Sept 03, 2022 - at Kentucky
Sept 10, 2022 - Home - Robert Morris
Sept 17, 2022 - Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium - also Zinzinnati Oktoberfest
Sept 24, 2022 - at Northwestern
No Date 2022 - at Akron
No Date 2022 - Home - Ball State
No Date 2022 - Home - Ohio
No Date 2022 - at Buffalo
No Date 2022 - at Bowling Green
No Date 2022 - Home - Kent State
No Date 2022 - at Unknown West Team
No Date 2022 - Home - Unknown West Team
I think Iāll wait until I see who the āunknown West teamsā are. It looks like once again weāre almost a lock for a 1-3 OOC, but who knows? NW was only 3-9 this year, though they spanked an Ohio team that beat us.
6, maybe 7. Letās see who stays and who goes before getting too ambitious.
At the minimum weāll likely sweep Robert Morris and the bottom three East teams (whichever they are), split the top two East opponents, and win one or two against our West matchups. Thatās a six or seven-win floor (almost a mirror of the season we just concluded), which would be disappointing based on who we likely have returning.
We have talent but with Martin coaching I doubt weāll be able to beat UK or UC. Northwestern in the past under Fitzgerald has been able to recover from bad seasons but that should be winnable (Iāll be there). Imo we should push for 8-4/6-2 with an FBS non-conference upset and East title. Letās aim for 14-0 with a Peach Bowl win.
Iām with the 6/7 people.
I think 6-7 is the realistic total, but Iām optimistic for 8 depending on which teams in the west.
If we can get some people in the transfer portal to replace our transfers (mainly just Phelps and Pace as of now), I am leaning to 7-5 or 8-4 honestly. I think we can beat Northwestern, they looked horrible this year.
I hate to say it but until the roster firms up, it is hard to say. Have we lost all the players we are going to lose? Will we lose any coaches? Signed recruits if coaches leave? To many unknowns right now.
Take a look at Bluesmanās comments. Welcome to the new portal/NIL world. How quickly our expectations may have changed. And how would like to be a G5 coach or even a lower tier P5 coach with a few great players in this new world order?
Dave I have talked at some length about this very topic with Jack Owens. We had 2 opens scholarships that we knew about so we signed 2 people but we have up to 4-5 more than could choose to move on or come back (and this isnāt even taking the spectre of transfers into account.) it is an insane world these coaches are now dealing with. Little certainly year to year.
Iām guessing we can count on seeing Toledo and Western in ā22.
13-0 should get us into the CFP instead of the Peach Bowl, right? UC paved the way for future G5 teams to beat 2 P5 teams (with only 1 being good) and make the playoffs.
1-3 ooc
5-3 in conference
Another 6-6 record
Iād be happy to eat my words in 365 days!
7-5.
Unless the MAC changes the way they schedule, they might but they havenāt for ten years it will be NIU and WMU. Crossover games will be tough next year.
Iām the optimist here. I believe we will win 8-9. With another year of development and physical maturity, our OL will be improved. With Bester back, as well as all the other young talent at RB, we will, I believe, have a very solid offense both in the air and rushing. The defense will miss the transfers, but there is still an awful lot of talent. And McWood is back and heās an all-conference caliber player And, of course, we have Brett.
I think those close games we lost will be (hopefully) Wās. Call me naive if you want. But I truly believe that with who we have returning and another very solid recruiting class, we will experience more success. I do not fear anyone on our schedule.
One goal should be to get at least one P5 win.
I look for us to go at least 2-2 OOC. So I agree. At leastāagain, at leastāone P5 win.
If you ignore the 2020 COVID schedule, for several years the MAC has been doing schedules on a 2 year rotation. Last year was the first year of the rotation. So since our crossover game were at Ball State, at EMU, and CMU at home, my guess would be we go to Central and host Eastern and BSU.
Think weāre looking at 7 winsā¦until Chuck proves otherwise.
Took a small step ( major one for him) in UNT winā¦letās see if he can get Northwestern next year.