Commence the football team previews!

[MarkL]

You know football season is around the corner when the preview websites start. First up, SB Nation.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... ule-roster

Honestly a good preview here. Puts us at the top of the conference. Rather thorough and statistical. If you want to waste some time, read through the other MAC team previews. Informational and sometimes humorous.

Awaiting previews from CFN (sometimes good, sometimes terrible), Sports Illustrated, and of course Phil Steele's magazine.

[Critical Thinker]

I thought the saying was "you know June is around the corner when the preview websites start."

[MarkL]

The previews are out earlier and earlier each year. Its like an arms race.

[mscarn]

Lindy's is out.

-BG is picked to finish 1st and is the highest ranked MAC team
-Matt Johnson and Travis Greene are listed nationally among the top 25 at their positions
-BG's backfield is rated 10th overall nationally
-Greene is rated the #2 NFL talent in the MAC. Ronnie Moore is said to already be on the radar of scouts
-The 'Falcon Fast' phenomenon was the lead story in the conference write-up
-Gehrig Dieter was named the MAC Newcomer of the Year but was listed as being from Toledo

[Class of 61]

Lindy's is out.

-BG is picked to finish 1st and is the highest ranked MAC team
-Matt Johnson and Travis Greene are listed nationally among the top 25 at their positions
-BG's backfield is rated 10th overall nationally
-Greene is rated the #2 NFL talent in the MAC. Ronnie Moore is said to already be on the radar of scouts
-The 'Falcon Fast' phenomenon was the lead story in the conference write-up
-Gehrig Dieter was named the MAC Newcomer of the Year but was listed as being from Toledo

Nothing like being accurate in coverage.

[Falconfreak90]

According to Phil Steele's site, his preview will be mailed in two weeks to those that go that route. Expect to see the Bible of College Football in stores soon June 24th. So well worth the $8.95 each year.

[mscarn]

Sporting News has BG 1st with Johnson as the MAC Offensive POY and Greene and Huettel on the first team offense. The key to the year is shaping up to be the offensive line. We have the best quarterback in the MAC, the best skill players in the MAC and the best defense in the MAC with virtually all of the new starters having been a part of last year's rotation.

Looking at the schedules, four teams in the league play only 1 BCS conference opponent. We play the usual 2 (including one on the road against a Top 20 opponent) plus an 8 win WKU team on the road. I can't help but think that a lighter non-conference schedule would have helped the program by increasing the probability of entering conference play undefeated and better positioning us to rise in the polls like all undefeated teams inevitably do regardless of SOS.

[Beaker]

Sporting News has BG 1st with Johnson as the MAC Offensive POY and Greene and Huettel on the first team offense. The key to the year is shaping up to be the offensive line. We have the best quarterback in the MAC, the best skill players in the MAC and the best defense in the MAC with virtually all of the new starters having been a part of last year's rotation.

Looking at the schedules, four teams in the league play only 1 BCS conference opponent. We play the usual 2 (including one on the road against a Top 20 opponent) plus an 8 win WKU team on the road. I can't help but think that a lighter non-conference schedule would have helped the program by increasing the probability of entering conference play undefeated and better positioning us to rise in the polls like all undefeated teams inevitably do regardless of SOS.

Then I guess we should just win our non-conference games anyway I don't see any games on our schedule that we are not going to be capable of winning. Wisconsin will certainly be a tough one, but it's one we have a legitimate shot to win if our run defense can hold up and we don't lose the turnover battle. Historically, Wisconsin has had a few early season hiccups against smaller conference teams. Looking back at the 2005 shootout, we were just a couple plays here and there away from having a shot in that one- they couldn't stop our spread passing game and we couldn't stop their run game. This one will be week 4 and hopefully, the offense will have a lot of the bugs worked out by then and the Badgers will not have faced that type of attack, so it could be interesting. The defense, well, they'll just have to find a way to slow down the run. Hopefully #45 for Pitt won't be on the field wearing red and white.

The downside on this one is that it's a road game and it comes immediately after Indiana,

[MarkL]

I was stunned to hear that Travis Greene has transferred to Ball State. From CFN's preview of Ball State:

Best offensive player: Senior RB Travis Greene. The big question mark going into last year was Anthon Samuel. The star back of 2012 was leaving the program, making running back the one big question mark for an offense that had a ton of upside. Andre Givens was the star in-state recruit, and Jamel Martin was thought to be an option despite coming off a knee injury, but it was Greene who turned out to be the workhorse to take the heat and pressure off of QB Matt Johnson. Givens was good when he got his chances, and he’ll need to do more, but Greene is going to be the workhorse, even if he’s not quite built to be one.

I guess we all know who CFN will be picking as our best offensive player when they get around to doing the preview. Seriously, how hard is it to be accurate? And since when is he a senior?

[Critical Thinker]

I was stunned to hear that Travis Greene has transferred to Ball State.

Please word your posts more carefully. You just gave me a heart attack.

[MarkL]

I was stunned to hear that Travis Greene has transferred to Ball State.

Please word your posts more carefully. You just gave me a heart attack.

Blame CFN.

[Flipper]

A vertible shitload of Falcons make Steele's preseason all MAC teams.

http://www.bgsufalcons.com/news/2014/6/ ... 42811.aspx" target="_blank

Deiter has never played a down in the MAC but he's third team...that's some serious respect there. Moore willnot be 4th team at the season's end. He's going to be the next breakout NFL prospect in the MAC.

[MarkL]

We have 6 preseason first team picks, more than anybody else, and 12 total picks. That is impressive. Of note is both Johnson and Greene are first team, so Steele thinks we have the best backfield. Also, both Lynch and Martin are first team, so he thinks highly of our LBs which I believe will be the leaders of our D this year.
The only team with more total picks is NIU with 16, 3 of which are first team. This is the highest I've ever seen Phil Steele on BG!

[mscarn]

Clawson left the cupboard more stocked than Mama June. Our third team RB and WR's might be able to start for at least 4 other teams in the league if not more.

On defense I wonder if McCloud will substitute as liberally as Elko did. You have to have the talent, but if you do it's a great way of keeping people fresh and getting them reps that prepare them for when they're full-time starters.

[Mr_Sweets]

Moore willnot be 4th team at the season's end. He's going to be the next breakout NFL prospect in the MAC.

2nd that!