Are Phil Steele and Yancy half brothers?

[starkvegasdawg]

I just read where he picked the bears to the capital one bowl to play Wisconsin. I really don't see them having that kind of season. Hasn't that historically taken a 9-10 win season to get considered for that bowl? Unless something has changed regarding bowl rankings with the new playoff system that was the first bowl after the BCS bowls. I also thought the Cap 1 usually preferred an east team with the cotton going for a west team. For the record he had us in the music city. Me thinks Phil had one too many of Yancy's Xanax and wine spritzers when he wrote that article.

[dawgindothan]

Meh preseason predictions positive or negative are all worthless.

Bearz don't have the OL to make the Cap One Bowl. They'll win 7 or 8 depending on how healthy they stay.

[TheRef]

Also said that they are the Dark horse candidate to win the SEC West.

[Todd4State]

With the new playoff system, it might take an 8 win season now to get there.

[codeDawg]

They have a full slate of OOC cupcakes, deadbeat cross-conference games, Auburn, Bama, and MSU at home. They play LSU on the road, but beat them last year. It's hard for the experts to not pick them high with that schedule.

They are going to have a good season unless the injury bug bites. If they get injured up front, they are toast.

[maroonmania]

Interesting that while national pundits seem to have MSU and OM fairly close in their predictions most MSU fans don't see OM being all that great and vice versa with OM fans. Personally, I think the only thing we have over OM is depth of talent BUT if OM gets by without many injuries this year that won't be as big of a factor because they do have some VERY talented frontline players. If everything fell just right for them I could see them getting to the 9-10 win range and I could say the same for us. Also, their East schedule with TN and Vandy is just as easy as ours so we don't have an advantage there and Boise St. is not what they used to be.

[Johnson85]

I just read where he picked the bears to the capital one bowl to play Wisconsin. I really don't see them having that kind of season. Hasn't that historically taken a 9-10 win season to get considered for that bowl? Unless something has changed regarding bowl rankings with the new playoff system that was the first bowl after the BCS bowls. I also thought the Cap 1 usually preferred an east team with the cotton going for a west team. For the record he had us in the music city. Me thinks Phil had one too many of Yancy's Xanax and wine spritzers when he wrote that article.

Eh, this is a good year for somebody to have a surprise season in the West and with UM's schedule, they're an easy pick for it. There's a decent chance that nobody in the West is dominant, with Bama and LSU having to replace a ton of players and it still being unclear how much of a fluke last year was for Auburn. If Ole Miss didn't have a single injury to an important player, they would very likely have a great year. The issue is that with their OL, they probably can't handle any injuries there.

Our schedule is not as favorable simply because of our home/away mix, but I think we in general can withstand an injury or two better than they can, so I would expect us to have as good or better of a year and to finish stronger. We'll see.

[Covercorner2]

They have a full slate of OOC cupcakes, deadbeat cross-conference games, Auburn, Bama, and MSU at home. They play LSU on the road, but beat them last year. It's hard for the experts to not pick them high with that schedule.

They are going to have a good season unless the injury bug bites. If they get injured up front, they are toast.

We have an easier schedule and a better team than UM....

- Boise and ULL are better than any team we play OOC
- UT > UK
- Vandy = Vandy (except theres is on the road)
- Both @ LSU
- Both AU @ home
- UM has all 3 "swing games" in the West on the road (Ark, LSU, A&M). We play Arkansas and A&M at home.

Really the only advantages UM has is the Bama game at home and the Egg Bowl. The Bama game is probably a loss anyways, though.

[Jack Lambert]

Eh, this is a good year for somebody to have a surprise season in the West and with UM's schedule, they're an easy pick for it. There's a decent chance that nobody in the West is dominant, with Bama and LSU having to replace a ton of players and it still being unclear how much of a fluke last year was for Auburn. If Ole Miss didn't have a single injury to an important player, they would very likely have a great year. The issue is that with their OL, they probably can't handle any injuries there.

Our schedule is not as favorable simply because of our home/away mix, but I think we in general can withstand an injury or two better than they can, so I would expect us to have as good or better of a year and to finish stronger. We'll see.

For some reason I can't explain I think it is good we get Alabama and LSU on the road. Will not be as much pressure on State to win. They will be more relax.

[Political Hack]

We have an easier schedule and a better team than UM....

- Boise and ULL are better than any team we play OOC
- UT > UK
- Vandy = Vandy (except theres is on the road)
- Both @ LSU
- Both AU @ home
- UM has all 3 "swing games" in the West on the road (Ark, LSU, A&M). We play Arkansas and A&M at home.

