Maze & JAG Thoughts

New season and a few pieces have changed. Yeah I called coaches pieces. After this piece movement on the chess board, how about we look at a few things by conference. Remember I have no clue what I am talking about and I hope you take offense ;-)

Managed to update the article with some wise words from JAG.

ACC

This conference has definitely added a few good pieces. To continue with the chess thing, I think it will be a bloodbath for the conference title. I know FSU has a new coach and he might need time to get the ball rolling for his team but I still like him to throw his weight around. I think Boston College has the inside track for the CC. I know with the number of good coaches in there it is a bold statement for me to say that. With the squad left at Miami(FL) they will be a big problem. They have run the conference for a while now and with new pieces in the fold they might be in trouble.

Now we have looked at who is on the sharp end how about the other end? I have the second year coach at Clemson having a tough season, tougher than last season. He went 7-7 last season but I think this season will be a tougher cookie. Maryland will have a tough start to things with the new coach but they should be okay, they have a few human recruited guys. UVA might be in trouble this season with their coach. The conference has gotten tougher at the wrong time for them as the coach is in job security trouble. Coach dalailama12 is Little To No Jeopardy. He might need to muster some of the wisdom that comes with being the Dalailama to get his boys to ply for him this year.

BIG 12

Two new coaches in the northern division and I think one of them is going to be a nuisance. He is going to run off a few CCs in my opinion. My Cornhuskers have a good coach who I think can carry them to the promised land. I give him a few seasons and they will be rolling. There will be competition from the southern division were the CC has been for a while now. I think it will stay there, with who? I have no idea. It will come down to week 10 in the Red River rivalry game. Lately the Longhorns have had the upper hand and I like the Sooners roasters but we will see how the recruiting goes.

The only coach I see being in trouble is with the Cowboys. The OSU coach is in a bit of trouble, he is going up against a great recruiter in coach blitziscomin and I think he will lose every time. That will weaken his standing out of the gate. He is the only one I see being in real trouble in the conference, the other coaches should be fine, even the new coaches.

BIG East

This is the Royal Rumble with all the great wrestlers of the past. We have the new coaches who have shown up at the scene and will try to make a name for themselves and we have the old war horses who do not go out without a kick. They kick and scream like the horse in Animal Farm. Who wins the title? Your guess is as good as mine. I will not even try to pick who wins, too may good coaches.

Now who loses out, I think coach gt_duece will have a hard time, why you ask, because he was left with a not so great roster and has to build it up in a conference that is crazy. It does not hurt that he is in an area richly concentrated with recruits. Temple has a good roster and it gives the coach an opportunity to redeem himself after his stint down in Florida. He is also now in a recruit rich area.

WINNERS:

Big Sky – maintained everyone, a solid group already there. Added a good coach in at Eastern Washington and added a very good coach at Sam Houston State. Big Sky now has 7 coaches and they have some very big-name coaches in the conference. The only thing holding this conference back will be the lack of recruiting grounds which only features CA and TX for the most part.

OVC – A conference that has been pretty consistent over the years and nothing changes here. They refilled their key jobs and did so with some pretty solid coaches. This conference has a solid 8 coaches and should have a lot of playoff money again this season as they will have several teams make playoffs barring anything crazy. If a couple of those rebuilding teams find their footing this conference will becoming even more powerful.

BIG 10

The was not a lot of movement in the B1G, but they have added a quality coach. With this addition things will be somewhat interesting. I do not think much will change in terms of who wins the CC. I have nortonis as the favorite for the CC and maybe the NC as well. I know it is too early to call that but I am a maverick. I know cfbfan will throw his weight as always but I do not think he weighs enough yet.

The Buckeyes in my book should always be in the running for the CC and NC but I doubt they will be in the running this year. The last two seasons they have finished the season ranked in the mid 20s, which in my book is not good enough at all given the coach has been there for 5 seasons. I play them this year with my new team and I do not expect to win but I will try my best.

Con-USA

I bet the coaches in the conference are happy to see the back of ebel. He ran the conference for a while there but we have new coaches vying to takeover of the top dawg in the conference. I think it will come down to two new coaches, truedevil and lsusaint. They are quality coaches and I think they should hit the ground running, the teams they are taking over have already been built.

I do not see any coaches any coaches being in trouble in this conference. I am sure Marshall will perform better this year than they did last season. They have a very winnable schedule and I fully expect them to win their opening games and a few of their conference games.

MAC

Two new coaches in the MAC. I do not expect much from the new coaches. This year I have my money on nelsonba. He has improved his team and I think this will be his year. Bowling Green needs a good season to buy their coach some time so that he gets them on the right track. Central Michigan should be in the running as well. The western division is somewhat open unlike the eastern division.

LOSERS:

MEAC – already only had 4 coaches and lost one with no new additions. 2 of the remaining 3 humans are still in rebuilds and the entire West division is empty. This conference still looks like a 1-bid conference. They have teams in good recruiting areas but nothing to really attract coaches to the conference.

PFL – I put this conference here but they are more of a “wait and see.” They refilled all of their built programs but we will have to see how things shake out. Dayton was very formidable and should still be pretty solid but can the same standards be upheld? San Diego gets a very solid coach and that looks like they will be able to maintain their high level of play. Jacksonville also has its 3rd coach in 3 seasons, like San Diego, and their coach struggled to make is mark at DIA so we will see if the Dolphins can stay as competitive as they have been.

PAC-10

With the departure of jasonfreeman I think ez37 will have an easier run to the CC and NC. He will have some competition from cebrake, everyone knows him. He has been running the show over in Heisman for a while now. He walks into a loaded Cal team, fully loaded and ready for the him to drive off the lot. In this first season I think Stanford will have a field day on the creme dela creme of recruits in northern Cal.

Washington State needs to step up its game as they are on the road to trouble. He needs a great season this year but it might be difficult as they do not have a QB on the roster. When they recruit one they will have to play him and everyone knows that is going to be a recipe for disaster unless they run the ball and even then they have to throw it at some point.

SEC

I think this comes down to awags vs potter. Bold I know and looking down on the other coaches. Nah, I have more faith in these coaches. I expect there to be tough battles both on and off the field.

Sun Belt

My money is on Navy to win the CC in this conference. There will be tough games in this conference. A few new coaches in the conference and I am sure they want to make a mark on the conference off the jump.

There are a few coaches who might be on the wrong road. I am sure they see this season as their opportunity to get back on the right track by taking the exit off the road to getting fired.

WAC

Pete wins the conference again and the only question is how bad will be the bumps he has on his road to another CC. He has built his team and they are now rolling. Crushing everything in site. It will come down to Hawaii vs UTEP. UTEP has the entire division to themself and I fully expect them to win it, even in the first year of the new coach.

I hope you enjoyed this lil run. With the start of football I wonder who will even read this?