadenfreude]

Tennessee - L
Maryland - L
Memphis - L
Purdue - W
Buffalo - W
UMass - W
Akron - W
Kent State - W
Ohio - W
Western Michigan - L
Toledo - W
Ball State - W

8-4, East champs. We can beat anyone on our schedule, but it would be foolish to actually *predict* that.

I do think we finally beat Toledo. Less sure about the Purdue game. We could stumble against East Division opponents, but we should be the favorite in each of those games.

[BGSU33]

I'm kind of thinking 7-5 or 6-6 and that mainly has to do with the non-conference schedule and our defense. We can talk about the Tennessee game being added until we are blue in the face, but whether you like it or not, it essentially takes a surefire win off the board with an FCS team and likely replaces it with a loss. Thus, it could really put us in jeopardy if we slip up in the East this year of even making a bowl with what we have ahead of us. As mentioned, until we beat Toledo, we're being handed a loss from them each of the last five years.

For some reason I feel like we are going to suffer a loss or two in the East. And when you add that with what we have to face in the West crossover games, I think the East race is going to come down to the final week. I do think we will be involved in some kind of a tiebreak, I just hope it's in our favor.

Health permitting, I feel good about our offense and special teams, but the difference for us between having a mediocre season and a good season is going to boil down to the defense. It just will. Having said all of that, if our defense somehow manages to actually be pretty good, I could see us going 9-3 or 8-4. If our defense is decent, I could see us possibly splitting our first four games. But if we limp into MAC play at 0-4 (which would essentially prove we did way overschedule and could put us in huge jeopardy going into conference play) I think it will be because of our defense being shredded again.

I want to believe what I'm hearing about this defensive unit improving, I want to see what these players and coaches are talking about. But the proof is in the pudding, and we're going to find out in the next few weeks exactly what we have.

[footballguy51]

Tennessee - W
Maryland - W
Memphis - L
Purdue - W
Buffalo - W
UMass - W
Akron - W
Kent State - W
Ohio - W
Western Michigan - L
Toledo - W
Ball State - W

I think we're going to come out of the gate swinging against Tennessee and then follow that with a nice win over Maryland. National news outlets will be talking about us, and then we'll lose to Memphis and they'll pretend we don't exist. Then we'll beat Purdue and they'll still pretend we're that one school that plays football. I can see us splitting in the west, and I labeled them the way I did simply because it would be disgusting if it went the other way. Until I know who we would face in the MACC or a bowl, I won't predict that, but 10-2 on the season is my prediction (with a prayer of 12-0).

[Falconwriter]

Tennessee - L
Maryland - L
Memphis - L
Purdue - L
Buffalo - W
UMass - W
Akron - W
Kent State - W
Ohio - W
Western Michigan - L
Toledo - L
Ball State - W

6-6 (6-2)

East Champs

Lose to WMU in Detroit. (6-7)

I'll preface this by saying, I have absolutely no feel for this team and there are so many variables. But, UT, Maryland Memphis and Purdue all have more talent top to bottom, so I'll say those are L's. If the offense can click early I could see splitting the non conference.

Still think BG has more talent than any team in the East and getting UMass and Akron at home are big. Not convinced Dino's offense holds up in any sort of weather and new coordinator or not, I am doubtful a D gets better after losing 4 guys to the NFL.

Toledo is an L until proven otherwise at this point, road game against a very talented WMU team is a L.

WMU wins the West and wins in Detroit.

Agree with this, with the possible exception of Purdue. I think they can be knocked off. Also agree that I won't predict a win over Toledo until it actually happens; I believe losing to them is now a huge mental hurdle. I also don't see this team winning the MAC, because I think the defense will be really, really porous again. Hope I'm wrong on many of these predictions. I'd love to see a team with a legit defense; a win against the Rockettes; and another MAC title game win.

[shieldpacal]

Well heck. I'll intuitively try my hand at doing this too---intuitively meaning momentary gut feeling based on little to no actual knowledge. Just think of it as fortune telling:

Tennessee - L
Maryland - L
Memphis - W
Purdue - L
Buffalo - W
UMass - W
Akron - W
Kent State - W
Ohio - W
Western Michigan - W
Toledo - W
Ball State - W