Really the only advantages UM has is the Bama game at home and the Egg Bowl. The Bama game is probably a loss anyways, though.

yeah, but Vandy is their real rival so that's a tougher game for them than for us.

I think ULaLa is going to give them problems, but I also think they beat Boise by 3-4 TDs.

[Coach34]

If OM's OL stays healthy- the Egg Bowl winner could easily be a 9 win team.

I think OM loses to Auburn, Bama, LSU, State, and could drop one of the A&M or UPig games. Should they win those road games and the Egg- 9 wins in 2014

[dawgindothan]

They have a full slate of OOC cupcakes, deadbeat cross-conference games, Auburn, Bama, and MSU at home. They play LSU on the road, but beat them last year. It's hard for the experts to not pick them high with that schedule.

Uhh I think you just made a strong case for them NOT having a good season.

Boise on a neutral field is far from a cupcake. Not sure why some are assuming Boise's run is over. Maybe it is maybe it isn't but last time they had a subpar season they bounced back and went undefeated the next season with some 1st yr HC named Chris Peterson that no one had ever heard of.

And hasn't Hud won around 8 games and been to a bowl game ever since he has been at ULaLa? Doesn't sound like a cupcake to me.

AL in Oxford is pretty much a guaranteed loss for the Bearz. And AU in Oxford is a likely loss for them. LSU in BR likely loss. Ark will be improved and F'ville is a tough place to win. TAM will be beatable but the game is in CS.

[dawgindothan]

We have an easier schedule and a better team than UM....

- Boise and ULL are better than any team we play OOC
- UT > UK
- Vandy = Vandy (except theres is on the road)
- Both @ LSU
- Both AU @ home
- UM has all 3 "swing games" in the West on the road (Ark, LSU, A&M). We play Arkansas and A&M at home.

Really the only advantages UM has is the Bama game at home and the Egg Bowl. The Bama game is probably a loss anyways, though.

Agreed. Our schedule is way more favorable

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

What is sad is we could have our best team in over a decade and still finish 5th in the west. The sec is brutal and it will only get tougher from here on out.

[jumbo]

If OM's OL stays healthy- the Egg Bowl winner could easily be a 9 win team.

I think OM loses to Auburn, Bama, LSU, State, and could drop one of the A&M or UPig games. Should they win those road games and the Egg- 9 wins in 2014


EB winner will get to 9 wins...we are both 8-3 going into that game

[C222]

Uhh I think you just made a strong case for them NOT having a good season.

Boise on a neutral field is far from a cupcake. Not sure why some are assuming Boise's run is over. Maybe it is maybe it isn't but last time they had a subpar season they bounced back and went undefeated the next season with some 1st yr HC named Chris Peterson that no one had ever heard of.

And hasn't Hud won around 8 games and been to a bowl game ever since he has been at ULaLa? Doesn't sound like a cupcake to me.

AL in Oxford is pretty much a guaranteed loss for the Bearz. And AU in Oxford is a likely loss for them. LSU in BR likely loss. Ark will be improved and F'ville is a tough place to win. TAM will be beatable but the game is in CS.

They will beat Boise and ULL.

I think they split Bama and Auburn. Lose @ LSU. They will smoke Arkansas. They are going to suck again. Really not sure how good A&M will be. My guess is that they are 8-3 going into the Egg Bowl.

[Covercorner2]

UM will have at least 4 losses going into the Egg Bowl. The middle of their schedule is brutal....

[dawgindothan]

UM will have at least 4 losses going into the Egg Bowl. The middle of their schedule is brutal....

Agreed. And that's IF they stay relatively healthy throughout the season.

AL always beats TSUN. Even with the game in Oxford, 99% chance AL wins this season. 85% Bearz go 0-2 against LSU in BR and AU in Oxford (AU will be their 5th straight SEC game without a week off). TAM in CS..... 60% Aggies win. That leaves Boise on a neutral field, Vandy in Nashville, ULaLa in Oxford, TN in Oxford, Ark in F'ville, and the EB. OM is losing AT LEAST 1 of those 6 guaranteed, probably 2 of those 6, and possibly 3 of those 6.

I actually think there's a decent chance OM loses 1 of their first 2. There's all this Oxford talk about them starting 4-0 and hosting Gameday for the AL game. But when was the last time they started 4-0? Probably like 30 years ago.

This is all just my opinion of course. We'll see how it shakes out this season.

[Pollodawg]

Meh, I doubt I pick up a pre-season publication this go around.