Scribblings: 20 Bold Predictions 2014 College Football

[cajunfanatico]

6) An AAC team will be in the playoff hunt come DecemberThe AAC has three really good teams, at least on paper, in Cincinnati, East Carolina and UCF. In the first year of the college football playoff, it is widely assumed only Power Five teams and Notre Dame have a chance. That may not be entirely true. Each of those three teams has multiple non-conference tests that – if aced – would put them in the playoff discussion if the thing isn’t totally rigged.

Cincinnati: Miami, Ohio State
UCF: Penn State, Missouri, BYU
East Carolina: South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia Tech

Here’s my guess: UCF wins all three big non-conference games but loses the season finale at East Carolina. The Power Five conference exhale a $30 million sigh of relief.

http://stholeary.blogspot.com/2014/07/2 ... llege.html

[dpm wave]

Lots of uncertainty (too much, IMHO) about Bortles' replacement.

http://www.sportstalkflorida.com/top-fi ... ball-2014/

[Pullinmyhairout]

Why so much hype for ECU? I'm not sold on them.

[Wave QB]

Why so much hype for ECU? I'm not sold on them.

Ruffin McNeil has a pretty good program on his hands. I don't feel that ECU is unbeatable, but they are a solid program.

[jonathanjoseph]

Besides UCF, ECU, Cincy and Houston, no other 2014 AAC had a higher 2013 final Massey rating than Tulane.

[jonathanjoseph]

Why so much hype for ECU? I'm not sold on them.

Ruffin McNeil has a pretty good program on his hands. I don't feel that ECU is unbeatable, but they are a solid program.

We just beat them with our 2nd or 3rd best QB.

[Wave QB]

Why so much hype for ECU? I'm not sold on them.

Ruffin McNeil has a pretty good program on his hands. I don't feel that ECU is unbeatable, but they are a solid program.

We just beat them with our 2nd or 3rd best QB.

That's good. But ECU also had some key WR's out as well.

[Pullinmyhairout]

Why so much hype for ECU? I'm not sold on them.

Ruffin McNeil has a pretty good program on his hands. I don't feel that ECU is unbeatable, but they are a solid program.

We just beat them with our 2nd or 3rd best QB.

That's good. But ECU also had some key WR's out as well.

I just don't think they are some top 25 BCS busting program. Hell I hope they are, it will help the AAC make a push as a power conf. We'll see.

[Robert1969]

If AAC can finish with two Top 25 teams with a couple more receiving votes, and a respectable bowl record (including a major bowl win like last year) we will make huge strides towards being a power conference.

[greenphantom]

Why so much hype for ECU? I'm not sold on them.

Ruffin McNeil has a pretty good program on his hands. I don't feel that ECU is unbeatable, but they are a solid program.

We just beat them with our 2nd or 3rd best QB.

That's good. But ECU also had some key WR's out as well.

Who was that? Their stud WR Justin Hardy played and had a monster game. ECU has been good a program but they've been pretty average under McNeil. Record is 30-22 including a 10-3 record last year in CUSA-Belt. Remove last year and they are only 1 game above .500.

[cajunfanatico]

10) The Big 12 will announce expansion plans by NovemberThe league is not getting a playoff spot this year. If strength of schedule truly means something, they may not until Texas gets really good again because the league lacks elite teams. The talking points about no conference championship game are already starting and next year the Big 12 will be the only conference without a title game, including the non-power conferences.

That’s not going to work long-term. Before this season ends, the Big 12 will realize it needs to match the number in its name and will announce such. Who those teams are? I don’t know everything*.

*It’ll be BYU and UCF.