I'm in the camp that thinks we could absolutely be - and should be - a better team than last season, although I'm not sure the record will reflect that improvement.

Okie State in the opener is an absolute nightmare. Passing team vs a talented but relatively inexperienced secondary. And they're FAST at the skill positions. Granted, we should put up points on their D. But if Vegas has us as a 14-point dog, there's a reason. They're usually pretty good at the lines.

Bowling Green and Troy are teams that are more than capable of beating us if we try to sleepwalk through those games. We've beaten the teams we're supposed to beat under Mullen, and I look for that to continue, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility we could drop one of those.

We also play in the toughest division in football. Bama is a damn monster. LSU beats our ass every year. Auburn didn't lose all their talent overnight, and I look to see a big improvement for them with Malzahn running the show. We've never won in the state of Arkansas. aTm kept more guys than we thought and is on the way to becoming a juggernaut.

Freeze may be a snake oil salesman, but make no mistake, he's gotten the Bearz to buy into what he's selling. They play hard and with fire in the belly. We're still a better team, and we have them at home. Plus, I guaran-damn-tee Mullen is chomping at the bit to take them down a peg after dropping the last one. Nothing fires up a coach like losing to your rival. But you've also got to admit anything can, and usually does, happen in that game.

Another concern is whether or not Mullen will continue to beat the square peg into the round hole on offense. We've discussed it ad nauseum, and my opinion is well documented. I'm not looking for a big offensive improvement this season, for multiple reasons. On the flip side, I think the D has a chance to be special. A lot depends on how quickly our DBs develop and how our baby DLs play. But all indications coming out of spring look promising and give me reason for hope.

All in all, I think 8 wins is our absolute ceiling this season, but 6-7 is much more likely.